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A hiker descending a rocky mountain trail into the Valbona Valley in the Albanian Alps

Sample journey · 9–11 days

Albania on foot, by ferry and along the coast

Lake Koman, Valbona and Theth, Berat, Gjirokastër and the Ionian coast

Photo: Adventure Albania / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Albania fits onto a small map, yet in a week and a half it manages to show very different faces. In the north, mountains rise sharply from green valleys, and the way in is by water, along Lake Koman, which winds between cliffs like a fjord. Further south come the white houses of Berat and the stone town of Gjirokastër, and at the end the Ionian Sea, olive groves and evenings over grilled fish and lemon.

This sample route is for people who like to keep moving: a group of friends, a solo traveller happy to join a small group, or simply active travellers looking for a journey that doesn't cost the earth. The mountain section asks for good fitness; the days after it are slower, with time to wander old towns and swim.

The route

The journey

  1. Tirana
  2. Lake Koman
  3. Valbona
  4. Theth
  5. Shkodër
  6. Berat
  7. Gjirokastër
  8. Albanian Riviera
  1. A ferry on Lake Koman between steep grey mountain walls

    01Days 1–2 · Tirana & Lake Koman

    Into the mountains by water

    The first evening is in lively Tirana: a stroll through the Blloku district and dinner with your group or guide. The next morning, well before dawn, the road heads north to Koman. The ferry spends around three hours threading a narrow reservoir between sheer walls, past farmsteads reached only by boat. From Fierza it's a short transfer into the Valbona Valley and a first night in a family guesthouse.

  2. A clear mountain river over a stony bed in the Theth valley, with the peaks of the Albanian Alps beyond

    02Days 3–4 · Valbona & Theth

    Over the pass to the next valley

    This is the heart of the journey: the hike from Valbona to Theth over a pass at around 1,800 m. It usually takes 6–8 hours, with a long climb and an even longer, stony descent, so good fitness and sturdy boots matter. Luggage can often travel round by road. The next day in Theth is slower: a walk to a waterfall or the clear pools of Theth's Blue Eye, the old stone lock-in tower, and dinner from your hosts' garden.

  3. Rows of white Ottoman-era houses and their many windows on the hillside of Berat

    03Days 5–7 · Shkodër & Berat

    The city of a thousand windows

    Down the hairpins to Shkodër: Rozafa castle above the meeting of three rivers, bicycles and an evening by the lake, an easy step from mountains back to town. The next day heads south to Berat, where white Ottoman-era houses climb in tiers from the Osum River. Two nights allow an unhurried pace: the lived-in castle quarter, the icons of Onufri, the Gorica bridge and a wine tasting at a local estate.

  4. Gjirokastër's stone-roofed houses on the hillside, with the Drino valley and mountains beyond

    04Day 8 · Gjirokastër

    A town of stone above the Drino valley

    Gjirokastër is built of stone, from its cobbles to its roof slates. A vast castle looms over the old bazaar, and the great tower houses tell of families who lived here for centuries. The afternoon is a good time to visit one with a guide, and the evening to try qifqi, the herbed rice balls the town is proud of.

  5. A quiet pebble beach and clear Ionian water near Jala on the Albanian Riviera

    05Days 9–11 · The Albanian Riviera

    The Ionian Sea to finish

    On the way to the coast comes the Blue Eye spring and, if you like, ancient Butrint in woodland by its lagoon. Then a few days around Himarë and its villages: swims in pebble coves, a coastal path to the next beach and dinners on terraces above the sea. To finish, a ferry from Sarandë to Corfu and a flight from there, or the scenic road over the Llogara Pass back to Tirana.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The Lake Koman ferry

    A few hours on the water between sheer cliffs, the calmest possible way into the Albanian Alps.

  2. 02

    The Valbona–Theth hike

    A full day's crossing over a mountain pass between two valleys, a challenge that stays with you.

  3. 03

    Berat and Gjirokastër

    Two UNESCO-listed Ottoman-era towns, one white and one of stone, both best on foot.

  4. 04

    Nights with mountain families

    Guesthouses in Valbona and Theth, where dinner is often made from the family's own produce.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • A small group, or your own friends

    The route suits a small group of travellers or a private group of friends with their own guide and driver.

  • Without the long hike

    Swap the pass for shorter walks in both valleys, and reach Theth by road via Shkodër instead.

  • Longer in the south

    An extra night in Gjirokastër and a day in the Zagoria valley or on the Vjosa river, where rafting is possible.

  • Combined with Greece

    Take the ferry from Sarandë to Corfu and add a few slow days on the Greek islands before flying home.

Practical considerations

  • The mountain section is usually possible from around June to September or early October; the Lake Koman ferry runs mainly in the warmer months, and timetables change each year.
  • The Valbona–Theth hike is physically demanding: a long climb, a steep stony descent and little shade. We recommend a local guide.
  • June and September are often the most comfortable months, cooler in the mountains and calmer on the coast than July and August.
  • Roads between regions are winding, so transfers take longer than the map suggests.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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