Theth is a small village in the north of Albania, surrounded by the incredible Albanian Alps. From hiking the mountain peaks to dipping in fresh cold water and tasting Albanian cuisine – you’ll have the best time in Theth! Here’s our guide on the best things to do in Theth, Albania.
We visited Theth during our 2 week Albania trip and loved the quaint village life. It’s a nature and mountain lovers paradise. Plus, the locals are lovely and there are many guesthouses to stay in!
Spending 2 days in Theth is a good amount of time to see the main sights, but you could easily stay longer if you’re looking to relax or go on more hikes.
We’ve created this travel guide to share the best things to do in Theth, how to get around, places to eat and the best areas to stay! Plus a few extra tips to make your visit easier!
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Best things to do in Theth
Let’s jump into what to do in Theth and how to explore the area. You’ll find our tips for visiting Theth after our list of activities. It’s best to explore by yourself but here’s a tour from Tirana if you need it!
We’ve also included a 2 day Theth itinerary if you need help planning your trip.
1. Hike to the Valbone Pass
One of the most popular things to do in Theth is to hike to Valbone or the Valbone Pass. We started our hike from Valbone and ended it in Theth as a one-way hiking trail. It was our first time doing a hike like this where we carried our belongings and we loved it!
The hike will take around 6-9 hours depending on how fast you can walk, how hot it is or how many breaks you take!
We started our hike at 6:20 am from the trailhead in Valbone and it took us 6 hours to reach our guesthouse in Theth (only a 15-minute walk from the end of the trail in Theth). Honestly, we’re not avid hikers and don’t regularly do long hikes, so this was impressive for us!
Our main concern was the 30°C summer heat, which is why we wanted to start our day early and beat the heat of the day. We recommend doing the same in the summer months.
Although the hike is a one-way trail, it’s also common to hike to the peak and return to your starting point. It will take the same amount of effort anyway, plus you don’t have to carry much in your backpack.
If you’re hiking from Theth up to the Valbone Pass and back to Theth, you’ll come across 2 cafes with cold drinks and fresh running mountain water.
These are essential for filling up your reusable water bottles, which we recommend bringing on your trip to Albania. It’s also some of the cleanest water in Albania and tastes good! We didn’t get sick, so it’s safe to drink, even without a water filter.
The hike inclines the whole way with not a lot of relief, if it’s hot take lots of breaks and go at your own pace. There is no reason to rush! The surroundings are absolutely beautiful and we had to pinch ourselves a few times. Is this really Albania?
The mountains blew us away, and the views from Valbone Pass are awesome. We’ve written a dedicated guide on how to hike from Valbone to Theth, if you’re interested!
2. See the iconic Theth Church
You may have seen photos of the magnificent traditional church in Theth! It’s the icon of the village and is admired a lot by the local residents of Theth.
The church of Theth is in the most idyllic setting with countryside houses and surrounding campsites. The views of the mountains might be more impressive than the church, but together, they’re amazing to see!
Since being built in 1892, the church has been refurbished over the years as it was once a hospital during the communist era. We didn’t get to visit inside the church although it may be possible on Sundays.
The best time to visit is the late afternoon when the sun shines on the back of the church! We visited in the morning.
➤ Check out our list of Best Things To Do in Shkoder!
3. Visit the Reconciliation Tower
Only a short walk away from the church, you’ll find the reconciliation tower. It’s not very tall, but it’s hard to miss as Theth village is tiny! The Tower was once a place of refuge for people in Theth who were trying to stay alive. The tower has very small windows and a strong door.
We visited the three rooms on the inside and there’s some furniture and decor. Sometimes there’s talks on the inside, but we weren’t lucky enough to see one.
It’s a unique place to visit in Theth and we had it all to ourselves! The entry fee is 150 lek (€1.5) and there’s also a small restaurant next door. It’s worth adding to your Theth itinerary!
4. Jump in Theth’s Blue Eye
On our second day in Theth, we hiked to a beautiful turquoise-coloured waterfall called the Blue Eye. It’s a pretty popular spot in Theth, especially in the summer months!
We found a lot of misinformation about the hike to the Blue Eye, so if you’re planning to visit the Blue Eye, here’s what you need to know.
