Walking in Albania

All breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners included.

Three of these lunches are packed lunches. In the itinerary, we state which meals are included on each day.

Under the leadership of Enver Hoxha (the communist leader of Albania from 1944 to 1985), Albania became a self-sustaining country due to its isolation to the world. With fertile valleys, fresh mountain springs and Mediterranean climate, Albania still has a subsistence culture and shows very little signs of changing. In the countryside, expect your food to have been grown not too far from your plate.

Food in Albania is quite varied thanks to the many influences on the country, particularly Mediterranean, which combines Turkish and European tastes. Dairy products, especially milk and yoghurt are present in almost every meal, usually locally sourced. Meals are reasonably priced at around 550-750 leks (€5-€7) per dish for traditional dishes such as baked rice, casseroles, stuffed aubergine and jani meat (beef or lamb sautéed with onions, garlic and spices). Fresh fish is also plentiful, from the sea or lakes, and is an important ingredient in many dishes. Dishes that must be sampled are Tirana stew, Elbasan yoghurt and baked phyllo pie. For dessert, there are the classic cookies and puddings but most importantly the baklava is very popular. Drinks are reasonably priced with a bottle of local beer costing around 250 leks (€2.40) yet traditional drinks need to be tried as well, raki and Skenderbeu cognac for example (noted for its unique flavour and aroma).

Your leader will recommend restaurants for each evening. Vegetarians are well-catered for in Albania as long as the hotels are advised in advance – please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. If you follow a vegan diet, the variety of food may be limited on this trip. This diet is relatively uncommon in this region and we cannot guarantee the hotels and restaurants will provide meals that have the necessary variety.

vegetarian, vegan, meat

For this trip, we use private buses. One transfer includes a short off-road section, for this journey we use local transport which will likely not have seatbelts.

On this walking adventure in Albania, we spend two nights in a mountain guesthouse, two nights in alpine hotels and two nights in three-star hotels (locally rated).  

Tirana: Sky 2 Hotel (night 1) 

The adventure begins at the 43-room Sky 2, a well-located spot in the heart of Tirana, just a 10-minute walk from the main plaza, Skanderbeg Square. There are restaurants, bars and shops nearby, while the hotel itself serves coffee, orange juice from the Albanian coast, and cold drinks. 

Theth: Shpella Guesthouse (nights 2-3) 

Enjoy a warm welcome at Shpella, a quaint guesthouse in the Albanian Alps. It’s ideally located to explore Theth National Park, with walks starting from the front door. Rooms have a mountain lodge feel, while the food is traditional local fare with ingredients plucked from the garden. Our groups often eat outside, allowing you to dine with views over soaring mountain peaks.  

Valbonë: Hotel Breezy/Hotel Margjeka (nights 4-5) 

In mountainous Valbonë, we stay at either Hotel Breezy or Hotel Margjeka (above), depending on availability. Breezy has 11 modern rooms with mountain views, plus a restaurant, bar and garden. The more traditionally styled Margjeka also has mountain-view rooms, plus a restaurant serving Albanian cuisine made from locally grown produce.  

Kruje: Hotel Panorama (night 6) 

Enjoy views over red rooftops to Krujë Castle and the bazaar with our stay at Hotel Panorama. The rooms, which are traditionally styled, also have vistas over the castle and old town. There’s also a casual restaurant, serving local and international cuisine, with mountain and sea views from the balcony.  

Berat: Hotel Mangalemi/Hotel Belgrad Mangalem 

In Mangalem, the historic quarter of Berat, our hotel is either Mangalemi (above) or Belgrad Mangalem, depending on availability. The former was the first hotel to open in Berat after the fall of communism in Albania and is built on the ruins of a mansion. It now offers traditional rooms, a stone courtyard and a restaurant-bar. The latter occupies two historic buildings, with traditional rooms and bar. 

Worth knowing 

It is possible to book additional accommodation in Tirana before and after the tour. For anyone looking to extend their stay, additional nights can also be arranged in Berat. Contact your sales representative if you wish to extend your trip. 

Single rooms are only available in Tirana, Valbonë, Kruje and Berat due to a limited number of rooms. Single rooms are not available during the two nights in Theth. Our two nights in the guesthouse at Theth are in double, triple and quadruple rooms, with shared bathrooms (rooms are not mixed sex).

hotel: 5 night(s), guesthouse: 2 night(s);

There will be a local leader, driver, plus a second support guide and horsemen during the trek (to help with luggage transportation from one village to the next, although their English may not be as good as the leader’s). Our local partner, Dorien, was born and raised in the Albanian Alps and has been walking in the region since he was a child.