Albania is a little gem in South Eastern Europe, nestled within the Balkans. The country has an incredible mountain range, white-sand beaches and a wonderfully rich culture.
We spent 2 weeks in Albania exploring some of the most beautiful places to visit and now we can’t wait to share our 2 week Albania itinerary with you!
From jumping into turquoise waterfalls to hiking one of the most famous trails in Albania, we had the best time in Europe’s most underrated country. The best time to visit is now!
We actually spent a little more than 2 weeks in Albania with extra time in Theth, Tirana and Sarande, but 2 weeks in Albania is the perfect amount of time to see the best sights (even without a car)!
Our Albania itinerary is 100% possible using local transport, as that’s how we travelled the country! We rented a scooter on two occasions, but these trips were also possible by tour.
We’ll show you the best places to visit in Albania along with how to get around and our personal recommendations on where to stay or where to eat! We’re so excited about this travel guide, so let’s get stuck in!
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Quick Tips for 2 weeks in Albania
- Currency – Albanian Lek (compare to your own currency here)
- Language – Albanian
- Cuisine – Albanian / Mediterranean Cuisine (byrek, tavë kosi, grosh, lakror)
- Albania Power Voltage – Plugs C & F (230 V)
Simcard options for Albania
The wifi in Albania is pretty good and we didn’t struggle at any of our accommodations. However, when we head out for the day or travel on public buses, it’s a great idea to have internet.
Local Sim – Once you arrive in Tirana, Shkoder or Sarande, head to Vodafone to pick up a tourist Sim. We paid €25 for a 40GB 21-day with Vodafone at Tirana Airport (we only bought 1 and tethered to each other sometimes). You can also book a Vodafone sim in advance online for €20.
E-Sim – The easiest way to get internet in Albania is with an E-sim from Airalo, the only downside is there’s a small data allowance. The Hej Telecom gives you 2GB for 15 days, but it’s only €7. Find out more here.
The Best 2 Week Albania Itinerary
Now we’ll jump into our detailed Albania itinerary and share where we added the extra days. We first arrived in Tirana and hopped on a bus to Shkoder from the airport. As Tirana is in the centre of the country, we wanted to explore both the North and the South, so we knew we were heading back to Tirana in a few days.
The buses from Tirana to Shkoder run until the evening, so if your flight arrives after 5pm, you may want to wait until the next morning.
Day 1 – 3 | Shkodër
We arrived in Shkoder around 3pm and first checked into our hostel. It was a very hot 35°C when were travelling in Albania, so Shkoder was our first experience of the summer heat.
Most people use Shkoder as a pass-through city on the way to the mountains, but there’s so much to see! We recommend spending at least 2 nights in Shkoder on this Albania itinerary.
It’s very popular to rent a bike to explore the sights out of the city so we cycled from the centre all the way to Shkodra Lake and spent the sunset at the iconic Rozafa Castle.
Shkoder is a lovely place to settle into the Albanian culture and we tried some amazing local food.
How to get to Shkodër
From Tirana – As we arrived at the airport, we found a minivan for €10 straight to Shkoder instead of going into the city. However, buses from Tirana South & North Bus Station are only €4 and the journey. The journey by bus or driving will take around 2 hours.
From Podgorica (Montenegro) – You’ll have to pass through a border crossing on this route. The bus from Podgorica to Shkoder will take 1 hour and 30 minutes and you can book on FlixBus. Driving will take around the same time.
Things to do in Shkodër
Here’s a few of our favourite things to do in Shkoder! On this itinerary, you’ll have around one full day to explore plus part of the first day. We’ve created a travel guide on the best things to do in Shkoder if you want to find out more!
Visit Rozafa Castle
Rozafa Castle is one of many castles on this 2 week Albania itinerary, but it’s not one to miss! Although the castle is now in ruins, the views are incredible and it’s one of the best sunset spots in the city.
If you don’t have a car, you’ll have to walk or cycle up the steep cobbled stone street to reach the top of the hill. The €4 entry is definitely worth it for the lovely atmosphere and views.
This castle was named after one of the builder’s wives who was buried within the castle walls to complete the build. She was able to nurse her baby through strategic holes in the walls.
Go Swimming at Shkodra Lake
One of the best ways to spend your first morning in Shkoder is to head to Shkodra Lake for a lovely swim! Shkodra Lake is the biggest lake in Southern Europe crossing over both Albania and Montenegro. You can also grab a Kayak or SUP Rental!
