Albania in 7 days: itinerary from Tirana to the Riviera

This route covers the classic loop of southern Albania in one week: the capital, two UNESCO stone towns, a spring of clear blue water, ancient Butrint and the beaches of the Riviera. It works best with a rental car.

Plan this trip in the app – freeCopies all 7 days to your account. Change anything.

Day 1: Tirana

1. Skanderbeg Square, Tirana – Get to know the capital around its main square.
2. Bunk'Art 2, Tirana – Learn about Albania's communist past in a former bunker.
3. Blloku, Tirana – Dinner in the liveliest part of the city.

Day 2: Berat, the city of a thousand windows

1. Berat Castle – A living castle with houses, churches and views over the Osum valley.
2. Onufri Iconographic Museum, Berat – Icons by the famous 16th-century painter Onufri, inside the castle.
3. Mangalem Quarter, Berat – The white Ottoman houses that give Berat its nickname.
4. Gorica Bridge, Berat – Cross the river at sunset for the best view of Mangalem.

Day 3: Gjirokastër, the stone city

1. Gjirokastër Castle – A huge fortress above the town, with a museum of weapons and wide views.
2. Skenduli House, Gjirokastër – A traditional stone tower house you can visit with the family that owns it.
3. Gjirokastër Old Bazaar – Stone streets with shops, cafés and traditional food.

Day 4: Blue Eye and Saranda

1. Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) – A deep spring of bright blue water in the forest, on the road to Saranda.
2. Lekursi Castle, Saranda – Hilltop castle above Saranda; come for the sunset over Corfu.
3. Saranda Promenade – Evening walk along the seafront.

Day 5: Butrint and Ksamil

1. Butrint National Park – Greek, Roman and Venetian ruins in a lagoon landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2. Ksamil Beach – White sand and small islands you can swim to; arrive early in summer.

Day 6: The Albanian Riviera

1. Porto Palermo Castle – A small fortress on a peninsula in a quiet bay.
2. Himarë – Relaxed beach town with a hilltop old town.
3. Gjipe Beach – A beach at the end of a canyon, reached on foot from the parking area.
4. Dhërmi Beach – Clear water and beach bars below the mountains.

Day 7: Llogara Pass and back to Tirana

1. Llogara Pass – Drive over the pass for a last view down to the Riviera.
2. Vlorë Promenade – Stop on the long seafront where Albania declared independence in 1912.
3. Durrës Amphitheatre – A Roman amphitheatre in the middle of the city, on the way back to Tirana.

Tips

• Mountain roads are slow; plan about 50 km per hour on average.
• In July and August, book accommodation on the coast early.
• Bring cash: many beach bars and small guesthouses do not take cards.

More Albania itineraries

• 3 days in Tirana
• Albanian Riviera in 5 days
• Berat & Gjirokastër in 3 days
• Theth & Valbona in 4 days
• 2 days in Shkodër