Best Of
A curated selection of the very best places to visit in Albania — the destinations that consistently deliver, whether you're travelling as a couple, a family or a first-timer.
Historic CitiesA UNESCO-listed city where rows of Ottoman houses climb the hillside beneath a hilltop castle.
Berat is one of Albania's oldest continuously inhabited towns, with a castle that is still lived in today. The Mangalem and Gorica quarters preserve centuries of Ottoman domestic architecture, and the Onufri Museum holds remarkable 16th-century icons.
Historic CitiesThe 'Stone City' of the south, built from grey limestone beneath one of the Balkans' largest castles.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Gjirokaster preserves a dense ensemble of Ottoman tower-houses, cobbled streets and a vast castle that hosts a folklore festival. It is the birthplace of novelist Ismail Kadare.
BeachesA small coastal village with three offshore islands and some of the clearest turquoise water in the country.
Ksamil's shallow, warm Ionian water and swim-to islands make it the most photographed beach destination in Albania. It sits just minutes from the Butrint archaeological site, so you can combine ruins and a swim in one day.
MountainsA remote stone village in the Accursed Mountains, surrounded by peaks, waterfalls and alpine meadows.
Theth is the starting point for Albania's most famous hike, the crossing to Valbona. The village itself has a photogenic church, a blood-feud tower and a dramatic blue eye spring. Guesthouse culture makes it easy to stay overnight.
BeachesThe Ionian coastline from Vlore to Saranda — turquoise bays, pebble coves and dramatic mountain drops to the sea.
The Riviera is the stretch of coast that put Albania on the beach map. The Llogara Pass drops from the mountains straight to the sea, and a string of beaches — Dhermi, Himare, Borsh, Qeparo — follow one another to Saranda.