Guide

Last updated: May 2026

Our last stop in Albania was Korçë, a small city known for its BBQ restaurants and old bazaar area. Sitting high up in the mountains, it felt much colder than anywhere else we visited in Albania. If you’re traveling by bus in Albania like we did, don’t miss the journey between Gjirokastër and Korçë. At times it felt slightly chaotic, but the mountain views along the way were incredible. It’s also a great stop if you plan to cross the land border between Albania and North Macedonia by foot.

We really enjoyed our time in Korçë, with its slow pace, café culture and cosy atmosphere, and we definitely think it’s worth a visit on your Albania trip.

Where to stay in Korçë

We stayed just near the Old Bazaar which turned out to be a great location. It meant we could walk out for coffee, dinner or an evening drink without needing taxis or buses, and still be close enough to explore the centre on foot. If you are visiting Korçë for the first time, staying around the Old Bazaar is where we would look again.

What to do in Korçë

It’s a cute small city with an old bazaar area and some beautiful architecture. There’s also a lot of places to visit in the surrounding area – like small mountain villages, hiking etc. Unfortunately Livia fell ill during our 3 nights in Korçë so we didn’t do as much exploring as we planned on.

Korçë Old Bazaar

This is probably the most famous area of Korçë, it’s the old part of the city full with cafes, restaurants and small shops. It’s a bit more expensive to eat here, but as the city is small, you can grab a coffee on the square and then eat somewhere else.

Do as the locals and grab a coffee on the square on a weekend. We were there in November, but everyone still sat outside in the sun, it was lovely.

Walk around to see architecture

The old bazaar and the other parts of the city center looks very different. The old bazaar is renewed and colourful, while other parts are much more rundown and beautiful in other ways. Make sure to walk around to take it all in and stop for a coffee from time to time.

Go to nearby villages

Unfortunately we didn’t do this, but it something we planned on doing so I will still add it here as something to do. The area around Korçë is beautiful, up in the mountains and there are lots of small villages and other nature areas to visit.

Where to eat in Korçë

Korce is famous for BBQ and there are many restaurants to indulge in Albanian bbq. One of our favorites was Zgara Korcare Grill. It’s situated at the beginning of the walking street (if you come from the center) – and it’s an amazing bbq restaurant with really good prices. It might not look that great from the outside, and only has a few tables, but definitely worth a visit!

Last updated: May 2026

We visited Gjirokastër in November, during the low season, and during our two nights there we only saw a couple of other tourists. A lot of the shops and restaurants were closed for the season, but since people actually live here year-round, there were still enough places open to enjoy the town properly. In return, we got a much more local experience, with quiet cobbled streets almost entirely to ourselves.

Gjirokastër ended up becoming one of our favorite towns we visited in Albania. With its stone houses, mountain backdrop and huge hilltop castle, it genuinely feels like a fairytale town.

If you visit outside peak season, the town feels even smaller and more atmospheric, almost more like a mountain village than a tourist destination.

Where to stay in Gjirokastër?

Gjirokastër is divided into two parts, the newer lower town and the historic old town climbing up the hillside above it.

The old town is by far the more beautiful area to stay in, with stone houses, cobbled streets and incredible mountain views around almost every corner. The newer part of town isn’t as picturesque, but more cafés, restaurants and shops stay open there during low season, and prices are generally a bit lower since this is where most locals live.

We visited in November and stayed in an apartment in the old town, which we absolutely loved. It was incredibly quiet during low season, and waking up to mountain views and empty cobbled streets felt almost surreal.

If you stay in the old town, be prepared for a steep uphill walk from the bus station, which is located in the newer lower part of Gjirokastër. We ended up taking a taxi up to our apartment, which was absolutely worth it. Dragging suitcases or carrying heavy backpacks up the steep cobbled streets would not have been fun.

What to do in Gjirokastër

Gjirokastër is quite small, so there isn’t an endless list of things to do, but there’s definitely enough to fill a couple of relaxed days. Many people only visit on a day trip or stay for one night, but if you have extra time in Albania, we’d really recommend slowing down and spending a few nights here instead.

The main attraction is simply wandering around the beautiful old town itself, with its cobbled streets, stone houses, small shops, cafés and restaurants. Keep in mind that some places only open during the main tourist season.

