Albania

Add this beautiful country to your bucket list!

This summer, our family went to Albania! We are excited because it truly had a bit of everything; mountains, beaches, charming towns, and some very unique experiences! You can hike through alpine villages in the morning, soak in natural hot springs by afternoon, and end the day with fresh seafood on the coast. Plus — no crowds, no chain restaurants, and no shortage of amazing memories. We are off on a real adventure and can’t wait to show you around.

So… many of you may be asking… ‘Albania? Where exactly is that?’ Albania is in Europe on the Balkan Peninsula… tucked right between Greece and Montenegro, and east of Italy across the Adriatic Sea.

We think that Albania is a hidden gem and is flying under the radar as far as tourism goes, for now!

Note: This trip took place in July 2025

Here is our full itinerary:

Check out our full vlog here:

Day 1: Arrive in Tirana

Albania was completely isolated from the rest of the world until the ’90s under communist rule — one of the hardest countries to enter or leave. That isolation left behind a struggling economy, political repression, and a population kept largely in the dark. Thirty years later, tourism is finally hitting its stride.

We landed in the capital, Tirana, picked up our rental car from Enterprise, and made the 30-minute drive downtown to our Airbnb. After a long travel day, first priority was food. Our Airbnb was incredible — beautiful city views, a huge balcony perfect for watching the sunset, and three bedrooms with walking distance to everything. (See pics below!)

Day 2: Full Day Tirana

Fueled by breakfast at Crepe de Paris, we set out to explore. Tirana is a mix of communist-era architecture, colorful street art, and modern cafés — and it’s very walkable.

First stop: Skanderbeg Square, the heart of the city. It’s a massive open plaza full of kids on scooters and couples strolling, anchored by a statue of Albania’s national hero — a 15th-century fighter who held off the Ottoman Empire. Worth a stop.

One thing you can’t miss in Albania: the bunkers. Over 170,000 concrete domes were built during the communist era, scattered across the entire country. BunkArt2 is one of the most interesting — a Cold War bunker built as a shelter for communist leaders, now a museum telling the story of the secret police and decades of dictatorship. It’s a small space with a lot of history packed into it. Fair warning: it gets hot and crowded in summer.

That afternoon we hit the Blokku neighborhood, climbed the Tirana Pyramid, and wandered through the House of Leaves museum and the Old Bazaar — all close together, easy to knock out in an afternoon.

We ended the evening at Tirana Castle, an ancient walled area that’s now full of shops and restaurants. We ate at Tartuf and loved every truffle thing on the menu — the truffle bread and truffle risotto especially.

Day 3-4: Head to North Macedonia

We know, we just got here. But North Macedonia had been on our list for a long time, and being this close made it impossible to skip. We spent two days in Ohrid — you can read all about it in our North Macedonia blog (and it’s in the vlog above!).

Day 5: Drive to Permet

Back in Albania, we made a few stops on the way out of North Macedonia with great views of Lake Ohrid. First up: the town of Korçë. It was charming, noticeably less crowded than Tirana, and we stumbled into a huge, cheap lunch at Mr. Crepe. The food was so inexpensive we just kept ordering — a full tour of Albanian dishes we hadn’t tried yet.

The drive to Përmet was an experience in itself: winding mountain roads, sheep herders crossing the highway, cows wandering into traffic, and a random basketball hoop we stopped to use in the tiny town of Erseke.

The views are stunning, but the roads are seriously twisty — consider motion sickness meds.


In Përmet, we stayed at Funky Guesthouse — cozy, central, two bedrooms with mountain views and a homemade breakfast for $60/night. That evening we went swimming in the Vjosa River. The water is crystal clear and cold, which felt perfect on a warm night. There’s a small cliff jump, a swimming hole just a short walk from the city square, and — true story — a stray dog who positioned himself as the unofficial lifeguard the whole time. Dinner was at Sofra Permetare and was great.

Day 6: White Water Rafting – Permet

Our guesthouse organized a whitewater rafting trip on the Vjosa River — one of Europe’s last wild rivers. The rapids were mellow, but the guides kept it fun with cliff jumps and swimming stops along the way. Runs about 9am–1pm. Highly recommend.



That evening we visited the Benja hot springs, tucked into a mountain gorge next to a centuries-old Ottoman bridge. The water was more warm than hot, but the setting made up for it. You can choose between a large communal spring or smaller pools scattered through the gorge, with the cold river running alongside if you want a contrast.

Before we left the area, we also climbed the giant boulder near the river. A sketchy metal staircase — around 160 steps — leads up to a flat platform at the top with 360-degree views: the town below, the Vjosa winding through patchwork fields, rugged hills in every direction. Don’t skip it.

Day 7: Gjirokaster and Blue Eye

We continued toward the coast with two stops on the way. First: Gjirokastër, a UNESCO-listed town built into a hillside with dramatic stone houses and a hilltop castle. The bazaar here was one of the prettiest we saw in all of Albania. It draws crowds, so getting there early helps. Parking is a bit of an adventure — we found a spot at someone’s house who sells driveway spaces. The walk from the castle down to the bazaar is steep, so plan accordingly.

