Albania Itinerary: 2 Weeks from Beaches to Mountains
This Albania Itinerary starts at the beaches before taking you into the mountains and eventually to Montenegro before going back to Tirana. You can switch this up by visiting the mountains first, then going to the beaches, and finally visiting Tirana. Mix and match as you see fit.
If you’re just into a mountain adventure, then skip straight to start on Day 5.
I did the first 5 days with my sister, then Wilhelm and I did the next 3 days alone before his parents joined us for a full Albania and Montenegro adventure! My parents joined at the end of the trip as well so if you need to plan a family reunion destination that can cater to everyone, Albania could be it for you too.
The Albanian Riviera: Days 1-5
Although my sister and I usually jump around between locations on a trip, no matter how short, we decided to spend all 4 nights in a single location. We did day trips between the different hot spots of what is now known as the Albanian Riviera.
The first 5 days of the itinerary will assume you have a car (because I did).
Day 1: Arrival + Driving
Drive from Tirana Airport to Himarë: 4 hours
Spend 4 nights at Scale Guesthouse
Himara: My sister and I stayed in Himara. We thought it was a perfect base for exploring the Albanian Riviera due to its stunning beauty and convenient location near enough for driving from Tirana right after landing and also close enough to other famous beaches. There are actually two parts of Himara town. The larger part of town is more touristy whereas the town around Livadi Beach area is calmer. There are still a lot of local tourists but there is just one street with all the restaurants and hotels. We stayed at Livadi Beach.
Morning/Afternoon
I landed at 12pm and so this itinerary will assume you can drive to the beach the same day you arrive.
Google Maps said that the ride to Himara would take just under 4 hours and it did. Driving was an interesting experience. Many people drive in the middle of the road. The roads are single lines in either direction all the way to Himara. As long as you keep your cool with cars going insanely slow or insanely fast, you’ll be fine. The Albanians will definitely pass if you if you’re too slow. But they can also go 20km an hour in a 60km zone.
You’ll drive through Llogara Pass on your way to Himara. The pass is a popular viewpoint. We were running late to our Airbnb and didn’t want to drive in the dark; therefore, we didn’t stop to take a picture. To be honest, I couldn’t really tell when we drove through the pass. Many other bloggers rave about the pass but perhaps after the stunning Cape Town mountain drives that I’ve become used to, this didn’t warrant a stop for us.
That said, the entire ride is picturesque. We stopped at a random shop for a cheese burek on our way though you can also buy food from the airport in Tirana.
Afternoon/Evening
If you landed earlier than I did and you have time, explore the Himara Castle in the late afternoon (read more about it on Day 4) Otherwise, check into your lodging and then plan for dinner by the beach. We had a simple dinner of Greek salad and fish at ViaMia
Lodging: Scala Guesthouse
Scala Guesthouse is located on the hillside overlooking Livadi Beach. The owner is a Greek woman married to an Albanian and is so sweet. There will be someone to help you translate. We booked a room that ended up having three single beds with an ensuite. The rooms are clean and come with a cupboard, AC, and a fridge. There is no separation between the shower and the rest of the bathroom so everything gets wet (but will dry), so bring slippers. This turned out to be very common in simple lodging options in Albania.
Our Scala GuestHouse Room
There is wifi available but don’t count on it for working or calls as it’s very spotty. I had a Vodacom SIM card from the airport and I used that exclusively to have a reliable connection.
For everything about staying in Himara, check out the guide:
Day 2: Gjipe Beach
Prepare for a day of beach hopping! Pack some snacks or prepare to eat out at one of the shacks. We took a chill first day because my sister Sitara started feeling sick, but I’ve added suggestions for you if you’re up for more activity.
A driving tip for the day: Although most of the highways to the beach areas are fine (there are some potholes), the roads that lead to the beaches are all gravel and dirt. Our tiny car made it up most of the time but we had to turn around for one beach because I was scared the car would get stuck. Just be extra careful with the rocks and the bushes; the car rental companies know that you’ll try to reach places you can’t in a tiny car and are extra throughout with tiny scratches…
Morning
There are several options for breakfast around Livadi Beach, or you can pack up and have a cute, tiny breakfast in Dhermi. We ate at a tiny roadside cafe called Kafe Frape to get some local views.
