Albania Uncovered: Backpacking Through the Most Underrated Country in Europe

Holding prime real estate, Albania is a south-eastern European country, sandwiched between neighbouring coastal countries Montenegro and Greece on the Balkan Peninsula.

Albania has a large chunk of the Adriatic and Ionian coastline where secluded fairytale-like beaches, bays, and caves beckon Explorers. Turning inland, winding rivers, waterfalls, expansive lakes, and dramatic mountainscapes await. Albania’s landscape moved me in more ways than one.

About Albania

Frankly, I’d never heard of Albania until my friend Lucy suggested it. She’d been told it was one of the cheapest and prettiest places to visit in Europe. That was all the convincing I needed. The next minute, we and two other friends, Cate and Kayla, had three weeks booked there. Spontaneous or stupid? I’ll let you be the judge.

Albania is a small piece in a jigsaw puzzle bursting with diversity, abundant in natural beauty, adventure, and cultural opportunities, bustling cities, and 18th-century towns. It’s the perfect destination for backpackers and those who want to avoid the crowds. The country has only been accessible to tourists for 30 years, so it feels unspoiled and a bit more special than the well-known places you always hear about.

The main language spoken is Albanian, but a good percentage of the younger people in urban areas also speak English. Cash is a must in Albania, most places don’t take EFTPOS. The currency is the Albanian Lek, although many places accept Euros too.

We visited a mixture of inland and coastal destinations. If you plan to follow a similar itinerary, I suggest staying for at least two weeks so you have time to reach the more remote areas and activities.

Albania History

When I told people I was heading to Albania to backpack for several weeks I received many a sideways glance. Albania’s history is not exactly spotless, but no country has a picture-perfect past.

Roman, Balkan, and Ottoman empires have all invaded Albania at various times, and the influence of these invasions can be seen today in the unique meld of European and Middle Eastern culture.

More recently, in the latter half of the 20th century, Albania fell subject to the rule of Enver Hoxha, the leader of the Albanian Party of Labor. This communist regime held power in Albania for 45 years. During this period Albanians were immobilised. No one could enter or depart the country, and all religion and religious activities were suppressed. Those who rebelled suffered the consequences – I won’t go into the unpleasant details.

This period in Albanian history still influences how the rest of the world thinks about the country. But this narrative is far from the current reality. Tourism is rising and Albanians are ready and waiting to welcome the rest of the globe into its slice of paradise.

How To Get to Albania

By Plane

The capital, Tirana, is where most people start their trip. There are frequent flights from the United Kingdom and most neighbouring European countries into Tirana.

By Bus

We caught a bus from Kotor, Montenegro, to Shkodër in north Albania, which travelled inland through rural towns. Tickets for this route can be purchased at the Kotor Main Bus Station. Make sure to arrive with plenty of time to purchase tickets as buses can fill up quickly.

How To Travel Around Albania

Getting to Albania is easy, but travelling around Albania requires a high level of trust in the locals and their public transport ‘system’, which functions via word of mouth. Yep. Word. Of. Mouth.

Signs like this are a big help!

By Bus

Unlike other European countries, Albania has no online bus schedule where you can check times or pre-book. The easiest way to get info is to talk to hostel staff. Whether you’re staying at the hostel or not they’re usually more than happy to direct you. Alternatively, you can ask the locals but they’re not always sure and not every local you approach will speak English.

Be prepared to pay whatever the bus driver asks when boarding. Between cities, prices ranged from around 300 lek to 800 lek. Shorter trips were often under 100 lek (equivalent to about 1 Euro or $1.60 AUD), but make sure to carry extra cash, as drivers always appreciate a tip.

By Car

Car hire in Albania is also an option if you’re game to drive on the right-hand side of the road and navigate the road rules (or lack thereof).

Where to Stay in Albania

Wanderers Hostel in Shkodër

The Wanderers Hostel has got to be my favourite hostel of all time. Seriously kind and laid-back staff, comfortable with clean bedrooms and bathrooms, an outdoor bar and relaxation area, free breakfast, and day and overnight trips to explore the wider region. This hostel had it all for the bargain price of $29 AUD per night.

Mosaic Home in Tirana

We only stayed in Tirana for two nights and Mosaic Home was exactly what we needed at this point in our travels. It was quiet, clean, and welcoming, and its proximity to the city centre was perfect for the activities we wanted to do during our short visit.

Berat Backpackers Hostel

This hostel is in a 300-year-old UNESCO World Heritage building in the Gorica quarter of Berat. Surrounded by fruit trees and vined terraces that overlook the Osum River, Berat Backpackers was something out of a whimsical romance. This hostel also offers wine tours and day trips to the Osumi Canyon.

Himarë Downtown Hostel

We briefly went into this hostel to ask for directions; the staff were lovely and it looked like a beautiful place to stay. We needed a break from hostels at this point so opted to stay in an Airbnb for our five nights in Himarë.

Sarandë Backpackers

Sarandë Backpackers was very chilled out and directly across the street from the beach. The hostel had two kitchen and dining areas and a balcony overlooking the beach for guests to enjoy.

Derelict walkways like this are common in Berat

Where to Eat & Drink in Albania

Best Places For a Meal

Fisi Restaurant in Shkodër 

We were eager to try traditional Albanian food as soon as we could. The staff from Wanderers Hostel suggested we have our first taste of the local cuisine at Fisi Restaurant. Albanian food is a distinctive weaving of familiar Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours, and damn, is it delicious. Many dishes have meat but there are vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

Bar Restorant Ajka in Berat

There are so many restaurants to choose from in Berat, the hardest thing was deciding where to go. One night we settled for Bar Restorant Ajka, unassuming from the outside but gorgeous once you enter, with an option of indoor or outdoor dining overlooking the river and city below.

