Travel Albania

General information Albania

1000 lek = ~ 8 euro
The food in Albania is really good. The overall quality is excellent and it has a lot of influence from the Italians, Greeks and Turks. The only time we did not like our food was when our fries were really soft baked. The rest of our 2 weeks the food was amazing and also served for a good price (comparable to asia).

We found that Albania is really safe and people always want to help out. When we wanted to take the taxi to our car rental, the taxi driver asked for the telephone number of the place. In a lot of other countries this is a sign for a scam but the taxi driver told us that the rental guy was not at his office yet and we had to wait for 30 minutes otherwise. So he picked up the rental guy (who was walking on the road we had to take) and together we drove to the place. This way, it saved us 30 minutes of waiting.

The places to sleep are really clean and the people are always really friendly. Mostly breakfast is included in the price of the hotel/homestay and after eating, your have enough energy to start the first couple of hours of your day.

Driving is a little bit like in asia. Tirana is really crowded but outside of the city it’s way more relaxed. People are mostly not speeding and a lot of police is standing on the side of the road. We even got pulled down 1 time because we were passing a slow driving car but were not allowed to on this road. They just asked for our driving license and wished us a great day but we needed to watch our speed.

Albanian people have the same dance as the Greeks where you will do the same steps together in a round and holding hands. Don’t hesitate when you get invited because we ended up dancing a couple of times.

Overall, our experience was amazing. That’s why we wrote this post because we think the time of Albania is been thought of as a sketchy country is over.

Arrival at Tirana international airport

We arrived at night and booked a hotel next to the airport because our flight arrived at 00:30.  The room was €55 euro, 5 min. walk from Tirana airport and really nice.

The next day we walked back to the airport to get a simcard of €13 for 20gb and took money from the Banka Kombetare Tregtare which is located next to the check-in desks in the middle of the building. We took out 50.000 lek and payed a fee of 500 lek for the transaction.  Just outside of the airport there is a busstation from where you can take the bus to the city center (Rinas Express). This costs 300 lek or €2,50 per person and takes around 40 minutes.

Tirana

Tirana has a lot to offer. We noticed that the people are really friendly and helpful. We stayed at a room in the middle of the city which was a couple of minutes walk from the Skanderbeg square. We noticed that there were people dancing (traditional dance) in the late evening which was awesome to see. The vibe is amazing and you are able to join as well.

Pazari I Ri

We had breakfast here. In this area there are nice terraces and a small market with local things like fruit, local products and even communist army items. Another day we had some food at Zgara Te Pazari and ordered 2 half-liter beers. When we almost finished it, we received 2 more of a local man who sat next to us. Beers are 100 lek for 0.5 liters and the food is amazing!

Blokku

This area used to be only accessible for the members of the communist party. Nowdays it’s a realy nice area with a lot of food places and bars. The piramid of Tirana is also in this area. At the moment is is been reconstructed so you are not able to acces it. We walked through the area of Blokku and reached the lake. We had a drink at the lake view bar which was a really good spot to chill with a nice view.

Bunk Art

There are 2 bunk art locationd, 1 in the city and 1 near the closest mountain just outside the center. It’s a good starting point to visit both of these places to get information about the history of the country. Don’t expect to leave happy but both places are a unique experience. It is easily reachable by bus which costs 40 lek for 1 way. A ticket can be bought in the bus with the person which will come to you. The bus is called the Porcelan bus. More information can be found here.

Dajti Express

This is a cable cart to the top of the mountain. It is a 10 min. walk from Bunk Art. The cable cart is almost going to the top of the mountain where you can do some activities like minigolf. There is also a restaurant which serves local food with an amazing view.

Skanderbeg Square

This is a huge square where a lot of history took place. Skanderbeg himself is a very important figure and is a national hero to the Albanian people. There are some nice restaurants around this square such as Cafe Botanica where they serve excellent dishes. We noticed that at the weekend people will do the traditional Albanian dance on this square whic is called “The dance of Osman Taka”. They are happy if you join as the group can be over 50 people and the vibe is amazing.

