Highlights of Albania: Self-Launched

Fly into Tirana Rinas Airport (TIA). Take the public Rinas Express bus into the city centre for around £3 — skip the taxis unless you agree a fare upfront (expect to pay ~£15–20). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in the Blloku district, which puts you close to bars, cafés and the main sights. Spend the evening strolling Skanderbeg Square, which is stunning at dusk, and grab a raki and dinner in a local restorant on the backstreets.

🚌Rinas Express bus from airport to city centre, ~£3

🛏Freddy's Hostel or Tirana Backpacker Hostel — both well-reviewed, central, dorm beds from ~£12/night

• →Arrive at Tirana Rinas Airport and take the Rinas Express bus to the city centre (~£3)
• →Check in and explore the Blloku neighbourhood
• →Evening stroll around Skanderbeg Square
• →Dinner at a local restorant — try fergese (a traditional Tirana dish of peppers, tomatoes and offal)

Spend a full day in Tirana. Start at the National Museum of History on Skanderbeg Square (entry ~£2) — it covers Albanian civilisation from antiquity to communism and is one of the best in the Balkans. Walk to the Et'hem Bey Mosque and the clock tower. In the afternoon, visit Bunk'Art 2, a former Cold War nuclear bunker now converted into a museum of the communist secret police — entry ~£3 and absolutely unmissable. End the day at the colourful open-air Pazari i Ri market for snacks and fresh produce.

🚌All on foot — Tirana's centre is very walkable

🛏Freddy's Hostel or Tirana Backpacker Hostel

• →National Museum of History, Skanderbeg Square (~£2 entry)
• →Et'hem Bey Mosque and clock tower (free)
• →Bunk'Art 2 museum in a former communist bunker (~£3)
• →Pazari i Ri (New Bazaar) market — great for fresh food and local colour

Make an early start to visit Petrela Castle, a Byzantine fortress perched on a craggy hill just 15km south of Tirana. Take a taxi or shared ride from Tirana (~£8–10 one-way, or arrange with hostel). The views over the Erzen River valley are spectacular and the castle itself is free to walk around. Then catch a furgon (shared minibus) from Tirana's southern terminal to Elbasan (~£2, 1 hour). Walk up to the Ottoman Elbasan Fortress, whose walls still partially encircle the old bazaar. Spend the night in Elbasan.

🚌Taxi Tirana–Petrela ~£8–10; furgon Tirana–Elbasan ~£2

🛏Hotel Shkumbini or a locally-run guesthouse in Elbasan — expect ~£18–22/night for a private room

• →Visit Petrela Castle — Byzantine hilltop fortress with panoramic valley views (free entry)
• →Furgon from Tirana to Elbasan (~£2, 1 hour)
• →Walk the walls and bazaar area of Elbasan Fortress (free)
• →Explore the old bazaar and sample local byrek (savoury pastry)

Take a furgon from Elbasan to Pogradec, a charming lakeside town on the shores of Lake Ohrid (~£3, 1.5 hours). Lake Ohrid is shared between Albania and North Macedonia and is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes, listed by UNESCO. Spend the afternoon walking the promenade, swimming in the crystal-clear water (in season), and visiting the small but worthwhile Archaeological Museum of Pogradec (~£1). The lake views at sunset are extraordinary. Stay overnight in Pogradec.

🚌Furgon Elbasan–Pogradec ~£3

🛏Guesthouse Liqeni or Hotel Pogradeci — lakeview rooms from ~£20–25/night

• →Furgon from Elbasan to Pogradec (~£3, 1.5 hours)
• →Swim or walk along Lake Ohrid's shoreline
• →Archaeological Museum of Pogradec (~£1)
• →Sunset walk along the lakeside promenade
• →Fresh koran fish dinner (a local lake delicacy) at a waterfront restaurant

Take a local bus or arrange a shared taxi to the village of Voskopoja, a once-prosperous 18th-century trading town hidden in the mountains above Korca — it's now a peaceful, almost forgotten place with remarkable frescoed churches. The Church of St Athanasios is the highlight (free, though donations welcome). Then head down to Korca, Albania's cultural capital — known for its belle-époque architecture, the National Museum of Medieval Art (~£2), and some of the best coffee culture in Albania. The Korca beer (Birra Korca) is Albania's most famous — try one in a café on the main boulevard.

🚌Shared taxi or local bus Pogradec–Voskopoja–Korca ~£4–6

🛏Hotel Iliria or Guri i Bardhë boutique guesthouse, Korca — from ~£22/night

• →Visit the frescoed churches of Voskopoja, including the Church of St Athanasios (free/donation)
• →Travel to Korca — the 'city of serenades'
• →National Museum of Medieval Art, Korca (~£2)
• →Explore the old bazaar and French-influenced architecture
• →Evening café culture and a Birra Korca on the boulevard

Head south by furgon to Permet, a laid-back town on the Vjosa River known for its roses and raki (~£3–4, 2 hours via Korca). Drop your bags and head to the Benja Thermal Baths, a short walk or taxi ride from town (~£2 return). The natural hot spring pools sit beside a stunning Ottoman-era arch bridge (the Ura e Kadiut) and are free to use — just bring a towel. The Kelcyra Gorge is also within reach: the Vjosa River carves a dramatic canyon where eagles nest on the cliffs. This is a genuine highlights-of-Albania moment for next to nothing.

