Wander Berat's 'Town of a Thousand Windows'
A UNESCO-listed old town with Ottoman-era houses stacked up a hillside, their many windows giving the city its evocative nickname.
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Southeastern Europe
Things to do in Albania
Mediterranean beaches at a fraction of neighboring Italy or Croatia's prices, a mountainous interior only recently opened to outside visitors, and a Communist-era history still visible in bunkers dotting the landscape.
Explore Albania on the map →Budget$
Best for8-10 days
CapitalTirana
VisaVisa-free entry for up to 90 days for US, UK, EU, Canadian, and Australian passport holders; Albania is not in the Schengen Area but maintains its own separate visa-free arrangement.
CurrencyAlbanian lek (ALL)
LanguagesAlbanian
InternetGood
Typical lodging$20–$50/night
Driving sideRight
Power & voltage230V / 50Hz (Type C/F plug)
Time zoneUTC+1 to UTC+2
Emergency number112
Dialing code+355
★★★★★ Beaches★★★★★ Adventure★★★★★ Culture
Visa rules and emergency numbers can change without notice. Confirm the specifics for your nationality and dates before you travel.
Travel smart
Bottled water recommended outside capital cities. 10% is common.
Albania spent over 40 years under an isolationist Communist regime that built an estimated 175,000 concrete bunkers nationwide, a paranoid defensive network now a strange and photogenic relic scattered across beaches and hillsides. Since opening up post-1990, its Albanian Riviera has quietly become one of the Mediterranean's best-value coastlines, while the Accursed Mountains in the north offer some of the least-crowded serious hiking in Europe.
When to go
SpringApril–May
Mild and green, with wildflowers in the mountains and comfortable temperatures before the coastal rush.
SummerJune–August
Hot and the busiest season, with the Albanian Riviera drawing an increasing number of European visitors each year.
AutumnSeptember–October
Warm sea temperatures lingering with fewer crowds, widely considered the best window for both coast and mountains.
WinterNovember–March
Mild on the coast but cold and snowy in the mountains, a quiet season nationally outside ski areas.
20 things to do
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Culture & history
8Explore Butrint's ancient ruins$8
A UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site layering Greek, Roman, and Byzantine ruins in a lagoon-side setting near the Riviera.
Wander Gjirokastër's Ottoman old town
A UNESCO-listed 'stone city' of slate-roofed houses climbing toward a hilltop fortress, quieter and less developed than Berat.
Explore a Communist-era bunker turned museum in Tirana
BUNK'ART converts a massive underground bunker complex into a museum documenting Albania's isolationist Communist history.
Wander Tirana's colorful communist-era apartment blocks
Painted in bright, patterned facades under a mayoral beautification project, offering an unexpectedly vibrant urban art backdrop.
Visit the National History Museum in Tirana
Albania's largest museum, tracing the country's history from antiquity through Communist rule and independence, on the capital's central square.
Wander Kruja's Ottoman bazaar and castle
A hilltop old bazaar selling traditional crafts beneath a fortress associated with Albania's national hero, Skanderbeg.
Visit Rozafa Castle in Shkodër
A hilltop fortress overlooking Lake Shkodër, tied to a well-known Balkan legend involving a wife immured in its walls for the castle to stand.
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Adventure & outdoors
3Hike the Valbona to Theth trail in the Accursed Mountains
A dramatic one-day mountain crossing between two remote northern villages, considered one of the best and least-crowded hikes in the Balkans.
Drive the Llogara Pass over the coastal mountains
A dramatic switchback road connecting Vlorë to the Riviera, with sweeping Ionian Sea views from a pine-forested mountain pass.
Snorkel or dive the caves near Dhërmi
Clear Ionian water and small sea caves along the Riviera coast offer accessible snorkeling without the crowds of more established Mediterranean spots.
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Beaches
2Relax on the beaches of the Albanian Riviera
A stretch of Ionian coastline around Himara and Dhërmi offering clear water and dramatic mountain backdrops at a fraction of nearby Croatia's prices.
Relax on the beaches of Ksamil's small islands
A cluster of tiny, close-to-shore islets with Caribbean-like water clarity, increasingly popular and correspondingly busier in peak summer.
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Nature & scenery
4Swim at the Blue Eye natural spring
A deep, vividly blue freshwater spring in southern Albania, cold even in summer heat and a popular swimming and photography stop.
Explore Lake Koman's fjord-like ferry route
A scenic multi-hour ferry crossing through steep mountain gorges, the classic approach route to the Valbona-Theth trekking region.
Explore Theth National Park's waterfalls
A remote northern valley with the Blue Eye of Theth swimming hole and the dramatic Grunas Waterfall, reached via the Valbona crossing or a rough mountain road.
Cycle or drive around Lake Ohrid's Albanian shore
A UNESCO-listed ancient lake shared with North Macedonia, with a quieter, less-developed Albanian side offering lakeside villages and swimming spots.
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Food & drink
3Eat byrek, Albania's savory filled pastry
Layered phyllo pastry filled with cheese, spinach, or meat, sold at bakeries nationwide as a genuine everyday staple.
Try raki, Albania's traditional grape or fruit brandy
A strong homemade spirit offered as a genuine gesture of hospitality, typically served before a meal at family-run restaurants.
Eat fresh seafood at a Riviera beach taverna
Grilled fish and octopus served right at the water's edge in coastal villages like Himara and Vlorë, typically simpler and cheaper than nearby Greek equivalents.
Common questions
▾Do I need a visa for Albania?
US, UK, EU, Canadian, and Australian passport holders can enter visa-free for up to 90 days. Albania isn't in the Schengen Area, so it maintains its own separate entry rules.
▾Is the Albanian Riviera as good a value as people say?
Yes, generally: beaches and coastal towns like Ksamil and Himara offer scenery comparable to nearby Greece or Croatia at noticeably lower prices, though infrastructure and crowd management are still catching up to those more established destinations.
▾Is Albania safe to travel around?
Yes, generally considered safe for tourists on the main coastal and Tirana circuits, with normal city precautions; mountain driving in the north requires care given narrower, less-developed roads.
▾What are the Communist-era bunkers I keep seeing?
Roughly 175,000 concrete bunkers were built nationwide under Enver Hoxha's isolationist regime as a defense against invasion that never came: many still dot beaches, fields, and hillsides today, some repurposed as cafés or museums.
▾How many days does Albania need?
8-10 days lets you combine Tirana, the Riviera coast, and either the Accursed Mountains or Berat's old town without rushing.
▾How much does it cost to visit Butrint archaeological park?
Foreign adult entry runs around ALL 700 (roughly $8), covering the ancient ruins and small on-site museum. It's one of the Balkans' better-value UNESCO sites for the amount you see.