Walking in Albania

• Accommodation: 1 Superior night (hotel), 6 Classic nights (4 hotel, 2 guesthouse)
• Three full-day walks; two shorter walks
• Altitude maximum: 5,905ft (1,800m); average: 4,100ft (1,250m)
• Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader(s). Minimum age: 16
• Option to travel by train to your adventure

All breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners included. Three of these lunches are packed lunches. In the itinerary, we state which meals are included on each day. Under the leadership of Enver Hoxha (the communist leader of Albania from 1944 to 1985), Albania became a self-sustaining country due to its isolation to the world. With fertile valleys, fresh mountain springs and Mediterranean climate, Albania still has a subsistence culture and shows very little signs of changing. In the countryside, expect your food to have been grown not too far from your plate. Food in Albania is quite varied thanks to the many influences on the country, particularly Mediterranean, which combines Turkish and European tastes. Dairy products, especially milk and yoghurt are present in almost every meal, usually locally sourced. Meals are reasonably priced at around 550-750 leks (€5-€7) per dish for traditional dishes such as baked rice, casseroles, stuffed aubergine and jani meat (beef or lamb sautéed with onions, garlic and spices). Fresh fish is also plentiful, from the sea or lakes, and is an important ingredient in many dishes. Dishes that must be sampled are Tirana stew, Elbasan yoghurt and baked phyllo pie. For dessert, there are the classic cookies and puddings but most importantly the baklava is very popular. Drinks are reasonably priced with a bottle of local beer costing around 250 leks (€2.40) yet traditional drinks need to be tried as well, raki and Skenderbeu cognac for example (noted for its unique flavour and aroma). Your leader will recommend restaurants for each evening. Vegetarians are well-catered for in Albania as long as the hotels are advised in advance – please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. If you follow a vegan diet, the variety of food may be limited on this trip. This diet is relatively uncommon in this region and we cannot guarantee the hotels and restaurants will provide meals that have the necessary variety.

Albania generally has a Mediterranean climate with summer temperatures at 25C (77F) on average in the day; the warmest months are July and August, when temperatures can exceed 30C (86F). It becomes cooler further inland towards Korca during these months, especially in the evenings with high temperatures around 25C (77F). There is always the small chance of rain in the mountains yet we aim not to travel in the coldest and wettest months between November and January. Berat also has a Mediterranean climate but thanks to its location in the shadow of Mount Tomorr, summers are much warmer than expected for the Mediterranean.

This trip has been rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings please visit our Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

This trip focuses on the north and central regions of Albania and is a balance of walking, culture and sightseeing. During the first half of the week, we trek in the remote Albanian Alps in the north. For the second half, we visit the historic towns of Berat and Krujë.

Walking difficulty: This trekking trip is suitable for the average walker who is prepared to put in some physical preparation. For the most part, our walks follow good trails yet the terrain can be very rocky and slippery in parts, particularly in the Theth and Valbonë regions. We encounter sustained steep ascents/descents (sometimes with gravel slopes) and you should be confident in your ability to deal with heights.

Over the course of the week, we enjoy five walks of varying length. There are three spectacular full-day walks of up to about seven hours of walking per day, and two shorter walks each of roughly one to three hours (including stops). Walking hours stated are given as approximates only. The remainder of our time is spent sightseeing in Berat and Krujë.

Driving: There are some long drives (approximately four hours in total on Day 6 plus a two-hour boat journey), which are unavoidable in order to see as much as possible. Certain areas are still relatively undeveloped, so some drives are on windy and quite bumpy roads. Some roads are full of potholes and of a much lower standard to what is mostly expected in Europe. Still, we are rewarded with spectacular, wild scenery throughout. There may be some very short off-road journeys where seatbelts cannot be guaranteed in the 4×4 vehicles used.

Baggage: Luggage is transferred by horses during the trek. Hard suitcases are therefore not suitable.