Looking for the best day trips from Tirana Albania? Tirana is a city of lakes and mountains, but it’s also close to some impressive historical landmarks nearby that you should check out.
These Tirana day trips are perfect for those that don’t have a lot of time for their visit.
Since I’ve lived in Albania for a few years now, I hope to give you some helpful planning tips for your day trip from Tirana.
Whether you’re looking to be immersed in history, explore Albania’s food scene, go on an outdoor adventure, or all of those combined – these day tours from Tirana have you covered.
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Best Day Trips From Tirana Summary
- Kruja – convenient, impressive castle, good souvenirs, and views
- Dajti – convenient, unique activities, nice views
- Lake Bovilla – convenient, great for nature lovers
- Berat – a really good combination of history, food, and wine
- Shkoder – lots of history, beautiful lake views, great food
- Exploring the bunkers – historical deep dive and a unique experience only found in Albania
- Apollonia – discover ancient ruins
- Cape of Rodon – castle ruins, beautiful beaches
- Gjirokaster – my favorite place for food in Albania, very charming, lots of history
Most Popular Day Trips From Tirana
Tirana, the capital city of Albania, is located close to the Adriatic Sea with Ddajti mountain on the opposite side.
The modern city of Tirana was started around 400 years ago with 4 buildings built in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha Bargjini.
The population has been expanding each year, currently with 6-700,000 people. Though Albania’s capital has grown with new attractions, it’s nice to get out of the city and see the gorgeous countryside.
These destinations are really cool so let’s talk about why they’re worth visiting. Here are the 4 most popular day trips from Tirana Albania.
Kruja Day Tour From Tirana
Located only 38km from Tirana, Kruja Albania is a small quaint town with lots of history. Its biggest and most impressive landmark is the amazing Kruja castle.
This charming town, nestled into the mountainside, was one ruled by Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg (1405-1468), a national hero who fought against the Ottoman Empire.
Kruja is a great place to explore if you only have a short time to visit Albania because it’s close to Tirana. It is still far enough away for you to relax and have nice views of nature.
If you’re planning to visit, hold off getting souvenirs in Tirana. Kruja is a great place to spend some time shopping for traditional souvenirs.
Tirana is better for buying newer items like clothing or accessories – there are also great thrifting stores too.
To visit, you can easily take a bus or taxi from Tirana. There is also an organized day trip to both Kruje and Sari Salltik Cave.
Half Or Full Day Trip To Dajti Mountain
Another popular day trip from Tirana is to the nearby Dajti Mountain. It’s a beautiful area and worth exploring, especially because there’s a hanging cable car that you can take to the top.
Of course, you could also hike but there are way better places to hike in Albania, like the village of Theth. To be honest, the top of the mountain isn’t very exciting, taking the cable car is the best part.
The views are nice but the rest of the ‘activities’ at the top are not anything to write home about – this is why I said it’s a half-day tour.
You should bring your own picnic lunch or snacks because I wouldn’t recommend the restaurant at the top.
Usually, I try to look at the bright side of a situation but genuinely it was the worst place I’ve eaten at in Albania.
Plus, it’s way overpriced. Depending on your budget and how you want to get to Dajti will determine how long it will be.
The cable car entrance is only 5.5km from the center of Tirana. If you take the public bus, it will be significantly longer to get to the cable car entrance, especially if there is traffic.
Still good if you don’t mind it taking a while. You can also take a taxi, which shouldn’t be too much if you split with friends or other travelers.
If you want to get two birds with one stone, you can do a city tour of Tirana that includes going to Dajti.
There are also other cool ways to see the area like hiking to Pellumbas Cave and Erzeni Canyon or biking to Dajti.
Gamti Mountain & Lake Bovilla
Located about 20km north of Tirana, Lake Bovilla is a convenient day trip from Tirana for anyone who loves nature.
The lake is actually a reservoir so it also goes by the name Bovilla Reservoir. It’s also known for its gorgeous blue color, though many edited photos exaggerate the color.
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Regardless, it is a great area to visit. Gamti mountain is close by and it’s great for getting beautiful views of the lake.
You can reach this area by driving, it takes about 1 hour from Tirana, though it could be more if there’s a lot of traffic. If you’re not wanting to drive, you can take a guided day trip to Lake Bovilla.
Tirana To Berat Day Trip
Located 100km south of the capital, Berat is a popular day trip from Tirana, especially because there are many daily buses.
Berat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been called the ‘town of a thousand windows.’
It’s known for its well-preserved traditional architecture, with narrow cobblestone streets and stone houses that are painted in bright colors.
The town has a population of around 30,000 people, some of who still live within its medieval fortifications.
Evidence of inhabitation has been found as old as the 7th century BC but more extensive development happened in the 4th century BC.
If you want to learn more, try this history-focused day trip to Berat. The surrounding area of Berat is also known for its wine production.
There are some great wineries to visit and have tastings at. If you want to take advantage of this, there’s an organized day trip to Berat focused on food + wine tasting all included in the price.
If you’re looking for outdoor adventure, Berat is definitely the right place. It’s known for its waterfalls, lakes, and beautiful canyons.
These things usually aren’t included in organized day trips from Tirana, so you’d need to rent a car to access these (or take a direct tour leaving from Berat).
Historial Tirana Day Trips
For all those history lovers, there are some great day trips from Tirana, packed with both ancient and modern things. Here are 3 great historical Tirana day trips.