Next: the Blue Eye spring. A natural pool of impossibly turquoise water that appears to bubble up from underground — and yes, it looks exactly like the photos. Very popular though, and the crowds do take the edge off the magic. It’s a long walk from the parking area (close to a mile, with hills), so grab drinks before you head in. You can also take a little train for $3 each way — it runs every 15 minutes or so. I took it both ways while the others walked. No regrets.

We pulled into Sarandë ready to do nothing. Our hotel had a private beach and pool overlooking the Ionian Sea. Genuinely one of the best hotels of the trip.

If you want to stay in the same hotel – use our link. It’s a truly amazing hotel: Vila Klacuni

Day 8: Sarande

Sarandë sits right on the Albanian Riviera and gets over 300 days of sunshine a year. It was our recharge day, and we mostly stayed put — hotel pool, private beach, incredible views. If you need to eat: Pizzeria Maria Madalena and My Family Restaurant were both solid, and Baci A Tutti for gelato.

Day 9: Day Trip to Corfu

One of the best perks of staying in Sarandë: Corfu is a quick ferry ride away. We bought tickets at the terminal the night before — you can choose between slow, medium, or fast ferries. We used Finikas, took the medium ferry over and the fast one back. Just check the schedules carefully so you get the timing right for the type of ferry you want.

The process is simple: security and Albanian passport control on the way out, Greek passport control on arrival (took about 20 minutes). From the port we grabbed a taxi to the old town.


We spent the afternoon wandering the UNESCO-listed old town — Venetian architecture, narrow streets, great energy. The highlight was a private boat tour: we floated past the Old Fortress and the New Fortress, saw some absurd yachts, and swam in clear water. We booked last-minute so options were limited, but we were happy with it. If you book in advance, you’ll have more choices — some of the larger boats go to better swim spots further out, so it’s worth planning ahead.

Day 10: Drive to Theth

One last long driving day. We stopped at Apollonia Archaeological Park — once one of the most important cities in the ancient Greek world. About $5/person to get in, and there’s way more to see than you’d expect. Statues, ruins, the whole thing — no crowds.

Then we drove north into the Albanian Alps toward Theth, a remote mountain village. The last hour is a narrow, winding mountain road — fully paved and safe, but you’ll be doing a lot of slow squeezing past oncoming cars.

We stayed at Hotel Zallina, a family-run guesthouse with mountain views and a river you could hear from the open windows. Charming place. We had two rooms for our family, which the kids loved (their own space = big deal).

For dinner that first night we just walked into town and found a place. Stumbled onto Restaurant Logu I Harushave — small tables in a grassy lawn with string lights, animals wandering nearby, and a great atmosphere. Food was solid. We liked it enough that we came back for lunch the next day.

Day 11: Blue Eye Theth and Grunas Waterfall

Our first hike in the Albanian Alps was to the Blue Eye of Theth — not to be confused with the one near Sarandë. We cut the trek down to about 4 miles by driving part of the way, but it was still a challenging climb with some steep sections. We drove our car to the town of Nderlysaj where we parked next to a small drink stand. We paid a few dollars to park there but we were glad we did.

We arrived around 9:30am and were glad we were not any later – it was already crowded. The first part of the trail is fairly easy, but pretty quickly you reach sections where it’s very steep. It took us about 1hr to get to the Blue Eye but you have beautiful views all around on the way.

You’ll get to first pass a beautiful spring and cross a bridge, but then you get to the main Blue Eye. The water is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit and you can swim (if you dare!). It’s extremely cold but lots of brave people, including Brian, jumped in. Whether you’re swimming, relaxing on the rocks, or just taking in the view, it’s one of Theth’s most unforgettable spots.

The trail to Grunas Waterfall starts right behind our guesthouse, which made it easy. It’s steep and gravelly to start, with a small drink stand partway up if you need a break. Then you head into the forest before scrambling up some rocks to reach the falls — a 30-meter cascade with crystal-clear water and cliffs on both sides. The pictures aren’t edited. It really looks like that.

On the way back, the sky opened up. We got completely drenched. The kids decided this was the best part of the entire day — running through puddles and laughing the whole way down.

After a long day of hiking, we headed to one of the many cozy guesthouses in Theth for dinner. Hotel Restaurant Alpet quickly became one of our favorites.

Day 12: Theth -> Valbona Pass

Brian tackled the Valbona Pass hike — one of the most iconic trails in the Albanian Alps and part of the famous Peaks of the Balkans route. It’s a serious climb: 1,200+ meters of elevation gain, steep sections, exposed ridgeline. Many people continue down into Valbona if they are backpacking, but Brian turned around and came back to Theth where we were staying.

The kids and I explored Theth — the old church, the river walk, just wandering.

After lunch, we all did the Theth Zipline together. Just one line, costs about $20/person, but it was a perfect afternoon activity in the middle of town.

We went back to Alpet Guesthouse for dinner. Mountain views, local food, a cat who insisted on sitting with us. Couldn’t have ended better.

Watching the sun go down over the mountains that last night, we kept coming back to the same thought: Albania surprised us in every way. The history, the landscapes, the people — it’s a lot. Logistically it takes a little more planning than some other destinations, but it’s worth it. We’d put it on anyone’s bucket list without hesitation.

Don’t forget to check out the other blogs from this trip! Bratislava, Vienna and Belgrade!

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