Itinerary · 3 days
Albania in 3 days
Tirana and Berat: a capital and a UNESCO old town
- Best for
- Long weekends, city breaks, first taste
- Getting around
- Bus or taxi; no car needed
- Pace
- Relaxed
- Route
- Tirana → Berat → Tirana
A short first taste that works with a long weekend and Tirana flights. You'll see the country's busy modern face, then slow down in one of its most beautiful old towns. No car needed.
Day 1 · Overnight in Tirana
Arrive in Tirana
Airport to centre: 25–40 minutes
- Morning
- Land at Tirana International Airport and take the airport bus or an official taxi into the centre. Drop your bags and get your bearings on Skanderbeg Square.
- Afternoon
- Spend a couple of hours at Bunk'Art 2, a Cold War bunker turned museum a short walk from the square. Then wander past the colourful buildings and the renovated Pyramid.
- Evening
- Dinner and drinks in Blloku, the former communist leaders' quarter, now the city's liveliest neighbourhood.
Tip: Get some lek from an ATM at the airport or in town; small cafés and taxis prefer cash.
Day 2 · Overnight in Berat
Tirana to Berat
Bus: about 2–2.5 hours
- Morning
- Ride the Dajti Ekspres cable car for a view over the city, or browse the New Bazaar for breakfast and coffee. Head to the bus terminal late morning.
- Afternoon
- Arrive in Berat and check into a guesthouse in the old Mangalem or Gorica quarter. Cross the Gorica footbridge and walk along the river.
- Evening
- Watch the evening light on the 'thousand windows' from the Gorica side, then have dinner with local wine.
Tip: Ask your Tirana accommodation which terminal Berat buses leave from that day.
Day 3 · Overnight in Tirana
Berat's castle, then back
Bus back to Tirana: about 2–2.5 hours
- Morning
- Climb to Berat Castle early, before the heat. People still live inside its walls, among Byzantine churches and the Onufri Museum of icons.
- Afternoon
- Lunch in the old town, then take an afternoon bus back to Tirana. If you have a flight, allow a good margin for traffic to the airport.
- Evening
- A last stroll along Tirana's Lana river and a final byrek or tavë kosi.
Tip: With an extra half day, a guided trip to the Osum Canyon or a family winery near Berat is well worth it.