There are also several places to visit in the surrounding area, but for those you’ll either need a car or take taxis, which we didn’t do during our stay. Gjirokastër can also easily be visited as a day trip from Sarandë, especially if you’re travelling by car.

Walk around Gjirokaster old town

There is so much beautiful architecture to see in the old part of Gjirokaster, we walked around for ages, getting lost in small alleys and taking a million photos of all the beauty!

Gjirokaster Castle

The main attraction in Gjirokaster (except the old town itself) is the castle. We stayed just a 5 minute walk from the castle, but if you stay in the new part of town it’s a bit of a hike as it’s on the top of the mountain. Due to the location, the views are spectacular. 

This castle is very intact, with loads of parts inside the castle open and areas outside to roam around on. We spent a couple of hours here exploring. It was quite impressive.

Where to eat in Gjirokastër 

As we only spent a couple of nights in Gjirkaster, and had our own kitchen, we didn’t eat out much. But Restorant Kufoi was truly a little gem we found. Local place with a very friendly owner. He didn’t speak much English, but enough for us to communicate. They served traditional Albanian food, and it was the best food we had during our entire trip in Albania. It was so tasty and well priced. 

Is Gjirokastër worth visiting?

Yes, absolutely. We loved our time in Gjirokastër.

We visited during the low season, when the old town was incredibly quiet and at times almost empty. It gave us plenty of time to wander the steep cobbled streets, admire the distinctive Ottoman-era architecture and stop to take in the views across the surrounding mountains and valley.

Gjirokastër is compact and easy to explore over a couple of days, but there’s plenty to see between the castle, historic houses, bazaar and streets of the old town. Even without ticking off individual sights, simply walking around was a big part of the experience.

For us, the combination of architecture, history and setting made Gjirokastër well worth including in our Albania itinerary.

Last updated: May 2026

Berat is one of those places that feels almost too perfect to be real. White Ottoman houses climb up the hillside, their windows stacked on top of each other, giving the city its famous nickname, the “City of a Thousand Windows.”

We visited in November during the low season, and parts of the old town felt almost completely empty at times. Walking through the quiet cobbled streets in the early mornings and evenings made the city feel even more surreal.

If you’re planning a visit, here’s what to do in Berat and how to make the most of your time there.

Where to stay in Berat

We spent 2 nights in Berat and stay at Maya hostel. Which was located just over the river opposite the old town, which was only a couple of minutes walk away. We stayed in a private room and had a great time, meeting other travelers and the host and owner organized things for us, like a wine tasting and transportation. We can highly recommend this hostel.

What to do in Berat

We spent two nights in Berat which is plenty if you only come to see the historic part of the town. But there’s also treks etc. to do in the nearby area.

Wine tasting

We didn’t know Albanian wine was a thing before we got to Albania, and Berat has some nice wineries nearby which are worth visiting. We went with our hostel to Alptea Winery which was great or you can go with a guide to different wineries in the area.

Berat Castle

As with all castles in Balkans, Berat Castle is perched at the top of the hill, which makes it a steep walk, but definitely worth the effort. It’s a living castle, as in there’s people living in houses inside the castle walls. The castle itself is not there anymore, just some ruins, but it’s still an interesting place to visit. There’s a small entrance fee to pay as a tourist, but I’m not sure if the ticket booth is always open, you might be able to walk in from other directions without having to pay, but it was such a small fee so it doesn’t really matter. 

The views from here are amazing, Berat is situated in a mountainous area, which is breathtaking. There’s also an orthodox church on a hill and loads of small alleys and areas to walk through. In a few places there is still parts of the castle left which you can explore. 

Old town of Berat

This is what most people come to Berat to see. The small white and black houses on the side of a hill. It is super cute, like something for a fairytale. And a walk inside old town is like going back in time, cobbled small alleys. In the evening it becomes even more like a fairytale with the yellow-ish lights casting a very mystical light on the houses. 

Where to eat in Berat 

In old town, you have to try Lili’s restaurant. It’s a tiny place with only 3 tables in fall and winter, and 5 during summers. It’s at the back of the owner Lili’s house, where his wife is cooking homemade Albanian food. There is only a few dishes to choose from, but they were all amazing. Lili himself is super friendly and will most likely talk to you for a bit, and after dinner share one or two Raki (local alcohol in balkan) with you as well. We were able to just show up and have lunch, but I do believe you should book in advance, especially during high season.

