Albania
Two cities I explored, two routes that actually work, and the practical page. I wish someone had handed me that the first time.
Updated September 2026
What nobody tells you before you land
Albania is the Balkans still catching up with itself: a capital that repainted its concrete in wild colors, Ottoman stone towns folded into the mountains, and a stretch of Ionian coast — the Riviera — that costs a fraction of the Greek islands across the water. For years almost nobody came, and it shows in the prices and in how genuinely people treat a guest.
So the routes below aren't a rush. Give Tirana a day to read the country, let Berat slow you down, and if you have the week, drop to the Riviera for the water. Distances look small on the map but the mountain roads are slow — build the days around that, not around a checklist.
Fact sheet
Everything practical, on one page
Itineraries
Two routes that actually work
Four days is the honest minimum for Tirana and Berat. A week adds the Riviera and the south — the reason most people fall for the country.
Tirana to read the country — the colored blocks, Bunk'Art, the cafés — then down to Berat for the stacked Ottoman houses and the castle still lived in. The version for a long weekend.
The one I'd take. Tirana and Berat, then south through the stone town of Gjirokastër and the Blue Eye spring to the Ionian coast — Ksamil's islets and the clear water everyone comes back for.
City guides
Two cities, walked one street at a time
Tirana
The colored capital — Skanderbeg Square, the Blloku cafés and the Bunk'Art bunkers.
2 days · Coming soonBerat
The "city of a thousand windows" — UNESCO Ottoman houses and a castle still lived in.
2 days · Coming soonAsked every week
Questions I get about Albania
How many days do I need?+
Four is the honest minimum for Tirana and Berat. Give it a week and you can add the south — Gjirokastër, the Blue Eye and the Riviera — which is what most people remember Albania for.
Is it safe?+
Yes, very. Albania is one of the safest countries in the region for travelers, with normal city caution. People are famously welcoming to guests, and solo travelers do well here.
What about the beaches and the Riviera?+
The Albanian Riviera — the Ionian coast around Sarandë and Ksamil — is the reason to bring the week. The water is Greek-island clear at a fraction of the price. Go in June or September to skip the August crush.
How does money work?+
The currency is the lek (ALL) and Albania runs on cash — carry it. Cards work in bigger Tirana spots but fail in towns, on the coast and in the furgon minibuses. Withdraw from ATMs and keep small notes.
The podcast
I walked this before I wrote it
Every guide starts as an episode. Listen to the Albania introduction — the context, the history and the honest bits — then come back for the routes.