Albania, Kosovo & North Macedonia Adventure — Self-Launched

Land at Tirana International Airport (Nënë Tereza) and take the Rinas Express bus into the city centre (~300 lek / £2.50, 30 min). Check into a hostel or guesthouse in the Blloku or Pazari i Ri district. Spend the late afternoon getting your bearings on a self-guided walk: Skanderbeg Square, the colourful Piramida, Bunk'Art 2, and the Et'hem Bey Mosque. Cross the Lana river into the old town and pick a traditional taverna for your first byrek, tavë kosi or fërgesë.

🚌Airport bus ~£2.50; walking in the centre

🛏Hostel or family guesthouse, Blloku / centre (dorm £12–18, private room £25–35)

• →Rinas Express airport bus
• →Skanderbeg Square and Et'hem Bey Mosque
• →Bunk'Art 2 museum
• →Evening walk along the Lana river

Take a morning local bus or minibus to Durrës (~£1.50, 45 min). Explore the Roman amphitheatre and the archaeological museum in under two hours, then have lunch by the port. In the afternoon continue south by intercity bus to Vlorë (~£4–5, 2.5 hrs). Settle in and do an evening orientation walk of the old town — Muradie Mosque, Flag Square, Independence Monument — finishing with sunset over the Adriatic.

🚌Local bus Tirana–Durrës ~£1.50; intercity bus Durrës–Vlorë ~£4.50

🛏Guesthouse or hostel near Vlorë old town (£15–25 dorm, £30–40 private)

• →Durrës Roman amphitheatre
• →Durrës Archaeological Museum
• →Vlorë old town orientation walk
• →Adriatic sunset viewpoint

Organise this independently: take a shared furgon or taxi from Vlorë to the village of Tragjas (~£5 return), then hike up the mountain trails to a shepherd outpost. You can arrange a shepherd lunch and local guide directly through Vlorë guesthouses or via Albanian hiking groups on GetYourGuide — expect £15–25 for a guided version including lunch. Otherwise self-navigate with Maps.me offline and negotiate a simple farm lunch on arrival (~£8). Return to Vlorë for an evening free to explore the promenade.

🚌Shared furgon Vlorë–Tragjas ~£5 return

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Vlorë

• →Tragjas mountain hike
• →Shepherd outpost visit and farm lunch
• →Vlorë promenade evening

This is the highlight drive of the trip. Take the coastal furgon or bus south with stops: Himarë for a swim and lunch, then Ksamil for Ali Pasha's castle on its peninsula (£2 entry) and the turquoise beach. Continue to Butrint National Park, the UNESCO-listed Greek and Roman city (£6 entry, allow 2 hrs on foot). Finish with a bus or shared taxi to Gjirokastër (~£3), arriving in the evening and checking into a stone-house guesthouse in the old town.

🚌Coastal furgons/buses along the Riviera ~£8 total; Butrint entry £6

🛏Traditional stone-house guesthouse in Gjirokastër old town (£18–28 dorm, £35–45 private)

• →Himarë beach stop
• →Ksamil and Ali Pasha Castle
• →Butrint National Park (UNESCO)
• →Gjirokastër old town arrival

Walk up to Gjirokastër Castle (£2) for the clock tower, obelisk and the captured artillery, then wander the cobbled old town and do a quick Ethnographic Museum visit if you're interested. In the afternoon book a local winery tour and tasting directly — Gjirokastër and nearby villages specialise in Kallmet and white Vjosë wines, with tastings around £10–15 including light bites. Return to the guesthouse for a free evening.

🚌Walking in the old town; short taxi to the winery ~£5

🛏Stone-house guesthouse in Gjirokastër old town

• →Gjirokastër Castle
• →Old town and Ethnographic Museum
• →Local winery tour and wine tasting

Take a morning bus north to Berat (~£3–4, 2.5 hrs). Afternoon self-guided walk through the UNESCO-listed Mangalem and Gorica neighbourhoods, then climb to Berat Castle (£2) for views over the Osum river gorge and the Onufri Iconographic Museum if you have time. In the evening find a traditional kitchen for dinner — try gjellë, qofte and local raki — or join other travellers at a restaurant terrace over the river.

🚌Intercity bus Gjirokastër–Berat ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Mangalem or Gorica (£18–28 dorm, £35–45 private)

• →Berat Castle
• →Mangalem and Gorica neighbourhoods
• →Onufri museum (optional)
• →Traditional Albanian dinner

Take the morning bus back to Tirana (~£3, 2.5 hrs). Spend the afternoon on anything you missed — the National History Museum, the House of Leaves, or a coffee crawl in Blloku. In the evening head out for a final Albanian meal in the capital before the onward leg toward North Macedonia.