The Blue Eye isn’t in Theth, it’s closer to the village of Nderlysaj further in the south. The official hike starts at Bar-Tabachino where you’ll see a few restaurants and a big car park. There’s lovely blue water and rocks at the beginning of the hike if you don’t want to go all the way, but we’d say it’s worth it!
The hike takes about 40 minutes one way from Nderlysaj to the Blue Eye and it’s mostly uphill through trees with uneven ground. There’s a cafe near the end serving drinks and a restaurant serving pretty delicious food!
Now if you want to hike from Theth, you’ll have to walk around 3-4 hours one way mostly along the road. Some of the journey winds up a hill with speedy cars and vans. Honestly, it looked pretty sketchy and we were surprised people were calling this a hike.
As it was 30 degrees it definitely didn’t look like the weather to be walking that far, especially with minibuses offering affordable rides.
How to get to the Blue Eye? There are multiple minivans heading from Theth Village to the start of the hike for €5 (500 lek) per person. The vans hold about 12 people and will wait until there’s enough people to make the journey worth it. We were lucky to jump on a van that was already leaving, but after our hike, we had to wait 30 minutes for the van to leave.
Whichever way you choose to get there, the Blue Eye is with it! The colours were unreal and it truly does look like the photos! The falls come from the fresh mountain water which means the Blue Eye is 5°C cold! It’s generally too cold to swim, but you’ll see plenty of people jumping in after a sweaty summer hike.
So to sum it up, here’s things to know about the Blue Eye of the North:
– The hike from Theth to the Blue Eye will take around 3 hours or more, along mostly road until you reach the trailhead.
– Mini-buses cost €5 (500 lek) each way per person.
– The water at the Blue Eye is freezing and people usually only dip and not swim.
The most important hike to do in Theth is reaching the Valbone Peak, the short hike to the Blue Eye is a great alternative if you only have a short time in Theth. However, we would recommend extending your time to do them both!
5. Theth Waterfall
If you choose to walk to the Blue Eye, you can pair up your hike with a visit to Theth’s waterfall.
The waterfall is a 1-hour walk from Theth Village and turns into more of a hike closer to the falls. It’s best to wear trainers due to the uneven rocks near the end.
Although we didn’t get the chance to visit, we spoke to people that did and they recommend it! Similar to the Blue Eye, the water is freezing cold but super refreshing if it’s a hot day.
The waterfall can get quite busy in the afternoon, so we recommend leaving early if you’re hiking (especially if you continue to the Blue Eye). If you’re only visiting Theth Waterfall, you’ll need 2 hours of hiking (return) and about 1 hour of chilling.
6. Dip in the river of the village Theth
In the centre of the village by the main car park, you’ll find a turquoise stream running right through Theth.
If you’re visiting in summer and it’s a hot day, this river is the perfect place to cook down. The bar nearby has sun loungers where you can bring your drinks to the river! It’s like a mini beach in Theth. Perfect to add to your Theth itinerary!
➤ See our tips on backpacking Europe!
➤ Visiting more of Albania? Here’s our ultimate 2 Week Albania Itinerary with tips on how to travel using public transport!
7. Wander around Theth Village
After only seeing photos of the popular hike and the church, we weren’t really sure what to expect during our 2 days in Theth.
The village is filled with local homes geared up for the winter snow, guesthouses and lots of green land! The road through the town is mostly gravel, especially from the village centre to the Valbone Pass trailhead.
As tourism is still starting here, the main place for backpackers to go is the pizza joint in the centre next to the main car park, other than the hostels in the area.
So once you’ve finished your list of things to do in Theth, the next best thing is to wander around the village and relax! Theth is a peaceful place, take it easy and enjoy the sounds of the Albanian Alps.
2 Day Theth Itinerary
With 2 days in Theth, you can see a lot of the small village and explore the natural surroundings! Now we’ve shown what to do in Theth, we can complete your itinerary.
Day 1 in Theth – Spend your first day exploring the Valbone Pass! Either hike from Valbone or do a return trip from Theth. The hike will take around 6 – 8 hours, so you’ll need to pack some snacks and leave early in the day!
Day 2 in Theth – After a night of rest, head to Theth’s Blue Eye for the morning and pass by Theth Waterfall on the way! On your way back from the Blue Eye, visit the Reconciliation Tower and the iconic Theth Church.
If it’s a hot day, this is the perfect time to take a dip in the river or simply chill in Theth village.
