4 Day Itinerary- Friends
September 2024
We arrived late on the Friday night at Tirana Airport. Here we picked up the local currency, Albanian Lek. You can only get Lek within the country. I would recommend getting some at the airport as it was easy and we had it ready for the next morning.
We then picked up a rental car. I had read reviews on booking a car on Discover Cars and picked a rental company with high reviews. As we were arriving late (23.30), I also had to find a company that stayed open late (however I realised later I think most companies will accommodate a later pick up time but charge an out of hours fee). I decided on Flexways, whose office was a short 5 minutes from the airport. The pick up was smooth- my only feedback was that the Flexway member of staff tried to advise us against our chosen route, which I am now really glad we didn’t take his advice as the route worked out perfectly.
We drove straight to Hotel Akropoli which was easy to drive to and find. We are able to park directly outside. The rooms were comfy and the staff were very hospitable.
Day 1
After an omelette breakfast we headed out to catch the bus into town. We trusted Google Maps with the route. We decided to leave the car at the hotel and get the bus into the capital to avoid the busy roads. We learnt later that many of the buses actually don’t show the correct numbers, they either show the place name or nothing at all so you have to ask. Each bus has a driver and someone selling tickets. The tickets were 40 Albanian Lek so make sure you carry change.
We headed to the Opera House for a free walking tour that was recommended through GuruWalk. The tour takes you through Tirana’s vibrant city centre and explores its most iconic landmarks and hidden treasures. Our tour guide Clint told us the story of Albania’s past and really brought to life Albania’s tough journey to get to where it is now. The tour was supposed to be 2 hours but it actually lasted 2.5 hours. We then caught the bus back to the hotel, and after a busy 30 minutes to get out of the city centre, we were on the road to our second stop, Berat.
Berat is the 9th most populated city in Albania and surrounded by mountains and hills. The river Osum runs through the city. We drove straight to our Airbnb which was a penthouse apartment and had the most spectacular views over the city.
We headed up to Berat Castle, a 13th century fortress overlooking the city. At the top we enjoyed a cold beer at Te Zalua whilst admiring the views.
After a quick change back at the Airbnb we headed out to Lili’s Homemade Food restaurant, which we had booked a couple of months in advance, and offers traditional homemade environment. The food here was great! We had one of everything on the menu and shared it all. Although we had a table to ourselves you may share a table.
Day 2
After a 6.45am start we drove straight to Vlore beach front for a boat trip booked through TripAdvisor. We took a speed boat to Haxhi Ali Cave. Here we swam and jumped from the boat. We then sailed to 3 little beaches for a quick swim before ending up on Plazhi Shen Vasili beach for 4 hours of sunbathing. Renting sunbeds was an additional 500 lek.
This day trip was really worth it but would not be the same without the beautiful sunshine! We all wished we could have spent more time on the boat as jumping the waves with the music blazing was really fun! After a gigantic ice-cream in Vlore we were back in the car heading to our next stop.
Gjirokastër is a city in southern Albania, located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino. Its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After checking into our next Airbnb we headed to the old town for a pre drink at Hangover Cocktail Bar and then another delicious traditional dinner at Restorant Tradicional Odaja. This was followed by some traditional baklava dessert at Kalimera Patissserie.
Day 3
We decided to stay in Gjirokastër, heading again into the Old Town to go for breakfast at a little traditional cafe GLIKO Snack Bar & Pastisserie. We then walked a fairly steep climb to GjiroKastër Castle, the town’s main attraction. This was really worth the climb, there were interesting information boards in English and it had beautiful views. You can explore different passages and stairs taking you to different areas of the castle.
Back on the road we stopped at the beach town Sarandë where we rented sunbeds for the afternoon. The waterfront along this beach town is owned by different hotels/restaurants, so depending on where you want to go you can park up, head down and rent the sunbed, then order food/drinks from the attached restaurant. The town was very built up and busy, however being by the waterfront in the glorious sunshine made a good afternoon.
Our final stop of the day was Borsh Beach, which a friend had recommended. This is an up and coming strip along a beach, which is currently undergoing major development. We stayed at Hotel Erviliano– basic but clean and comfortable self catering accommodation. Unfortunately we arrived on the very last night of the season, where the majority of the bars and restaurants had already closed, which made for a limited selection. The restaurant and bars were also out of stock of various dishes and drinks. However, we had a drink and watched the sunset in Bar Restaurant Olsi and managed to have a nice meal at the La Familia Beach Bar and Restaurant.
Day 4
On our final day there had been a change of weather. We had breakfast at Luna Mare as we wanted to hire some paddle boards from here, however it soon became very clear that due to the wind, paddle boarding was going to be impossible. I would not recommend the breakfast here- it was a buffet style breakfast but all exposed to wasps and not great quality food.
So we changed back to our original plan of doing a hike. We were worried it may be too hot to complete the hike as we read it can be very exposed however the cloud cover meant perfect walking conditions. Albania has more walking options in the north of the island, however Llogara Maja Thanasit walk was one I had spotted on AllTrails for the south of the island. It is 7.4km with 337m of climbing. To reach the beginning of the walk is a very steep drive up which is pretty scary if you don’t like driving up mountainsides! But the walk was worth it. Beautiful views over the coast one way and the mountain range the other way.
We then shared the drive back to the airport to head home.
Top recommendations of Southern Albania:
- Hire a car- the roads are really easy to drive. You have to be constantly switched on as Albanian drivers don’t seem to use indicators- however it is clear that they are majorly investing in their infrastructure and it was an easy and cheap way to travel
- Spend time at the beach! If you are lucky enough to go during the warmer months plan in an activity at the beach or on the water
- Eat local food! Albania food is a mixture of Turkish and Greek influence and is delicious. Wash it down with some homemade Raki!
- Do a walking tour in Tirana and learn about Albania’s history from a local
- Visit either Berat or Gjirokastër (or if you have time, both) and go to the castle for panoramic breath-taking views