The 15 Day Trips from Albania Worth the Early Start

1.Bovilla Lake & Gamti Mountain Hiking Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 4,397 reviews · 6 hours · from $12Our pick

Escape Tirana for Bovilla Lake and Gamti Mountain on a six-hour group trip with hotel pickup, a 2-kilometer uphill hike, canyon photo stop, and time at a mountain cafe. Guides such as Altin, Artol, Ilmi, and Bris add Albanian history and local advice. Bring water, sturdy shoes, and patience for the rough road.

“Great hike today! Beautiful scenery and a well-organized route. Special thanks to our guide, Mr. Altin, for his professionalism and kindness. Highly recommended!”

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2.Tirana/Durres/Golem: Saranda, Ksamil, Blue Eye Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,584 reviews · 16h 30m · from $57

Spend a full day in southern Albania with stops in Saranda, Ksamil, and the Blue Eye spring. You’ll get sea views, beach time, optional boat rides, countryside scenery, and a guide such as Aniled, Ilmi, Beni, or Ervin, depending on the departure. The $57 price includes transport, guide, pickup, and Blue Eye entry.

“Real worth the money and time ..our guide llmi who was informative and so kind enough to take pictures..overall a good trip..enjoyed”

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3.From Tirana/Shkodra: Komani Lake and Shala River Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,520 reviews · 9 hours - 870 minutes · from $60

Travel from Tirana, Shkodra, or Lezha by van and boat to Komani Lake and Shala River. You’ll cross mountain gorges, swim in cold clear water, eat at a riverside restaurant, and join an optional viewpoint hike. Guides such as Bledi, Arber, Noel, and Bledjan are known for lively commentary and careful organization. Bring a towel, sunscreen, and a little patience for the long, bumpy road.

“Excellent! Had a great time. Everything was perfect. Highly recommended. Amazing scenery on this tour.”

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4.Day Trip to Saranda and Butrint National Park from Corfu

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 847 reviews · 10 hours · from $68

Cross from Corfu to Saranda by boat, then ride along Albania’s southern coast to Butrint. With the guided option, guides such as Aferdita, Dori, Ilir, and Darinela explain the ruins, followed by a buffet lunch and free time in Saranda. Choose the Saranda-only option if you prefer a slower day by the sea.

“Fantastic day out. Amazing sights, so much history at Butrint.”

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5.Berat City, Durres, and Belshi Lake Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 477 reviews · 10 hours · from $20

Travel from Tirana to Durrës and Berat with an English-speaking guide such as Bledi or Bledar. See a Roman amphitheater, Venetian Tower, Berat Castle, Mangalemi, Gorica, and the Onufri Museum if you choose to pay the entrance fee. A local lunch stop and Belshi Lake photo break round out this full, budget-friendly day.

“I really enjoyed my trip to Berat and Durres. Our guide Bledar did a great job with the tour. He gave us good information and allowed for free time to explore the cities. I really appreciate that. His driving skills were fantastic and overall it was a very nice day. I would highly recommend this trip.”

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6.Komani Lake & Shala River Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 218 reviews · 10 hours · from $58

You leave from Hotel Rozafa in Shkoder for Komani Lake, then take a boat through steep mountain scenery to Shala River. Expect about five hours of free time for swimming, sunbathing, food, canoeing, or ziplining. The trip includes transport and boat rides, but not a traditional guide or hotel pickup.

“The activity was worth the money. This is the trip for people who want to have free time and do whatever they like, there were some reviews about needing a guide and etc but this little island was easy to understand and its not really possible to get lost. There were some restaurants and bars if you wanted to get lunch. The road was a bit bumpy but we were driving through the mountains I don’t think there is anything this trips organisators could do to help (bring a neck pillow and then you can sleep through it all). There was a bathroom stop on the way to the boat.…”

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7.From Saranda: Gjirokastra Stone City & Blue Eye Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 121 reviews · 6 hours · from $69

From Saranda, join guide Marsia for a six-hour trip into southern Albania’s past and natural beauty. Tour Gjirokastra Castle, the Old Bazaar, Cold War Tunnel and 300-year-old Skenduli House, then walk 1.2 km at the Blue Eye. Air-conditioned transport, tickets, water and hotel pickup are included.

“Very good tour .. Marcia our guide was very detailed and friendly ..”

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8.From Durrës/Golem: Saranda, Ksamil, and Blue Eye Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 113 reviews

Travel from Durrës or Golem in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide to Ksamil, Lekursi Castle, Saranda, and the Blue Eye. You get hotel pickup, site entry, and time for beaches, views, photos, and free exploration. Guides such as Beni, Kledi, Aurel, Kristina, and Klod have led departures.