We saw the lake on a previous trip to Montenegro and knew we had to see it from Shkoder! Read our detailed Shkoder itinerary for more details on how to reach the lake!
Check for car rentals on Discover Cars here!
Learn at the Site of Witness and Memory Museum
If you haven’t already learned about the dark communism era of Albania, now is your time to get clued up. Visiting the Site of Witness and Memory Museum is a great way to learn about the history and timeline of the communist time.
You can walk around the restored cells where the victims were held and tortured. It’s a really eye-opening museum.
Browse Shkoder’s Old Town
When hunting for restaurants in Shkoder we got the chance to explore the beautiful Old Town. The streets are filled with cafes, little shops and more cobbled paths! Arti Zanave is our favourite place to eat in Shkdoer for traditional Albanian food and Stolia Coffeehouse does great smoothie bowls.
Where to stay in Shkodër
Mi Casa es Tu Casa (Shkodra Backpackers Hostel) – We spent 2 nights here and it’s one of the best & most affordable hostels in Shkoder! The staff are so nice! – Find on Booking.com here!
Shkodra Guest House – If you’d rather have a private room, this lovely guesthouse is in the heart of Shkoder. – Find on Booking.com here!
All Seasons Apartments – If you’re travelling by car, All Seasons has free parking and a lovely apartment – Find on Booking.com here!
Day 3 – 4 | Valbonë
Day 3 of your Albania itinerary is going to be one of the longest travel days. You’ll have to book your transport in Shkoder for at least the day as the minivans all leave at 7am. As vegans, we were a little worried about lunch options on such a long travel day so we packed some cooked pasta, but a sandwich is probably easier.
So, the reason we visited Valbone was to get to the trailhead of the infamous Valbone to Theth hike. We’re not avid hikers, but we love hiking and this trail was beautiful!
We booked our transport with Mi Casa es Tu Casa and also left our big luggage with them for €1 a day. We travelled around Albania with a 40L bag plus a small day bag which meant that we could just take our small bag to Theth on the hiking trail.
There’s not a lot of things to do in Valbone other than the hike, which is why we only spent 1 night in order to start the trail the next morning.
We did get to see the old water mill nestled within the trees across a little bridge and we found the freshwater stream near Guesthouse Arben Selimaj. If you love cold dips, head to this stream because it’s freezing!
How to get to Valbonë from Shkodër
As we just mentioned, we booked our transport with Mi Casa es Tu Casa they told us everything we needed to know. The journey consists of a ferry and two minivans and costs €26 per person.
A minivan picked us up around 7 am to take us to the Lake Koman Ferry, and from there we travelled up the beautiful river to reach Fierzë by 12:30 pm. We then jumped on another minivan which dropped every passenger off at their accommodation in Valbone.
If you have a car, we highly recommend taking this journey if you want to hike from Valbone to Theth as it’s a one-way trail. Alternatively, you could skip Valbone and only visit Theth to do a return trail up to Valbone Peak from there.
Where to stay in Valbonë
Bujtina Albjoni – we stayed here for 1 night in Valbone and the hosts were so friendly! They offered Albanian breakfast and dinner (not great options for vegans) and drove us to the hike in the morning.
Bujtina Malaj – a lovely cabin-style place to stay in Valbone, with breakfast and a beautiful garden.
Day 4 – 5 | Theth
After spending the night in Valbone, we made our way to Theth via the hiking trail. The hike took us 6 hours which is really good as we thought it would take 8 hours! We managed to get to Theth by midday as we started at 6am. We highly recommend doing this if you’re travelling in the summer season!
The Valbone to Theth hike is one of the best things to do in Albania! We spent day 4 of our Albania itinerary hiking through the beautiful Albanian Alps and seeing the best nature of the country!
The journey from Valbone is a gradual uphill climb until you reach the peak – Valbone Pass. There’s a few cafes on the way and freshwater where we filled up our reusable water bottles.
If you start your day early like we did, you’ll have time to explore Theth before catching the 11 am minivan the next morning. There’s a few other things to do in Theth if you have any energy left!
The Blue Eye is definitely worth a visit if you have time, but we recommend taking the minibus instead of ‘hiking’. Theth village itself doesn’t have a huge amount going on but we managed to see the iconic church and the nearby tower. We loved the traditional food at Gheçaj Guesthouse!