🚌Intercity bus Berat–Tirana ~£3

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Blloku / centre, Tirana

• →National History Museum (optional)
• →Blloku café crawl
• →Free afternoon in Tirana

Take a bus or shared van from Tirana across the border to Ohrid (~£12–18, 4–5 hrs depending on route and whether you change at Struga). Have your passport and insurance ready at the crossing. Once in Ohrid, check into a lakeside guesthouse and take an evening stroll along the waterfront promenade, stopping for shopska salad and grilled trout.

🚌Bus Tirana–Ohrid ~£12–18

🛏Ohrid guesthouse near the lake or old town (£15–25 dorm, £30–42 private)

• →Border crossing to North Macedonia
• →Ohrid lakefront promenade
• →Old bazaar evening walk

Join a boat trip on Lake Ohrid (£8–12) or rent a kayak, then visit the UNESCO old town on foot: Samuel's Fortress, the Ancient Theatre, Plaošnik and the church of Sveti Naum further along the shore by local bus (£1.50). End the day with a swim at one of the pebble beaches and dinner in the old bazaar.

🚌Walking; local bus to Sveti Naum ~£1.50 each way

🛏Ohrid guesthouse near the lake or old town

• →Lake Ohrid boat or kayak trip
• →Samuel's Fortress and Ancient Theatre
• →Plaošnik basilica
• →Sveti Naum church and springs

Bus south to Bitola (~£4, 1.5 hrs). Wander Širok Sokak, the Ottoman-era bazaar and the old consulates, then walk to the Roman ruins of Heraclea Lyncestis (£3) with their famous mosaics. In the late afternoon head up to Krusevo if you have energy — otherwise stay the night in Bitola's old town.

🚌Bus Ohrid–Bitola ~£4

🛏Old town guesthouse or hostel in Bitola (£12–20 dorm, £28–38 private)

• →Širok Sokak promenade
• →Bitola old bazaar
• →Heraclea Lyncestis Roman ruins
• →Krusevo day trip (optional)

Bus to Skopje (~£7, 3 hrs), optionally breaking the journey in Prilep or Veles. Once in Skopje, check in near the centre and head to Matka Canyon by local bus (£1.50) for a boat ride into the gorge (£8–10) and a short trail walk. Back in the city, walk the Vardar waterfront at dusk.

🚌Bus Bitola–Skopje ~£7; local bus to Matka ~£1.50

🛏Skopje hostel or guesthouse near the centre (£12–20 dorm, £28–40 private)

• →Matka Canyon boat trip
• →Skopje Vardar waterfront walk
• →Prilep or Veles stop (optional)

Explore Skopje on foot: the Ottoman Old Bazaar, Kale Fortress, the Stone Bridge, the Mother Teresa Memorial House and the sobering Museum of the Macedonian Struggle. Afternoon free to visit the Millennium Cross on Vodno (cable car £5 return) or to relax over a coffee. Try a tavče gravče and shopska salad for dinner.

🚌Walking; city bus for Vodno ~£1

🛏Skopje hostel or guesthouse near the centre

• →Skopje Old Bazaar
• →Kale Fortress
• →Stone Bridge and Macedonia Square
• →Vodno cable car (optional)

Bus from Skopje to Prizren (~£7, 3 hrs) with a border crossing into Kosovo. Spend the afternoon in Prizren's old town — Sinan Pasha Mosque, the fortress above the city, and the stone bridge over the Bistrica. In the late afternoon continue by bus to Pristina (~£5, 2 hrs) and check in.

🚌Bus Skopje–Prizren ~£7; bus Prizren–Pristina ~£5

🛏Pristina hostel or guesthouse (£12–20 dorm, £28–40 private)

• →Prizren old town walk
• →Sinan Pasha Mosque
• →Prizren Fortress
• →Border crossing into Kosovo

Spend the morning exploring Pristina: the Newborn monument, Mother Teresa Boulevard, the National Library's controversial architecture, and the Kosovo Museum. Grab a final burek and macchiato before heading to Pristina International Airport by local bus or taxi (~£6). Alternatively extend into Peja or the Rugova Mountains if you have extra days.

🚌Airport bus or taxi ~£6

🛏Not included (departure day)

• →Newborn monument
• →Pristina National Library
• →Kosovo Museum
• →Airport transfer