How Many Days in Tirana Do You Really Need?

How many days do you really need in Tirana? For first time visitors 3 or 4 days is perfect, including travel days. 5 days in Tirana will give you a chance to do a day trip to the beach or into the mountains.

If you’re fitting Tirana into a longer trip, see how I do it in my two week Albania itinerary.

How Many Days in Tirana Do You Really Need?

Some visitors complain there isn’t much to do in Tirana. And that’s true – it’s not a city with a long list of major attractions. But if you think Tirana is not worth visiting, or not incredibly charming and interesting you’d be wrong!

Tirana is one of my favourite cities. I spent a month in Tirana and have been back several times. It’s a lovely walkable city, with great food, friendly locals, a huge cafe culture and interesting recent history. And, it’s one of the most budget friendly European capital cities.

Are you starting to feel the Tirana charm?

What to do With 1 Day in Tirana

While I recommend staying longer than one day in Tirana, if that’s all you have this itinerary will take you to the highlights. These sites are all in the centre and within an easy walk of each other.

I know it looks like a lot, but trust me it won’t take as long as you think. Try to do these sites in this order to avoid back tracking.

• Skanderbeg Square: Start here. It’s the main square and unofficial centre of the capital. Have a coffee at one of the cafes in front of the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet and take it all in.
• Et’hem Bey Mosque: In Skanderbeg Square – it is one of oldest mosques in Tirana, built in 1819. The painted walls and ceiling are beautiful and unusual for a mosque.
• The Albanians mosaic: Famous mosaic above the entrance of the National Historical Museum (closed for renovation until 2028). It’s in Skanderbeg Square and impossible to miss!
• Bunk’Art 2 (do this or House of Leaves): Museum inside an actual communist bunker focused on the activities of Albania’s secret police, the Sigurimi.
• House of Leaves (do this or Bunk’Art 2): House turned museum about the surveillance and repression of Albanians during the communist dictatorship.
• The Cloud: Walk past or explore the immersive public art piece by renowned Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto.
• The Pyramid: Originally built as a mausoleum for Albania’s communist dictator, the Pyramid is now a symbol of the fall of communism. It is public space meant to be enjoyed by everyone. Great views of Tirana from the top.
• Checkpoint: Walk past this quirky park dedicated to the fall of communism. There’s a couple of old bunkers, concrete mine supports from the Spac forced labour camp, and a piece of the Berlin Wall.
• Enver Hoxha’s Former Home in Blloku: A block from Checkpoint is the former dictator’s home. You can’t enter it, but it’s very easy to see from the street.
• Blloku: Now one of Tirana’s most vibrant neighbourhoods. During the dictatorship Blloku was reserved for the Communist elite and closed off to Albanians by armed militia. Walk around and enjoy the cafes and restaurants.
• Restaurant Piceri Era: One of Tirana’s best restaurants for traditional Albanian food. They make amazing pispili me presh (leek and feta pie). It’s in Blloku.

What to do with 2 Days in Tirana

If you have two days in Tirana, follow the Day 1 itinerary, and do this for Day 2. I recommend seeing everything in this order to save time and extra walking.

• Dajti Ekspres: The longest cable car ride in the Balkans. The views of Tirana and Dajti Mountain National Park are beautiful. Go early to avoid the heat and line ups. The blue bus no. 11 Porcelain takes you close to Dajti Ekspres. The bus stop is in front of the Friendship Monument. This will take a few hours.
• Studio Kadare & Agolli House: Two apartments in the same communist era building which belonged to Albania’s most famous writers, Ismail Kadare and Dritero Agolli. Interesting to see how lives were lived in communist times. Closed Mondays.
• Pazari i Ri: The main market of Tirana. It’s surrounded by coffee shops and restaurants. Touristy, but a good place to get souvenirs and locally produced items.
• Tanner’s Bridge: 18th century Ottoman bridge in the middle of Tirana. Small but historic, and you can walk over it.
• Namazgah Mosque: The largest mosque in the Balkans. It’s gorgeous inside. It opened in 2024 after 10 years of construction. Conservative dress is required, shoes removed, and women must cover their hair.
• Dinner Options: Mrizi i Zanave Tirane for traditional Albanian food or Tony’s Coffee Shop & Restaurant for great American style meals.

Best Day Trips

If you have more than 2 full days in Tirana, consider a day trip. Tirana is well connected by bus to the rest of Albania, and it’s an inexpensive way to travel.

For bus schedules check the Gjirafa Travel website, but then go to the station and buy your ticket. Tirana has two bus terminals, so make sure you know which one you’re going to.

If you’ve got a car it’s even easier. The roads in Albania are pretty good (as long as you stick to the numbered ones). Albanian drivers can be aggressive, but not over the top.

These day trips are realistically manageable in one day:

Durres

Durres is a small city on the Adriatic Sea in Albania. It’s less than an hour by bus and worth checking out for a day.

The highlight of Durres is the Roman amphitheatre, the largest amphitheatre in the Balkans. Other historic sites in Durres are the Venetian watchtower and Byzantine Market ruins.

It’s not a huge tourist destination, but a nice compact city to stroll around. I spent 2 weeks in Durres and really enjoyed it.

I found great places to eat in Durres, like Peshk i Fresket Bracja 2 for fresh seafood. You pick your fish and the ladies cook it for you on the spot.

Golem

If you’re craving a beach day from Tirana, don’t go to Durres – go to Golem.