If you have more than 2 weeks in Albania, we recommend adding an extra day to Theth! Here’s our full Theth travel guide with more great things to do.
Here’s a tour from Tirana if you want to cut a few days off this 2 week Albania itinerary!
Where to stay in Theth
Rrashkadoli Guesthouse – we stayed here for 2 nights and managed to relax a little on our second day. It’s a 20-minute walk into Theth village, but it’s slightly closer to the end of the Valbone to Theth hike. They have a restaurant with a cheap menu – Find it on Booking.com here
Gurra Family Guesthouse – we recommend Gurra if you want to stay within Theth Village – Find it on Booking.com here.
Logu i Harushave – for a more unique stay, check out these cabin-style rooms in Theth Village – Find it on Booking.com here.
Day 5 – 7 | Tirana
Tirana is the wonderful capital city of Albania! The city exceeded our expectations and we would have spent extra time here if our Albania trip was longer. You’ll wake up in Theth on day 5 and spend most of the day getting to Tirana. We arrived in the evening and cooked up some pasta at our accommodation. We recommend Mosaic Home!
On Day 6, spent the morning in Kruje before exploring Tirana! If you’re already feeling tired from the travel, you can just spend the day in Tirana as there are plenty of things to do!
Tirana is an underrated city in the Balkans which is getting more modern each year. Although there’s no metro, there’s local buses to take you around the city or simply just walk!
How to get to Tirana from Theth
From Theth you’ll first need to take a minivan to Shkoder. We booked this at our guesthouse (Rrashkadoli Guesthouse) for 1200 lek, they’re all the same price and leave at 11am from the main car park in Theth Village. The journey takes around 2 hours!
When you arrive in Shkoder, head to the Shkoder bus station which is just on the side of the road. The tickets cost 500 lek per person and usually leave every hour taking just under 2 hours.
So the journey from Theth to Tirana should take around 4-5 hours if you can grab a bus straight away, but we grabbed some lunch in Shkoder first!
Things to do in Tirana
Check out our in-depth Tirana travel guide to plan your trip. For now, here’s a few ways you can spend your time in Tirana during this 2 week Albania itinerary!
Shop at the New Bazaar
Tirana has some of the best places to shop on this 2 week Albania route. You can find traditional items, souvenirs, fresh produce and spices at the New Bazaar in Tirana. We grabbed a fridge magnet here! There’s plenty of outdoor markets selling fruit and vegetables around the city. You could start your first day with a 2 Hour Walking Tour!
See Skanderbeg Square
You can’t miss Skanderbeg Square during your visit to Tirana due to the huge Albanian flag and big open space. You’ll find the Skanderbeg statue, the National History Museum and the Palace of Culture.
Skanderbeg is well-known throughout the Balkans and Albania for winning the rebellion against the Ottoman Empire.
Visit Bunk’Art 2
There are over 175,000 bunkers in Albania and a handful of them have been turned into museums. Although a little expensive for Albania (at 900 lek per person), the Bunk Art 2 is a must-visit in Tirana to learn more about the dark communist history.
These tunnels are huge underneath with a new story of information in every room. We spent almost 2 hours browsing through the rooms and learning about Albania.
We’ve included a lot more information in our 2 Day Tirana itinerary if you want to learn more about Albania’s capital city.
Day Trip to Kruje
We visited Kruje during our 2 week Albania itinerary and it was definitely worth it! The historic city is much easier to get to if you have a car as you can visit on the way from Shkoder to Tirana. However, by bus, we chose to do a day trip from Tirana which takes about 1 hour each way.
The main highlight of Kruje is the impressive castle ruins and charming cobbled stone streets. We found the city quite similar to Gjirokaster although much smaller.
We managed to visit Kruje in the morning so we had enough time to get back and continue exploring Tirana!
Check out our detailed guide on the best things to do in Krujë!
Explore the Grand Park
Tirana is home to a lovely green park which spans about 700 acres! As we love city parks, we had to check it out! It’s the perfect place to escape for the evening and take a walk along the lake. We saw people out for runs, using the exercise equipment, chilling on the benches and simply walking around.
Also, check out this traditional Albania Cooking Class if you fancy a unique activity during your 2 weeks in Albania!