🚌Furgon Korca–Permet ~£3–4; local taxi to Benja ~£2 return

🛏Outdoor Albania Guesthouse or Camping Levan — basic but excellent local spots from ~£14–18/night

• →Furgon from Korca to Permet (~£3–4, 2 hours)
• →Benja Thermal Baths — free natural hot springs beside an Ottoman bridge
• →Walk to or through the Kelcyra Gorge — watch for eagles overhead
• →Evening raki tasting in a local bar (Albanian raki is made from grapes and is exceptional)

Take a furgon from Permet to Gjirokastra (~£3, 1.5 hours), one of the most remarkable towns in the Balkans. Built on a steep hillside, its UNESCO-listed old town is a maze of Ottoman stone mansions with distinctive slate roofs. Head straight up to Gjirokastra Castle (entry ~£3) — a massive fortification with sweeping views over the valley, a captured US military plane in the courtyard, and an excellent folk museum within. Spend the afternoon wandering the cobbled lanes, visiting the bazaar, and popping into the birthplace of Enver Hoxha (Albania's communist dictator) and writer Ismail Kadare.

🚌Furgon Permet–Gjirokastra ~£3

🛏Guesthouse Kotoni or Stone City Hostel — fantastic old-town atmosphere from ~£14–20/night

• →Furgon from Permet to Gjirokastra (~£3, 1.5 hours)
• →Gjirokastra Castle and folk museum (~£3 entry)
• →Wander the UNESCO-listed old town — stone Ottoman mansions and steep cobbled lanes
• →Visit the old bazaar (Çarshia) for local crafts and food
• →See the birthplaces of Enver Hoxha and Ismail Kadare (exterior, free)

Take a local bus or taxi from Gjirokastra to Saranda (~£5, 1.5 hours) on the Ionian coast, dropping bags at your accommodation. Then take a local bus or shared taxi south to Butrint National Park (~£3 return), one of the great archaeological sites of the Balkans. Entry is ~£7 and absolutely worth it — the site spans Neolithic, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman layers, all set in a lush, bird-filled lagoon. Allow 2–3 hours to walk the full site. Return to Saranda for sunset cocktails on the seafront promenade with views across to Corfu.

🚌Bus/taxi Gjirokastra–Saranda ~£5; bus/taxi Saranda–Butrint return ~£3

🛏Hotel Kaonia or a seafront guesthouse in Saranda — from ~£20–25/night

• →Bus or shared taxi Gjirokastra–Saranda (~£5, 1.5 hours)
• →Day trip to Butrint National Park — Neolithic to Ottoman layers (~£7 entry, self-guided with the site map)
• →Return to Saranda for a sunset walk along the seafront promenade
• →Optional: Ali Pasha Fortress at Porto Palermo (visible en route or via a separate day trip, free entry)

Head north along the stunning Albanian Riviera by furgon or hired car. Stop at Ali Pasha Fortress at Porto Palermo — an early 19th-century Ottoman fortress on a tiny peninsula jutting into a turquoise bay (free entry, £2–3 by taxi from the main road). Continue north through the hairpin mountain road into Llogora National Park, where pine forests give way to dramatic views over the Ionian Sea far below. The pass tops out at around 1,000m and is genuinely breathtaking. Stay in a mountain guesthouse in the park.

🚌Furgon or shared taxi Saranda–Porto Palermo–Llogora ~£8–12

🛏Llogora Tourist Village or a family guesthouse in the national park — from ~£18–22/night

• →Ali Pasha Fortress, Porto Palermo — Ottoman sea fortress on a turquoise bay (free entry)
• →Furgon or shared taxi north along the Riviera coast
• →Drive or hike through Llogora National Park — panoramic views over the Ionian Sea
• →Short hike in the pine forests above the pass (self-guided, free)

Descend from Llogora to the coast and catch a furgon towards Vlora and then inland to Apollonia (~£5 total). Apollonia was founded in 585 BC and was a significant Greek and later Roman city — Julius Caesar used it as a base during the civil war. The site has a well-preserved odeon, stoa, and a small but excellent museum (entry ~£3). After exploring, continue to Berat, the 'city of a thousand windows', by furgon via Fier (~£4). Check in and spend the evening in the atmospheric Mangalem quarter.

🚌Furgon Llogora–Apollonia ~£3–5; furgon Apollonia–Berat via Fier ~£4

🛏Hotel Mangalemi or Berat Backpacker Hostel — stunning old-town location from ~£14–22/night

• →Furgon down from Llogora to coast, then to Apollonia (~£3–5)
• →Apollonia Archaeological Park — Greek/Roman ruins including odeon and stoa (~£3 entry)
• →Furgon from Apollonia via Fier to Berat (~£4)
• →Evening walk in Berat's Mangalem quarter — Ottoman houses stacked up the hillside

Spend the morning exploring Berat's UNESCO-listed old town properly — don't miss Berat Castle (entry ~£2), the Red Mosque (free), and the wonderful Onufri Icon Museum inside the castle walls (~£1.50). The view from the castle over the white Ottoman houses below is one of the most iconic in all of Albania. Then take a furgon to Tirana (~£3, 1.5 hours) and, if time allows before your flight, make a detour to Kruja — the mountain stronghold of Albania's national hero Skanderbeg. The bazaar here is the best place to buy Albanian handicrafts. Then transfer to Tirana airport for your flight home.

🚌Furgon Berat–Tirana ~£3; taxi or Rinas Express to airport ~£3–15

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Berat Castle and Onufri Icon Museum (~£2–3 combined)
• →The Red Mosque and Berat's Mangalem and Gorica quarters (free to wander)
• →Furgon Berat–Tirana (~£3, 1.5 hours)
• →Optional detour to Kruja: Skanderbeg Museum and old bazaar (~£2 entry)
• →Transfer to Tirana Rinas Airport