The Albanian Alps are slowly becoming the Balkans’ most fabled walking destination, and this tour includes all their highlights.
Start your trip from the lively city of Shkodra, journey by bus through the Drin Canyons and boat across the fjord-like Komani Lake. Hike among the craggy, limestone mountains of Valbona, a place not unlike the Dolomites 70 years ago. Marvel at the highest peaks of the Accursed Mountains, crossing from one National Park into the other.
Learn about the ancient highland codex of the Kanun, materialized in Theth’s Blood Feud Tower, then visit the idyllic hamlet Nderlysaj and dive in the icy waters of the colourful oasis, the Blue Eye, before enjoying a night out in the capital, Tirana.
Explore the Accursed Mountains at your own pace. A warm-up walk with swimming opportunities is followed by three mountains hikes.
The crossing of the Valbona Pass is a noteworthy highlight half-way into the trip. The journey ends at a more relaxed pace in Nderlysa and the Blue Eye (karst spring) with more swimming. Day 2 and 7 are half-day walks only to facilitate travel into and out of the mountains.
6 hikes up to 6:17h walking time (Ø 3:43h) and 1125m altitude difference.
Hiking routes in the Albanian Alps are often narrow and uneven, sometimes they’re also steep and rocky. Because the marking is not on par with the quality of the Central Europeans Alps, we provide a backup GPS unit to resolve unclear situations. While trails are in frequent use, there’s no regular trail maintenance. While all trails are wide enough to be used by pack horses loaded with luggage and pose no objective danger, there’s a 200 m stretch on the Valbona Pass (D4) and some minor and very short 5m stretches (D2 and D6, D7) that people suffering from vertigo my perceive as subjectively “intimidating”.
Highlights of this Albanian Alps tour:
☆ Boat across the fjord-like Komani Lake to reach amazing Valbona National Park
☆ Hike the best routes of the Valbona and Thethi National Parks
☆ Set a foot across to Montenegro and reach a panorama above 2.000 meters
☆ Stay at family-run small hotels and guesthouses in private ensuite rooms
☆ Have everything taken care of, accommodation, transfers, luggage transport.
Price:
£850 per person, based on 2 people sharing a room
Not suitable for solo walkers
There is also a 5 night/6 day option available £695 per person – please ask for details.
Included:
Welcome meeting
Route notes
GPS
Accommodation: 4 hotel(s), 3 guesthouse(s)
Meals: All breakfasts, 6 lunch(es) and 5 dinner(s)
Transfers: As per itinerary, including airport transfer on arrival/departure
Luggage transport: 1/pers max 15 kg, duffels/rucksacks, no suit/flightcases
Departure Dates:
Our recommended travel window starts from 1st June (first arrival) and ends on 15th October (last return).
Trips prior or after this period are more likely to be affected by bad weather and snow conditions.
– Early: We accept bookings for as early as 15th May, when there’s an increased chance for snow and high water levels to impair the journey.
– Late: Bookings are possible until early November, whereas from mid-October nights are getting cooler and there’s a higher chance for poor weather conditions.
Note that not all accommodations have central heating. In the last two years, the weather was excellent up till the end of October, but that’s not possible to predict.
– Snow: Historically, the Valbona Pass route (D4) has not opened later than the second week of June. While the summer route across the Valbona Pass is closed, there are two options:
– Hire a mandatory local guide for the winter route, who aids with the steep ascent on potentially snow-covered ground to the pass (10-15 min). Cost: €80/guide, one of each 8 guests, the cost are divided by the number of parties crossing the pass on the given date.
– When conditions are deemed too difficult for the winter route, a transfer around the mountains to Theth (>8 h travel time) is arranged. Cost: €150-250, divided by the number of parties on the given date.
Day 01. Arrival – Shkodra
Welcome to the Balkans!
We pick you up from Tirana or Podgorica (airport/city) for the two-hour transfer to Shkodra.
Here you receive your materials (road book, maps, phone, GPS), a walk-through of the tour and have all remaining questions answered.
Afterwards, the city calls for a stroll through the pedestrian area lined with bourgeoisie townhouses, a reminder of the city’s prestigious past. Immerse yourself in the city’s Italian flair, join the buzz of the bazaar to buy dried fruits and other snacks, or dive into the past captured on film at the Marubi photo library. It’s only a short taxi ride to visit the Rozafa Castle and enjoy the fabulous views, a foretaste for the upcoming days of travel through the Albanian Alps.
