How to have fun in Tirana? Where to go for excursions or shopping? What activities are worth travelling to Tirana for?

Book a hotel in the centre of Tirana

Sitting in cafes

Just arriving by bus from the airport to the city centre will leave you in no doubt that Tirana will be the perfect place for restaurant lovers, bar hoppers and cafe hangers-on.

The streets in the wide centre are literally lined with cafes and restaurants of all types, and lovers of large modern establishments and local cafes will find something to love.

Albanians love the café culture and so businesses open very early in the morning and stay open late into the night.

The liveliest neighbourhoods are Blloku in the south between the centre and the Great Park, then the wide area to the west of Skanderbeg Square and also the New Bazaar about 10 minutes walk east of the centre.

Sights and museums

You kind of expect European cities to each be rich in historical sights. Tirana is an exception, most monuments didn't survive the Communist regime's rampage and have disappeared, but some have survived and are all the more interesting for it.

Among the oldest is the Ethem Bey Mosque from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, while the most popular historical museums , Bunk'Art 1 and Bunk'Art 2, are concentrated in former fallout shelters.

A trip to the Dajt National Park

The entire eastern horizon of Tirana is filled with the Dajt mountain range, which has been declared a national park. The slopes of the first mountains rise practically right in the city, and Tirana's eastern settlements can already be considered part of this mountain range.

If you don't have much time, take the modern Dajti Express cable car, which starts in one of Tirana's outlying settlements. From the top station of the cable car, you'll get breathtaking views of the whole of Tirana and can hike more than 7km along the crest of the Dajt massif, turning what was originally an hour-long trip into a full day.

One of the most beautiful spots in the national park is definitely the area around Lake Bovilla, about 25 km northeast of the centre. To reach it you either need to rent a car or use one of the local travel agencies, for example Kaba Travel offers a 1-day trip for 1000 all. There are no regular buses to the lake.

A trip to the Pëllumbas Gorges

Another popular day trip destination is the beautiful mountain landscape along the Erzen River southeast of Tirana. Here, the water has carved narrow gorges into the steep cliffs, with several caves between which a winding hiking trail winds its way along the banks from the nearby town of Pëllumbas, about 1 km away.

The hike is not physically demanding, but there are often rocks to climb along the river, so good hiking boots are definitely a must.

There is a minibus to Pëllumbas 3 times a day from the southeast bus station (see location on map), you won't find timetables online anywhere, the minibus usually leaves when it fills up.

A trip to the sea

Although tourists usually head in the opposite direction, i.e. they take a trip to Tirana during their week-long stay by the sea, many travellers use the cheap low-cost tickets instead for trips to the city and the mountains, and only want to go to the sea for a short break.

The nearest resort to Tirana is the biggest one: the town of Durrës, with its many kilometres of organised, well-kept beaches and pretty historic centre.

It's only 37km from Tirana and perfectly accessible by buses, which run 2-3 times an hour from the north-south intercity bus station (see location on map).