Golem is a small resort town, just south of Durres on the Adriatic coast. The beaches here are a lot nicer, quieter and cleaner than the ones in Durres, and you can get a direct bus from Tirana.

Golem is very small, so don’t expect much, but it’s perfect for a beach day.

Kruja

My favourite day trip from Tirana is Kruja. Kruja is a beautiful mountain town one hour from Tirana.

Not only is it charming, it’s culturally significant to Albanians. It’s the birthplace of the national hero, Gjerge Kastrioti (Skanderbeg). Explore the Castle of Kruja, shop in the ancient bazaar, visit the Skanderbeg Museum, eat a traditional Kruja dessert called kabuni, and enjoy the clean mountain air.

Kruja is a wonderful change of pace from Tirana, and a great place to learn about the history and culture of Albania.

Berat (UNESCO)

Berat is easy to get to from Tirana, even though it’s 100 km away. It will take 2 hours to reach, but Berat is worth it.

Known as the city of a thousand windows, traditional white homes fill the hillsides on both sides of the Osum River. This is the one day trip I did in Albania where I wished I had stayed longer.

Explore Berat Castle, where people still live, walk the historic Mangalem (Ottoman) and Gorica (Christian) neighbourhoods, climb up to St. Michael’s Church for the views of Berat. There’s plenty to do and it’s incredibly charming.

Practical Tips for Visiting Tirana

Here’s some things that are good to know before you land in Tirana:

• Cash is king: Credit cards are accepted in some places, but cash is essential.
• ATMs are expensive: As much as 800 lek ($9.50 USD) per transaction. ABI machines have the best rates of 500 lek ($6 USD). There’s a few in Tirana.
• You can’t drink the tap water: While fine for bathing, brushing teeth, washing fruit, etc., drink bottled water.
• Don’t flush the toilet paper: There’s always a bin beside the toilet.
• SIM cards: I always use Vodafone. It has the best coverage. There’s a kiosk in the airport.
• Public transit: Tirana has a decent public bus system. The cost is 40 lek ($0.48 USD) per ride. A conductor on the bus collects the fare – in cash.
• Dress is on the conservative side: Local women tend to dress a bit more conservatively – knees and cleavage covered.
• Tirana is very safe and locals are friendly.

When to Visit

The best times to visit Tirana are spring and autumn. Spring is actually wonderful because everything is blooming – the streets literally smell like jasmine.

I like autumn a lot too. It’s great weather for exploring and there’s less tourists (not that Tirana ever seems crowded with tourists).

Summer is just too hot. I was once there at the beginning of July and it was already 35 C, and that’s not fun for sightseeing. Plus it’s peak season, so hotels and Airbnbs are at their most expensive.

Winter is okay, but it gets cold overnight and can be damp. Make sure your place has heat if you go in winter. While it certainly snows in the mountains, Tirana doesn’t usually get snow. The Christmas markets are very nice.

How to Get from Tirana Airport into the City

You can either take a taxi (there’s lots outside of arrivals), and cost is 2200 lek ($25 USD), or you can take the airport shuttle for 400 lek ($4.60 USD).

Both are available 24/7. Buses depart from the airport every hour on the hour. They drop off beside the Friendship Memorial next to Skanderbeg Square.

The airport bus ‘terminal’ (it’s basically a parking lot) is beside the PI parking outside the airport.

Where to Stay: Neighbourhood & Hotel Tips

There’s lots of great hotels and guesthouses in Tirana. It’s best to stay in the centre, within 1 km of Skanderbeg Square.

This is a pretty part of the capital with tree lined boulevards, parks and outdoor cafes. Most of the sites are in this area, as well as many restaurants.

These are my favourite hotels in Tirana:

Luxury hotel: Maritim Hotel Plaza Tirana
Mid-priced hotel: Hotel Colosseo
Budget hotel: Albanopolis
Hostel: Red Goat Hostel

Where to Eat: Local Favourites & Hidden Gems

Tirana is becoming a real foodie city. There’s so many great restaurants and a burgeoning brunch scene in Tirana.

The best things to eat in Tirana are traditional Albanian dishes and seafood. Tirana is close to the coast and gets very fresh fish.

Some of my favourite places to eat in Tirana are:

Era Picera: traditional Albanian food in the Blloku neighbourhood
Oda Restaurant: traditional Albanian food near the main market, Pazari i Ri
Detari Fish: simple fish restaurant, a local favourite
Le Bon: bakery selling pastry, gelato, sandwiches, and hot lunch counter

Why Tirana is Great for Digital Nomads & Slow Travellers

Tirana is excellent for digital nomads and slomads. It’s one of my favourite places to base myself for months at a time.

Tirana is affordable, the internet is good, locals are friendly, there’s decent public transit and it’s a great base to explore other areas of Albania from. And it’s super safe!

One of the biggest reasons Tirana is so popular with nomads is that Albania is not in the Schengen area. Slow travellers love to stay in Albania to reset the Schengen clock.

Saranda on the Albanian Riviera is also very popular with nomads, but in many ways I prefer Tirana. Tirana has an energy lacking in Saranda, and there’s more going on.

Last Words: How Many Days in Tirana Do You Really Need?

You can see the main sites of Tirana in 2 or 3 days. But it’s a wonderful city to slow down in and just wander.

Take more time and enjoy the rythm of the city – leisurely coffees at cafes, morning byerk on the streets with the locals, enjoy the eclectic and wonderful street art and take evening strolls (xhiro). You can fall in love with Tirana in just a few days!

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