L'Heure du Voyage
🇦🇱 Itinerary · Albania · 30 days

1-month Albania itinerary 2026: the grand tour, Alps included

30 days without rushing: Albanian Alps (Theth, Valbona), Lake Koman, UNESCO towns, the Ionian Riviera and Lake Ohrid. The grand tour of Albania, stage by stage, with budget and transport.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

30 days

Stops

11 places

Average budget

€2,400-4,000

Total distance

~2,200 km

Profile

Long trip

Season

June-Sept

Tirana 3d · Shkodër 2d · Theth 3d · Valbona 2d · Berat 3d · Gjirokastër 2d · Saranda 3d · Himara 4d · Korçë 2d · Lake Ohrid 3d · return 1d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Albania 1-month itinerary map: Tirana, Shkodër, Theth, Valbona, Berat, Gjirokastër, Saranda, Himara, Lake Ohrid

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

11 days, day by day

1

~€55/day

Tirana · D1 to D3 · The capital

  • D1 Arrival, Skanderbeg Square, Dajti cable car, Blloku district.
  • D2 Bunk'Art 1, House of Leaves, redesigned Pyramid.
  • D3 Day trip to Krujë, Skanderbeg's castle and old bazaar.
🛌 🛌 Centre · e.g. Hotel Mosaik Tirana (3 nights)·🚌 Shuttle + car later in the trip·Albania guide →
2

~€55/day

Shkodër · D4 to D5 · Gateway to the north

  • D4 Drive to Shkodër (1h30). Rozafa castle, old town by bike.
  • D5 Ferry on Lake Koman (2h45), Albanian fjords, towards Fierza.
🛌 🛌 Centre · e.g. Hotel Tradita (2 nights)·🚗 Car + ⛴️ Koman ferry
3

~€50/day

Theth · D6 to D8 · Albanian Alps

  • D6 Shkodër-Theth mountain road (3 h). Grunas waterfall, stone church.
  • D7 Hike to the Blue Eye of Theth (Syri i Kaltër), a glacial spring.
  • D8 Prepare for the Valbona trek, night in a mountain guesthouse.
🛌 🛌 Theth · e.g. Guesthouse Harusha (3 nights)·🚗 Car or 4x4 minibus
4

~€50/day

Valbona · D9 to D10 · The famous pass

  • D9 Theth-Valbona trek over the pass (1,759 m), 6-8 h, the country's finest trail.
  • D10 Valbona valley, rest, return towards Shkodër by Koman ferry.
🛌 🛌 Valbona (2 nights)·🥾 Trek + ⛴️ ferry back
5

~€55/day

Berat · D11 to D13 · The town of a thousand windows

  • D11 Drive to Berat (4 h via Tirana). Mangalem quarter (UNESCO).
  • D12 Inhabited castle, Byzantine churches, Onufri museum.
  • D13 Osum canyon, a tasting at the Çobo estate.
🛌 🛌 Mangalem · e.g. Hotel Mangalemi (3 nights)·🚗 Car
6

~€55/day

Gjirokastër · D14 to D15 · The stone city

  • D14 Drive through the Vjosa valley. Ottoman citadel (UNESCO).
  • D15 Old bazaar, tower houses, Hoxha's birthplace, Bënja hot springs.
🛌 🛌 Old town · e.g. Stone City Hotel (2 nights)·🚗 Vjosa valley
7

~€60/day

Saranda · D16 to D18 · Ionian Sea

  • D16 Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër), arrival in Saranda, seafront facing Corfu.
  • D17 Ancient site of Butrint (UNESCO), Greek theatre.
  • D18 Ksamil beaches, swimming out to the islets.
🛌 🛌 Seafront · e.g. Hotel Brilant (3 nights)·🚗 Car or local bus
8

~€55/day

Himara · D19 to D22 · The Riviera

  • D19 Scenic road, Llogara pass (1,027 m), Borsh coves.
  • D20-21 Livadhi, Llamani, Gjipe (reached through the canyon) and Dhërmi beaches.
  • D22 Monastery of Saint Theodore, a slow day, a sunset swim.
🛌 🛌 Himara (4 nights)·🚗 Llogara road
9

~€50/day

Korçë · D23 to D24 · The little-known east

  • D23 Drive to Korçë through the interior. Restored old bazaar, local breweries.
  • D24 Cathedral, medieval art museum, the feel of a small highland town.
🛌 🛌 Korçë (2 nights)·🚗 Interior roads
10

