I love our beaches. I really do. But every summer I watch tourists fly into Tirana, transfer straight to Ksamil, and leave without ever seeing the Albania that made me fall in love with this country in the first place. The mountains.
Albania is one of the most vertically dramatic countries in Europe. Within a few hours of the coast, you can be standing on a ridge at 1,800 meters, listening to nothing but wind and the occasional distant cowbell. The trails here are not always well marked, the infrastructure is still developing, and that is precisely what makes them extraordinary.
Here are ten hikes I come back to again and again, organized from the easiest to the most demanding.
1. Dajti Mountain Trails, Tirana
Difficulty: Easy | Duration: 1-3 hours | Best season: Year-round
This is where Tirana goes to breathe. The Dajti Ekspres cable car lifts you above the city in fifteen minutes, and from the top station you have a network of gentle trails through beech forest. On clear days, you can see all the way to the Adriatic.
I used to hike Dajti on Sunday mornings with my father before we moved to Italy. It is not wilderness. There is a restaurant at the top and families picnicking everywhere. But the views of Tirana spreading across the plain below are genuinely stunning, and it costs almost nothing.
Getting there: The cable car departs from the eastern edge of Tirana. A taxi from the city center costs around 500-700 lekë. Bring: Comfortable shoes, sunscreen, water. Nothing technical required.
2. Bovilla Lake from Tirana
Difficulty: Easy to moderate | Duration: 3-4 hours round trip | Best season: March to November
Bovilla is Tirana’s reservoir, and the hike to reach it passes through rolling hills dotted with oak trees before opening onto water so turquoise it looks artificial. It is not. The color comes from limestone sediment, and on a still morning the reflections of the surrounding hills are almost perfect.
The trail starts from the village of Zall-Herr, about 30 minutes northeast of Tirana by car. Navigation is straightforward. Follow the dirt road uphill until you see the lake, then pick your way along the shoreline to find a quiet spot.
Getting there: Drive or take a taxi to Zall-Herr. No public bus. Bring: Plenty of water (there is nowhere to buy any), a picnic, and a swimsuit if the weather is warm.
3. Theth to Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër i Thethit)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate | Duration: 3-4 hours round trip | Best season: June to September
The village of Theth sits in a valley so green and enclosed it feels like a secret. The walk to the Blue Eye is the gentlest way to experience it. You follow the Theth river through meadows, past the famous lock-in tower (Kulla e Ngujimit), and eventually reach a natural pool fed by a waterfall. The water is painfully cold and impossibly blue.
I first did this hike in late June, when the wildflowers were at their peak. Entire hillsides of yellow and purple. The trail is mostly flat, well worn, and impossible to lose.
Getting there: Theth is reached by minibus from Shkodër (3-4 hours on a rough but improving road). Bring: Swimsuit, towel, sandals for wading. The rocks around the Blue Eye are slippery.
4. Llogara Pass to Dhermi
Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: 4-5 hours | Best season: April to October
This is the hike I recommend to anyone who wants mountains and sea in a single day. You start at the Llogara Pass (1,027m) in the Ceraunian Mountains, where ancient pines have been bent into surreal shapes by the wind. Then you descend through forest and scrubland toward the coast, with the Ionian Sea opening up below you, impossibly blue, and on clear days the island of Corfu hovering on the horizon.
The descent is steep in places and hard on the knees. Bring trekking poles if you have them. The trail is not always clearly marked, so pay attention at junctions.
Getting there: Buses between Vlorë and Himarë pass through Llogara. Ask to be dropped at the pass. Bring: Trekking poles, 2 liters of water, sun protection, good footwear with ankle support.
5. Grama Bay Trail
Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: 5-6 hours round trip | Best season: May to October
Grama Bay (Gjiri i Gramës) is a tiny inlet on the southern coast where ancient Greek and Roman sailors carved inscriptions into the cliff face over two thousand years ago. The hike from the village of Palasa follows a ridge trail with constant views of the Ionian, then drops steeply to the bay.
The bay itself is tiny, sheltered, and usually empty. I sat there for an hour once, tracing the carved letters with my fingers, listening to waves lap against the rocks. It felt like finding a place the rest of the world had simply forgotten.
Getting there: Start from Palasa village, reachable by bus on the Vlorë to Sarandë route. Bring: Plenty of water, snacks, a swimsuit. There is no shade on the ridge section, so start early.
6. Osumi Canyon
Difficulty: Moderate (hiking), moderate to challenging (rafting) | Duration: Half day to full day | Best season: March to June for rafting, year-round for hiking
The Osumi Canyon near Çorovodë is 26 kilometers long and up to 80 meters deep. The walls are layered limestone, sculpted by the river into shapes that look almost architectural. In spring, when snowmelt swells the river, you can raft through sections of the canyon with a local guide.
Hiking trails along the rim offer dramatic views down into the gorge. The sound of the river echoes up the canyon walls, mixed with birdsong and the wind through the scrub. It is quieter here than almost anywhere I know in Albania.
Getting there: Çorovodë is 3-4 hours from Tirana by car or bus (via Berat). Local operators run rafting trips from town. Bring: Quick-dry clothing if rafting, sturdy shoes for hiking, camera.
