Independent Albania travel guides
Practical guides, real travel advice and everything you need to explore Albania.
Ksamil, Albanian Riviera
Quick start
The eight things almost every visitor asks about. Each one opens a hub with all related guides.
Destinations
City and region guides with where to stay, how to get there and what is actually worth your time.
Tirana & Central
Tirana
Albania's loud, colourful, fast-changing capital. Most trips start here, and it deserves more than a transit night.
Albanian Riviera
Sarandë
The busy hub of the southern coast. Ferries from Corfu, a long seafront promenade and the best base for Ksamil, Butrint and the Blue Eye.
Albanian Riviera
Ksamil
Albania's most famous beaches. Caribbean-coloured water, tiny islands you can swim to, and crowds to match in high season.
Adriatic Coast
Durrës
Albania's main port and the closest beach to Tirana. Long sandy beaches, Roman ruins and big resort hotels to the south.
Adriatic Coast
Golem
The resort strip south of Durrës. Long sandy beach, pine trees, all-inclusive hotels and easy access from Tirana.
UNESCO & Inland
Berat
The Town of a Thousand Windows. Ottoman houses stacked up a hillside, a lived-in castle and the easiest UNESCO stop from Tirana.
UNESCO & Inland
Gjirokastër
The Stone City. Slate-roofed Ottoman mansions, a massive castle and a steep bazaar, an hour from Sarandë on the way to the coast.
Alps & North
Shkodër
The laid-back northern city. Bikes everywhere, Rozafa Castle above the lake, and the jumping-off point for Theth and Valbona.
Albanian Riviera
Himarë
The Riviera's most relaxed town. Clear water, pebble beaches, a hilltop old village and boat trips to coves you cannot reach by road.
Albanian Riviera
Vlorë
Where the Adriatic meets the Ionian. A big seaside city, ferries from Italy and the start of the spectacular Llogara Pass road.
Alps & North
Theth
A stone village in a glacial valley in the Albanian Alps. Guesthouses, waterfalls and the start of the famous hike to Valbona.
Albanian Riviera
Albanian Riviera
The Ionian coast from the Llogara Pass to Ksamil. Clear water, mountain villages above the sea and one of Europe's best coastal drives.
Editorial
The guides people read most before their trip.
Travel Planning
Albania is cheap by European standards, but the coast in August is not. Here are the actual prices you will pay, and three realistic daily budgets.
Updated 1 September 20265 min read
Transportation
Renting a car is the easiest way to see Albania. It is also where first-time visitors most often get caught out. Here is what to know before you book.
Updated 1 September 20266 min read
Destinations
Twenty minutes apart and completely different. One has the beaches, the other has everything else. Here is how to decide, and why many people end up using both.
Updated 1 September 20264 min read
Travel Tips
Albania's reputation is decades out of date. Crime against tourists is rare and people are unusually welcoming. The things that actually go wrong are more mundane.
Updated 1 September 20265 min read
Transportation
Tirana Airport is small and easy, but your options depend on where you are heading. Here is every way out of the airport, what it costs and when each one makes sense.
Updated 1 September 20265 min read
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