The capital
Almost every trip starts in Tirana, a colourful, energetic capital of cafés, painted apartment blocks, Cold War bunkers turned into museums and a cable car up Mount Dajti. It is the transport hub for the whole country, so two nights here at the start or end of a trip works well.
The stone towns
Two hours south, Berat climbs a hillside above the Osum river in tiers of white Ottoman houses, with a lived in castle quarter at the top. Further south, Gjirokastër is a grey stone city of fortified tower houses and steep cobbled lanes below a vast castle. Both are UNESCO World Heritage towns, and each deserves at least one night.
The coast
The Albanian Riviera runs from the Llogara Pass down to Sarandë and Ksamil, with pebble coves, clear Ionian water, the village of Himarë and the ruins of Butrint near the Greek border. It is glorious in June and September and very busy in August.
The north and the Alps
Shkodër and the Albanian Alps bring a lakeside city with Rozafa castle, the Komani Lake ferry through a fjord like gorge, and the remote valleys of Theth and Valbona, linked by one of the best day hikes in the Balkans. The mountain villages are a summer destination, roughly June to September.
How to link them
A classic loop runs Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër, the Riviera and back north, taking ten days. Add four or five days for Shkodër and the Alps. Buses and furgons (minibuses) link all of these places, and the free trip planner helps you set a realistic pace.