The hostess was so sweet and we ordered a simple breakfast of omelets with coffee+tea. There is no parking directly outside the shop but you can stop at this church around here to park and then walk down.
Then, visit Drymades Beach and spend some time here.
(We didn’t do this because my sister was feeling sick but it was in our plan!)
Afternoon
Drive to the Gjipe Beach parking. Parking is 300 ALL for 12 hours.
The walk the 1.5 km down took to the beach. It took us 30 minutes at a leisurely pace as we stopped to take pictures. Two lounge chairs and shade were 1000 ALL for the day.
The beach is gorgeous though very rocky. Our water-sandals worked fine but proper water shoes would be necessary to totally ignore the rocks.
Evening
After you’ve had your fill of the beach, head back to Livadi Beach/Himara for dinner. There are several options around Livadi Beach and I’d suggest walking by and seeing what catches your eye. There are a lot more restaurants than it looks like on Google Maps because they are all so close together. In our experience, all the food was good. My two favorite spots to dine in the Livadi Beach area were Jespers and Bar Restaurant Anxhosa.
We drove to the other side of Himara and had dinner at Lefteri’s Tavern, which is known for its seafood. We shared a rocket salad, mussels, and linguine with tiny shrimp. It was delicious! We spent 3800 ALL total.
Check out this cute doorway as you wander around.
Day 3: Day Trip to Ksamil
Morning+ Afternoon
Black Pearl Beach Club
Stop at BakeHouse at the beginning of Livadi Beach for a quick pastry or burek and then start driving towards Ksamil. This beach town is popular for beach clubs. My sister and I visited the Black Pearl. To be honest, we mostly picked it because of the cool hanging beds we saw on Instagram. It was worth it for us. Read all about it.
Shpella e Pëllumbave
After about 3 hours at the beach club, we drove to Shpella e Pëllumbave beach, which is sandwiched between two other beaches. We just spent an hour here and we didn’t feel the need to also go to the other beaches.
The road is rocky up to the two parking lots. It seems like you’ll be driving in the wrong direction but just keep going and follow the signs. The first parking lot cost 300 ALL. We parked here since I was worried about driving anymore. The second lot is a little closer to the start of the trail down to the beach but just by a couple of minutes. This lot fills up so I suggest just parking at the first lot.
The walk down to Shpella e Pëllumbave takes about 10 minutes, first through a rocky path and then down a metal staircase. The beach area is small and crowded with umbrellas. There is also a restaurant/bar to get drinks and snacks. However, it’s really pretty!
To avoid the crowd, keep to the left and round the first little cliff area. There are fewer people here though if you plan to spend the day you may need to bring your own umbrella. We spent just under two hours here and so didn’t get an umbrella.
Evening
I don’t recommend driving in the dark on mountainous roads anywhere, especially as I felt drivers in Albania made dangerous decisions to pass on blind curves. Therefore, Sitara and I left around 4pm so that we’d have plenty of time to drive the 2 hours back to Himara before sunset.
After all the driving and spending the day in the sun, we got dinner at the restaurant attached to our lodge at Scale Guesthouse, Jespers. The setting is lovely with hanging lights and a handwritten menu.
Day 4: Chill Beach Day
Morning+ Afternoon
If you’re up for it, try out Gjip Beach. It’s close to Himara however, we tried and failed to get here because the road is so horrible. Instead of trying to reach the beach by car, walk from Himara or park your car after you cross the rickety bridge towards the beach.
In my tiny rental car, driving was so stressful that my sister and I ended up skipping this beach entirely. We also didn’t see anywhere good to park on the route towards the beach.
On a nice day, the 2km walk to the beach could be nice but it was so hot on the day we planned to go that we just ended up turning around. I hope you manage to get here!
Otherwise, stay at Livadi Beach which should be right outside your lodging if you’re also staying at Scala Guesthouse.
