Whether you’re just visiting or have made Tirana your permanent home, every once in a while you may have the desire to leave the city behind – and there are many potential options for you. Some cities however are just a little too far to comfortably reach in a day, so these are better suitable for a longer weekend trip (and some of the cities mentioned here are actually also better enjoyed as a weekend trip, but they could be done in a day if you are short on time).

Dajti National Park

How to get there

Dajti national park is easy to reach from Tirana via public bus and the Dajti Ekspres cable car. From the center (behind the Opera building) you can take the blue bus up to the cable car base station. The guy selling tickets on the bus will announce when you need to get off. Then you need to walk down the hill a little and take the first right back up the hill until you reach the cable car station. You could also visit Bunk’Art while you’re up there!

The cable car is usually open 6 days a week and currently Tuesday is the day off (unless it’s a holiday). The cable car will not run in very bad weather. You have the option to purchase a one-way ticket, a return ticket (you even have the option to return the next day and sleep at one of the hotels up in the national park, but you need to tell them when you buy the ticket), or a combination ticket to get access to any of the activities in the national park. Make sure if you’re going later on in the day that you check at what time exactly the last cable car goes back down, otherwise it’s going to be an expensive taxi ride or a long walk down for you.

You can find out more information about the Dajti Ekspres on their website or on Instagram. (I always recommend checking Instagram before you plan to visit any activity in case of a last-minute closure). Please note that you cannot take bicycles on the cable car.

If you do have access to a car, you can also drive up to Dajti National Park, however I’d only recommend doing this if you are a capable driver. The road up to the entrance of the national park is well-paved, however once you have entered the national park (and paid a fee for entry) the road becomes VERY narrow and windy with a constant stream of 2 way traffic on what is essentially a one-lane-road. So you may need to perform all sorts of maneuvers such as driving up to the edge of the mountain to make room for a passing car, navigating rock formations sticking into the road while reversing to make room, and dealing with other impatient drivers honking because you’re taking too long. It is a stunning drive (particularly in Autumn), but definitely not for the faint hearted and I personally find the cable car a much easier option.

What to do when you get there?

Once you get up to Dajti, you have a few activities to choose from such as the Adventure Park, Minigolf, Rollerblading, Hiking and Paragliding. There is also a restaurant as well as a cafe on top of the tower right at the cable car station, and other restaurants such as Hotel Panorama along the road leading up to Dajti National Park and the view from Panorama is absolutely spectacular, particularly on a clear day. The drinks, food and service are average, but the view is worth a quick stop for coffee, particularly if you’re driving past anyways.

For any hikes that you do in and around Albania, we always recommend going with a guide that knows the route and any situations you may run into along the way. If you are an experienced hiker and good with navigating even without clear paths and signposts you can find the Tujani peak hike map here. Also be aware that the weather is much cooler (when it’s 40 degrees in Tirana it’s often a pleasant 10 degrees cooler up at Dajti). This also means that even in Spring, as you progress on your hike you may still run into snow and ice, so always be appropriately dressed and equipped.

Mt Gamti and Bovilla Lake

Another simply stunning visit to make is Bovilla Lake (and if you like you can hike up to Gamti Mountain.

There is a road leading to Bovilla Lake, however this road was in pretty rough condition last time I visited, so I’d recommend having a car that can handle gravel roads that may be quite wet, big potholes and broken asphalt. Initially the road out of Paskuqan is paved, then it turns into a gravel road that was somewhat maintained by local businesses needing to use it, and then it’s back to some kind of narrow broken asphalt road that’s evidently not holding up to the weather. There are a few spots to park a car around Bovilla Lake.

From there onwards you’re really only going to be able to drive onwards if you have a 4×4.

If you fancy hiking up to Mount Gamti, then you can find the hiking map here.

The view over Bovilla is absolutely fantastic even if you only walk up a few of the serpentines, the water is a stunning turquoise colour and you won’t regret spending some time here enjoying the view. There is also a restaurant a little way up the hill. When I went however it was closed, so I wouldn’t rely on it being there or open.

Pëllumbas Cave

Another place within easy reach of Tirana for the outdoorsy people is Pëllumbas Cave.