Shkoder Day Trip
About 100km north of Tirana, Shkoder sits at the seat of Shkodër County and acts as the gateway to exploring the Albanian Alps, also known as the Accursed Mountains.
It’s also been named Albania’s ancient city due to its long history that goes back thousands of years. It’s one of the oldest cities in the Balkans, with inhabitation going as far back as Bronze Age times.
Over its long history, it has been controlled by many different empires including Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, and Ottomans.
One of the most prominent landmarks is Rozafa Castle which offers 360 views of Shkoder city, Lake Shkodra, the three rivers of Shkodra, and the Albanian Alps.
If you have time, I’d recommend a longer visit to northern Albania so you can visit more of the mountains. One of the best places is Lumi i Shales, an icey cold river with an intense blue color. It’s often called the Thailand of Albania!
You can also visit the wonderful Marubi National Museum of Photography, the Venetian Mask Museum and Mesi Bridge – a gorgeous bridge from the Ottoman era.
It’s possible to take the bus from Tirana as they run frequently, but it could be hard to see all the sites since they are a bit spread out.
Once you’re at Shkoder, renting a bicycle or taxi is a good option. There’s also an organized day trip from Tirana to Shkoder in case you’re not a fan of cycling in the Balkan summer heat.
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Albania Bunker Day Tour
The bunkers are a reminder of the country’s history under the communist regime, led by Enver Hoxha. The dictator had the bunkers built to protect Albania from his perceived threat of invasion.
While most have been left abandoned or turned into travel accommodations (there’s even one near Shkoder that has a tattoo parlor inside), there are thousands in Albania estimated at more than 173,000.
The best way to see these structures is on foot, but many are in remote locations. The best way is to travel by car to get to them. Of course, you could rent a car in Tirana (there are some great car rental deals at Tirana airport).
In this case, it could be good to do a Bunker day tour – mostly so you have a knowledgeable guide that knows the locations, but also the intriguing history behind these structures.
Day Trip To Apollonia
Apollonia was a colony in Illyria, located on the west coast of modern Albania. The city was founded in the 6th century BC by settlers from Corinth and Corfu under the command of Phalas and Leon, two Corinthians.
If you’re interested in ancient history, this is a must-visit place. The Apolonia Archaeological Park is about 120km south of Tirana.
You can take the bus from Tirana to Fier, it takes about 2 hours. Then you’ll need to hitchhike or get a taxi to the park which is 20 mins outside of the city.
You can also do an organized day trip from Tirana to Apollonia and the seaside town of Durres.
Wine & Food Day Tours From Tirana
One of my favorite things about traveling in Albania is the food and wine! It’s so nice to have such fresh fruit and vegetables, plus most things are homemade which always tastes the best.
If you want to dive into Albania’s food scene, these 3 Tirana day trips are for you.
Cape of Rodon
About 60km northwest of Tirana, the Cape of Rodon is a gorgeous area with a combination of history and nature.
This small, rocky cape sticks out into the Adriatic, just north of Durres – a coastal city with ancient ruins. While exploring, you can also check out Rodoni Castle built by the famous hero, Skanderbeg.
To access this, you’ll need to rent a car or do a day tour from Tirana. If you’re looking for wine tasting from Tirana, try the Cape of Rodon, Durres, wine tasting day trip from Tirana.
Gjirokaster Day Tour
Around 230km south of Tirana. Gjirokaster is a small historic town in southern Albania. Though the Old Town is Ottoman style, this UNESCO World Heritage Site also gives me Italian vibes in some alleys.
Checking out Gjirokaster is a must-visit place on your day trip from Tirana. Not only is the castle fascinating, but there are great views to check out as well!
For many reasons Gjirokaster can’t be missed: its cobblestoned streets are charming and the food is outstanding. It’s one of my favorite cities in all of Albania to eat in.
Plus there are great views all over the Old Town because it’s built on the mountainside. Another interesting fact is that Gjirokaster is the birthplace of the communist dictator, Enver Hoxha.
There’s lots of history so check out the cool museums too. Gjirokaster is a great combo of charm, history, good views, and great food.
Unfortunately, Gjirokaster is a bit far – a three-hour drive from Tirana. I wouldn’t suggest going via bus because it’s too far and the buses aren’t frequent enough for a day trip.
If you have rented a car and have someone else that can drive as well, it could be doable. Driving the 6 hours total yourself wouldn’t be great.
The best option is to do an organized day tour from Tirana to Gjirokaster so you can relax on the ride there and back.
Longer Day Trips From Tirana
If I’m being honest, I always find long day trips to be exhausting. Whether you take a bus, have friends with you to switch drivers, or even an organized day tour, it’s tiring to spend hours and hours on the road.
Plus, Albania’s road system’s development was greatly impacted by almost half a century of communism.
This means the roads can be poor quality and most of the country’s terrain is mountainous, making the driving more tiring.
I think there are plenty of great things closer to Tirana to see, but if you are truly set on doing a longer day trip from Tirana, here are the most popular ones.
- Day Trip From Tirana To Kosovo
- Day Tour From Tirana To Montenegro
- Day Trip From Tirana To Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia
Final Thoughts On Tirana Day Trips
I hope that this list will inspire you as you plan the best day tour from Tirana for your schedule.
These Tirana day trips will help you explore some of Albania’s most fascinating sites if you’re on a time crunch.
Whether you’re visiting Tirana or just passing through, there are plenty of opportunities for adventure in Albania.
If these day trips from Tirana inspired you, I’d love to know. Shoot me a message on Instagram and let me know which day tour you did.
