5 days in Albania: Tirana, Berat and the Riviera

A day in a city that repainted itself. A great square with a hero on horseback, a quiet mosque, a concrete pyramid and a once-forbidden quarter that is now the place to sit outside.

1. Breakfast

   Byrek and strong coffee

   A flaky pastry filled with cheese, spinach or meat, baked fresh in a tray and eaten with a short strong coffee.

   Local tip Buy it by the slice from a bakery, and eat it warm.
2. 1
   Morning

   Skanderbeg Square

   The main square of Tirana, wide and open, with a statue of the national hero Skanderbeg on horseback. Ministries, a clock tower and the museum ring the edges, and the city's story is easiest to read from here.

   Go when Morning, when the square is quiet and the light is soft.

   Local tip Walk the whole square and look at the buildings on each side. The ground is open and exposed, so bring a hat on a hot day.

   

   About 2 min walkunder 0.1 km
3. 2
   MiddayIndoor

   Et'hem Bey Mosque

   A small, gentle mosque on the square, with painted walls inside and a slender minaret. It stayed closed through the communist decades and reopened in 1991. Dress modestly and check ahead on visiting.

   Go when Midday, as a pause between the sights.

   Local tip Dress modestly and take off your shoes if you go in. Check ahead on visiting, since it is closed at prayer times and on some days.

   

4. Lunch

   Tavë kosi

   Lamb baked under a golden crust of yogurt and eggs, the national dish of Albania. Rich, warming and slow to eat.

   Local tip Ask whether it is the real version, baked in the oven, since some places rush it.

   About 7 min walk0.6 km
5. 3
   Afternoon

   Pyramid of Tirana

   A concrete pyramid built in the late communist years as a museum for the country's dictator, later reused for other things. A stark landmark that says a lot about the city's recent past. Check ahead on whether you can climb it.

   Go when Afternoon, when the concrete is warm and the light is low.

   Local tip Walk around it to see its shape from each side. If you climb, wear shoes with grip, because the surface is hard and can be slippery in rain.

   

   About 6 min walk0.5 km
6. 4
   EveningBest early

   Blloku

   The quarter that was once closed to ordinary people, home to the country's communist leaders, and now the most relaxed part of town, with cafes, bars and tree-lined streets. A good place for the evening walk.

   Go when Evening, when the terraces fill.

   Local tip Sit outside, order a coffee and watch the city go by. The streets are lively late, so go early if you want a quiet table.

   

7. Dinner

   Grilled meatballs and salad

   Small grilled meatballs called qofte, with a salad of tomato, cucumber and onion, bread and a yogurt sauce.

   Local tip Order a plate to share and a salad on the side.

A day out of the city. A hill fortress and old bazaar in the north, a Cold War bunker turned museum, then a cable car to a mountain with wide views of the capital.

1. Travel from BllokuAbout 35 min by car or transit20.8 km

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Fresh bread with honey

   Fresh bread, honey and white cheese, with a glass of tea, before a day out of the city.

   Local tip Try the mountain honey, which has a darker color and a stronger taste.
3. 1
   Morning

   Fortress of Krujë

   The hill stronghold where Skanderbeg held off armies in the fifteenth century, with a museum to his story inside the walls and an old bazaar of crafts and carpets below. Take the road north early.

   Go when Morning, before the day groups and the heat.

   Local tip The old bazaar below the walls sells carpets and crafts, so you can browse as you climb. Check ahead on the museum, which has its own opening times.

   

   About 33 min by car or transit18.3 km
4. 2
   MiddayIndoor

   Bunk'Art 1

   A vast Cold War bunker built into a hillside for the country's leaders, now a museum of the surveillance and fear of those years. Dark, cool and sobering, and a good stop on the road back to the city.

   Go when Midday, as a cool break from the sun.

   Local tip It is dark and underground, with a heavy subject, so take it at your own pace. Check ahead on opening, and bring a light layer because it is cool inside.

   

5. Lunch

   Stuffed peppers

   Sweet peppers stuffed with rice and herbs, served warm with bread. A simple home dish found all over the country.

   Local tip It is often meatless, which makes it a good light lunch.

   About 9 min by car or transit2.2 km
6. 3
   Afternoon

   Mount Dajti

   The mountain just east of Tirana, reached by a long cable car from the edge of town. Cooler up top, with pine woods, paths and a wide view over the capital and the plain beyond. Check ahead on the cable car and the weather.

   Why it is hereA cable car takes you up to a mountain with wide views of the capital.

   Go when Afternoon, for the cooler air and the view.

   Local tip The cable car does not run in all weather, so check ahead. Up top the air is cooler than in the city, so bring a layer even on a hot day.

   

7. Dinner

   Fërgesë

   A baked dish of peppers, tomatoes and cheese, with a soft egg, served in a clay pot and scooped with bread.

   Local tip Use the bread as a spoon, and share it as a starter.

A long drive south, then a day in a town of white houses piled up a hill. A living castle quarter above the river, and an old neighborhood of Ottoman houses to wander at dusk.

1. Drive from Mount DajtiAbout 1 h 14 min by car72.6 km

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Yogurt and fruit

   Thick yogurt with fruit and a spoon of honey, and a pastry on the side, before the long drive.

   Local tip Take water for the road, because the stops are few.
3. 1
   Afternoon

   Berat Castle

   A fortress above the town that is still lived in, with churches, small streets and houses inside its walls. The views run over the river and the pale houses below. Wear shoes for steep, polished stone.

   Go when Afternoon, when the stone is warm and the light is gold.