It’s located around 30 mins south east of Tirana towards Elbasan and you can reach it via car. The road to Pëllumbas isn’t paved, but it’s manageable in a regular car. From the village it’s a sort hike over to the cave. Getting to the entrance of the cave requires you to navigate a steep downhill to get to the river so come prepared and wear good shoes.

You can find the map for the hike here. Please note you do not need to hike the full loop, you can just go to the cave and then make your way back to your car if you prefer.

Vlora and Zvernec

If outdoorsy stuff and hiking is NOT your thing, then you can head to Vlora and Zvernec instead. It is possible to see both places in a day either with your own car or a tour, but I’m also going to give you some things to do or see that you will not fit in one day unless that’s all you’re doing.

How to get to Vlora

Getting to Vlora is easy. Head to the South and North Bus Station close to Casa Italia. Find the bus to Vlora and wait for it to leave, you can get a return ticket from the driver. The drive will take a few hours with some stops along the way. So if you’re traveling there yourself, then this may not be a good option for a day trip due to bus time limitations and you may want to make this a weekend trip instead.

If you do want to see Vlora and Zvernec in a day, then book a tour with our tour guide Ermest and everything will be taken care of for you. You can see all the available tour options here.

Alternatively you can rent a car and drive to Vlora yourself instead, this also gives you flexibility to see a few other things outside of the city.

What to expect in Vlora

The vibe in Vlora will vary a lot depending on the time of year. In winter the city has a lot of empty apartments and the locals will mostly be around the town center. The beachfront, known as Lungomare, will be mostly deserted.

Restaurants and shops will still be open, but I wouldn’t expect much in the way of entertainment away from the centre. In July and August the city will be completely rammed, every restaurant and bar around Lungomare will have queues outside. The service is rushed, the food quality reflects the rush and every place is blasting loud music.

Traffic is also a different ballgame. Do not expect to be able to drive through Vlora around or after sunset. Everyone that’s returning from the beaches South of Vlora will be piled into the city, plus there’ll be lots of people blocking the road because they want to show off their big cars. Despite the bypass now being open, traffic is still heavy.

Zvernec

Zvernec is a monastery located north west of Vlora in the Narta Lagoon. It’s about a 15 – 20 minute drive out from Vlora and when you get there you’ll need to park your car on the road and walk to the wooden walkway that takes you to the island with the monastery. Be careful on the walkway, it has seen better days and there are some loose planks. 

Other places around Vlora

If you are going with your own car then in addition to heading to Zvernec, I would also recommend taking the new bypass up onto the mountains towards Shpella e Fikut, there is a little side road just after the restaurant where you can pull over and enjoy fantastic views over Vlora. I would not recommend eating at the restaurant. I’ve been there 4 or 5 times now and the summary is slow service, a lot of wasps in Summer and filthy bathrooms (I’ll spare you the details). You can also visit Kanina Castle while you’re up there.

You can also take a drive further South (which is absolutely beautiful along the coast) towards Radhimë. There are many options around here for food, and there is one I want to mention specifically and that’s Labëria. I’ve eaten here many times on the way to the South and it’s been some of the best food I’ve had – but I also had 2 really bad visits here, so I wouldn’t recommend stopping here in the middle of winter, or in the height of Summer. In winter the food wasn’t good, and during Summer the service was awful we waited ages for food and people kept forgetting parts of the order. So aim for Spring our Autumn neither in the middle of high or low season.

Boat Trip Karaburun and Sazan

There are boat tours that leave from the port in Vlora and they take you out to the peninsula and  island. We were offered two choices when booking: The “organised” or “unorganised” option – I’m still not entirely sure what the difference is. I of course booked the organised tour, which was pretty chaotic overall – but still a lovely day out.

We set sail on a pirate ship first to Karaburun to spend some time at the beach. From there you can also pay extra to take a little speed boat to Shpella e Haxhi Aliut where you can then swim in the refreshing water in the cave. This was pretty fun, despite being surrounded by a lot of influencers doing the influencing thing.

Unfortunately we were super late leaving from Karaburun and when we got to Sazan we didn’t really have enough time to explore the island. There are some abandoned buildings there and a few other things to see, but since we only had an hour left there was no chance to explore.