Day 02. Shkoder – Koman – Valbone
Journey into the Accursed Mountains: +250m/-50m/7km/2:13h
Transfer: 3 h + 3 h boat
An early start is followed by a scenic drive through the Drin Gorges to the Komani Lake (58km/2h).
The picturesque reservoir loops similar to a Norwegian fjord through sheer rock walls and is the most attractive route into the Albanian Alps. You’re in for a surprise by the peculiar ferry, which stops several times to pick up talkative locals from remote villages before arriving at Fierze (46 km/3h). By car you continue further into the highlands of the Valbona National Park, stopping for a light lunch in the small-city Bajram Curri.
In the early afternoon, you reach the Valbona Valley and it’s tower-houses made of stone. The warm-up walk follows a crystal clear stream through ancient beech forests, speckled with the sweetest wild strawberries. Along the way, the brave will stop for a swimming break at the ice-cold river or a secluded pond.
The jagged peaks towering high above you give itchy feet for tomorrow’s trek into the highlands. Tonight, you enjoy a delicious, hearty dinner and a well-earned rest after this impression-packed introduction to the Accursed Mountains.
Day 03. Valbone – Kukaj – Rama Hut – Valbone
Heights of Valbona +625m/-625m/9km/4:27h
+700m/-750m/12km/5:20h
+1125m/-1125m/17.5km/8:11h
Transfer: 10 min
After a short transfer to the trailhead, you start the hike to Kukaj, an isolated hamlet where only two families reside. Below, bunkers that once protected the border are now scattered in the riverbed. The winding path takes you over lush meadows ablaze with the colors of a wide variety of spring flowers and through light beech forest up to a shepherd’s hut, on 1.650 m.
In the communist period, when this was a no-go area, the building used to be a military barrack. Admire the wild and romantic jagged mountain scenery, enjoy a refreshing soda or opt to climb higher to an ancient crossing at the Montenegrin border.
At 2.045 m, a weathered border pyramid is the only reminder of the isolation Albania once endured; from here views reach to the most dramatic parts of Montenegrin Prokletije. Catching a last glimpse at the Alps highest peak Jezerca (2.694 m), you descend first to Kukaj and then to your accommodation.
When daylight fades, you admire the alpine glow over dinner in the idyllic veranda.
Day 04. Valbone – Valbona Pass – Theth
The “Grand Crossing”: hike from Valbona to Theth +800m/-1125m/11km/6:17h
Transfer: 30 min
Another highlight, an important milestone in most Albanian Alps journeys, awaits today. After a short ride over the rough riverbed, you meet the mule porter who carries the main luggage and sets out for the hike across Valbona Pass (1.811 m).
Above the village Rragam, a few steep segments need to be tackled. Pause regularly near springs and on colorful meadows to take a breath of herb-filled aromatic mountain air and enjoy the splendid views.
Reaching the pass, the surrounding peaks appear on par and sweeping views of both national parks fascinate even the seasoned traveller. Enjoy the picturesque landscape during a lunch break ahead of the descent to Theth, where the fairy-tale beech forest provides cover from the afternoon sun. Close to the village, the woods thin out, Mt. Arapi (2.217 m) becomes more dominant and soon, you reach the uppermost houses of Gjelaj, Theth.
Spread below are the valley’s many hamlets, and a broad path takes you through the village to another inviting guesthouse.
Day 05. Theth – Peja Pass – Denelli – Theth
The Peja Pass, a meadow above the clouds +650m/-650m/7.5km/4:24h
+950m/-950m/7.5km/6:00h
+1000m/-1000m/9.5km/6:31h
Transfer: 0/15 min
Choose today’s hike between the route to the Peja Pass at the northern end of the valley, below the Matterhorn of Albania, or the panoramic trail to the high-up Meadows of Denelli. Both are return routes, and you stay for a second night at the same guesthouse.
The first is sun-exposed, an early start is recommended. The trailhead is a 4 km drive/1 hour walking time each way away.
Start at the source of the Thethi River, up the wall that still looks impenetrable. The ancient caravan path is hidden in the sheer 900 m drop below Mt. Arapi (2.217 m) and named after the Kosovo city Peja, where the route is connected.
The Denelli walk starts from the iconic Theth church, leads through the lush green Ulaj neighborhood and ascends, after a river crossing, into a light forest to a path in the cliffs & up to a large, high-up meadow in the middle of the mountains.
