Gjirokaster is the Stone City of Albania filled with history, cobbled streets and lovely little shops. We loved our visit to Gjirokaster, so now we want to help you plan your trip! In this 1 day Gjirokaster itinerary, we’ll show you the best sights in the city and a few more tips along the way.
We didn’t know what to expect from Gjirokaster, so when we arrived in the Old Town for the first time, we were blown away. Gjirokaster really surprised us! The hilly old streets are lined with restaurants, ice cream and souvenir shops and it’s usually quite busy!
From our hostel, we could see the castle sitting high on top of the city and our first evening felt a little magical. Surrounded by Ottoman-style houses and a fairy-tale-like city.
Gjirokaster is very well-preserved and renovated to its original architectural state which is how the city earned its UNESCO stamp. In this Gjirokaster itinerary, we’ll take you on a journey through the best historical spots to visit. The castle was our favourite in all of Albania!
So here’s how we spent one day in Gjirokaster exploring the city! You’ll find our tips on where to stay, how to get around and our vegan recommendations at the end of this travel guide!
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1 Day Gjirokaster Itinerary
Although we spent 2 nights in Gjirokaster, we arrived pretty late on the first evening. So we only spent one day exploring the main sights other than a browse around the Old Town.
Here’s our tried and tested 1 day Gjirokaster itinerary with the best things to do around the city!
Browse around the Old Bazaar
In the heart of Gjirokaster, you’ll find the beautiful cobbled Old Town and Bazaar. It’s hard to miss this area if you want to visit the main sights in the town and most accommodations are surrounding the Old Town.
The Old Bazaar was once a bustling market full of handicraft items made from wood, stone or fabric. The creators would sit in the rooms on the ground floor building their crafts.
Now the Bazaar is full of boutique shops, little cafes and lots of restaurants. These shops sell anything from rugs to mosaics and fridge magnets to olive oil! Although the Bazaar area is small, it feels easy to get lost in the smaller streets.
We explored the Old Town as soon as we arrived in Gjirokaster (after dropping our backs off) and grabbed some food at Te Kube, a cute vegetarian cafe underneath a working mosque!
For this 1 day Gjirokaster itinerary, you should start your morning with some breakfast here and browse the shops before heading on your first adventure! You’ll pass through the Old Town a lot on this itinerary, so you can see the bazaar light up with atmosphere and people.
➤ Join a walking tour to see the most of Gjirokaster! Find more information here.
Admire the Bazaar Mosque
The 17th-century Bazaar Mosque was built during the Ottoman times and was restored in 1991 after Albanian communism ended. It was actually the only mosque to survive the communism period and it’s still a part of the lovely Old Bazaar.
During this time it was used as a training school for the circus, which is crazy to think about now!
We mentioned we grabbed lunch at Te Kube underneath a mosque, this is the one! You can walk underneath the mosque and even visit inside (you can donate).
You’ll have to cover up and remove your shoes before entering, but it’s a lovely way to see the religion in Gjirokaster and Albania. The mosque is also hard to miss when exploring the best things to do in Albania.
Interested in a local guide? Take this walking tour of Gjirokaster Baazar to learn more facts!
Hike to Ali Pasha Bridge
Next on this 1 day Gjirokaster itinerary is a lovely hike through the city to reach Ali Pasha Bridge! If it’s a hot day, you may want to start this one as soon as possible, but, you can visit at any time of day and it’s free of charge!
The hike to Ali Pasha Bridge is completely uphill, but not too hard. We stayed at the Friends Hostel in Gjirokaster and it took us around 30 minutes to reach the viewpoint for the bridge.
We used Google Maps to guide us through the hilly streets towards the valley, where you’ll find the bridge. But from the Old Town, you can simply follow the signs for Aquaduct.
Once we reached the viewpoint, the bridge looked way smaller than we thought, then as we hiked closer it was quite impressive! You can even walk over it!
The Ali Pasha Bridge was once part of an aqueduct that carried water to the castle. The Aquaduct has now collapsed but the bridge is still standing. You will just hear the noises of goats in the background!
When walking through the valley the trail is obvious to follow but there’s a lot of loose gravel and sadly lots of rubbish.
Although it was a sweaty walk to reach the bridge, we still found the energy to take some photos!
Tip – If you don’t have much time in Gjirokaster, it may be worth skipping the hike to Ali Pasha Bridge. It’s a little out of the way, and honestly, in the heat, it’s a sizzly spot with no shade!
