Walking Holidays Albania | Hiking trails to discover Albania

Arrival in Albania through Mother Teresa Airport . Transfer to Shkodra where we will visit
the beautiful Fortress of Rozafa and its sacrifice legend. ( 1 hr 30 min drive). Great views of
the region where three rivers meet and from where we can see the gorgeous Shkodra Lake.
Spend the evening by visiting the elegant pedestrian promenade of the downtown. Overnight
in a traditional hotel of Shkodra. 

Visit the small but interesting museum and a little coffee break enjoying the views of the
confluence of three rivers (Drini, Kiri and Buna), the Shkodra Lake and the whole city.
Transfer to the Buna Bridge. ( 10 min) Boating Buna River ( 45 min ) to Shiroka – Skadar
Lake ( 1 hr 30 min) by a fisherman’s motor boat.Lunch with the typical dish of Carpe and the
sauce of garlic, onions and laurel in a fisherman family in the village of Zogaj, situated right
by the border with Montenegro and in Communist times has seen loads of difficult moments.
The local family will be great at telling us all that and will amaze us with its own raki and
food. Visit one of the most distinguished artisans in the country, the ladies cooperative of
qilim makers.Returning from Shiroka to Shkodra by bicycles (as you wish; 8.2 km) or by
driving through the shores of the lake ( 30’)Return to the hotel. Shower and relax before
dinner time.
Dinner in a small restaurant in the downtown. ( B,D)

Departure early in the morning towards the (Cursed Mountains) Alps. We will drive through
the Valley of Boga. ( 1 hr 30 min) .We’ll have a coffe break .Drive down to where the forest
and meadows start at ca 1 200 möh (25 min ). The minibus will leave the group in Boga, for
those who want to hike Boga to Thore Pass( 2 hr ) .The car waits for us at the pass, in case
some wants to take a lift down to Theth. (Here we use a local 4&4 car or minibus, because
the road is in a bed condition. The luggages as well will be transported with this vehicle)
Then start a hike through the marvelous mountains and Qafa e T’thores (1773m a.s.l.) to the
village of Theth (about 3- 4 hours). Arrival in Theth by early evening. Overnight in local
guesthouse with traditional dinner. Overnight Theth. ( B, Picnic L, D)

Leaving the guest house and hiking towards the water fall and turn. ( 35’ each way)
Hiking direction Nderlyse for a bit more than two hours through a beautiful trail. ( 2 hr 15
min ). Lunch in a local family in Nderlyse at Blue Eye. Swimming at the “Vaskat e Gurit” (Stone
Basins) .Freezing cold but fabulous beautiful water pools of Nderlyse.
Hike back to the Guesthouse. ( I would suggest to drive by a local minibus on the way back
to the guesthouse) .
Learn to cook a local speciality with our Loke (a Northern Albanian equivalent to the word
Mama) from the local family (English meaning: Cave). She cooks this bread that she blesses
by designing a cross in the middle. We’ll make sure we help her cook and bake it. Only after
that happens we’ll have the right to eat. (The group will eat what they will cook and other
specialities of course, not just the bread)
Dinner at the Guesthouse. Overnight in Theth. ( B,D )

We’ll departure early in the morning, accompanied by a local professional hiking guide
through the village of Theth ca 45 min to where the road ends ( we can drive with a local
minibus here till where the trek to Valbona start, 30’ drive) and will pass the Mountain of
Hrapi through the beautiful Pass of Peja (2217m a.s.l. ). On our way we will see the beautiful
Lakes of the Pass of Peja. The two valleys of Theth and Valbona host more than 2000 different
species of flowers and plants, many of which endemic to Albania and some of the most rare
mammals still leaving in Europe as the Lynx and the Brown Bear. Picnic lunch when we reach
the alpine meadows. We will hike down to the wonderful Valley of Valbona (where the trek
ends and start the asphalt, we can drive again to reach the hotel/guesthouse, 15 min drive)
.(ca 6 hours 8) where we will relax and overnight in a nice little hotel. So if the group will use
minibuses in some parts, the hike will take round 6-8 hr. This depend on guests’ physical
abilities and how many stops for refreshments they will do.
We will use muels only for this part of the trek. This is the only way to transport luggages
from Theth to Valbona. ( B,picnic L, D)

First part of the day we will organize a hike to the village of Kukaj. Walking time about 2
hours (4 hours) both ways.For those who want to treck more, we can hike to Qafa e Rosit
pass. Lunch in a local family. Back to the village (for those who don’t want to trek on the way
back, we can use a local car/minibus ) we will be visiting the little but gorgeous Lake of
Xheme and then explore the village houses and life . Overnight Valbona. (B,D)

We’ll wake up early for breakfast and then we will drive to the town of Bajram Curri. ( 50’)
few chilometers from there we will be in front of some communist energetical heritage –
Hidropower damps. We’ll jump on a ferry for one of the best attractions in Albania in this
moment – the Komani Lake boat ride. (It’s a big ferry and we’ll take the minibus with the
group) Arrival in Koman ( 2 hr)
Drive to the farm Mrizi i Zanave (Shade of the Fairies), an actual symbol of sustainable
development in both the farming and hospitality sectors. (1 hr 30’). Lunch (lunch at the farm
and it’s included in our offer) and visits of the surroundings. Quite a great introduction into
traditions and history of Gegeria alias Northern Albania. We’ll have either Altin or Anton
Prenga showing us around the history of how their father which was cooking for the
cooperative members immigrated to Italy, what they learned and how they ended up on the
attention of National and International medias with their development culinary and tourism
project.Drive to Tirana. Check in at a hotel.
Tour of the Old Tirana. We like to call this the “Tiranazaurus Rex” tour. All the hidden corners
of the city before it became the capital of Albania. Or what is left of all that! (B,L)

If time permit, more visits of Tirana. Drive at the airport for your flight back home.