Where to stay in Tirana
Lovely One-Bedroom Studio in Tirana – We stayed here during our Albania itinerary and loved having an apartment to ourselves. It’s close to the city centre and affordable!
The Golden Rooster – If you’re looking for a hotel in the city centre, choose the lovely Golden Rooster! Find it on booking.com here.
Mosaic Home – Also located in the west of Tirana, this beautifully decorated Albanian home will make you feel welcome in the capital city. Find it on booking.com here.
Day 7 – 9 | Berat
The journey from Tirana to Berat doesn’t take that long, so you’ll have at least half a day to explore the city or relax when you arrive.
Berat is often considered a day trip from Tirana, and although that’s possible, it doesn’t really make sense for this Albania itinerary. We recommend spending at least 1 night if you only want to see the city and 2 nights if you want to explore some nearby nature.
We’ve also created a detailed Berat itinerary if you want to find out more details! We recommend staying at Ariabaci Guesthouse!
How to get to Berat from Tirana
Head to Tirana South & North Bus Station and look for the bus to Berat. They’re very frequent and cost 500 lek. The journey by bus or car takes around 2 hours. As the bus station is outside the city centre in both Tirana and Berat you’ll need to catch a local bus for 40 lek (Tirana) and 30 lek (Berat.
Things to do in Berat
Berat city centre is quite small, but there are plenty of ways to fill up 2 days on your Albania itinerary. We spent the first day and a half browsing around the Old Town area and then rented a scooter on the second day to visit some nature spots. You can also book a tour if you don’t want to drive.
Walk up to Berat Castle
Although the castle is in ruins like many others in Albania, it’s still worth checking out as the views are incredible! The castle grounds have one of our favourite restaurants (Temi Restaurant) which serves traditional Albanian foods.
You’ll also find the Holy Trinity Church, Onufri Museum and the Red Mosque which is also in ruins. So once you’ve made the steep walk up to the castle, there’s a lot more to see!
The best time to visit is sunset and some restaurants won’t open until 6pm. The views from the Albanian flag are amazing!
See the iconic Houses Viewpoint
The postcard picture of Berat is the view of a thousand windows. It’s one of the reasons the city is so popular and it’s very unique! The houses sit halfway up the hill with the castle and our guesthouse was one of them!
Wander around the Old Town
These houses are a part of Berat’s lovely Old Town and it’s easy to get lost when wandering around the many cobbled streets! The river splits the town into Gorica and Mangalem with bridges joining them. It’s definitely worth exploring them and you’ll find some great places to eat too!
Explore the surrounding nature
By spending 2 days in Berat, you have a full day to explore Bogova Waterfall and Osumi Canyon! We rented a scooter from Moto Rental Berat for the day but you can also hop on a tour – Find more details here!
Bogova Waterfall is a beautiful turquoise pool of water that is fresh but absolutely freezing! You’ll only be able to dip for a minute a time, but it’s worth checking out to see more of Albania’s nature!
Osumi Canyon is the largest canyon in Albania and you can even go rafting during certain times of year. (Book your rafting trip here with Albania Adventures)! There’s a spot near the end of the road where you can swim in the canyon and chill at a pebbly beach with restaurants.
Check out our 2 day Berat itinerary to fully plan your trip!
Where to stay in Berat
Ariabaci Guesthouse – This is where we stayed during our Albania itinerary and it was really comfy! It’s up a slight hill within the Old Town but it’s a lovely walk with good views – Find it on Booking.com here.
Hotel Demaj – Another traditional Albanian hotel with views of the city – Find it on Booking.com here.
Hotel Vila Twix – There’s lots of great places to stay in Berat, here’s another option with lovely terraced rooms – Find it on Booking.com here.
Day 9 – 11 | Gjirokastër
Gjirokaster is the lovely City of Stone in Albania with a charming old town and iconic castle. We were worried that we would feel underwhelmed after visiting Berat, but these cities are so different! In writing, they may sound similar, but we recommend visiting both on your Albania itinerary. We stayed at Friends Hostel during our 2 days in Gjirokaster!
How to get to Gjirokastër from Berat
There is one daily bus a day at 2pm heading from Berat to Gjirokaster. There may be another bus heading to Sarande at 8am with a stop in Gjirokaster, but it’s not confirmed. The bus will take around 2.5 to 3 hours which is a similar time to the drive.
