Albania is becoming the next big Europe travel destination due to its unexplored stunning outdoors, paradise beaches and amazing cultural heritage cities, so this is a list of the top atrractions to visit in Albania and many travel tips to plan your trip to Albania

This travel guide to Albania will give you all the top things to do in Albania and all the travel tips to discover the best of Albania so that you can plan your travel itinerary.

TOP 15 THINGS TO DO IN ALBANIA

My top things to do in Albania are a mix of very different yet enriching experiences that show how incredible attractions Albania has to offer.

The list of the must see places in Albania can be of course adapted by traveller depending on your interests. Myself, I am a fan of covering all the different kind of travel experiences, these are the absolute best spots to visit in Albania, random ordered.

These are the top 15 things to do in Albania:

1. SHKÖDER
2. THETH NATIONAL PARK
3. TIRANA
4. BOVILLA LAKE
5. KRUJE
6. BERAT
7. GJIROKASTER
8. HIMARE
9. GJIPE
10. DHERMI
11. PORTO PALERMO BEACH
12. KSAMIL BEACH
13. BLUE EYE SARANDE
14. VLORE
15. DURRES

Here below is a map of Albania with all the top things to do mapped. Despite being a relatively small country and with average to good roads, Albania travel between the main cities will be taking longer due to traffic on the national roads.

TRAVEL ITINERARY ALBANIA AND HOW LONG TO PLAN FOR ALBANIA TRIP

My recommended time to make a trip to Albania is 10-12 days. In week 1 you should cover as much as possible on cultural sites, nature hiking and enjoy the hidden gems Albania has to offer, whilst on the remaining days you can explore leisurely the Albanian Riviera with its apotheosis at the paradise of Ksamil in the South. If you only have one week, then you could cover the Southern Riviera plus the essential highlights from Central Albania such as Berat and Gjirokaster, capital Tirana and Bovilla Lake.

Below is an itinerary you can do in 1 to 2 weeks:

Further below I will show you the top things to do in Albania in more detail.

WHEN TO GO TO ALBANIA

The best time to go to Albania is by late Spring from end May to mid-October as temperatures will rise to above 25 degrees and the sea temperature will also become warmer from May onwards. In August there might be some very severe hot weather around 40 degrees. so beware of that and stay in the shade those days during midday hours.

April / May would be good shoulder seasons for sunbathing without the crowds in the south but not for swimming yet, nights will still be cool.

HOW TO GET TO ALBANIA AND GET AROUND ALBANIA

The best way to get to Albania is by boat from Greece or Italy. Especially from Greece there are speed hidrofoil boats leaving almost hourly from Corfu town harbor to Saranda in the Southern Albania Riviera with the trip taking 1 hour. This is really practical Albania trips should ideally start from the south all the way to Northern Albania and then either flying out of Tirana or getting the boat from Sarande back to Corfu. The companies connecting from Corfu to Sarande are Ionian Seaways and Finika Lines, tickets cost around 20€ per person one-way.

This is also the cheapest way as most flights to Corfu are still cheaper than flying to Tirana, the only city with a big international airport in whole Albania. Of course as more companies , namely low cost ones start connecting to Tirana by plane, then this will tend to become cheaper .

There are also land border crossings from Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro and, Serbia, so travelling by car is an alternative to be considered as long as you have the necessary travel insurance to Albania as its not an EU country.

Getting around Albania is done ideally by car as distances are not extremely big and road connections are in good to very good condition. Outside some major cities and on the coast roads, traffic is manageable as well as driver’s style. Major rental car companies offer good rates in Albania offer good deals but I actually went for a local one that I was really well satisfied about: Surprice car with good value for money. Do take the full insurance but don’t do it online, make it with the rental company on site for better coverage (online ones are from the website). In sarande the rental car companies

In case you don’t want to drive, plenty of local tour companies and taxi drivers offer good fares per day, depending on the distances, or then take the local mini buses. These are mini vans with yellow plates can take 8-12 people and luggage with it for just a few euros. You can spot the bus stops almost everywhere.

In Tirana there are local city buses that pretty much have a solid network, also travelling to all major Albanian cities.

Contact me for a personalized itinerary that can fit your schedule, budget and interests.

WHERE TO STAY IN ALBANIA

The best places to stay in Albania are very dependent on which part of Albania you are visiting, In the southern part of Albania, along the coastline and especially at Ksamil, prices will tend to be very high with luxury apartments, hotels and also villas. As you move north in Albania, prices will significantly become lower and you will find some excellent value for money accomodation.

In Albania a 5 – stars property will most usually be a 4-stars hotel in Western Europe or the US, 3 stars hotels can be as good as they can get. come with a significantly lower price tag.

My recommendation is that you save more in accommodation at the areas of Ksamil and Albanian Riviera, then taking some better accomodation up North. Unless you really want to splurge and like luxury kind of travel, then in Ksamil you will find some excellent properties with the finest offers.

The best hotels to stay in Ksamil are for me at the end of the southernmost Beaches of Paradise and Lori, in specific the Mira Mare Hotel, Hotel Renato and Meta Hotel, all modern hotels with superb rooms and only 5 minutes walking from the beach and great views from the terrasses. If you really want a luxury resort in Ksamil, then Poda Boutique Hotel would be your place to go! And wherever you stzay in Ksamil, there will be always a party going on by the beach!