Day 06. Theth – Nderlyse
Explore Theth – The heart of the Albanian Alps +150m/-400m/8km/2:39h
A walk through the village and it’s lush green fields reveals the full extent of Theth. Visit the iconic church and dive into the history of the “Kanun” at the nearby lock-in tower that offered protection to those affected by the Blood Feud. It is the perfect place to learn about the former highland law code of Leke Dukagjini, its origins and impact. Onward along water channels, the path ascends to the Grunas waterfall and drops to a cliff above the river, where archeologists discovered stone aged terraces.
Gaze into the 50 m deep Grunas Canyon, before starting the second part of the hike on a well-worn bridle path that leads along the river downstream to Nderlysa, where a light lunch awaits at the beautiful garden of the hosts.
Tonight’s accommodation is a simpler, but very welcoming guesthouse in a calmer hamlet. Use your free time to sample mulberries, grapes and plums in the garden, ask your host about beekeeping or swim in the nearby glacier-formed stone pools. Find this walk too short? Hike yesterday’s alternative option and transfer to Nderlysa in the afternoon.
Day 07. Nderlyse – Blue Eye – Shkoder – Tirane
The “Blue Eye” and the modern face of Albania +275m/-275m/6.5km/2:21h
Transfer: 2 + 2.5 h
The hike through a canyon leads to a karst spring called the “Blue Eye”. The bravest can take a dip in the icy, butterfly surrounded waters – truly a hidden oasis to relax at. The walk can be extended to the close-by, abandoned hamlet of Kapreja.
The transfer starts from the accommodation at around 1-2 pm, and it takes you on a scenic drive across the Thorja Pass into the Valley of Boge and along Lake Shkodra (2 h). In Shkodra, our driver meets you for another 2.5 hour transfer to arrive at the central hotel in Tirana.
The capital city represents the modern, very different side of Albania. Conclude your day with a nice dinner and a drink out in the chic “Blloku” district, recall the past week of travel and celebrate the memorable journey through the Albanian Alps.
Day 08. Tirane – Departure
Farewell Albania!
Transfer: 30 min
Time permitting, Tirana invites you to explore its streets and sights on a stroll. Sip an espresso in one of the charming bars, observe the busy morning flow and select special treats as edible souvenirs at the lively “New Bazaar”.
Interested to learn more about the communist past? “Bunkart 2” and “The House of Leaves” provide insights and are only a 5 min walk away from Tirana’s main “Skanderbeg Square”.
Your multi-faceted journey in Albania ends with a 30 min transfer to the airport.
Arrival:
Tirana is the closest airport.
You have an included transfer from Tirana airport (or city centre) to Shkodra (2 h)
The transfer from Shkodra on day 2 leaves the hotel at 6:15 am. If you’re looking to get a good nights sleep, you may add a pre-trip overnight in the city or at an airport hotel and transfer to Shkodra on the following day.
Optional transfers from Podgorica (2 h) available on request (+ €60)
Accommodation:
Ensuite private rooms at centrally located city hotels, mountain pensions and guesthouses.
In the highlands you transition from a hotel in Valbona to a simpler, but very welcoming guesthouse in Nderlysa.
1. Tradita/Treva/Rose Garden/Petit Elita/Promenade (1 nights)
Rr. Edith Durham 4 Shkoder; Albania +355 68 626 3770 www.traditagt.com
2. Rezidenca/Vila Dini/Mehmeti/Adenisi/Bujtina Valbones/Neo Kulla/Margjeka (2 nights)
Quku Valbones Valbone; Albania +355 67 323 0951 https://www.facebook.com/pg/viladinivalbone/photos/?ref=page_internal
4. Pashko/Zorgji/Bujtina Pllumi/Prrockaj? (2 nights)
Theth; Albania +355 68 278 5057 https://www.instagram.com/guesthouse_pashko/
6. Xhovani/Stomici/Prek Bjeshka (1 nights)
Nderlyse Nderlyse; Albania +355 68 569 0845 http://bjeshkaprek.wixsite.com/shtepipushimittheth
7. Vila 60/Brilant Antik/Boka/Art Hotel/Vila Arte/Gloria/Tafaj (1 nights)
Tirane; Albania
When to go:
Summer sees stable mountain weather with daytime temperatures of 20-27°C. The occasional torrential thunderstorm rarely lasts more than 30-45 min. Before the first week of June you may encounter snow. When autumn colors start in late September and throughout October, rain and fog become more likely, daylight hours shorten and nighttime temperatures drop. Prepare for lowland heat in Shkodra and Tirana, especially in July and August.