The beach is public but there are also several chairs and umbrellas available for rent. On one end of the beach is Babilonia Beach Club. They have pretty daybeds which we paid 3500 ALL for the day. The beach here has crystal clear waters and you can swim out to the lonely rock, climb up, and jump off too.
Instead of being a beach bum, today would also be a great day for paddle boarding, kayaking, or getting on a boat. Do your own research into the tour companies as I’ve seen mixed reviews for a few places along the coast. However, in Himara The Great Chimera has good reviews for a boat cruise.
Evening
As part of your Albania itinerary, an hour or two before sunset visit Himara Castle if you haven’t done so already on your first day. This 13th-century fortress sits on a hilltop overlooking the town of Himara, offering stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the Ionian Sea. There is parking right out front or you can walk up to the castle, which many do according to Google Map reviews.
The castle was built by the Byzantines in the 13th century, and it was later used by the Venetians and the Ottomans. There are still people living within the fortress walls.
Make sure you stop at the Butterfly Cafe for some iced tea (300 ALL).
The castle is open from sunrise to sunset (often a little longer) and costs 300 ALL per person. We spent about an hour walking around. You can’t get lost!
For dinner, we stayed around Livadi Beach and got dinner at Restaurant Anxhosa. It was delicious and we were offered a free glass of beer as a “welcome drink.” The Greek food was delish. We ordered the Greek salad, stuffed peppers, grilled seabass, and moussaka.
Day 5: Back to Tirana
Spent the night at Ebel Hotel in Tirana
Today the Albania Itinerary beach trip ends and the mountain adventure begins! You won’t need a rental car for the rest of the journey so drop it off back at the airport.
Alternative Option: You can either choose just to spend 1 night in Tirana as I suggest and start off immediately on your mountain adventure or spend 2 nights to be able to visit the museums and do a city tour.
Morning
Drive back to Tirana in the morning, stopping at Bakehouse for a morning burek. The drive will take around 4 hours.
I returned the rental car with some drama. The car company insisted I put full-length scratches on the car… although there were many scratches beforehand that I had pictures of, these small scratches only showed up because there was a lot of dust on the car. To cut a long story short, I paid an extra 100 euros to be done with the matter, though I’m sure that those were not caused by me. Look out for tiny scratches when you pick up your rental car…
For my own point: their excuse for not showing the scratches in the original car pictures was that “WhatsApp quality is bad,” as it was another agent who took the pictures and sent them to the agent checking the car. ANYWAY…
Afternoon
Wilhelm arrived at the Tirana airport in the afternoon and so after dropping the car, the three of us took a taxi to Tirana. The official taxi to our hotel was around 2,500 ALL.
Ebel Hotel
We stayed at Ebel Hotel, which was right next to the bus station we needed to be able to take the bus to Valbone. I suggest you do the same. As the bus leaves at 5:30am, you’ll want to be as close as possible.
Ebel Hotel was cute and I would definitely recommend it for a little luxury between the guesthouses of Himara and Valbona.
Additionally, the hotel restaurant has excellent and cheap sandwiches for lunch. I got the veggie sandwich and it was filled with olives and mushrooms—delish for just 250 ALL!
Rest up if you need to adjust to the time zone or get some rest from your long flight. You’ll be returning to Tirana if you’re following this Albania itinerary so no need to rush around today.
If you have time, visit the House of Leaves Museum and go into Tirana Castle. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for this but I would have liked to go. The House of Leaves Museum is the Museum of Secret Surveillance that explains the atmosphere of the communist era.
Vibes around Tirana
Evening
The heat of the day really discouraged us from attempting to explore Tirana until 6pm. I suggest walking around this area.
Stop for drinks at Hemingway Bar or Komiteti Bar. We went to Komiteti and it was so cool. Besides a good selection of drinks, it also has a museum-feel to it with an eclectic collection of artifacts from Albania.