Last updated: May 2026

We spent a week in Tirana, getting there I was quite run down and exhausted, realising I had a travel burn out so we decided to not do too much and try to live a more ”normal” life for a few days, instead of checking off top attractions. We enjoyed taking walks, going to the cinema, trying new food, just taking it easy in the apartment we rented doing nothing, cooking etc. Sometimes that’s all you want while traveling full time, a bit of “normal” life.

However, as we both were very curious about Tirana we also did some exploring, of course. Tirana is a very exciting city, completely different from what we expected, especially when reading other travel blogs. It felt modern and hip with loads of cool cafes, restaurants, shops and bars, a very young and vibrant city, we loved staying a week in Tirana.

Where to stay in Tirana

We stayed in an Airbnb near the Grand Park of Tirana, which was a great area with plenty of cafés and restaurants nearby. We also walked everywhere during our stay, as Tirana is a very walkable city.

There are plenty of hotels, guesthouses and apartments across central Tirana, with lots of options within walking distance of the main sights. You can browse accommodation in Tirana here.

What to do in Tirana

When we visited Tirana in 2018, it was not your typical tourist destination, but that’s what made it very exciting to visit. Today however, it’s become more of a visited city. Here are some of our tips of things to do in Tirana, Albania.

Walk Around for Exciting Monuments and Public Art

If you are interested in public art and architecture, Tirana is definitely something for you. It’s a very exciting mix between old communist buildings and newer architecture. It’s also small enough to be able to walk around easily.

Some more specific monuments are:

• A piece of the Berlin wall at the Postbllok Checkpoint in central Albania
• Bunkers scattered around, most intact you can find at Postbllok Checkpoint (same as Berlin wall)

the Pyramid of Tirana

Maybe the most famous building in Tirana, the Pyramid of Tirana. This is a huge concrete pyramid in the middle of the city. It opened up as an Enver Hoxha museum in the 80s, after the fall of communism in Alabania it lost its purpose and has been used for a number of things, cultural center, nightclub etc. In 2018 it was abandoned with the people divided whether or not to tear it down or not. But it still stands, for now, and should definitely be visited on a trip to Tirana. When we were there you could also climb to the top of it for a great view of Tirana, however, it was quite tricky and only Sam was able to climb it. NOTE: the pyramid looks much different now than when we visited.

The colourful buildings

Another famous thing for Tirana is its colourful buildings scattered around the city. Trying to get rid of the communist feel of Tirana, a previous mayor decided to paint buildings in different colours. Walk the streets the river for some of them that’s more condensed, but they are all over the city.

Museums

Both of us are quite interested in communism and its history. Maybe especially in Albania, as it was such a closed country for so long. To get a small insight into how life might have looked during that time there’s some interesting museums worth visiting. We went to House of Leaves and Bunk’Art 2.

House of Leaves

This museum is housed in the old HQ of the surveillance division of the government. Which in itself made it interesting to visit. The exhibition is very text heavy, and about how people were under surveillance during this time. If you’re interested in this part of the history, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Bunk’Art 2

There is a Bunk’Art 1 and Bunk’Art 2, we only made it to Bunk’Art 2 as the other one is situated outside of the city. However, it’s high on the list for next time I visit Tirana. Bunk’Art 2 is house inside a nuclear bunker in the center of the city and part art gallery and part museum. The museum is about the communist time of Albania and Tirana, with a more wide focus than house of Leaves. It’s also very text heavy, but super interesting! If you only have time for 1 museum while in Tirana, this is then you should visit.

Walk around Blloku

This was the old elite neighborhood of Tirana, today it’s a great place to walk around as it’s filled with restaurants, cafes and shops with a great vibe.

Walk around the Grand Park of Tirana

This is a big park in the south parts of the city. If you want to live local life, this is where you should head on a sunny day. There’s some cafes along the lake, and loads of walking routes. You can easily spend a few hours here. We took the route which takes all around the lake, and honestly, the side towards the city is much nicer than the part on the other side, as it’s next to a highway and not as green. So keep to the area towards the city for the best parts of the park.

Places to eat in Tirana

As we lived “normal” life in Tirana we cooked more and didn’t eat out as much as we usually do. But there’s loads of good food in the city and we will mention two places here. Other than these two places we ate pizza and just fell into small restaurants. It’s not difficult to find good food in Tirana.