Piramide of Tirana

One of the most visited places is the Piramid of Tirana. Until a short time ago, you were able to walk on the piramid to the top. At the moment they are re-constructing the building and it’s becomming a shopping mall.

Tirana Castle

This place is really nice to go at night. Right after a big shopping mall called “Toptani”, is an old castle located which is full of restaurants and shops. Especially at night we enjoyed this place a lot!

Piano Bar  – Skybar

This is a really nice bar to have a great overview of Tirana. We went here late in the evening. The karaoke was on and the cocktails are great.

Kruje

On the way to Shkoder, we stopped at Kruje. This is an important Albanian city as Skanderbeg tried to defend Albania from here from the Turks. There is a really nice castle on top of the hill which is well maintained. The views from here are stunning and definitely worth a visit. Next to the castle there is a bazaar (the biggest souvenir street we noticed in all Albania but it’s just 1 ancient street and people are really friendly) where you can buy souvenirs. We had some food after the visit at the restaurant Panorama. From here you have a nice view over the valley and they food is very tasty.

Shkoder (Teth -> Valbone hike)

We travelled to the north from where a lot of trips go to Teth and Valbone. There places are beautiful mountain villages which stunning views. You are able to do hikes here (6-8 hour hike from Teth to Valbone) and come back with the ferry on the Komani lake. We advise to arrange the trip which a booking agent at Shkoder as the prices are really fair and the road to Teth is in a bad state. They will drive you with a 4×4 so you can sit back and relax. In Shkoder you can visit the Rozafa castle and the Mesi Bridge although we would only recommend to drive by with a car without to much lose of time. There is an old street in the center of Shkoder which is nice at night. The Marubi national museum is located on this street.

Laguna e Patokut

Near this lagoon you are able to find a lot of fish restaurants with fish coming from the water around you. We decided to go to the place which is called “Laguna e Patokut” on Google maps. The fish, prawns and muscles were really fresh and tasted amazing. Including drinks, salad and homemade bread it costed 2500 lek. It’s a great stop when you are hungry and are on your way to the next place.

Durres

Durres is a big city which is located next to the sea. It has a large port so expect to see big container boats and cruise ships. There are a view things to do such as the Roman Amphitheater and the archeological museum. If you want to go for food there is a nice beachside from where you can see the sunset. This beachside is located at “Rruga Currila” which includes a lot of different beach bars and restaurants. We visited “2 kitarat Arome Deti” which is a really nice restaurant and full of people. They have a lot of different dishes and are specialized in Fish and Italian. Furthermore we think Durres is a large city which is not the best to visit in Albania. We only spend 1 night here and for us this was enough. On our way to Durres we stopped at the Kokomani winery which is open mainly for lunch. It’s located very nicely on top of a big hill and the people are really friendly. It’s a great opportunity to taste a good Albanian whine and enjoy the view.

Berat

The housing style in Berat is really beautiful. This is added to the Unesco world heritage list as its building style is one of a kind. The best place to stay is in the old city on the side of Mangalem.
There are a lot of homestays that are decorated in traditional style. The castle of Berat is located on the top of the mountain of this area. A beautiful view can be seen from the top which is overlooking the whole city. In the evening we had dinner in one of the best restaurants of Albania: Antigoni. The restaurant is build on the side of the cliff and has an amazing view over de other side of the city from where the houses are lighting up. For a late night stroll and some drinks we would advise to go to Bulevardi Republika.

Pogradec (Ohrid)

The way from Berat to Progradec is a nice drive and when you finally get to the Lake of Ohrid, the views are stunning. We found that there was not too much to do in Pogradec itself but chilling on the lake is a nice thing to do. From here we went to Ohrid which is in Macedonia and a must-visit if you are in the area. Make sure that you are allowed to go over the border with your car. The city is about a 45 minutes drive along the coast. Don’t forget to visit the monument of St.Naum. The people believe that you can hear him snoring in the chapel so don’t forget to try and listen.

Ohrid is amazing at night and don’t forget to visit the beautiful churches around such as the Saint John the Theologian and the Saint Clement and Panteleimon.