The bus station Berat has toilets and a small shop to buy bottles of water, which was needed for our hot journey! We paid 1000 lek for this bus.
Things to do in Gjirokastër
We have a detailed Gjirokaster itinerary if you want to add this to your 2 week Albania itinerary! Here’s some of the best things to do in Gjirokaster if you’re following our route. You can also join a walking tour on your first day Gjirokaster!
Visit Gjirokaster Castle
Gjirokaster Castle is our favourite castle in Albania and a must-visit during your 2 week trip. It’s one of the largest and most preserved castles in Albania and only costs €4 to enter!
You’ll have to pay extra for the museum if you want to learn more history, but the castle has a lot of ground to cover with information boards throughout. We got lost in some of the rooms because they turned into complete darkness!
We recommend visiting the Clock Tower and finding the bell view underneath, finding the US plane and simply admiring the views from the top. We spent at least 2 hours here!
Discover the Cold War Tunnel
A tour around the secret government tunnel can’t be missed when exploring Gjirokaster! It’s located under the castle and runs tours every hour for €2 per person. The guide took us around the narrow tunnels showing us the many rooms located underground. The Cold War Tunnel was built during the communist era so the government could stay safe from a nuclear bomb attack.
Walk around The Old Bazaar
Gjirokaster’s Old Town and Bazaar is what makes the City of Stone so special. The magical charm of wandering around the streets made us instantly want to recommend Gjirokaster to everyone! From ice cream and souvenir shops to local crafts and cafes, we loved the vibe!
Don’t forget to find the 17th-century Bazaar Mosque! We ate lunch at the lovely vegetarian cafe underneath it called Te Kube.
Ali Pasha Bridge
On our first morning in Gjirokaster, we made the 30-minute steep walk to the Ali Pasha Bridge! It’s a pretty brutal climb in the summer months, but it’s worth it! The bridge was surrounded by goats making bell noises as we walked through the valley.
We were the only ones there in the morning, so everything was very peaceful! The bridge was once part of an aqueduct that carried water to the castle.
Find out more things to do in Gjirokaster in our detailed travel guide!
Where to stay in Gjirokastër
Friends Hostel – We spent 2 nights here and it’s a great spot to meet other travellers. We stayed in a private room but there’s also dorm rooms for a great price – Find it here on Booking.com!
Latifi Guesthouse – Latifi is a lovely place to stay in Berat with private rooms and balconies – Find it here on Booking.com!
Old Town Hotel – A luxurious place to stay for an affordable price – Find it here on Booking.com!
Day 11 – 14 | Sarandë
The final part of our 2 week Albania route is the beautiful Albanian Riviera. We chose to base ourselves in Sarande and take day trips to the surrounding areas. The best areas to stay in on the south coast are Sarande, Ksamil and Himare.
Sarande has the bus bus connections and you can also get the ferry to Corfu afterwards, but it’s also the busiest and the atmosphere can get a little lost.
If you have a car, you may want to stay in Himare for a more peaceful vibe.
How to get to Sarandë from Gjirokastër
The bus from Gjirokaster to Sarande takes only 1 hour and costs €4 per person, but it’s a pretty windy journey. You can also stop at the Blue Eye on the way. The drive time is very similar!
Things to do around Sarandë
We used Sarande as a base to explore the wonderful south coast, so these are things to do around Sarande, not within Sarande town.
Butrint National Archaeological Park
One of the most unique places to explore on the Albanian Riviera is the historic Butrint National Archaeological Park. The park is filled with ancient ruins to explore including the ancient theatre and the lion gate. As we visited in the summer, it was pretty hot but luckily the park is shaded throughout by trees.
The entrance fee is 1000 lek each, which is a little pricey but worth it in our opinion! There’s a small museum at the end and a huge lake to admire.
Book your Butrint Park, the Blue Eye, Ksamil & Lekuresi Castle here!
Explore Ksamil’s Beaches
Ksamil’s beaches are the reason Albania’s coast has been nicknamed the Maldives of Europe and although we don’t really agree, the colour water speaks for itself!
Honestly, the beaches in Albania blew us away and Ksamil has some of the best beaches in the country. The only downside is that they’re filled with sunbeds, which means you likely have to pay up to €10-€20 to use the beaches.