Komiteti Bar
Then, get a fun sushi dinner at Mugo or one of the other hip bars in the area. Oda, King House, and Eda are excellent choices for an Albanian dinner but I suggest you do that at the end of your trip if you’ve already been in Albania for 5 days as this is the last chance for international food before you head into the mountains. If this is your first night, go to the other suggestions by 7pm if you don’t have a reservation.
Mugo sushi dinner!
Along the way, we stopped at the Tirana Pyramid.
The Accursed Mountains Itinerary: Day 6-10
This is a one-way route around Albania’s Accursed Mountains. Bring only backpacks with a weight you’re comfortable hiking with for 7-ish hours, up and down a mountain. If that’s not possible, be prepared to pay for a donkey luggage service between Valbona and Theth.
You can do this route the way we did or do the opposite. The main issue is that there is no road between Valbona and Theth and therefore you need to hike this—it’s the highlight of Albania Itinerary!
Day 6: Tirana to Valbona
Spend 2 nights at Guesthouse Rosi
Morning
Get to Valbona
Komani Lake Ferry was an interesting experience as you need 3 transfers to get from Tirana to Valbona. First, you’ll take a 5:30am bus ride, then get to the ferry at 12pm, then take another bus ride to Valbona. In all the journey for us lasted from 5am (as we got to the bus station early) until 1:30pm when we got dropped in Valbona. Read all about how to get from Tirana to Valbona (because it’s too much to put all in this Albania Itinerary).
Afternoon
After the bus ride, boat ride, and then another bus ride, you’ll only reach Valbone in the afternoon. We opted to stop and have lunch in the village at Guesthouse Jezerca. The food was excellent and it seems to be one of the few places that accept guests for lunch even if they aren’t staying there. Lunch was 2300 ALL and we thought we were splurging with coffees, water, a veggie platter, and a fresh trout that is farmed on the property.
Wonderful lunch at Guesthouse Jezerca
After lunch, we hiked up to Guesthouse Rosi. There are several accommodation options in Valbona so you can see what suits you. When we visited in July 2023, there were several hotels under construction that looked like Swiss ski hotels. Guesthouse Rosi is 2km from the main village and only accessible if you have a private 4×4 transfer or by hiking. It’s worth the hike. The food is amazing and the views are spectacular. The rooms are simple and I saw a scorpion in the ceiling cracks on our first night but we survived. I recommend it!
Evening
Like us, you’ll probably be tired from getting up early and making all those transfers to get to Valbona. After getting to Guesthouse Rosi, just enjoy the view or take a walk with the horses.
Dinner is a set menu of soup, salad, bread, and vegetables. On our first night, it was just veggies but on our second night, there was chicken. Let the managers know if you’re vegetarian.
Alternative Albania Itinerary Option:
The Shala River is a popular destination for rafting and kayaking. The river is surrounded by mountains and forests, making it a beautiful and scenic place to enjoy a day of outdoor activity. We used it just as a stopover when going to Valbona but you can extend your Albania Itinerary and stay here for a night.
Day 7: Hike Mount Rosi in Valbona
Stay at Guesthouse Rosi
Morning
Start to prep for your big hike tomorrow (to Theth) by hiking Mount Rosi today. You can hike all the way to the top or just go as far as the cafe. I was so scared about the hike to Theth that I didn’t want to overdo my legs. See how you feel.
The night before we asked for takeaway breakfast and so we had that to bring on our hike with us. I suggest starting the hike early in the morning (in the summer) because it can get super hot. We started at 6:30ish.
Read how to hike Mount Rosi here as part of your Albania Itinerary .
Afternoon
If you hike all the way up to Mount Rosi, you’ll probably only come back in the afternoon. If you’re like us and turn around after the cafe, then you’ll have the rest of the day to relax.
Walk back down the mountain and check out the riverbed to explore. You’ll likely come across some old bunkers that were built during the communist regime in case of attacks on the country.
The mountains are spectacular
Evening
Enjoy sunset and dinner. Have an early night so that you can wake up early to start the hike to Theth tomorrow.