Taverna Lefteri in Himarë

Albania is known for its seafood dishes and what better place to try them than on the coast? Taverna Lefteri is the oldest restaurant in Himarë, and they have seriously perfected their art. I ordered the seafood risotto, which was simply divine.

Street Food 

Street vendors are the perfect option for a quick feed when on the go. Most places had stalls selling gyros, pizza, or sweet and savoury crepes.

Best Places For a Drink

Hostels

I always prefer to have a few drinks where I’m staying (at least to begin the night), as it’s a great way to get to know fellow backpackers. Beer and wine are relatively cheap in Albania. You can grab a beer for 100 lek and snag a bottle of wine for as little as 500 lek. Look out for Albania’s traditional drink – raki – it’ll knock you off your feet.

Sunset Beach and Restaurant in Sarandë

This bar is in a gorgeous location, right on the beachfront. It has a great atmosphere and stays open late for those who like to party.

Essential Gear for Albania

• Sunscreen (especially if you’re visiting in the peak of summer)
• Filtered drink bottle (saves you buying water)
• Clothing and footwear suitable for hiking
• Warm layers (if you intend to visit the Alps)
• Day hiking pack
• Sandals/water shoes

Read more: Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack – Del Dia – Reviewed & Tested

What it’s Like to Visit Albania

Personal Highlights

Hiking in the Albanian Alps was one of my most precious experiences. We organised our three-day trip through Wanderers Hostel. Locals accommodate hikers in guesthouses, welcome travellers into their sacred place, and fuel you for your journey with home-cooked food for the soul (some of the best food I’ve ever eaten).

The trek between Valbone and Theth is magical, challenging physically and mentally but equally enriching. I can’t wait to revisit and explore this landscape further.

Discovering the southern coastline of Albania was breathtaking. We decided to take a boat tour out of Himarë. The tour we chose took us to six locations and dropped us at a beach of our choice for the remainder of the day.

Pigeons Cave (our location of choice) was heaven on earth. We spent the day swimming, laughing, sharing stories, reading, resting, and journaling. I’ll never forget it.

Navigating the Buses

We’d heard rumours of Albania’s unpredictable transport system, but nothing could have prepared us for what we’d unwittingly signed up for.

It rained heavily during our journey from Kotor to Shkodër and the bus began to leak.  Like, a lot. I wasn’t stoked about being completely soaked, but I was highly entertained by the French man sitting next to me whose eyes lit up in mischief as he whipped out his shampoo and began to wash his hair.

We waited in the heat for buses that arrived well past the ‘expected’ time and ran with our backpacks to scramble onto buses running ‘early’. Everything in Albania runs on ‘Balkan Time,’ which is often a moving target.

Things to Do in Albania

• Hike from Valbona to Theth – accessible from Shkodër, this 17km hike reaches 1800m where the most jaw-dropping 360° views can be seen
• Engage with the country’s history and visit the Bunk’Art Museums in Tirana
• Visit Berat’s beautiful wineries in the countryside; most hostels can organise this for you
• Hire a boat for the day – tour companies are scattered along the waterfront in both Himarë and Sarandë
• Marvel at the magnificent natural water spring ‘The Blue Eye’ just out of Sarandë
• Sign up for the walking tours in each city – they’re a great way to get your bearings and learn about the history of the place

How Albania Shaped Me

Albania revealed its true essence in the spaces between adventure and scrambling for buses. In moments of pause, the silence of the landscape spoke the truth of time, and the depth to which people looked you in the eye conveyed generations of hurt, hope, and highs. 

Perception is a reflection of your mental state at the time. For me, the Alps held sorrow, beauty, and courage. The deep valleys opened my heart and catapulted me into the present, a place I hadn’t been in a long time. 

In the cities, I felt lost. In Berat I felt a sense of unease – staying in an 18th-century building came with supernatural lingerings. The exposed coast forced me to process all that was emerging and urged me to bathe in the planet’s waters and wash my worries away. 

My visit to Albania was a wake-up call. What it has in store for you is for you to find out.

Have I convinced you to take the plunge?

Tips for Visiting Albania

• Familiarise yourself with the language
• Be prepared to engage with the locals for directions
• We visited Albania in July (next time I’d go in the shoulder season to avoid the heat)
• Some EFTPOS machines charge large fees so check with the locals about what bank they recommend for foreigners
• You can travel in Albania for up to 90 days without a visa
• If you wish to exceed 90 days in Europe, you should know Albania is not part of the Schengen area (the group of 29 European countries without border controls). Adding Albania to your Europe itinerary is a cheeky way to stay in Europe longer as any time spent there won’t contribute to your 90-day limit in the Schengen Area. (Applicable to Australian and New Zealand passport holders)
• Albania is not a destination for the faint-hearted, but it’s an excellent choice for those who love adventure and, most importantly, can embrace spontaneity

Basking in the glory of the Albanian Alps

FAQs Backpacking Through Albania

What direction did you travel through Albania?

After catching a bus from Kotor, Montenegro, to Shkodër, in the north of Albania, we made our way south, dipping into Tirana and Berat, then onwards to the stunning coastal towns in the south, Himarë and Sarandë.

Is internet access reliable in Albania?

Yes, most cities and tourist areas have good internet access, with many hostels, cafes, and restaurants offering free WiFi. SIM cards are inexpensive and data coverage is generally reliable. However, don’t count on it in remote areas, particularly in the mountains!

Is Albania a safe destination for solo travellers?

Yes, Albania is generally considered safe for solo travellers, especially in tourist areas like Tirana, Berat, and the coastal towns. However, it’s always wise to take the usual precautions, like staying aware of your surroundings, avoiding isolated areas at night, and respecting local customs. Albanians are known for their hospitality, so you’ll often find locals willing to help if needed.

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