The area itself is definitely built for tourism with cocktail bars and Tulum vibes. We spent a few hours here walking around and managed to find a free public beach.
Visit Sarande Beach & the Strip
Sarande is busy and developed with lots of tall skyscraper hotels! If that’s not your vibe, you may want to stay in Himare during this 2 week Albania itinerary.
The main beach of Sarande is long with a small strip of sand spanning most of the promenade. There aren’t any sunbeds but it means the beach is free! You’ll see locals bringing their sun umbrellas to the beach. There are plenty of beaches with sunbeds in the area like Aloha Beach.
We walked along the promenade strip most evenings and although it’s busy with tourists and locals, it felt pretty nice to be close to the ocean.
Check out our Sarande Travel Guide with more things to do in the Albanian Riviera!
Discover Himare
We spent another day exploring Himare from Sarande! We rented a scooter for two days but you can also rent a car or catch the local bus. The centre of Himare is much more chill than Sarande and you’ll soon feel relaxed.
There are so many beaches around the area including two in Himare centre, but our recommendations would be:
- Llamani Beach
- Jale Beach – one of our favourites!
- Aquarium Beach – a small cove (park at Jale beach)
- Gjipe Beach
- Livadi Beach
Go on a Boat Trip
We actually didn’t realise you could go on boat trips in Albania until we arrived in Sarande. As soon as you walk down the main strip you’ll see dozens of boats lined up ready to go on daily adventures.
We recommend Ava Boat Tours as they’re a small family-owned speed boat that only takes 8 passengers! We jumped off the boat, snorkelled and chilled on Krorëza Beach for a while!
➤ Book your boat trip on Get Your Guide!
Where to stay in Sarandë
Vila Marina apartments – We stayed here for 5 nights during our time in Albania as our base for a few days. It’s a little away from the city centre, but has a full kitchen and parking! There’s a few local beaches close by or it’s a 20-minute walk to Sarande Beach.
Porto Eda Hotel – For a better location, stay at Porto Eda, right on the beach on Sarande’s main boulevard!
Sea Breeze Rooms – If you’re planning to stay in Himare, here’s the place we recommend near Maracit.
At the end of our Albania itinerary, we caught a ferry to Corfu to explore our first Greek island. It’s one of the easiest ways to leave Sarande if you don’t have a return flight from Tirana.
The journey back to Tirana will take 5 hours by bus or 4 hours by car and it’s even closer from Himare.
2 Weeks in Albania Itinerary Breakdown
Shkoder – 2 nights / Valbonë – 1 night / Theth – 1 night / Tirana – 2 nights / Berat – 2 nights / Gjirokastër – 2 nights / Sarandë – 3 nights
More Places To Visit in Albania
Albania is full of great places to visit and our 2 week Albania itinerary is the perfect trip if it’s your first visit in the country (like us)! We did a lot of research before our trip and found a few more destinations that we didn’t get a chance to visit.
Here’s more places to visit in Albania if you have longer than 2 weeks:
- Pogradec – visit Lake Ohrid on the border of North Macedonia!
- Dhermi – on the Albanian Riviera, Dhermi is filled with more beautiful beaches and history!
- Durres – this spot is popular with locals as it’s on the coast close to Tirana.
- Mount Dajti National Park – another spot close to Tirana, but this time it’s the mountains!
- Korça – a charming city in the southeast of Albania close to Greece.
How to get around Albania
We did lots of research before planning our Albania itinerary as we didn’t want to rent a car this time. We rented a car for our trip to Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina which was amazing but this time we wanted to use our backpacks! Plus car rentals are expensive in July!
If you’re thinking of renting a car for your 2 week Albania itinerary, check for companies and prices on Discover Cars. We suggest renting one for the Albanian Riveria when you pass through Tirana after the mountains.
We’d love to write a whole guide dedicated to travelling around Albania, especially by bus! We managed to use buses throughout our whole trip and rented a scooter twice to go on adventures.
The buses are reliable! Sadly they don’t really have working aircon, as all of our buses were hot and sweaty. They usually play Albanian music and they don’t have toilets. The great thing is they’re cheap and an affordable way to get around the country during your 2 week Albania route.
Best time to visit Albania
The best times to visit Albania is between April to June and September to October! This is considered the shoulder season and you’ll skip the intense summer heat. Prices will be more affordable, there’ll be fewer crowds and more options for accommodation.
