Self-Launched Albania Adventure: Tirana, Gjirokaster, the Riviera & Karaburun

Land at Tirana Nënë Tereza Airport and take the Rinas Express airport bus into the centre (~300 lek / £2.60, roughly hourly). Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel in the Blloku or Pazari i Ri area (~£22-25 for a twin, less in a hostel dorm). Spend the afternoon on foot: wander the Blloku district towards the Grand Park, detour to the Church of St. Procopius ruins and the Artificial Lake viewpoint, then loop back through the Pazari i Ri open-air market for byrek, fresh figs and raki. Dinner at a local tavë spot near Rruga e Kavajës — grilled meat, salad and beer should run £8-10.

🚌Rinas Express bus airport to city centre, ~£2.60; everything else on foot

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Blloku / Pazari i Ri (~£22 per person twin share)

• →Rinas Express airport bus into Tirana
• →Self-guided walk: Blloku District & Grand Park
• →Church of St. Procopius ruins and lake viewpoint
• →Browse Pazari i Ri open-air market
• →Dinner at a local restaurant

Take an early furgon or bus from Tirana's regional bus terminal towards Gjirokaster (roughly 5-6 hours, ~1,000-1,500 lek / £9-13; some services route via Tepelenë along the Vjosa valley — ask at the terminal, or book a Tirana–Gjirokaster seat through a local agency the day before). Break the journey at Tepelenë for a riverside stop: the Vjosa is one of Europe's last wild rivers, and a supervised swim at a shallow shingle beach near the bridge is a great leg-stretcher (check water levels; spring melt makes it fast and cold). Arrive in Gjirokaster, check into a stone guesthouse in the old town (~£20 pp), then walk up to Gjirokaster Castle for the UNESCO-listed walls, clock tower and the captured artillery/aircraft yard, followed by a slow amble through the cobbled Old Bazaar.

🚌Public bus/furgon Tirana–Gjirokaster, ~£9-13; local walking

🛏Old-town stone guesthouse in Gjirokaster (~£20 per person twin share)

• →Public bus/furgon Tirana to Gjirokaster with a Tepelenë stop
• →Wild swim in the Vjosa River (water conditions allowing)
• →Visit Gjirokaster Castle
• →Explore the Old Bazaar

Book a Grade 2-3 Vjosa rafting trip directly with a local operator in Gjirokaster or Përmet (half-day, roughly £30-40 including kit and guide; GetYourGuide lists Përmet/Vjosa rafting options, or ask your guesthouse to call the local rafting base). Trips usually meet up the valley near Kelcyra, so plan on a shared transfer or a lift with the operator. After rafting, walk the short trail along the Benja River into Kelcyra Gorge to the Katiu Ottoman Bridge, and soak in the natural thermal pools at Benja (free; bring shoes with grip). Grab a simple lunch at a roadside guesthouse — tavë kosi or fresh trout, ~£6. Return to Gjirokaster for the evening.

🚌Shared transfer / operator pickup to the rafting put-in, ~£6; local walking

🛏Old-town stone guesthouse in Gjirokaster (~£20 per person twin share)

• →White water rafting on the Vjosa River (Grade 2-3)
• →Short hike along the Benja River in Kelcyra Gorge
• →Dip in the Benja thermal pools
• →See the Katiu Ottoman Bridge

There is no handy public bus down the coast road, so the practical budget move is a shared minibus transfer (ask your guesthouse; ~£12-15 pp if you can fill seats) or the daily bus towards Sarandë plus a hop back — the direct shared transfer is far simpler. Stop at Porto Palermo to explore Ali Pasha's fortress, its rooms and tunnels (small entry fee, ~£2.50) and swim off the bay beneath it. Continue along the Albanian Riviera's cliff-hugging coastal road, with a long beach stop at Borsh or one of the Livhadi coves for a swim and lunch (~£7). Overnight in Himara (~£22 pp for a sea-view guesthouse).

🚌Shared minibus transfer Gjirokaster–Himara, ~£13

🛏Guesthouse in Himara (~£22 per person twin share)

• →Shared minibus down the Albanian Riviera coastal road
• →Visit Ali Pasha Fortress at Porto Palermo
• →Swim at a beach during the lunch stop
• →Scenic Riviera coastal drive

A proper leg-day: walk up to the Himara Castle ruins and the old upper village, then take the long way down the ridge trail back to the hotel — roughly 9 km, 2.5 hours, 130 m up and 290 m down, with views over Livhadi Bay the whole way. Free, self-guided, and best started before 9am in summer. Afternoon is yours: swim at Spile or Livhadi beach, drink coffee on the promenade, and eat at a family-run fish taverna in the evening (~£10 for grilled fish, salad and wine). Note the original tour flags this as a rest/optional day, so use it as a buffer if you were rained off rafting.

🚌On foot

🛏Guesthouse in Himara (~£22 per person twin share)

• →Hike to Himara Castle ruins
• →Ridge trail from the castle back to town (9 km)
• →Swim at Livhadi Bay
• →Seafront dinner in Himara

Book a Karaburun Peninsula and Sazan Island boat trip directly with a Vlora or Himara boat operator (RIB day trips run roughly £35-50 pp depending on group size and whether Sazan is permitted on the day — check locally as access to the island's former military zone is occasionally restricted). The trip takes in the Haxhi Ali Cave, swimming stops on Karaburun's beaches and the clear water of the maritime park; bring your own lunch or buy byrek before boarding (~£6). Afterwards take the local bus or a shared taxi up the coast to Vlora (about 1.5 hours, ~£3-5), check into a central guesthouse (~£20 pp), and walk Vlora Old Town: Muradie Mosque, the Independence Monument and Museum of Independence, then dinner on the promenade.

🚌Local bus/shared taxi Himara–Vlora, ~£4

🛏Central guesthouse or budget hotel in Vlora (~£20 per person twin share)

• →RIB boat trip on Karaburun Peninsula and Sazan Island Maritime Park
• →Visit Haxhi Ali Cave
• →Swim at a peninsula beach
• →Explore Vlora Old Town, Muradie Mosque and Independence Monument

Take the morning bus north from Vlora and stop at Pojan for Apollonia (UNESCO-listed Greek-Roman city — bus to Fier then a local taxi or the seasonal shuttle, ~£6 total; site entry ~£3). Wander the odeon, the Roman temple ruins and the monastery-turned-archaeology museum. Then continue to Tirana (~£6-7, 2.5-3 hours). In the late afternoon ride the Dajti Express cable car from the city edge up to Mt Dajti (~£5 return) and buy a single-activity or day pass at Dajti Adventure Park for the nets, suspension bridges, swinging beams and zip lines (~£10-15). Check back into a Tirana guesthouse (~£22 pp) and finish with a group dinner in Blloku.

🚌Local buses Vlora–Fier/Apollonia–Tirana, ~£13; Dajti Express cable car ~£5 return

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Tirana (~£22 per person twin share)

• →Visit Apollonia UNESCO archaeological site
• →Dajti Express cable car to Mt Dajti
• →Dajti Adventure Park obstacle courses and zip lines

Slow breakfast, a final coffee at one of the capital's excellent cafés, and a last wander through Pazari i Ri for souvenirs (raki, olive oil, filigree silver from Berat). Take the Rinas Express airport bus back to the terminal (~£2.60). If you have a late flight, the Bunk'Art 1 or House of Leaves museums are cheap two-hour fillers (~£3 each).

🚌Rinas Express bus to the airport, ~£2.60

🛏None (departure day)

• →Pazari i Ri souvenir shopping
• →Optional Bunk'Art 1 or House of Leaves museum
• →Rinas Express bus to the airport