Day 8: Hike to Theth
Spend 2 nights at Guesthouse Marashi
Morning + Afternoon
Hike or get a ride down to the starting point of the trail for the biggest day of your Albania Itinerary. There are actually two drop-off points if you want to shorten your hike. We got a ride with Guesthouse Rosi for 35 euros to the official start of the hike, which is where the paved road ends and the riverbed road begins. I honestly was so, so, so scared for the hike but honestly it wasn’t hectic at all. You can also get a ride through the dried riverbed but it’s unnecessary.
We took the car down to the starting point around 5:30 and began the hike at 5:50am.
The hike is amazing and totally worth the journey.
If you don’t want to carry your own backpack—because this is a one-way hike!—then ask your guesthouse to organize a donkey to carry your items. I’m not sure how much this costs but instead, try to pack light instead.
The route is well marked and everyone is doing the same thing—hiking to Theth. There are a couple of cafes along the route where you can fill up on water or get a snack. Some cafes won’t let you access a stream so you’ll need to pay for water.
The first cafe we reached was Simoni and later we stopped at the second to last cafe on the route
We reached Theth at 2pm. The hike can be done faster. We stopped along the way for views, for snacks, and generally took it easy as the main goal was the gorgeous views, not rushing to the end.
We chose to stay at Guesthouse Marashi and really enjoyed our stay. The family who owns the property even did our laundry for free! The food is amazing and I loved both breakfast and dinner here. One person speaks English but we got by usually by Google translate and it was perfectly easy. I recommend staying here.
Evening
We spent the rest of the day chilling at Guesthouse Marashi.
Guesthouse Marashi
Theth is more developed than Valbona. There is a grocery store and even some restaurants. However, if you want to eat at a guesthouse be sure to visit early enough to let them know so they can prepare in advance. They typically only prepare enough food for whoever has booked. We ate at Guesthouse Marashi since we were tired.
The grocery store is pricey but it’s all that’s available.
The selection at the grocery store
Day 9: Explore Theth
It took us a day to recover from the hike and so we did less than we thought we would do this day of our Albania itinerary. We totally skipped out on going to the famous Blue Eye pool because I couldn’t handle a 2-hour hike one-way. There are transport options, so ask your guesthouse! I think it’s worth going to and now I wish I just sucked it up and hiked…
Morning
Have breakfast at Guesthouse Marashi. It’s amazing. I love the fresh little donuts and literally everything was so good. We were stuffed all day.
Check out the picturesque church. I was obsessed and went back several times to take pictures. The church isn’t always open but if it is, you can poke your head inside.
Then, visit the waterfall and canyon on a small morning hike. We just walked as far as the viewpoint before turning back.
You can take your swimsuit with you and stop in the manmade pool on the way.
Then, visit the tower that was used as a kind of holding cell for a guilty party until others decided his punishment. The visit is 1 euro and it’s worth it to see the inside. It seems like there are now relics of life in Albania as the inside looks more like a home than a jail…
Afternoon
Have a beer, juice, or drink (with or without lunch) at the cafe overlooking the river. I think this place is still figuring out how much to charge tourists. For example, a small bottle of juice was just 100 ALL but the watermelon was 600 ALL… Google Maps reviews online complain about the costs but if you avoid the food and just get a drink you should be okay. There are some instagrammable spots so that’s worth a price too out here.
Hike or take transport to the Blue Eye. The water is apparently freezing. You can also take the transport halfway up the trail and then start walking when you see people taking dips in the pools along the way.
Get lunch at Villa GJECAJ Guesthouse. We had to let them know a day in advance that we were planning to come. The stuffed eggplant was the best I had in all of Albania! I loved our meal and view here.
Check out the small but informative visitors center.
Evening
As we were walking back from lunch it started to rain so we had a night in at Guesthouse Marashi.
Lovely views in Theth before the evening rains started
Day 10: Back to Tirana
Spend 2 nights at Arté Boutique Hotel
If you’re interested in a longer trip, you can do what we did and continue into Montenegro for a couple of days and then return to Tirana for your flight out. You can get a private transfer from Theth to Podgorica (the capital of Montenegro) and then follow my Montenegro guide.