Explore Gjirokaster Castle
A visit to Gjirokaster isn’t complete without seeing the iconic castle on top of the hill. The castle was one of our favourite parts of Gjirokaster as there was so much to explore. The grounds seemed to never end!
The main highlights are the views of the town from the top, the clock tower and the many secret rooms dotted around the place. There’s also an abandoned US Airplane from the war.
Some of the rooms are in complete darkness so we used our phone torches to sneak around inside. There’s even a room under the clock tower where you can look up and see the bell. It was actually quite hard to find though, the castle felt like a maze.
The security guard told us to explore the left side of the castle first and then as we looped back to the beginning, we had so much more to see on the right side of the castle. You probably need a good 1.5 – 2 hours, so factor that into your 1 day Gjirokaster itinerary.
The Castle is very well preserved and is the biggest attraction in the city, so it’s definitely worth checking out. To be honest some parts feel a little unsafe with no barriers in place for high drops.
A guided tour would be really helpful here! We self-browsed but it would have been great to learn more about the history of the castle. You can also visit the Gjirokaster Museum for an extra price within the castle. We didn’t have time for this, but you can learn a lot more about the history during your one day in Gjirokaster.
💰 400 lek per person
➤ If you’re enjoying our Gjirokaster itinerary, check out our 2 Day Berat Itinerary!
Discover the Cold War Tunnel
Another one of the best things to do in Gjirokaster is to take a tour of the secret government tunnels that are now open for tourism.
After exploring the castle and having a break for food at one of the local Albanian restaurants (we recommend Taverna), join a tour!
The Cold War Tunnels are an underground tunnel complex built in the communist era during the war in case of a nuclear bomb. The food was replaced every few months so that it was still fresh (if they needed to use it properly).
Tours are usually every hour, although when it’s busy they may add an extra slot. At the moment the only way to explore the tunnels is by tour, but it’s included in the 200 lek price which is really good value!
The tour is only 30 minutes and the fewer people the better as the tunnels can get crowded fast! We explored Bunk Art 2 during our 2 days in Tirana, so we had a rough idea of what to expect from the tunnels.
Our guide said the Cold War Tunnels are smaller than Bunk Art 2 but it didn’t feel like it! They’re also more authentic and haven’t changed too much over the years. We came across rusty tables and machinery in loads of rooms.
💰 200 lek person
Find the houses in Gjirokaster
Still wondering what to do in Gjirokaster? Amongst the beautifully Old area of Gjirokaster, some note-worthy traditional houses have been preserved over the years. Now open to the public. Although
We saw a few of these houses on the way to the Ali Pasha Bridge. They are nestled within local homes, so you may not spot them straight away. After the communist period in Albania, homes were given back to the original owners and some were renovated (during communism, the leader and government took over all of the homes in Albania).
These houses are 250 – 300 years old and it’s possible to visit some of them during your one day in Gjirokaster. These are the ones you may want to consider visiting if you have time:
The Skenduli House – A well-preserved house of the Skënduli family, next to the Ethnographic Museum
The Zekate House – This house is known for it’s beautiful stone arches and lovely interior decor with frescoes and coloured windows.
Here’s a few more houses in the area to visit or see during your Gjirokaster itinerary:
- Babameto House
- Angonate House
- Fico House
- Ismail Kadare’s House
There is an entrance fee to enter these buildings, but simply seeing them from the outside is all we had time for on our 1 day Gjirokaster itinerary!
💰 200 – 300 lek person (varies)
➤ Visiting the north of Albania? Here’s our best things to do in Theth Travel Guide!
Visit the Ethnographic Museum
One of the last things to do in Gjirokaster is to visit the Ethnographic Museum, which is technically another house. This museum closes at 6pm, so you may be able to squeeze a visit in or choose an alternate house to visit.
The communist dictator Enver Hoxha was born in this house, which gives me scary chills just thinking about it! It has since been renovated after the original building was burnt down, but the exterior fits with Gjirokaster’s current buildings.
Inside you can find a display of costumes, textiles and household objects. It’s a little pricey but may be worth a visit if you love Albanian history.
💰 500 lek person
Watch the sunset from Gjirokaster Obelisk
End your time in Gjirokaster with a beautiful sunset anywhere in the city! We managed to watch the sunset from near our hostel but we highly recommend Gjirokaster Obelisk. Head to the 4 Rooms Hotel and follow the stairs through the hotel garden. You can find the location for the Obelisk on GoogleMaps.
The view of the city is lovely and it’s the best way to end your time in the historic Old Town.