Restaurant Piceri Era in Blloku

This local restaurant was a great little find. We went here on a Sunday for lunch and was lucky we didn’t have to queue, after we arrived there was a constant queue to get a table. They serve great traditional Albanian food, for a very good price.

Mullixhiu

Mullixhiu is probably the restaurant you find most on google when googling places to eat in Tirana. However, we still want to mention it here. They serve a modern take on traditional Albanian food. In the evenings they have a tasting menu. I enjoyed this restaurant, however, Sam did not. And yes, there was things that wasn’t up to standard, especially the service which was quite bad unfortunately. But I would still say it’s worth a visit when in Tirana. But if you’re on a super low budget skip this place as there’s better value options. This restaurant is more of an experience.

Coffee in Tirana

There’s loads and loads of coffee shops around Tirana. But we want to mention two places here which we found quite unique.

E7E (permanently closed)

E7E is actually a book shop, but there’s also a small cafe area inside it. Which makes this a super nice place to sit and sip on a coffee amongst the books. NOTE: unfortunately this place seems to be closed now.

Komiteti – Kafe Muzeum

This place should be visited for the ambience. We would call it Communist kitsch. It’s actually a bar, rather than cafe, but they do serve coffee as well. It’s a great venue with lots of memorabilia and very unique design, we spent hours here just talking and enjoying the atmosphere.

Last updated: May 2026

Shkodër was our first stop in Albania. It’s located in the northern part of the country, close to the border of Montenegro. We spent a couple of relaxing days in Shkodër. This city has a slower pace to it and we enjoyed wandering the streets and soaking up local life. However, it was not our favorite stop in Albania, it seemed a little bit harder than other cities and towns we went to. But we still enjoyed our times in Shkodër and it’s worth a stop if you’re on a balkan trip, like us.

Where to stay in Shkodër

We stayed at Rose Garden Hotel, a clean nice hotel with a pretty garden to relax in. Location was central and walkable, if you want to go a bit further they offer free bikes for their guests.

What to do in Shkodër

Rruga Kolë Idromeno

Rruga Kolë Idromeno is a pedestrian street in the center or the city, there’s many cafes, bars, restaurants and shops. It’s a very nice little stroll or place to grab a coffee to do some people watching. Also, the buildings are very beautiful.

Visit the market

There’s also a big market which was great to visit. Just off the big roundabout along the street and on the alleys around there’s loads of people selling their local produce. There’s also one part with second had clothes. We enjoyed walking around seeing what everyone was selling, as we were the only tourists there people also liked talking to us and giving us free samples. It was a lovely atmosphere.

Abandoned train station

This is a bit of an odd tip to give perhaps, but we love abandoned places and this one did not disappoint. The train station itself is locked up, but you can still peek through the windows. But on the tracks there’s abandoned trains full of graffiti. It’s a great photo opp, especially during a sunny afternoon when the area seems to glow in golden light.

It’s a bit of a walk from the center, but as Shkodër is small, it wasn’t bad. You will go through some rather odd areas with very run down or abandoned houses. There were also some wild dogs that seemed a little aggressive on the way.

I don’t think I would recommend going there at night as I’m not sure how safe it is. People live in these trains at night, and it’s also a spot for illegal activity. Even during daytime there was a group of young guys enjoying som chilled illegal activities, and they didn’t seem thrilled with us taking photos around there. So we just made sure they understood they were never in the pictures.

Rozafa Castle

The Rozafa Castle, just outside Shkodër, is the most intact forts we visited in Balkans. It has beautiful views over rivers, a lake and the surrounding nature. Most other forts we visited only had the walls still standing, this one actually had some rooms left as well. You can go down a hole and enter a few rooms underground, which was quite cool. It’s also huge so take some time to explore, sit down and watch the views in different directions, and do like many other Albanians and us were doing, enjoy a picnic.

How to get to Rozafa castle

We borrowed bikes from our hotel to get to Rozafa castle, the way there we biked on the big street, which I found quite scary as there was a lot of traffic and people drive a bit crazy sometimes. However, on the way back we went on the backroad without any traffic, through some villages.

It’s a bit far to walk here, but if you can’t get ahold of a bike there are busses stopping just down the castle on the big road out of Shkodër. It is a bit of a hike uphill after that.