We visited in July, as that’s the only time of year we had free and we still had a great time! However, it was 35°C plus every day, the buses didn’t really have AC and most of the beaches were packed.
If you can, we’d honestly recommend visiting in the Spring or Autumn instead!
Is 2 weeks in Albania enough?
Yes, 2 weeks in Albania is the minimum you need to see both sides of the country. We previously tried to plan a 1 week trip to Albania but wouldn’t have had enough time to see the North and South of Albania.
With a 2 week Albania itinerary, you can spend 4 days in the beautiful north, 6 days in the centre and capital of the country and then a few days on the Albanian Riviera.
How much to budget for 2 weeks in Albania?
Albania is a very affordable country to visit, especially in Europe. If you’re used to the prices of Spain, Greece or the UK, you’ll be able to stick to a budget in Albania.
We spent 18 days in Albania on a budget and spent about €750 each (not including flights) which is about €41 each per day. We travelled in the busiest season and ate at restaurants 80% of the time!
We recommend budgeting at least €1000 per person for a 2 week Albania trip, so you’re covered for any type of activity and the occasional taxi if you get stuck. It helps to book your accommodation in advance if you know where you’re going to visit!
We didn’t find any ATM that had no fees for using a foreign card to withdraw money. Even though we use a bank (Starling) that doesn’t charge international fees, the ATM has its own fees.
After getting a 650 lek fee with Credins at the airport, we hunted for a better option and only found ABI Bank for 500 lek. Sadly a few other banks such as Raiffeisen Bank charge up to 800 lek!
Here’s our Albania travel costs with lots of budget tips!
Tips for visiting Albania
Tap water isn’t always drinkable. Always ask your accommodation if the water is safe before buying bottled water. Alternatively, you can use a water filter with a reusable water bottle. Luckily the mountains have fresh free drinking water! You can also find spring water in some town centres with running water.
You always pay for buses after getting on. Once the bus gets going, usually a ticket person will make their way around to collect payment (always cash, try to have change for the smaller buses as it will only be 30-40 lek). Intercity minivans seem to be between 500-1000 lek per person, big notes should be ok.
The weather can be VERY hot during the summer, so make sure to pack accordingly and stay hydrated! We’ve noticed many of the locals either go out and about early morning or after the sun goes down in the early evening.
How do I plan a 2 week trip to Albania?
Now that you’ve read our 2 week Albania itinerary, it’s time to truly start planning your trip! Start by setting an itinerary for yourself and finding flights that match!
- Check for any national holidays on your date of visit (July-August is the busiest)
- Check that the activities you’d like to do are open (sometimes things are closed on Mondays!)
- Book your flights (use Skyscanner to check times and prices)
- Book your accommodation on Booking.com or Hostelworld.
- As vegans, we like to add a few restaurants to our Google Maps to make eating a lot easier! Check out or Vegan Albania Guide!
💤 Find more hotels in Albania here!
What to do after visiting Albania
Corfu – After our 2 weeks in Albania, we took a ferry from Sarandë to Corfu to enjoy our first Greek island. We rented a car and spent 3 days in Corfu exploring more beautiful beaches, little towns and relaxing. Check out our Corfu itinerary!
Montenegro – If you do this Albania itinerary in reverse, you can head into Montenegro from Shkodra Lake. We loved our time along the Montenegrin coast last year and would definitely go back!
North Macedonia – Visit more of Europe’s most underrated destinations and take a trip to Lake Ohrid and Skopje in North Macedonia.
Is Albania worth visiting?
YES! We’re so glad we finally visited Albania! It’s been on our travel bucket list since 2022 when we first started exploring the Balkans. We have a huge love for the mountains and the historic culture of cities and Albania is the perfect blend of everything Europe has to offer!
From white sand beaches to hilltop castles and amazing cuisine – we highly recommend visiting Albania now!
Check out more of our Albania travel guides to plan your trip!
- 2 Day Berat Itinerary
- Best Things To Do in Theth
- 1 day Gjirokaster Itinerary
- Top Things To Do in Shkoder
- How to spend 2 days in Tirana
- Things to do in Sarande, Albania
- Best Things To Do in Krujë
- Vegan in Albania Travel Guide
- How to travel Albania on a Budget
- 3 Day Corfu Itinerary, Greece
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