I’d recommend booking the unorganised tour, NOT taking the pirate ship because there aren’t enough seats for the number of people going and packing your own food and drink.

Durrës

Durrës is located about 40 kms west of Tirana and is very easily reachable by car and public transport. Durrës is the second biggest city by population in Albania and also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities with about 2500 years of history. From Durrës you also have the option to take the ferry across the Adriatic over to Italy.

While many people head to Durrës to enjoy the beaches South or North of the City, it’s actually a very interesting city to explore some of Albania’s diverse history.

We recommend visiting the Amphitheater located centrally in Durrës to get a glimpse into what remains of the ancient site. Tickets are 300L and it’s not usually too busy, so no need to worry about booking.

Then you may want to take a stroll to the Venetian Tower on your way to the archaeological museum.

Within a short walk you will also find the Great Mosque of Durrës as well as the Byzantine Forum. For lunch I can recommend stopping by at Sema, just don’t be tempted by the wine recommendations without asking the price per bottle 😉 we ate delicious seafood pastas and fresh salads and the price (at least not during the main season, was very good).

There are also some really nice bars towards the beaches in the north west of the city, particularly for watching the sunset, I never realised that my favourite bar is actually called Sunset Bar.

What to see nearby?

If you have your own transport there are also places nearby you can visit.

Going to the beach

If it’s the beach you’re after then the local favourites are probably Gjiri i Lalëzit, Golem and Spille located to the north and south of the city. If you are planning to spend a day at the beach, go early. Most people arrive by 10am at the latest and if you get there afterwards there will literally not be any free sunbeds or parking (which is also not for the faint of heart).

Cape of Rhodon

If you’re after some less commercialised areas, then visit the Cape of Rhodon, where you can hike and explore, see the castle ruins, visit the beach and eat in a bunker style restaurant. I can’t find it listed on google maps, but I have found someone else mentioning it was open when they visited, so I’m not sure what’s going on, so, if you visit, please do report back.

The road leading down to the cape is narrow and the potholes have doubled in size over the last 5 years, so drive carefully. There are a few places where you may want to stopover and take some photos of the stunning coast.

When you’re driving back, use Google Maps and DO NOT be tricked by the road sign that tells you Tirana is to the left of the fork. This will take you on the longest detour I’ve ever seen in all of Albania and the direct way towards the highway is to the right.

Kruja

Kruja is another fantastic location for a day trip from Tirana, and to make sure you see everything in the area I’d thoroughly recommend going with our tour guide Ermest.

Kruja can be reached from Tirana by bus, however the buses do not run as frequently as to other bigger cities there is also a place in the mountains that is a MUST SEE for me and the only way to get out there is by private transport, hence why my recommendation to definitely book the tour to visit Kruja.

In Kruja you will definitely want to see the castle, the Skanderbeg museum and the Bazaar to learn more about Albania’s fight against the Ottoman Empire and to explore local crafts and traditions.

Sari Salltik

Then I would take the drive up into the mountains to Sari Salltik, it’s a beautiful drive once you’re out of Kruja, again I advise using Google Maps, because the turn off is tricky to find and the road is small.

The view from the location of the shrine is honestly breathtaking. You will find the shrine itself at the end of the road down the steps on the right inside the cave. 

I just want to make you aware before you go that animals are still being sacrificed here and this may catch you off guard, so just be mindful and respectful of other people’s traditions. You can read more about the shrine and the history in a condensed article here.

On your way back, there are plenty of traditional restaurants where you can stop for lunch or dinner. I was surprised at the large amount of various intestines on the menu, so if that’s not your taste, just make sure you ask what’s in the Tave of the day before ordering. We ate some really delicious stuff on every visit, so I can’t recommend it enough.

As I said, I recommend seeing Kruja as part of a tour, because there is so much history here and because of the drive to Sari Salltik – it’s absolutely worth it.

These were just 6 places you can visit on a day trip from Tirana and there are many more. Our recommended tour guide Ermest also has the option to see Berat as a day trip if you’re short on time, you can find all of his tours on our guided tours page here.