Or, for the perfect Albania Itinerary, head back to Tirana.
Morning
Get a bus from Theth to Shkoder and then take another bus to Tirana. Check out this site for more information. Friendly disclaimer: we didn’t use this route because we went to Montenegro instead of turning back to Tirana. However, our original plan was to go back, and this is the resource we used to plan.
Or, you can also ask your guesthouse if they can help organize a private transfer for you to your hotel in Tirana.
Afternoon
If you arrive with enough time to wander around, visit the House of Leaves as I suggested on day 5 if you didn’t have a chance before.
Evening
As mentioned, Oda, King House, and Eda are excellent choices for an Albanian dinner. My favorite was Eda. If you don’t get there when it opens, a line starts to form outside.
My parents joined us for two days of our Albania Itinerary and so we all had dinner together at Kings Restaurant. It was great! We arrived at 6:30pm-ish and the restaurant was dead… we were wondering if we made the right choice, but by 8pm, the place was packed!
I was obsessed with the eggplant!
Day 11: Explore Tirana
Morning
Free City Tour
Start your day I always enjoy free city tours across Europe. Although they are “free,” you should expect to tip at the end. Most of the tours start around the Opera House. We used this city tour and had a great experience. The group was no more than 20 people. Our guide was a little older, which was more interesting because he described what it was like to live during the communist period.
You’ll see a bit of everything in Tirana on the tour!
If you’re there early enough, visit the Adrion Bookstore inside the opera house before you start the tour. There is a selection of English books, including a section by Albanian authors (like my favorite Ismail Kadare).
And take pictures at the I love Tirana sign in front of the Opera House.
The tour ends at the House of Leaves, you can visit this museum if you haven’t had time before or continue on.
BunkArt 2
Visit BunkArt 2 after the tour. Contrary to what I thought the name implies, this is not an art museum in an old bunker. Rather, it’s a museum dedicated to the “preservation of the collective memory and on telling the story of the communist regime, including [its] horrors,” as indicated on its website. It’s really a fascinating walk though.
The info sheets are in English and you’ll see the rooms as they were made up for the officials in case of an attack. In reality, though bunkers were built all over the country, they were never used as Albania was never attacked.
Although it’s a worthy visit, I think it’s worth mentioning that if you have asthma or any respiratory issues, then I don’t suggest it. The bunker smells insanely like mold and some of the cloth and paper artifacts have layers of mold on it. I won’t bother putting the picture here… but ya… It’s still worth it.
BunkArt2 is a 10-minute cab ride (around 9 euros) from the House of Leaves. You can also take the bus (for very cheap). BunkArt 2 is the larger and more impressive site in comparison to BunkArt 1 in the city.
Afternoon
Get lunch at Gjelber for bowls and wraps made from all veg (and some vegan) sources. I was starving and the burger filled me up!
I tried to visit the Ismail Kadare Museum when we were in Tirana but it was a fail. Although we visited during the open hours, finding the entrance was difficult and when we eventually followed someone into the apartment complex (because the door was locked), the actual museum/apartment was closed. Here are some pictures I took through the window.
The entrance is around the back of the building and there is a small paper with info (which was useless in our case)
We stopped at the small Et’hem Bej Mosque, which was recommended during our tour.
Evening
My favorite meal in Tirana was at Era. I suggest you make reservations for dinner during the afternoon because this place fills up. When we visited, there was a line to get in after 8pm. The food here was excellent. My favorite dish was the stuffed cabbage leaves, which were filled with rice, mince, and mint leaves. Wowow. The stuffed eggplant was incredible too.
After dinner, we stopped at Ayla Bakllava & Kynefe which is right next to Arte Boutique Hotel. Kynefe is one of my favorite desserts from the Middle East.
Day 12: Travel Back Home
Today is your travel day! We had a 10am flight to Bari, Italy so didn’t do anything except eat and peace out.
Tirana vibes as we walked around
Hope you enjoyed this perfect Albania Itinerary for beaches and mountains!