Walking in Albania

Essential Information

Trip Profile

6 daywalks (includes shorter walks) with luggage transferred (by horse); 2 days sightseeing. Reasonable fitness required for long days travelling. Altitude maximum 1558m, average 1100m.

Accommodation

3 nights guesthouses in dormitory-style accommodation and 5 nights 3-star hotels in en suite rooms.
In Tirana, Berat and Radhime, we stay in 3 star hotels with en suite rooms. Hotel standards in Albania can vary from a basic, clean room to a larger more comfortable room with other amenities (such as TV, air conditining and hairdryer), yet as star ratings are not regulated, standards are considered lower to those generally found in Europe. Overall, all accommodations are ideally located for our walks and offer a warm welcome. Many hotels (especially in Tirana) do not have an elevator.
In the mountains (days 2-5), we stay in characterful guesthouses in Theti and Valbona National Parks. Due to the limited size of our guesthouse in Theth, we share rooms with up to 4 people and there are 4 bathrooms for the group. In Valbona, we stay in a simple guesthouse with en suite rooms and we may stay in the main large building or the nearby wooden villas.

Food

All breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners included.

Reality Check

This itinerary includes the main highlights of this fascinating country as well as some well-kept secrets that provide true insight into the Albanian culture.

There will be some long drives (maximum 7 hours on day 5), which are unavoidable in order to see as much as possible. Due to certain areas still being relatively undeveloped, some of the drives will be on windy and quite bumpy roads. Some roads are full of potholes and of a much lower standard to what we are used to in Europe. Still, we are always rewarded with spectacular wild scenery throughout.

We walk along good trails in Theth National Park yet the terrain can be very rocky. We walk through alpine pastures and forests of pine and beech trees and to complete the week, we end with a beautiful walk along the southern Albanian coastline.

Over the week, we enjoy 6 spectacular daywalks that vary in length according to the distance that needs to be covered. On some days we may only walk 2 - 4 hours and on others, our walks can be up to 7 hours. As a moderate tour (grade B), you should have a reasonable level of fitness for the some long days travelling and to complete all the walks on this full and exciting itinerary.

We aim to use 3 star hotels in the major cities, yet ratings should not be compared to Western Europe as there is currently not a regulated system for this in Albania. All accommodations are chosen for their character, location and welcoming atmosphere and where possible we offer all rooms en suite.

Normal group size and age

Normally 6 to 16, plus leader. Additional guide to accompany some walks (days 2-5). Minimum age 16.

Icons explained

The vast majority of Exodus adventures are adult group holidays. Groups are always small in size. We strongly believe that this adherence to small groups means a better experience for all; more time with your guide, less waiting around and a reduced impact on the communities and environments visited.
Each group is generally made up of like-minded travellers - with singles, couples and friends all joining in together. All these trips are suitable for single travellers, but if you prefer to travel with clients booking individually, please see our Solo Departures page.

No experience is necessary; those who take weekend hill walks in areas like the Peak District or Cotswold’s at home should manage a B-grade trek; good health and reasonable fitness are important. These Moderately graded departures are either fairly easy medium-duration walks or harder, shorter walks.

Exodus is always looking to improve our current itineraries and to offer something different. With many new trips this year, there is something unique and different to try every year.