Castles, Canyons and Coastlines: A 7-day Albania Itinerary by Car

There were two or three people there when we arrived at around 10 a.m and only a few more (primarily Albanian families) when we left.

In the spirit of adventure, I decided to try a short cut on the route back to the car, which unfortunately turned out to be a long uphill hike over the headland (something Stu was NOT happy about). However, it did afford us some pretty amazing views down on to the beach below.

Once we’d eventually made it back to the car we headed along the coast in the opposite direction towards Palermo, stopping off at the ruins of Himara Castle on route.  The castle is part of the – now very neglected and largely abandoned – Old Town, around three kilometres uphill from new Himarë.

Although it’s rather sad to see such a charming, traditional part of town simply left to decay, the crumbling walls and peeling paintwork do hold a definite appeal, and I kind of love the way in which the vegetation is attempting to reclaim what remains of the hilltop fortifications.

The derelict chapel is also rather beautiful, and there are some incredible views out to sea in one direction and towards the mountains in the other.

Next up on the agenda was Porto Palermo, where – in a picturesque bay just south of Himarë – a Venetian-style fortress (known as the ‘Castle of Ali Pasha’) sits on an island that’s connected to the shore via a narrow – and easily defendable – causeway.

You can’t miss it when you’re driving along that stretch of coastline, especially considering its striking triangular design with bastions built on each corner.

A former Soviet submarine base during the communist regime in Albania, Porto Palmermo’s castle is very well preserved, both inside and out.

The interior consists of a huge vaulted chamber with archways leading off to tunnels, which in turn lead to smaller rooms.  It’s a dark and confusing place and one where a torch would have come in very handy!

I didn’t have one and before long I’d lost Stu.  So I wandered up to explore the battlements, and when I returned the chamber was filled with the dulcet tones of Albanian folk song, courtesy of Aleks Dhrami.  Aleks subsequently introduced himself to us as a local tour guide and member of a traditional Himarën folk group.

Porto Palermo bay is also a great place for snorkeling, and there’s a lovely cafe just across the road that offers excellent wifi (a rarity for Albania!) and views out to sea.

Unfortunately we didn’t find time to make it down to Borsh and to explore its castle (are you starting to notice a theme here?) because we wanted to be back in Dhermi before sunset in order to visit St. Mary’s Church.  St. Mary’s is located in an elevated position around 500 metres above the village of Dhermi. It’s possible to drive almost all the way up there, via a narrow winding road, and then to make the final 100-metre climb by stone steps.

Although we found church itself to be a bit neglected, we enjoyed being the only people wandering its grounds, and the views alone make the trip up here completely worthwhile.

Day Four: Travel to Berat via Apollonia

152 kilometres | 3 hours 18 minutes

Seeing as though we’d missed out on visiting Butrint, we were keen to drop by the ancient Illyiran city of Apollonia on route to Berat.  Although I use the term ‘drop by’ very loosely, because it was a very long drive down a very bad road to get there.  We didn’t see a single other vehicle after turning off the SH8 at Levan, and we had the pick of car parking spaces when we arrived.

Founded by the Greeks in 588 B.C, Apollonia was once a significant trading port and cultural centre for about 50,000 people.  However, an earthquake in the third century A.D caused the city to fall into decline.  It was re-discovered in the early 19th century and first excavated by the French Archeologist Léon Rey between 1924 and 1938.  But, 80 years later, it is estimated that a large chunk of the site (around 90%) still remains uncovered.  What has been uncovered is pretty impressive though – especially Apollo’s Temple and the Odeon Theatre.

There’s also a 13th century church and monastery on site, as well as a museum that houses many of the archaeological treasures found during excavations in the area.  And if you need a break from your explorations, the Léon Rey cafe is located at the summit of the tenemos hill and offers some stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

Opening times: May-15 October 09:00-18:00 hours 16 October-April 09:00-16:00 hours | Admission: 400LEK

We spent around two or three hours at Apollonia before continuing on to Berat.

I contemplated booking two nights in Berat, because I had a feeling it was going to be somewhere I’d fall in love with.  However, knowing how much Stu loves the coast and that Dhermi was the only coastal stop I’d factored into the itinerary, in the spirit of compromise I booked two nights in Dhermi instead.  As I suspected though, my intuition was spot on.  Berat was probably my favourite destination we visited in Albania, and one that I would return to in an instant.

