ALBANIA

🇦🇱 Six days in Albania – Travel Route & Highlights

We spent 6 days exploring Albania, visiting:
Shala River, Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër, the Blue Eye, and Ksamil.

✈️ Getting there & route

We flew into Montenegro, then continued by bus to Dubrovnik (Croatia).
From there we took an overnight bus to Shkodër (Albania).
We ended the trip in Corfu (Greece) by ferry from Sarandë.
(There is a 1-hour time difference between Albania and Greece.)

📶 Internet

We used an Airalo Europe eSIM, which worked perfectly across all countries we traveled through.

🏞️ Shala River – the highlight start

We arrived in Shkodër early in the morning from Croatia.
At 08:00, a driver arranged through our hotel picked us up and took us toward Komani Lake and Shala River.

🌿 Blini Park

Blini Park
📞 +355 69 725 4660

A peaceful and stunning place with incredible views 😍

Transfer Shkodër ↔ Komani Lake: €20 per person
Boat ride to Shala River: €20 per person
Total: €40 round trip (Shkodër ↔ Shala River)

Blini Park is the first accommodation near where the boats dock.
A simple guesthouse with wooden cabins, but the location is unbeatable.

They also have a restaurant with a fixed-price dinner.

💡 Important:

Everything is cash only (hotel, food, transport)
Many tourists come for day trips and leave around 15:00
After they leave, the place becomes even more peaceful and magical 🤩

We took the morning boat back at 07:00 the next day.

🚌 Shkodër → Tirana

After returning from Komani Lake, we took a bus to Tirana:

Shkodër → Tirana: ~500 lek (~€5)
Local bus from station to hotel: ~30 lek

🌆 Tirana

We arrived in Tirana in the afternoon and checked into:

🏨 Xheko Imperial

Xheko Imperial Hotel
A hotel that feels like a museum – elegant, classic design with a pool.
Located on a central boulevard in the Blloku area, surrounded by restaurants and nightlife.

🍽️ Dinner – Oda

Oda
A traditional local restaurant with great atmosphere and authentic Albanian food.

On the way from the hotel to dinner we passed:

Pyramid of Tirana – iconic landmark
The Cloud – a modern art installation and public seating space.

Both are great spots for photos and a short stop.

🚌 Tirana → Berat

The next day we took a bus from near the hotel to the main station, then a minibus to Berat.

Tirana → Berat: ~500 lek (~€5)

🏰 Berat – “The City of a Thousand Windows”

We stayed in the historic area inside the beautiful old buildings:

🏨 Beratino Hotel

Beratino Hotel
A charming hotel with a great location and even its own restaurant with tasty food.

We spent the day walking through the picturesque cobblestone streets of Berat – truly one of the most beautiful cities in Albania.

🍽️ Dinner – Tratida experience

Tratida Restaurant
📞 +355 68 223 3339

A unique set-menu dinner experience:

Reservation required via WhatsApp in the morning
Fixed price: €15 per person
Same dishes served to everyone (vegetarian option available on request)
Two seating times: 19:00 / 21:30
Drinks not included

The restaurant is located across the river, about a 10-minute walk.
A very local, organized, and memorable food experience 👌🏻

🏞️ Berat → Gjirokastër

The next day, we continued toward Gjirokastër.

We had planned a direct bus, but it didn’t exist.
A minibus driver suggested dropping us at a transfer point, where a taxi driver offered a ride for €15 directly to our hotel – which we took.

🏰 Gjirokastër

We stayed at:

🏨 Rose Garden Hotel

Rose Garden Hotel
A lovely place with a great location just below the castle, and a short walk to the old bazaar.
It also has a small pool.

🌿 What we did:

Walked through the old bazaar and scenic streets
Tried fresh burek at a bakery in the main intersection
Visited the castle in the afternoon
Gjirokastër Castle

🌅 Dinner – vineyard experience

The Barrels
A beautiful restaurant located in a vineyard, about 10 minutes by taxi (€10).

We arrived at sunset – dining under grape vines with vineyard views 🍇
Homemade local food, great wine, and amazing grape juice.

We contacted them via Facebook (they don’t respond on Instagram).

💙 The Blue Eye

The next morning, we took a minibus from Gjirokastër to the famous Blue Eye.

Before leaving, we asked the ticket clerk at the tourist train station if we could leave our luggage with her. She kindly agreed, apparently, many travelers do the same.

We then took the tourist train to:

💧 The Blue Eye

The train costs about €3 each way.

The Blue Eye is a beautiful natural spring surrounded by lush greenery and incredible shades of blue and turquoise. The water is crystal clear, cold, and extremely refreshing.

A wonderful stop for nature lovers and photographers alike.

🌊 Ksamil

From the Blue Eye, we took a bus to Sarandë and then another bus to:

🏖️ Ksamil

We stayed at:

🏨 King Hotel

Located on Poda Beach, with a sea-view room.

What we loved:

Excellent location
Beautiful views
Private beach with umbrellas
Dinner included in the room rate

🌴 Beach hopping

The distances between beaches are short and easy to walk.

We visited:

Three Islands Beach
🖐️ The famous hand sculpture near Cocoa Beach Bar

Ksamil is absolutely stunning:

Crystal-clear turquoise water
Calm sea with almost no waves
Relaxed atmosphere
Beautiful beaches everywhere

We stayed for two nights and could easily have stayed longer.

⛴️ Leaving Albania

From Ksamil, we took a bus back to Sarandë and then the ferry to:

🇬🇷 Corfu

We bought our ferry tickets from one of the travel agencies on the street near the port in Sarandë.

⭐ Final Thoughts

Albania surprised us in the best possible way.

From the breathtaking scenery of the Shala River, to the historic charm of Berat and Gjirokastër, the vibrant atmosphere of Tirana, the natural beauty of the Blue Eye, and the turquoise beaches of Ksamil – every destination felt unique.

Beautiful nature, picturesque towns, delicious food, affordable prices, and genuinely friendly people made this an unforgettable trip.

Enjoy your trip! 🤗

📸 For more photos, locations, and travel tags, feel free to follow along on Instagram.

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