Korce

Korce is a nice small city what is famous for the beer brand. There is a huge terras at the brewery where you can enjoy 0.4l beers Korce beers for 60 lek. The orthodox cathedral, Sky view restaurant and the old bazaar are really worth a visit. Especially at night the old bazaar has a great atmosphere including a lot of restaurants and drinking places.

The next day we drove from Korce to Gjirokaster. The road is not great but you don’t need a 4×4. It will take around 4,5 hour it total for around 200 kilometers. I do have to say that this is one of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever driven on. I can get tired normally but on this road, it’s not possible. At some places they are busy with the building the roads so expect to drive on some dirt sometimes. On the way we stopped at Llixhat e Benjes. There are several thermal baths to enjoy. Get here early to enjoy the quietness.

We also drove to Permet. Allthough they have a lovely bakery (Londo) there was not too much to do here. A lot of people stay here to hike of raft.

Gjirokaster

This was one of our favorite places in Albania. We stayed in the old city which is absolutely amazing at night. There are a lot of lovely food places and the atmosphere is great. Don’t forget to visit the castle of Gjirokaster. It’s a really big castle which a lot of history. It’s even been used as a prison and an American place is located here as well. The view over the valley is amazing! The leader of the communist regime Enver Hoxha is also born here.

A fun fact is the village next to Gjirokaster was the cannabis capital of the Balkans. The village is called Lazarat and was cracked down in 2014.

When driving from Gjirokaster to Ksamil, you must stop at the Blue Eye. This is a natural water source from where water is getting out of the ground. The water is super cold and really clear.

Ksamil

Ksamil is a great place to chill out and relax. The beaches are beautiful and the water is clear blue. In the summer period it can be really busy so be early to get the best places.
The price of the beach beds will depend on the location. We paid 1000 lek for 1 full day but you can get it cheaper and more expensive. There are a lot of good fish restaurants which you can choose for yourself. Don’t forget to visit Butrint in a morning. It’s a beautiful place with a lot of history.

Saranda

We didn’t like Saranda that much. It’s a huge city with a big port for boats. The good thing about this place is that if offers a boat trip of 1.5 hour from the harbor of Saranda to Corfu. The price of this trip is €17 per person for the slow boat. And €21 for the fast boat which takes you from Saranda to Corfu in about 30 minutes. There are a lot of booking offices around the city but we preferred to go directly to the company office of the boat which is named: Finikas Lines. They will explain to you what options you have including the fast and slow boat. Please note that you need to go through customs when arriving in Corfu and also back in Saranda. You can leave your car directly on the port for €4 a day (500 lek).

Himare

There are a lot of really nice beaches and places to stay along the coastline. Himare is a small place with some really nice beaches and bars. Because it’s a small place it’s not overly crowded. A nice beach nearby for a chilling day would be Livadi Beach. We stayed a few hours at the Papaya beach bar and didn’t rent a bed. We just went into the water and when coming out, we ordered some drinks at the bar.

When driving up the coast, don’t forget to visit Gjipe beach. You need to walk a trail for 20 minutes which can be hard in the middle of summer with 40 degrees but when you can to the beach, a beautiful sea is waiting for you. We also saw some 4×4 cars camping here but the road is really bad so I would suggest it for good offroad drivers only.

Beaches:

We went to many beaches along the coastline. A couple of good beaches are:
– Kroreza
– Qeparo
– Palermos
– Akuarium
– Dhermiu (Bamboo beach bar)
– Many more!

We drove up to Vlore and on our way we passed the Llogara pass. The road will lead you from the seaside all the way to the top of the mountain. On top of this mountain, make sure to stop at Panorama Llogara because this is one of the most impressive places we’ve ever been.

Vlora

We did not see that much of Vlora. We only had 1 evening here because we had to bring back our rental car the next day. We stayed at the old town of vlora which is wonderful at night. A couple of really good restaurants are located here such as Vintage coffee & snacks.

We might forgot a lot of places because Albania has so much to offer. We thought that 2 weeks would be more than enough but it was still really tight at the end. If you only have 1 week, just drive along the coast but don’t forget Gjirokaster.