Inhabited since the Bronze Age, over 4000 years ago, Berat is one of the oldest cities in Albania.   In 2008 it joined Gjirokastër on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, as a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town.  Traditional Ottoman houses are seemingly stacked on top of each other like steps climbing the hillside on both sides of the Osum river.  It’s a unique and beautiful sight that’s probably one of the most photographed in all of Albania.

In between these houses, narrow cobbled streets and stone steps form a veritable labyrinth, inviting exploration.

We were staying at Berat Backpackers a lovely little hostel that’s housed in a 250-year-old building in the Gorica neighbourhood – the old Christian quarter during the Ottoman period and also the most atmospheric part of Berat.  There are some incredible views from the hostel’s garden, across to the Mangalem quarter and up to the castle.

For dinner we decided to head to Home-made Food Lili, in the heart of Manglem’s maze, primarily because it received such glowing reviews online, and because we wanted to eat somewhere authentic, where we could sample some traditional Albanian food.

The entrance is fairly inconspicuous and unassuming but the welcome we received from Lili as we approached was anything but.  He is an exuberant, generous, energetic and attentive ‘character’ who we immediately warmed to, and right from the off-set we knew that this was not simply going to be a nice meal out; it was going to be a unique dining experience.  The restaurant – which consists of just five tables – is housed in a small courtyard at the back of Lili’s family home.  It’s a humble, rustic eatery where you’re welcomed like an old friend to a family feast.

Lili will bring you a (glass; no plastic here!) bottle of water and a carafe of his father’s home-made red wine (the wine’s not compulsory, but I’d thoroughly recommend you try it) to enjoy while he reads the menu out to you, accompanied by photographs of each of the dishes on a makeshift display board.

Pictured below is what we ordered for two of us but sadly couldn’t finish, despite our best efforts.  Our favourite dish was the aubergine (in the middle).  I honestly had never eaten aubergine as good as this before I visited Lili’s and will probably never do so again.  If you only order one dish, make it the aubergine!

Considering that we arrived at Lili’s at around 7 p.m, it was nearly four hours, two carafes of wine and a few complimentary shots of raki later before we left.

Good to know: Lili’s opens at 6:30 p.m every evening and the kitchen ‘officially’ closes at 9:30 p.m.  It also opens lunchtimes 12-3 p.m Sat-Wed.  Due to the size of the restaurant, it gets full very quickly so be prepared to be turned away (although Lili will do his utmost to accommodate you), and have a back-up eatery in mind before you set out.  Don’t leave it until your last night in Berat to to eat here, and arrive as early as you can.

Day Five: Explore Berat, travel to Përmet via Benjë

Was meant to be 91 kilometres | 2 hours 11 minutes

In order to maximise our short time in Berat, we decided to make the hike up to its castle before the complimentary breakfast was served at our hostel, in order to avoid the heat as much as we could. But then it occurred to us on the way up that, of course, it may not be open at 7 a.m!

We thought we’d made an epic travel fail and that we’d have to turn around and come back down, feeling frustrated and more than a little bit stupid.

However, it turns out that this is a perfect time of day to visit the castle. The gates were open, but there was no-one at the kiosk to collect our entry fee (we later found out that the 100 LEK admission fee is only applicable between the hours of 9 a.m and 6 p.m) and we had the whole place to ourselves save for a resident goat herder, gardener and maintenance guy.

It was absolute bliss 🥰

Berat Castle (Kalaja e Beratit in Albanian) is unusual in the fact that the crumbling castle walls encircle a tiny hilltop village, which is still very much lived in.

Inside the castle complex, there were once 20 Christian churches (to accommodate the fortress’ residents, who predominantly identified as Christian) and a mosque (for use of the Turkish garrison).  Nowadays just eight churches remain (one of which houses the Onufri National Museum) and the red mosque is only identifiable by its minaret; the rest has been reduced to its ruined foundations.  You’ll also find an old underground water cistern on site, as well as a few cafes, restaurants and guest houses dotted around.  Be warned though: if you stay here, it’s a very steep climb home at the end of the night!

Fun fact: Berat Castle is depicted on the reverse of the Albanian 10 LEK coin, issued in 1996, 2000 and 2013.

We left Berat at around 12:30 p.m, believing we had just a two hour 11 minute journey ahead of us – plus stopping time in Benjë.  However, we eventually arrived in Përmet nine and a half hours later, and that was without stopping in Benjë!  I’m not going to bore you with the details now, because this post is already over 4000 words long.  But you can read about our experience of driving between Berat and Përmet in more detail here, under the heading ‘Not all ‘roads’ in Albania are actually roads’ – which may give you a clue as to the reason for our massive detour.

