Albania travel guide
Albania packs Ottoman stone towns, Greek and Roman ruins, high limestone mountains and a long Ionian coastline into a small country on the Adriatic. Closed off for decades under communism, it now suits travellers who like road trips, hiking and beach towns with a strong local character.
Places worth the trip
Tirana
A lively capital of painted apartment blocks, cafés and the broad Skanderbeg Square. Bunk'Art 1 and 2, museums built inside Cold War bunkers, explain the communist era, and the cable car up Mount Dajti gives views over the city.
Berat
The 'town of a thousand windows', where white Ottoman houses climb the hillside above the Osum river. People still live inside the hilltop castle walls, among Byzantine churches and the Onufri Museum of icons.
Gjirokastër
A stone town in the south with grey-roofed tower houses and a vast hilltop castle. Like Berat, its old town is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and the writer Ismail Kadare was born here.
Butrint
An archaeological site near Sarandë, set in a wooded lagoon close to the Greek border. Its theatre, baptistery and walls span Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian times.
The Albanian Riviera
The coast road south from the Llogara Pass drops to clear Ionian water at Dhërmi, Himarë and Ksamil, with pebble coves, olive groves and hillside villages.
Theth and Valbona
Two valleys in the Albanian Alps, joined by a classic one-day mountain hike over the Valbona Pass. Theth's stone lock-in tower and the Blue Eye pool are short walks from the village.
Lake Ohrid and Shkodër
Albania shares Lake Ohrid, one of Europe's oldest lakes, with North Macedonia; Pogradec sits on its southern shore. In the north, Shkodër has Rozafa Castle and a large lake shared with Montenegro.
Interesting facts about Albania
- Albanian is an independent branch of the Indo-European language family, with no close living relatives.
- Under Enver Hoxha's regime, many tens of thousands of concrete bunkers were built across the country, and many still dot fields and beaches.
- In 1967 Albania declared itself the world's first officially atheist state; religious freedom returned in the early 1990s.
- Tirana's international airport is named after Mother Teresa, who was born to an Albanian family in what is now Skopje.
- Some Albanians nod to mean no and shake their heads to mean yes, so watch for words as well as gestures.
Best time to visit Albania
May, June and September are ideal: warm, sunny and less crowded than high summer, with the sea warm enough to swim from June. July and August are hot and the Riviera beaches are busy. The mountain hiking season in Theth and Valbona runs roughly from June to September, as snow closes high trails the rest of the year. Winters are mild on the coast and cold and snowy inland.
Getting around
Albania has no meaningful passenger rail, so travel is by road. Furgons (minibuses) and coaches link most towns from Tirana, often leaving when full rather than to a strict timetable. Hiring a car gives the most freedom for the coast and the south, but mountain roads are narrow and winding and driving styles can be assertive. Ferries run from Sarandë to Corfu, and a scenic ferry crosses Lake Koman towards Valbona in season.
Practical details
- Capital
- Tirana
- Currency
- Albanian lek (ALL)
- Languages
- Albanian
- Plug types
- C, F
- Voltage
- 230 V, 50 Hz
- Emergency
- 129 police, 127 ambulance, 128 fire; 112 also works
- Driving side
- right
- Tipping
- Rounding up or leaving around ten per cent in restaurants is appreciated; small tips for guides and drivers are common.
Staying online in Albania
Mobile coverage with 4G is good in Tirana, the larger towns and along the coast. It becomes patchy in the deep mountain valleys of the north, including around Theth and on the Lake Koman ferry, and in some southern gorges. Wi-Fi is widely available in cafés, guesthouses and restaurants. Albania is not in the EU, so EU roaming allowances do not apply. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
Albania eSIM plans
1 GB
1GB eSIM Data for 3 Days for Albania, V2
Ilimitado
Unlimited eSIM Data for 1 Day for Albania, V2
Ilimitado
Unlimited Plus eSIM Data for 1 Day for Albania, V2
3 GB
3GB eSIM Data for 3 Days for Albania, V2
Useful apps
- Google Maps: Driving directions and offline maps, essential in the mountains where signal drops.
- Google Translate: Albanian is supported, including camera translation for menus and signs.
- XE Currency: Quick lek conversions, since many small businesses quote prices only in local currency.
- Maps.me: Offline maps with hiking trails, useful for the Valbona Pass and other mountain routes.
Albania travel FAQs
No. Albania is an EU candidate country but not a member, so EU roam-like-at-home rules do not apply. A travel eSIM is a straightforward way to get mobile data without high roaming charges.
Yes. Cards are accepted in many hotels and larger restaurants in Tirana and on the coast, but guesthouses, furgons and small cafés often take cash only. ATMs are easy to find in towns.
Many experienced hikers do it independently in summer, as the trail is well used and marked. Start early, carry water and offline maps, and check the weather, as conditions in the mountains change quickly.
Yes. Buses and ferries link Albania with Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Greece, and combining the Albanian coast with Corfu by ferry is popular.