Although there are locals that live in the Old Town, you’ll find the non-touristic area at the bottom of the hills around the newer city centre. Sunsets are better from the Old Town, but you’ll also feel a local atmosphere in the new city.
Where to stay in Gjirokaster
The best area to stay in Gjirokaster is the Old Town! This is where all of the main highlights are and you’ll find dozens of guesthouses and restaurants.
Friends Hostel – We stayed here for 2 nights in a private room and loved the terrace views of the castle! There’s also dorm rooms – Find it here on Booking.com! Stone City Hostel is also a great hostel to stay!
Latifi Guesthouse – a lovely garden and free private parking – Find it here on Booking.com!
Old Town Hotel – a beautiful hotel with gardens and terraces – Find it here on Booking.com!
Places to eat in Gjirokaster
We had breakfast in our hostel both of the mornings we stayed in Gjirokaster. We also cooked pasta at our hostel one night, but we did manage to try two places in the town. Check out our Vegan in Albania guide.
- Te Kube – a cosy spot serving quinoa salads and cakes! The quinoa salads were the perfect change from Albanian food!
- Taverna – friendly service and traditional Albanian food with vegetarian and vegan options. We had the stuffed peppers and eggplant!
- Edua – Albanian food in the heart of the Old Town. This place was on our list for having great vegan options.
If you’re after something different in Gjirokaster, try a wood crafting experience!
How to get to Gjirokaster
Depending on where you’re coming from in Albania, there’s a few ways to get to Gjirokaster. As we didn’t rent a car, we relied on public transport which was the public buses. If you’re interested in renting a car in Albania, check for prices on Discover Cars.
The bus station in Gjirokaster is a 20-minute walk away from the old town. We chose to walk but saw a few people grabbing taxis as the walk was a little uphill. Taxi prices could be around 500 lek.
From Berat – It’s a 2 hour 40-minute drive to Gjirokaster from Berat and the bus takes about the same time. We paid 1000 lek per person and there’s only one daily bus at 2 pm. We were told there might be one at 8 am but couldn’t find the true answer!
From Sarande – The bus takes just over 1 hour and will cost 400 lek per person. There are various times throughout the day and you can also stop at the Blue Eye on the way.
➤ Visiting more places in Albania? Here’s our 2 Week Albania Itinerary!
How to get around Gjirokaster
Gjirokaster has two areas, the popular Old Town and the newer local side of the city. Most places to visit are around the Old Town and the best way to get around is by walking!
However, there are some bus routes in the city and we even saw a bus go up to the Ali Pasha hike. You can also find taxis to take you from Old Town to the new city (including the bus station)
When spending one day in Gjirokaster you won’t have to worry too much about getting around, as the city is quite small.
How long to spend in Gjirokaster
We highly recommend spending at least 24 hours or 2 nights in Gjirokaster to see the main sights. Although the Old Town is small, some of the activities and things to do on our Gjirokaster itinerary will take time.
If you do have more than one day in Gjirokaster, hop on a rafting tour and explore the surrounding nature! Find out more here!
Is Gjirokaster worth visiting?
Yes! If you’re on an Albanian adventure, add Gjirokaster to your list.
At first, we wondered if it would feel the same as Berat, but they have different vibes! Gjirokaster’s Old Town is nothing like Berat and the castle is one of the best we’ve seen during our time in Albania.
We recommend visiting Gjirokaster on your way to or from the south coast as it’s only an hour away from Sarande! Check out our Sarande travel guide!
Best time to visit Gjirokaster
The best time to visit Gjirokaster is between April and October. We would recommend visiting in the early summer months from May to June or late September to October.
We visited in July and it was scorching! Gjirokaster experiences 35°C plus weather in the summer months which can be pretty uncomfortable when travelling. Especially when hiking to Ali Pasha Bridge!
Summer is the busiest time in Albania with beaches filling up fast and streets more busy than usual. Accommodation and car rentals can also be more expensive. Winter is a peaceful time to visit but you’ll experience a colder climate.
Enjoy your trip to Gjirokaster! Check out more of our Albania travel guides to plan your trip!
- 2 Day Berat Itinerary
- Best Things To Do in Theth
- Top Things To Do in Shkoder
- 2 Week Albania Itinerary
- How to spend 2 days in Tirana
- Best Things To Do in Krujë
- Things to do in Sarande, Albania
- Vegan in Albania Guide
- How to travel Albania on a Budget
- 3 Day Corfu Itinerary, Greece
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