In short, if you want to get off the beaten track here in Albania (which is what road trips are all about, aren’t they?), I’d advise hiring a 4 x 4 vehicle rather than a small car with a very low wheelbase.  Also, don’t place your trust in a road that starts off in good condition or in one labelled as a State Highway (SH) on a map, because they can (and do) turn into dirt tracks that are impassable for the majority of vehicles.

On the plus side though, we did pass through some beautiful, lush mountain scenery and deep canyons.

Fortunately we found a roadside cafe with wifi on route, so we were able to let our host at Funky Guest House and Adventures know we were running very late.  When we arrived he was sat outside in the attached bar, flashed us a broad smile and immediately offered to move his car so that we could park ours right outside.  He also recommended a nearby pizza restaurant that was still serving at 10:30 p.m – an absolute Godsend when you’ve not eaten since breakfast.

Day Six: Travel to Korça via Voskopojë

173 kilometres | 4 hours 7 minutes (without diversion to Voskopojë: 133 kilometres | 3 hours 13 minutes)

After our misadventures the day beforehand, we were keen to get on the road early.  So we cut our explorations of Përmet very short and hopped in the car shortly after checkout at 10 a.m.

Fortunately though, the road between Përmet and Korça was in reasonably good condition for the entire journey, save for the usual Albanian potholes.  And the scenery on this particular leg of the journey completely blew me away.

We drove along quiet winding roads amidst lush tree-covered hills and craggy snow-capped mountain peaks, we passed through tiny farming villages and vast forests, and the sound of flowing water – whether it be from a nearby waterfall or stream or from the Vjosa river or one of its tributaries – was never far away.

We even stopped for a coffee in Erseke – officially the highest town in Albania, at 1050 metres above sea level.

However, we decided against taking the turning towards Voskopojë when we noticed what poor condition the road appeared to be in.  Instead we continued on to Korça, arriving in plenty of time to have a good look around before nightfall.  Unfortunately though, the weather had other ideas, and before we’d been able to get further than the city’s old bazaar, the heavens opened and a huge thunderstorm was upon us.

We ducked inside the closest cafe-bar – “Kømiteti” (which actually turned out to be one of the coolest bars in town) – and watched the storm roll through.  We were staying at Old Bazaar Rooms – a lovely little apartment right inside Korça’s bazaar, so it wasn’t far to stumble home when we re-visited the bar for drinks later that evening.

Korça’s bazaar is an Ottoman-era bazaar that was established approximately 500 years ago, rebuilt in 1879 following an extensive fire and then renovated in 2015 in order to transform it into a tourist hub for those visiting the city.   It once housed over 1000 stores and operated like a city within a city.  Although it now exists on a much smaller scale, and the majority of units are cafe and bars as opposed to shops, it’s a lovely place to hang out when the sun is shining (and it was again once the storm was over).

In the evening, in an attempt to see a little more of the city, we walked out to Vila Cofiel for dinner, via the Cathedral of the Resurrection – the largest Orthodox church in Albania.

Vila Cofiel had been recommended to us for its charming and traditional ambiance, amazing food, and live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

As luck would have it we were in Korça on a Friday evening, which swayed our decision to visit.  As it turned out, we were more preoccupied with the five-week old resident kitten in the end than we were with the music, but the food was lovely and it’s the first place in Albania where I’d been able to order myself a dark beer to enjoy with my food.  Brewed in Korça, no less.

Although Korça is not big on tourist attractions, it’s worth checking out one of the oldest mosques in Albania (Mirahori Mosque, built 1494) and the National Museum of Medieval Art while you’re here.

Day Seven: Travel to Tirana

163 kilometres | 2 hours 49 minutes

After grabbing a very nice breakfast at one of the cafes on the main square in the centre of Korça’s bazaar, we hit the road again.  Our drive today would take us along the shores of Lake Ohrid on the Albanian side and through the city of Elbasan.  Our final destination was Tirana, where we would drop off our car and end our seven-day road trip around Albania.

This was actually the one day when our route stuck to major highways and good, well-surfaced roads.  We even managed to find a small garage just outside Elbasan, where the kind mechanics helped Stu to re-attach the part of our car that had fallen off when it had a fight with a road on day five.  And, even though they’d potentially saved us our €500 deposit on the hire car, they refused to take any money from us for their efforts.