   Local tip The stones are steep and polished, so wear shoes with good grip. People still live inside the walls, so be quiet and keep to the paths.

   

4. Lunch

   A picnic on the road

   Bread, cheese, tomatoes and fruit from a roadside stall, eaten at a lay-by on the way south.

   Local tip Buy the fruit from a stall you can see the fruit at, and wash it before eating.

   About 6 min walk0.5 km
5. 2
   Evening

   Mangalem

   The Ottoman quarter at the foot of the castle, where white houses with rows of windows climb the slope above the river. A neighborhood to wander slowly, ideally at dusk, when the windows light up.

   Go when Evening, when the windows begin to glow.

   Local tip The lanes slope steeply, so wear shoes with grip. Cross the old bridge to the other bank for the view back across the river.

6. Dinner

   Lamb with rice

   Slow-cooked lamb with rice and a tomato sauce, a family dish of the region.

   Local tip Ask for the local red wine from the Berat hills.

The big drive of the trip. A mountain pass through pines, then a coast of white villages and small bays on the Ionian Sea, with a canyon bay to walk to and a harbor town for the evening.

1. Drive from MangalemAbout 1 h 7 min by car64.0 km

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Bread, olives and cheese

   Fresh bread with olives, white cheese and tomato, and a cup of strong tea, before the pass.

   Local tip Eat before you drive, since the pass has few places to stop.
3. 1
   Morning

   Llogara Pass

   The high pass between the Vlorë plain and the coast, where the road climbs through pine forest to a viewpoint over the sea far below. Start early, since the road is winding and narrow in places.

   Go when Morning, to cross before the afternoon traffic.

   Local tip The road is winding and has drops at the edge, so drive slowly and pull over at the viewpoint. Check ahead on conditions, especially after rain.

   

   About 18 min by car or transit6.7 km
4. 2
   Midday

   Dhërmi

   A hillside village above a long bay on the Riviera, with stone houses, an old church and a pebble beach below. Go for the setting and the swim, and leave the main road for the lanes.

   Go when Midday, for a swim and a slow lunch.

   Local tip The village sits well above the beach, so walk or drive down the lane. The water can be deep close to shore, so swim with care.

   

5. Lunch

   Grilled fish and salad

   Fish from the coast, grilled whole and served with lemon, a salad of tomatoes and olive oil.

   Local tip Ask what was caught that day, and pay attention to the size of the portion.

   About 10 min by car or transit2.8 km
6. 3
   Afternoon

   Canyon of Gjipe

   A narrow bay at the end of a canyon, with a wild beach that you reach on foot. The path is rough, so take water and sun protection, and check ahead on conditions before you go.

   Go when Afternoon, with time to walk in and back.

   Local tip The last stretch is a rough path, and there is no shade at the beach. Take water, sun protection and shoes you can walk in, and check ahead on access.

   About 16 min by car or transit6.1 km
7. 4
   Evening

   Himarë

   A coastal town with an old hill quarter and a long beach, and a Greek minority with its own traditions. A good base for the night, with the old castle above the modern strip.

   Go when Evening, with a walk up to the old quarter.

   Local tip The old quarter sits on the hill above the beach, with a view over the bay. It is a short, steep climb, so take it slowly in the heat.

   

8. Dinner

   Octopus and olive oil

   Grilled or boiled octopus, dressed with local olive oil and lemon, with bread to mop up the oil.

   Local tip The olive oil of the coast is worth tasting on its own with bread.

The last stretch of the coast. A small fortress on a peninsula, the ancient city of Butrint among the trees by a lagoon, and a village of small islands and clear water to finish on.

1. Travel from HimarëAbout 20 min by car or transit7.8 km

   Where Day 4 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Fruit and a pastry

   A bowl of fruit, a flaky pastry and a coffee, before the day's castle and ruins.

   Local tip Carry water and a snack, because the sites are short on shops.
3. 1
   Morning

   Porto Palermo Castle

   An Ottoman fortress on a small peninsula, shaped like a triangle and reached by a short causeway. Small, photogenic and quiet early in the day. Check ahead on visiting.

   Go when Morning, when it is quiet and the water is calm.

   Local tip A small site, so a short visit is enough. The causeway is narrow and the wind can be strong, so hold your hat.

   

   About 49 min by car40.3 km
4. 2
   Midday

   Butrint

   An ancient city on a green headland by a lagoon, layered with Greek, Roman and Byzantine remains. A theater, a baptistery and a castle stand among the trees. A shady, quiet site that rewards a slow walk.

   Go when Midday, in the shade of the trees.

   Local tip The paths run through woods and can be damp and uneven. Bring water and a hat, and take your time, because there is a lot to see in layers.

   

5. Lunch

   Mussels from the lagoon

   Mussels from the lagoon near Butrint, cooked with garlic and white wine, with fresh bread.

   Local tip If the day is hot, order a cold salad as well.

   About 10 min by car or transit2.9 km
6. 3
   Afternoon

   Ksamil

   A beach village near the Greek border, with small islands just offshore and clear water. Busy in summer, quieter in late spring and early autumn. Swim where others do and check ahead on conditions.

   Go when Afternoon, then stay for the evening light.

   Local tip It is busy in high summer, so go in early summer or early autumn if you can. Swim where others do, and watch the sun on the water.

   

7. Dinner

   Baklava and sweet coffee

   Layers of pastry, nuts and syrup, with a small coffee, to finish the trip on something sweet.

   Local tip It is very sweet, so share a piece.