~€55/day

Lake Ohrid · D25 to D27 · The great lake

  • D25 Drive to Pogradec and Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest in the world.
  • D26 The peninsula village of Lin, early Christian mosaics.
  • D27 Swim, grilled koran fish, a waterside walk.
🛌 🛌 Pogradec / Lin (3 nights)·🚗 Car
11

Flight

Return · D28 to D30 · Towards Tirana

  • D28-29 Drive back to Tirana (2h30). Last shopping, a hammam or some downtime.
  • D30 Return the car, airport, flight home.
🛌 🛌 Tirana (2 nights)·🚗 Car + ✈️ flight

How much

Budget for this itinerary (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€2,400

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €130
  • 🏨 Guesthouse: €22/night
  • 🍲 Local restaurants: €15/day
  • 🚗 Car + fuel: €850
  • 🎫 Sites + ferries + trek: €220
Recommended

Comfort

€3,200

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €170
  • 🏨 3★ hotel: €50/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed dining: €28/day
  • 🚗 Long-term rental: €1,050
  • 🎫 Activities + trek guide: €350

Premium

€6,200

per person

  • ✈️ Upgraded flight: €400
  • 🏨 Boutique hotel: €120/night
  • 🍽️ Fine tables: €45/day
  • 🚗 Car + driver
  • 🎫 Private guided trek + tours: €700

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Tirana, the UNESCO south and the Riviera. The essential format.

2 weeks

2 weeks

The whole country, from Shkodër in the north to the Ionian coast.

You're here

1 month

1 month

The grand tour, Albanian Alps and Lake Ohrid included.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

A month for the complete tour: the northern Alps with the Theth-Valbona trek, Lake Koman, the UNESCO towns, the Ionian Riviera and Lake Ohrid. Car for most of the trip, plus one ferry and one trek on foot.

🚗

Car for the whole month

€35-45/day · essential outside the Alps · slow roads

⛴️

Lake Koman ferry

€20-25 · 2h45 · access to the Alps on the Valbona side

🥾

Theth-Valbona trek

pass at 1,759 m · 6-8 h · June-September only

🚐

4x4 minibus to Theth

€15-20 · mountain road · alternative to the car

Adapt by season

The Alps only from June to September

This month includes the Theth-Valbona hike in the Albanian Alps: the pass is only clear from June to late September, snow blocks the trail the rest of the year. Slot this section between June and September, and keep the Ionian Riviera for the same window (sea at 24-26°C). In spring or autumn, skip the Alps and focus on the towns and the south. Nights in mountain guesthouses are cool even in high summer: bring a fleece.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In July 2024 I slept in Theth the night before the trek to Valbona and set off at 6am: I reached the pass at 1,759 m before the heat, and had the Valbona valley to myself. Those who left at 9am walked in full sun. The dawn start changes everything.
  • • Pairing the Koman ferry with the trek: you reach the Alps by water, the finest possible entrance.
  • • Four days in Himara to really slow down after the Alps and the towns.
  • • Adding Korçë in the east: a little-known small town, breweries and a restored old bazaar.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Not attempting the trek off-season: the pass is under snow from October to May.
  • • Sharing the driving on the narrow, slow northern mountain roads.
  • • Keeping some slack: shift the trek by a day depending on the Alps' weather.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is a month too long for Albania? +
Not if you add the Alps and the Theth-Valbona trek. Two weeks already cover the whole south and east; the month adds high mountains, more rest days on the Riviera and the little-known east (Korçë).
Is the Theth-Valbona trek hard? +
Moderate: 6 to 8 hours of walking, a pass at 1,759 m, about 900 m of climb. Doable June to September only (snow the rest of the year). A guide is not required, the trail is marked.
Do you need a car for the whole month? +
Yes, except for the trek (on foot) and the Koman ferry. The same vehicle serves the north, south and east. Budget €35-45/day, slow mountain roads.
What currency and what budget? +
The lek (ALL), about 100 lek to €1. Budget €2,400 backpacking, €3,200 in comfort, €6,200 premium, flight included, per person. Albania is still very cheap.
What is the best time to go? +
June to September, because of the Alps: the Theth-Valbona pass is only clear in that window, which also gives warm sea in the south. Outside summer, skip the Alps.
Can you do this month without hiking? +
Yes: replace the Theth-Valbona section with more time on the Riviera or a detour into neighbouring Kosovo. But the trek is the highlight of the 1-month version.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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