Once we’d passed Elbasan, we had the option of joining the new motorway (the A3) that would take us pretty much all the way to Tirana.  However, our Sat Nav didn’t know this and sent us up the old road – the SH3.  And I’m so glad it did.  The old road took us high above the new A3 and offered a much quieter and more pleasant driving experience, as well as some fantastic views.

We dropped the car off at Tirana airport with zero issues whatsoever, apart from the fact that we had to wait over an hour for a bus into the centre of Tirana, where we’d booked an overnight stay before heading over the border to Ohrid in Macedonia.

Considering how well located our Central Tirana Apartment was in Albania’s capital city, we couldn’t believe that it was also one of the cheapest places we secured on our trip. On top of that, our host was incredibly helpful and made sure that we knew exactly where to find the property and that there would be someone there to meet us when we arrived.

Our explorations of Tirana were brief, but I actually came away wishing I’d been able to stay longer and see more.

The problem is that a lot of Tirana’s attractions are quite spread out so you’ll need at least a full day just to tick a few off your list.  Here are some of the places I wanted to visit; a couple I managed, but most I didn’t.

• Skanderbeg Square. Tirana’s central plaza, home to Et’hem Bey Mosque and National Historical Museum
• Independence Monument. Created by artists Visar Obrija and Kai Kiklas in Austria, and weighing a whopping 15 tonnes, the monument was inaugurated in 2012 and is a symbol of the Albanian nation’s strength and resistance in times of difficulty and war.
• Bunk Art 1 and 2. Learn about Albania’s history inside an abandoned bunker (or, in this case, two abandoned bunkers!)
• Pyramid of Tirana.  The building’s been abandoned (was originally built to house a museum dedicated to Enver Hohxa before the fall of Communism), but the unusual structure still remains.
• Sky Tower. At the top of the tower is a revolving restaurant offering 360-degree views of Tirana.
• Electric box street art. Famous people and cartoon characters painted on electrical boxes.  Colourful and fun!
• Cable car up Mount Dajti. The ride takes around 15 minutes and offers incredible views of the city.  There’s some great hikes up there too.

Cost breakdown for 7 days in Albania

Flights to/from Albania

As explained earlier in this post, we flew into Corfu and back home from Ohrid Macedonia.  Our flights costs are below.  I research and book all my flights via Skyscanner.

• Birmingham, UK to Corfu Town, Greece with Ryanair £89.94 / €100.10
• Ohrid, Macedonia to London Luton with Wizz Air £47 / €52

Total for return flights for two people = £136.94 / €152.41

Accommodation in Albania

We stayed in a mixture of hostels, rooms (in someone’s home), guesthouses and apartments and our average nightly accommodation cost was just £22.  Considering that parking was available free of charge at every single one of these places, 50% included breakfast and the majority came with their own terrace or balcony, this represented incredible value for money.  And everywhere we stayed far exceeded our expectations in terms of quality and of the welcome and hospitality we received from our hosts.  Booking.com is my go-to site for booking accommodation, because they offer a wide variety of accommodation options, cheap prices and free cancellation.  I have included links to each of the places we stayed in the appropriate section of this post.

• 1 night in Gjirokaster £22 / €24.48
• 2 nights in Dhermi £41 / €45.63
• 1 night in Berat £22 / €24.48
• 1 night in Përmet £22 / €24.48
• 1 night in Korça £33 / €36.90
• 1 night in Tirana £17  / €19.99

Total for 7 nights’ accommodation for two people = £157 / €174.74

Ground transportation and car hire costs

The main thing I haven’t included here is fuel costs, because we spent way more on fuel on day 5 than we should have done, had we’d been able to travel all the way along the route we’d originally planned to.  But to give you a rough idea of fuel costs, the price per litre ranged from 165-185 LEK (so it’s important to shop around; don’t wait until you’re so low on fuel that you have to fill up at the first gas station you come to).  We put the equivalent of two full tanks of petrol in, but without the massive detour, we would’ve needed much less.

I also haven’t included the additional driver cost, which we had to pay simply because Stu doesn’t own a credit card.  If you want to share the driving though, you’ll need to part with another £33 / €36.50.

• Ferry from Corfu Town to Saranda Port, Albania £38.78 / €43.16
• Car hire for 7 days with Rentalcars.com £168.51 / €186.56
• Full insurance £59.92 / €66.33
• Charge for dropping the car off at a different location to the pick-up point £70 / €77.49
• Bus from Tirana to Ohrid £27.19 / €30.10

Total for 7 nights’ ground transportation costs including car hire = £364.40 / €403.16

Total cost of 7 days in Albania = £658.34 / Total cost per person = £329.17

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