We just got back from an awesome trip to Albania in the western Balkans. Dean surprised me by organising the entire thing for my 40th birthday. I had no idea where we were going or how long we’d be away until the date before. It was so much fun!
In this guide, we answer the first question that friends and family asked: “so, how was your trip to Albania?”
- What we did
- What we liked
- What we didn’t like
- Would we recommend it?
What we did in Albania
We spent four days in Albania taking in the beaches, the historic central region, and the funky capital. Here’s an overview of what we did and where we went…
Durrës
After flying into Tirana airport (aka Tiranë), we immediately headed to Durrës on the coast, a 30-minute drive away.
The first two nights of our trip were spent here in a newly opened hotel with a fabulous pool, modern interiors, and a view of the coast. Our first full day in Albania was actually my birthday (what a way to celebrate!) so we kicked it off with a leisurely few hours by the pool. The weather was gorgeous – bright sunshine and 30° – perfect lounging and lilo weather!
In the afternoon we headed down to Durrës Beach and walked along the seafront promenade. This is where a lot of Albanians come on holiday since it’s so close to the capital. Unlike the southern beach resorts of Vlorë and Sarande, Durrës mainly seemed to attract local tourists because it’s so accessible from the main city.
The sea was a beautiful aqua colour and super warm at this time of year (July). The seafront was quite developed with lots of tiki-style restaurants, hotels, and apartment blocks along it. But it wasn’t too busy and had a great atmosphere with an authentically Albanian, fun vibe.
On our second day we headed into Durrës city itself and wandered around the centre, the remains of the 1800-year-old Roman amphitheatre, the seafront, and explored the mini side streets. From here we hopped on a bus to Berat, a 2.5-hour drive inland.
Read more about Durrës (coming soon).
Berat
Berat is a gorgeous old town and UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s nestled in a valley with a river running through the centre and traditional buildings set into the hills on either side.
We really loved it here – there were so many little cobbled alleyways to explore and zigzag pathways that made it feel like a maze. Despite being UNESCO-listed, it wasn’t particularly busy which added to its charm. A lot of travellers skip it which is a shame because it’s a real hidden gem.
We stayed in a local hotel built in the traditional style with an incredible view over the river and down into the valley. Wandering along the main promenade, exploring the hilly backstreets, and the Gorica neighbourhood on the opposite side of the river were all highlights.
In the evening we ate on an amazing roof terrace with incredible sunset views across the town and up towards the castle. If you want somewhere to take sunset photos in Berat or just get some nice aerial shots across the city, this is the perfect viewpoint.
The next day we walked from the old town through the new district on our way to the bus station. It’s much more of an authentic Albanian experience than the polished historic area with local people sitting in cafés, colourful communist-era buildings, and some cool street art too.
Read more about Berat (coming soon).
Tirana
From Berat bus station, we headed to Tirana which was about a 2.5-hour journey. After ditching our bags at the hotel, we headed into the centre and explored the main sights for a few hours.
Albania’s capital was a real surprise for us. Lots of the former grey communist buildings have been made over with bright colours and impressive murals that make it a fun and vibrant place to walk around. There are lots of modern buildings here too with unique designs and funky architecture.
In amongst all these interesting buildings is loads of greenery. Most of the streets are lined with trees and there’s a narrow river running through the centre with shaded walkways on either side. It’s the perfect balance of funky urban design and natural greenery.
The next day we spent the morning at our hotel because it had a REALLY good spa. We’re talking multiple pools, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, salt therapy, the works. After chilling out for a couple of hours we headed into town again.
This time we took a different route that focused on Tirana’s street art, discovering some trendy cafes and a cheeky little rooftop bar along the way. Then we made our way to Tirana Park and walked around the lake (the perfect spot for a city run) which was an ideal way to end our trip.
Read more about Tirana (coming soon).
What we liked about visiting Albania
We loved so many things about visiting Albania. Firstly there’s the sheer variety of things to do. We combined beaches, history, and a vibrant city break into our trip. But you could easily spend your whole time here doing just one of those things. Whether you like relaxing in the sun, adrenaline-fuelled watersports, exploring historic ruins, or trendy bar-hopping, Albania’s got something to offer.
Berat was a real highlight for us. It’s such a pretty little town that’s unspoilt by tourists. Exploring places on foot is one of our favourite things to do (hence the name of our blog!) so coming to a town like this was a dream. There is an endless maze of alleyways and every street corner offers an impressive new view. Being UNESCO-listed, you can imagine just how impressive the old buildings are here, so it’s well worth visiting.
The Albanian people we met throughout our trip were really hospitable wherever we went. People gave us a warm welcome, were extremely helpful, and seemed genuinely happy to share the highlights of their country with us. The service we got in hotels and cafes was always warm and genuine, which added to a positive impression of the country overall.
What didn’t we like about Albania?
This is such a tricky one. We really loved visiting Albania and there’s nothing we’d change about our trip.
The only slight wrinkle came at the end when we were heading to the airport to go home. Because it’s not particularly well-connected via public transport (aside from the occasional bus into the city), everyone drives to it, which meant the traffic was horrendous.
We were sat in a queue near the terminal for a good half an hour and barely moved. As time ticked down to our flight, this got a bit stressful. The gridlock was no fun for our taxi driver either. We could all see the terminal – it was so close – but we couldn’t get to it because of the traffic and a high fence.
In the end, it was getting so late that we hopped out and had to run down to the end of the road to get around the fence, then back to the terminal entrance. If we hadn’t, we wouldn’t have made our flight on time.
This issue has an easy fix though – next time we’d leave earlier and get the taxi to stop outside the airport gate instead of the terminal drop-off. And once we were inside the security process was super-smooth and efficient so it doesn’t take long to get through once you’re in.
Would we recommend visiting Albania?
100%! Albania is one of those places that’s growing in popularity but hasn’t quite made it mainstream yet (compared to nearby Croatia for example). There’s so much to see and do, from its coastline and beaches to old towns and vibrant capital.
Visiting Albania is great value too. For example, a 3-hour intercity bus journey costs €5 and a nice dinner for two with drinks is around €17. It’s only going to get increasingly popular as more people discover its charms, so go now while it’s still authentic and unspoilt!