This is based on how we spent our 2 days in Theth Albania, so it’s perfectly do-able! Now here’s some more tips for your trip to Theth.
Where to stay in Theth
Although there’s some great things to do in Theth,Theth village is very small and you’ll find guesthouses spread out all over the area. If you don’t have a car, it’s best to base yourself close to Theth Village (here’s the location)
The start of the hike to Valbone is only a 10-minute walk away from the village (this is the location you enter Theth from the hike) but you’ll have to walk up a long gravel road too adding to the time. We spotted a few guesthouses along this path but they’re far away from the village centre.
Rrashkadoli Guesthouse – we stayed at Rrashkadoli during our 2 days in Theth and it was a pretty good spot! The downside was it’s a 20-minute walk into the village, and slightly uphill which makes it tough in the heat. The place was lovely though and they offer food all around the the clock! – Find it on Booking.com here.
Gurra Family Guesthouse – in the heart of Theth Village, this guesthouse is in the best location with beautiful decor – Find it on Booking.com here.
Logu i Harushave – a lovely farm stay with cabin-style rooms in Theth Village – Find it on Booking.com here.
Best Restaurants in Theth
As Theth is pretty small and you won’t find a lot of international food here. Instead, you’ll find home-cooked food in guesthouses, fresh organic products and a lot of Albanian cuisine. We have a vegan in Albania guide if you’re a vegan or vegetarian travelling Albania!
Gjeçaj Guesthouse and Restaurant – we loved the food here, there’s great vegan options and the service is incredible!- this spot is another popular one in town for an easy pizza refuel and drinks
Pizzeri Jezerca – The main spot in town serving a variety of pizzas! We ordered the vegetarian without cheese which hit the spot after hiking!
We stayed in the Rrashkadoli guesthouse which served food all day! It’s where we are breakfast during our 2 days in Theth. Generally, most guesthouses offer breakfast and dinner as there’s not many restaurants around the village.
How to get around Theth
There are a few things to do in Theth, but mostly for nature, you’ll have to travel outside of the village. You can also do a Jeep Day Tour in Theth!
Walking – The easiest way to get around Theth is by walking. The village itself is pretty small and most guesthouses are within a 30-minute walk. Double-check your accommodation before you book though!
Taxi – there are a few taxis starting in the village centre that can take you around.
Minibus – Mainly used to get to the Blue Eye or to Shkoder
How to get to Theth
By Bus – First, you’ll need to head to Shkodër and book a bus with your accommodation or a local travel agent. The minibuses to Theth from Shkodër only run once a day at 7 am. The journey takes 2.5 hours, so you’ll arrive nice and early.
We booked our transport with our hostel Mi Casa Tu Casa and a mini van came to pick us up at our accommodation.
You can also book your transport back to Shkodër with your guesthouse in Theth or head to the main car park and find a bus at 10:30 am. They only run once a day! There may be taxis if you need to leave at another time.
By Car – The best way to get to Theth by car is to start in Shkodër and take the road up to the mountains. This journey will take around 2-2.5 hours and there’ll be a lot of winding roads. Check Discover Cars for rentals and prices here!
If you see any information online saying you’ll need a 4×4 to drive to Theth, it’s wrong! A new road was built in 2021 which makes the journey a lot smoother.
By tour:
- Theth Village & Blue Eye Tour from Tirana, Durres or Shkoder
- 2 Day Tour of Theth National Park from Tirana
There’s only one ATM in Theth, but it’s advised to get cash out before. Most places in Albania only take cash, even guesthouses and restaurants.
It can get very hot during the summer months of July and August and most guesthouses don’t have fans or AC. Luckily the mountains have a slightly cooler climate compared to other areas of Albania.
The village of Theth is developing more and more each year with a boom in recent tourism. We predict that larger hotel buildings are going to pop up soon and a few more international restaurants.
Now is the best time to visit the quaint village and explore the best things to do in Theth!
Enjoy your beautiful visit to Theth! Check out our other Albania travel guides!
- Things to do in Sarande, Albania
- Best Things To Do in Krujë
- 2 Day Berat Itinerary
- 1 day Gjirokaster Itinerary
- Top Things To Do in Shkoder
- 2 Day Tirana Itinerary
- 2 Week Albania Itinerary
- Vegan in Albania Travel Guide
- How to travel Albania on a Budget
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