Best Places to Visit in Albania
Albania is small, but it offers a lot in a short trip. The best places to visit in Albania fall into four groups. There are heritage towns (Berat, Gjirokastër, Butrint), the southern coast (Ksamil and the Albanian Riviera), the northern mountains (Theth and Valbona), and the cities (Tirana, Krujë, Shkodër).
If you only have a week, pick one or two places from each group. Here’s what each one offers and why it deserves a spot on your list.
Last checked: November 2026
Heritage Towns and Ancient Ruins
Berat
Berat is nicknamed the “City of a Thousand Windows,” and the name makes sense once you see its white Ottoman houses stacked up the hillside. The old town has two quarters, Mangalem and Gorica, on opposite banks of the Osum River.
Inside the citadel, the Onufri Museum sits in Saint Mary church and shows an iconostasis dated 1806. UNESCO added Berat to its World Heritage listing in 2008. Autumn is a nice time to come, because family-run wineries in the Osum valley are busy with the harvest.
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër is the stone town that UNESCO listed in 2005. Its old center is full of Ottoman-era houses from the 17th to the 19th century, and many now work as shops, restaurants and small hotels. Zekate House, built around 1800, has three stories and twin towers.
The castle on the hill holds a military museum and the remains of a US Air Force jet from the communist era. Underneath it is a Cold War tunnel with 80 rooms, which you can visit on a guided tour. Two famous names come from here: the writer Ismail Kadare, who set his novel Chronicles in Stone in the town, and Enver Hoxha. Try a byrek while you’re in the old bazaar.
Butrint
Butrint is an ancient city on a hill above the Vivari channel, about 18 km from Sarandë. UNESCO listed it in 1992, and it shows many layers of Mediterranean history in one place. It pairs well with a beach day in nearby Ksamil.
Apollonia
Apollonia began as a Greek colony and later came under Roman control. It lies near Fier, on a low hill above farmland. You can see the remains of the temple of Apollo, a Greek theater, the Church of Saint Mary and a 13th-century monastery that now houses a museum.
Plan about two hours here.
The Southern Coast
Sarandë and Ksamil
Sarandë is often called the unofficial capital of the Albanian Riviera, and it sits close to the Greek border. A little further south, Ksamil has a turquoise bay with three small islands that you can reach by a short swim or boat ride. Corfu is visible across the channel.
Ksamil gets crowded in summer. Early morning or the shoulder months make it far more pleasant.
The Blue Eye
The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) is a spring near Sarandë, a turquoise pool more than 50 meters deep. Queues build up in midsummer, so spring is calmer.
The Albanian Riviera
The Riviera starts at the Llogara Pass, where a zigzag road leads down to the sea. After that, the beaches come one after another:
Dhërmi: a long white-rock beach with small coves, quiet outside peak season.
Himarë: a sleepy town. Llamani, about 4 km south, is a wide white-stone beach with clear water.
Borsh: the longest unbroken beach in Albania, at 7 km.
Bunec: a quiet cove split by a river, known for its sunsets.
The roads are winding, so drive carefully and take your time.
Mountains, Canyons and Lakes
Theth and Valbona
Theth and Valbona are both national parks in the Albanian Alps, and many parts of Theth can only be reached on foot. The classic route between them follows an old mule track across the Accursed Mountains. It is roughly 15 to 20 km depending on the route, and takes about 6 to 8 hours with stops.
In Theth, you can also walk to the Blue Eye of Theth through Grunas Canyon and Kaperre. The Grunas Canyon itself is about 2 km long and 60 m deep, and visits require an expert guide. Don’t confuse this spring with the one near Sarandë.
Osum Canyon
Osum Canyon is a natural monument near the town of Çorovodë. It runs for more than 26 km, with walls up to 80 meters high, caves and waterfalls. Rafting and hiking are the two main activities.