“I enjoyed every bit of the trip, the guide Beni was really awesome and friendly. He offered us water as soon as we started the trip He did well with explaining every bit and also offered to take pictures for us. During the journey we took breaks in between at beautiful spots, our first stop was as ksamil, some of us also had a boat trip which we paid for there and I must say it was worth a visit. The next stop was at Saranda, the guide gave recommendations on where to eat, I tried the fish restaurant Nasto, the food there was good we also headed over to…”

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9.From Durres or Golem: Berat UNESCO & Belshi Lake Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 102 reviews · 8 hours · from $24

Travel from Golem or Durres to Berat with an English-speaking guide such as Helena, Mario, or Skerdi. Visit Belshi Lake, the Mangalam Quarter, Gorica Bridge, Berat Castle, and the Onufri Iconographic Museum. Expect an informative day, comfortable transport, plenty of walking, and an extra fee for the museum.

“Mario was excellent. The weather could have been better(but not your fault).I did not realise how much walking on uneven ground going up to and inside the castle grounds especially when wet.”

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10.Dajti Mountain Half-Day Trip with Cable Car Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 75 reviews · 3 hours · from $65

Meet your English-speaking driver in central Tirana, ride about 25 kilometers to the Dajti cable car, then ascend for 15 minutes to the mountain. You get roughly 2.5 to 3 hours to enjoy views, restaurants, picnic time, written information, and an audio guide before returning by cable car.

“Toller Ausflug auf den Berg mit der Seilbahn. Schöne Aussicht vom Restaurant mit Unterhaltung für Jung und Alt. Geringe Wartezeit aufgrund guter Organisation.”

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11.Krujë Day Trip with Krujë Castle & Old Bazaar

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 71 reviews · 5 hours · from $94

Travel from Tirana to Krujë by air-conditioned vehicle, then explore the castle and Skanderbeg Museum with an English-speaking guide. You will have time in the handmade-goods bazaar and visit the Sari Salltik Shrine for wide views. Guides may include Besmiri, Frenki, Antigona, or Eraldo. Audio support is available in four additional languages.

“The excursion to Krujë was great! Besmiri was very willing to give us all the explanations we wanted both in the castle of Kruje and on the way to Kruje. He also shared with us general information about the country and even a list of restaurants and bars in Tirana. The trip from Kruje to Tirana was in a very comfortable taxi. We did the visit to the castle with an audio guide in Spanish, but still, Besmiri accompanied us all the time and was explaining in English all the doubts that we had. The bazaar was so beautiful! And the souvenirs in general were so cheap. About the time,…”

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12.Gamti, Bovilla Lake and Kruja Day Trip from Tirana

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 69 reviews · 1 day · from $53

Travel from Tirana with an English-speaking guide such as Gjenc, Endri, or Berti, hike to a Bovilla Lake viewpoint, then explore Kruja’s castle and old bazaar. The group is limited to eight, hotel pickup is included, and the day combines mountain views, Albanian history, photos, food, and shopping.

“Our guide Berti was awesome. As he said himself - he prefers a more chill approach to customers and apart of his story he is also curious about ours, and this is how a friendship is formed. The tour feels like an outing with a good friend who is full of fun facts.”

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13.From Tirana/Durres : Berat Old City and Belshi Lake Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 45 reviews · 4 hours · from $31

Travel from Tirana to Berat in an air-conditioned van, stopping at Belshi Lake before exploring Mangalam, Gorica Bridge, Berat Castle, and the Onufri Iconographic Museum. English-speaking guides such as Mario, Andrea, Klodi, and Mirsad lead the visit. The shared tour uses central pickup points, while private bookings include hotel pickup.

“Trip was good. Guide was very informative and always provinding useful information. Pick up and drop was very smooth. Value for money, enough time given to see around and take photos.”

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14.From Durres/Golem: Berat City & Belshi Lake Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 390 - 510 minutes · from $29Top rated

Travel from Durres or Golem to Berat with an English or Albanian-speaking guide. Visit the hilltop castle and Onufri Museum, walk Mangalem’s Ottoman streets, stop for lunch, then stroll around quiet Lake Belsh. Guides such as Helena, Oresti, Edelina, and Xhejni are praised for clear explanations and friendly service.

“Alfred was an amazing tour guide we really enjoyed the trip to the castle. He told us lots of history and folk lore , as we were in a small group of 5 we had very good 1 to 1 talks with him. Then he took us to the city for lunch for an hour and a half , we went to the White House which had amazing food and very friendly staff. 10/10 would absolutely recommend this tour.”

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15.Durres & Kruja History and Local Food Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 38 reviews · 10 hours · from $194

Spend 10 hours with a small group visiting Kruja Castle, the Skanderbeg Museum, and the Old Bazaar, then continue to Durrës for Roman ruins, city walls, and a Venetian tower. Hotel pickup, lunch, coffee, transport, and entry fees are included. English and Italian guides are available.

“È stata davvero una bella esperienza, abbiamo visitato tutto quello che viene descritto ma la cosa più importante è che il ragazzo che ci ha fatto da guida è stato super gentile e disponibile, parla bene italiano e ci ha spiegato tantissime cose dall'inizio alla fine della giornata.”

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