7. Valbona to Theth
Difficulty: Challenging | Duration: 6-8 hours | Best season: June to September
This is the one everyone has heard of, and for good reason. The trail crosses the Valbona Pass (Qafa e Valbonës) at 1,795 meters, connecting two of the most beautiful valleys in the Albanian Alps (Alpet Shqiptare). The approach from the Valbona side is a steady climb through beech forest, then above the treeline into rocky alpine terrain. At the pass, the view opens in every direction. Sharp grey peaks, green valleys falling away, silence.
The descent into Theth is steep and technical in places. Loose scree, narrow sections. Do not underestimate this hike. I have seen people in sandals at the trailhead and it worries me every time.
Most hikers take the Koman Lake ferry to reach Valbona, which is an experience in itself. The ferry threads through a narrow canyon with sheer rock walls rising hundreds of meters on both sides. It is often compared to a Norwegian fjord, and honestly, the comparison holds up.
Getting there: Take the ferry from Koman to Fierza (departs early morning, book ahead in summer), then a minibus to Valbona village. Bring: Proper hiking boots, trekking poles, rain layer, 2-3 liters of water, snacks. Start early.
8. Mount Tomorr from Berat
Difficulty: Challenging | Duration: 7-9 hours round trip | Best season: May to October
Mount Tomorr (Mali i Tomorrit, 2,416m) is sacred in Albanian tradition. The Bektashi festival held at its summit every August draws thousands. Outside festival time, the mountain is quiet and the climb is a serious undertaking. You gain over 1,500 meters of elevation from the lower trailheads.
The upper slopes are bare rock and scree. The wind can be ferocious. But from the top, you see across half of Albania, from the coastal lowlands to the eastern mountain ranges. I reached the summit once in late September and had it entirely to myself. Just me, the wind, and a 360-degree panorama.
Getting there: Drive or taxi from Berat to the lower monastery, where the trail begins. No public transport to the trailhead. Bring: Warm layers (the summit is exposed and cold even in summer), plenty of water, food, headlamp in case you are slower than planned.
9. Karaburun Peninsula
Difficulty: Challenging | Duration: Full day or overnight | Best season: April to October
The Karaburun Peninsula juts out into the Adriatic south of Vlorë. It is essentially uninhabited, covered in low scrub, and surrounded by some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean. Most people visit by boat, but you can hike in from Orikum along old military roads left over from the communist era.
The landscape is stark, dry, and windswept. There is no water, no shade, and no help if something goes wrong. This is not a hike for beginners. But the isolation is profound, and the abandoned bunkers and submarine tunnels scattered along the coast give the walk a haunting quality unlike anything else in Albania.
Getting there: From Orikum (south of Vlorë, reachable by bus), follow the coastal track south. Alternatively, hire a boat from Vlorë. Bring: GPS device or offline maps, minimum 3 liters of water per person, sun protection, camping gear if staying overnight.
10. Peaks of the Balkans
Difficulty: Very challenging | Duration: 10 days (full circuit) | Best season: July to September
The Peaks of the Balkans trail is a 192-kilometer loop through Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo, passing through some of the wildest mountain terrain in Europe. The Albanian sections wind through the Valbona Valley, over high passes, and through villages where shepherds still move their flocks (bagëti) to summer pastures the way they have for centuries.
This is not a casual hike. You will cross passes above 2,000 meters, ford streams, sleep in guesthouses (bujtina) and occasionally in the open. The trail marking varies. In Albania, it is sometimes clear, sometimes nonexistent. A GPS device is essential.
I did the full circuit in 2023 with two friends from Shkodër. By day three my feet were destroyed. By day five I did not want to stop. By day ten, sitting in a café in Theth with a cold Korça beer, I understood something about these mountains I could not have learned any other way.
Getting there: Most people start from Theth or Valbona. Book guesthouses in advance during July and August. Bring: Everything. Good boots, rain gear, layers, first aid kit, water purification, offline GPS maps, cash in three currencies.
Before You Go: Practical Tips for Hiking in Albania
Maps and navigation. Trail marking in Albania is inconsistent. Some popular routes (Valbona to Theth) are well marked with red-and-white blazes. Others have nothing. Download offline maps before you go. I use a combination of Komoot and OSMAnd, and I always carry a backup.
Water. Mountain springs (burime) are common in the Alps but unreliable on coastal hikes. Carry more than you think you need. On any hike longer than three hours, bring at least two liters per person.
Guides. For the Peaks of the Balkans or any multi-day route, consider a local guide. They know the trails, they know the weather patterns, and they can arrange guesthouse stays. In Theth and Valbona, ask at your guesthouse for recommendations.
Trail conditions. Many trails double as shepherds’ paths and can be muddy, overgrown, or washed out after rain. Flexible plans are wise. If a local tells you a trail is not passable, listen to them.
Safety. Mobile phone coverage is limited or absent in mountain areas. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return. Carry a basic first aid kit and know how to use it.
Best overall months. July and August offer the most reliable weather, but also the most crowded trails (by Albanian standards, “crowded” still means you might see twenty people all day). June and September are ideal for those who prefer solitude and do not mind the occasional afternoon thunderstorm.
Albania’s mountains are still wonderfully untamed. The trails are not always easy to follow, the infrastructure is basic, and that is part of the gift. You earn every view up here. And the views, I can tell you, are worth every step.