Lake Ohrid and Pogradec
Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe, and the Ohrid region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared with North Macedonia. On the Albanian side, the town of Pogradec has an old town with Ottoman and Balkan architecture, and nearby Lin is known for the mosaics of its 6th-century basilica and for the remains of a prehistoric stilt settlement found under the lake in 2023.
Cities and Day Trips
Tirana
Most trips start in Tirana. Skanderbeg Square is the center of the city, with the Et’hem Bey Mosque and its clock tower close by. Blloku is the former residential area of communist leaders, and today it has cafés, restaurants and nightlife. You can see Hoxha’s villa from outside, but it is not open to visitors.
Tirana’s communist past is easy to explore. Bunk’Art 1 is a former nuclear shelter, and the House of Leaves, a former clinic built in 1931, opened to the public on 23 May 2017. The Pyramid, designed as a mausoleum for Hoxha, reopened in June 2023 and now hosts events, bars and restaurants. The Dajti cable car takes about 15 minutes to reach the top of the mountain.
Krujë
Krujë is about 30 km north of Tirana and was Skanderbeg’s base. The castle’s main attraction is the Skanderbeg Museum, which opened in 1982 and uses large murals and sculptures to tell his story. The Old Bazaar dates from the 17th century, was restored in 2015, and sells crafts and souvenirs.
The National Ethnographic Museum, set in a house built in 1764, has a private hammam, frescoes and original furniture. By the way, a minibus (furgon) runs from Tirana to Krujë. Check that it’s not the one for Fushë Krujë, the town below.
Shkodër
Shkodër is the main city of the north. Rozafa Castle sits on a 113 m hill about 3 km south of the center, above the point where the Buna and Drin rivers meet. A local legend says a woman named Rozafa was walled into the castle to make it stand, and Marin Barleti first wrote the story down in 1504.
Inside, you’ll find three courtyards, the Citadel Museum and Saint Stephen’s Church, built in 1319 and later turned into a mosque. The upper walls give views of Lake Shkodra and the mountains of Montenegro.
How to Combine These Places
Most travelers find it easier to group places by region than to cross the country several times.
North: Tirana, Krujë and Shkodër, with a trip into Theth and Valbona if you have time and the weather allows.
Center and south: Apollonia, Berat, Gjirokastër and Butrint, a route that follows the heritage sites.
Coast: Llogara Pass, Dhërmi, Himarë, Sarandë and Ksamil, from north to south.
April to June and September to October are the best months for most of these places. The Theth-to-Valbona hike usually opens by late May, and many tourism businesses outside the cities close in November.
Pick one town, one beach and one mountain valley, and you’ll understand why so many visitors come back for a second trip.
Turn this list into a route with the Albania itineraries, and use the getting around Albania guide to check travel times between these places.
FAQs
How many days do you need for the best places in Albania?
Five to seven days cover Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër and a stretch of the southern coast without rushing. Add three or four days if you want to hike in Theth and Valbona, because the mountain villages sit far from the main routes.
Is Ksamil or Himarë better for a beach stay?
Ksamil has the turquoise bay and small islands, but it fills up in July and August. Himarë is a small town with several beaches nearby, so it suits travelers who want restaurants and day trips as well as swimming. Visit either one in June or September to avoid the crowds.
Can you visit Berat and Gjirokastër in one trip?
Yes. Berat is about two hours from Tirana, and Gjirokastër is roughly three hours beyond it, so the two fit naturally on the road south. Both are UNESCO-listed Ottoman-era towns, and each is worth at least one night if you can spare it.
Is the Blue Eye near Sarandë the same as the one in Theth?
No. The Blue Eye near Sarandë is a spring and pool more than 50 meters deep, reached by road. The Blue Eye of Theth is a different spot in the Albanian Alps, reached on foot through Grunas Canyon, and it is much harder to visit.
Related Guides
Back to the full Albania travel guide. Turn this list into a plan with our itineraries, check the best time to visit, compare flights, read the visa guide, see where to stay and read the getting around Albania guide.