Moving North, I suggest you stay one night at stunning Berat with its 1000 windows city , at an hotel ideally on the opposite side of the main city center to get that special panorama. My absolute favorite would be Muzaka boutique hotel but I also found NGorice and Koroni hotels really good

In Tirana, a 3-star hotel near the city center would be my recommendation, within walking distance (10-15 mins) from Skanderberg square, the heart of Tirana. There are many good value for money properties below 75€, so just check what is available on booking.com . I liked City 5 Hotel, simple, good breakfast and very convenient location.

Durres is also worth staying en route between the North and South Albania. the beach in Durres is lovely for a morning or late evening walk in a lovely Mediterranean promenade. And the Hotel and Restaurant Cosmo has a superb location, excellent food and service for a 3-star hotel.

At Shkoder region, ideally in Theth national park, I suggest a more nature oriented accomodation given the stunning sceneries around you between lakes, mountains, rivers and forests, most still as pristine as it gets. In Theth there are several lodges that resemble like you are in the Alps, so take one of them for a couple of nights for a great experience. Thethi Paradise or Alpet Theth are execllent options, other guesthouses around the area will tend to be good service.

Other alternative places to stay in Albania would be along the Himare region, less touristic than Ksamil but developing fast as more tourists visit Albania. The good thing is that you can still find small bays or coves where you can be almost. Dhermi beach, Himare itself are excellent options.

WHERE TO EAT IN ALBANIA

Food in Albania is a blend of Turkish cuisine with many Italian and Greek elements in between what makes it a quite unique flavors mix in the Balkans area.

can be extremely interesting if you are open to try the local dishes that combine fish, vegetarian and meat with delicious spices! For more budget travellers there are great options with the famous kebab restaurants with tasty meat on bread or spite. I found both options to be really good so you will be having great experiences depending on your taste.

My favorite restaurants across Albania where mostly great value for money even if in Ksamil you will already pay a very high price vs other parts of Albania, These were my favorite restaurants there:

• Theth NP: Alpet Theth restaurant (mid range)
• Shkoder: Piazza Park( mid range)
• Tirana: Millennium Garden (mid range), La Gioia (value for money), Zgara King Pils (mid range), Oda Garden (mid range)
• Durres: Cosmos Restaurant
• Berat: Ajka (mid range), Tradita e Beratit (mid range)
• Girokaster: Taverna Lani (mid range)
• Ksamil: Principitos & Tulum Resort (luxury) Bianco (high-range), Albatros (mid-range), Korali (mid-range)

Here some of the great dishes I had the luck to enjoy in Albania:

USEFUL TRAVEL TIPS FOR ALBANIA

• VISAS – EU citizens don”t need a Visa as well as UK, US and Canada nationals, being allowed to stay up to 60 -90 days for tourism every 6 months. There is also no entry fee at any borders for these nationalities, authorities will only control your passport (EU ID cards are also accepted) and might ask a few questions on how many days you will stay, an address and if you have a return ticket. For more infos and to know if your counbtry needs a Visa check this Albanian government website link: https://punetejashtme.gov.al/en/regjimi-i-vizave-per-te-huajt/
• MONEY- The local currency is the Albanian LEK but everyone in Albania accepts EUR as payment (usually also USD), so you don’t necessarily need to exchange your money. In most cities credit cards are accepted as well as Revolut. Its a relatively stable currency so count to get 100 LEK for 1 EUR or 1 USD. Best is to exchange your money at the city banks or withdraw it in an ATM, check the rates on the bank. Do not exchange money at the airport unless you absolute need it.
• CELL PHONE – buy a local SIM Card on arrivals from Vodafone- either at their stand on arrivals (ferry or airport terminals). Newspaper stands and supermarkets often sell SIM cards too. EU SIM cards DO NOT work in Albania and you will have high roaming costs. Buy a 50 GB package for 10€ for a week. No need to sign up or login anywhere, its immediately ready to use in your phone, you still have access to your original Whatsapp number .
• CAR RENTAL – Its quite great value for money if you book it for 7 days or more, expect to pay around 40EUR/ USD per day for an average car in high season during Summer . No need for 4WD , roads are in good shape, even up North in gravel roads. Buy insurance at the rental car company and haggle fora discount, DO NOT buy insurance online from 3rd party booking websites as these are not accepted by the rental company and its an hassle for you.
• TRAVEL ESSENTIALS – During Summertime bring mostly light clothes, even at night is usually very warm. Bring a light jacket and some waterproof hiking shoes if you are visiting Northern Albania mountains as it will be cooling off at night, just in case it might get cooler one or two nights. Bring also reef shoes as some beaches will be pebbly (not Ksamil beach) In Autumn/ Winter bring a rain jacket and some warm clothes. Bring also snorkeling gear, sunscreen , water refillable bottle and a torchlight.

Do ask me for a personalized itinerary or any specific tips about Albania . Look out for my next Albania post about the top things to do soon.