Hiking & Exploring the Albanian Riviera in 9 Days

Six hiking days. One hard climb, Maja e Qorres, 1,100 m up in 4 hours. Build up with long walks before the trip. Trekking poles help on the descent.

Ages 18 to 65, in good physical condition, with no mobility, heart or similar health issues. Under 18 with hiking experience and an accompanying adult, ask us first.

Dajti 8 km and 600 m up. Caesar’s Pass 6 km and 350 m. Maja e Qorres 8.9 km and 1,100 m, 2,018 m high. Gjipe Canyon 12 km and 500 m, or the easy 4 km path. Progonat to Lekdush 10 km and 350 m. Langarica 5 km with river wading. About 50 km in total.

On day 5 the group picks the canyon trek or the easy coastal path to Gjipe. On day 4 the guide decides whether the Cikes extension is on, based on the group and the weather.

You can swim at Gjipe, at Borsh in the evening and in the Benja thermal pools. Pack swimwear in your daypack.

Breakfast every day and the folk dinner on day 1 are included. Lunches are in village restaurants or as a picnic bought on the way, and dinners are free so you can choose where to eat.

The coast is hot in July and August, the peaks are cooler and can be windy. May and June are the greenest months, late August has the warmest sea.

Cards work in Tirana and Vlora. Carry lek for the villages, the canyon cafes and tips.

6 to 16 people. The tour runs with a minimum of 6, and you are told at the latest 30 days before departure.

Very welcome. You share a twin room with another traveller of the same gender, or book a single room for €400.

Every departure starts on a Saturday and ends on a Sunday, so you spend two weekends on the tour and fly home on a Sunday.

Non-hikers, travellers who want a pure beach holiday, anyone under 18 or over 65, or anyone with limited mobility, heart or similar health issues.

Strongly recommended, with cover for hiking up to 2,100 m and canyon walking.

No vaccinations are required for most travellers. Tap water in the mountains is spring water and usually fine, bottled water is cheap everywhere. Bring any personal medication and blister care.

The currency is the Albanian lek. Carry cash for the villages and the canyon cafes, where cards are not accepted. ATMs are in Tirana, Vlora, Himara, Tepelena and Permet. Tipping the guide and driver is appreciated, not expected.

Departures run from May to late August. May and June have clear trails, green hills and a warm sea. July and August are hot on the coast and best for swimming, and the summit days start early. Mountain weather changes fast at 2,000 m, so pack layers and a rain jacket.

Buy a local SIM at Tirana airport. Signal is good on the coast and in the towns, patchy in the canyons and on the summits. Hotels have WiFi.

Small groups of 16 at most, family-run hotels and local restaurants, one local guide and driver for the whole trip, and no trace left on the trails or the beaches. InAlb is a Travelife Partner.

InAlb's 9-day small-group hiking tour of southern Albania, run by our own team from Tirana to Tirana. It links six guided hikes, about 50 km in total, with the beaches, castles and villages of the Riviera: Mount Dajti, Caesar's Pass, Maja e Qorres at 2,018 m, Gjipe Canyon, the Progonat to Lekdush village trail and the Langarica canyon with the Benja thermal springs, then UNESCO Gjirokastra on the way back. From €1,150 per person.

Six guided hikes. Mount Dajti to Maja e Tujanit, 8 km and 600 m up, moderate. Caesar's Pass from Llogara, 6 km and 350 m, easy to moderate. Maja e Qorres, 8.9 km and 1,100 m up to 2,018 m, hard, with an optional extension to Maja e Cikes. Gjipe Canyon, 12 km, hard, or the easy 4 km path. Progonat to Lekdush, 10 km, moderate. Langarica canyon, 5 km with river wading, easy.

A good level of fitness. Maja e Qorres is a hard day: 1,100 m of climb in under 9 km, steep and rocky. The other hikes are easy to moderate, and the canyon day has an easy alternative. You should be comfortable walking 3 to 5 hours on mountain terrain. If you do not hike often, build up with long walks in the months before the trip. Trekking poles are recommended for Qorres.

Anyone under 18 or over 65, anyone with mobility, heart or similar health issues, and anyone who wants a pure beach holiday or a relaxed cultural trip. Under 18 with hiking experience and travelling with an adult, ask us and we decide case by case. If a 4-hour climb of 1,100 m, canyon walking and river wading do not appeal, this is not your tour. For a lighter mix, see our other multi-day tours.

The Qorres climb on day 4 is the core of the tour and everyone hikes it, at the group's pace. The Cikes extension is optional and decided by the guide on the day. On day 5 the group chooses between the canyon trek and the easy coastal path to Gjipe. If you prefer to skip a hike, you can stay with the driver, and the guide will tell you the best options.

Eight nights in 3-star hotels: two nights in central Tirana at the start, then Llogara in the national park, Palasa by the sea, Borsh above the beach, Tepelena on the Vjosa, Permet and a last night in Tirana. Rooms are double or twin with private bathroom, two sharing. A single room costs €400 extra for the trip. Hotel names are confirmed in your booking documents.

Breakfast every day from day 2 and a traditional Albanian dinner with folk music and dancing on the first night in Tirana. Lunches are in village restaurants or a picnic bought on the way, and dinners are free so you choose where to eat. Your guide knows the best places on the route. Vegetarian, vegan and halal options are available with advance notice.

Yes, on most coastal days. You swim at Gjipe Beach at the end of the canyon on day 5, at Borsh in the evening below the hotel, and in the warm Benja thermal pools on day 7, after the cold river of the Langarica canyon. Pack swimwear and a quick-dry towel in your daypack. The sea is warmest on the late August departure.

Groups are 6 to 16 people. The tour runs with a minimum of 6, and we confirm your departure at the latest 30 days before the start. If a departure does not reach the minimum, we offer you another date or a full refund. With 16 at most, your guide can adjust the pace to the group.

Very good. Many of our hikers travel alone. The price is per person in a shared twin room with another traveller of the same gender, or you can book a single room for €400 for the whole trip. You are never alone on the trail, and evenings in the small coastal and mountain towns are shared with the group.

Four departures: 15 to 23 May, 12 to 20 June, 10 to 18 July and 21 to 29 August 2027. Every one starts on a Saturday and ends on a Sunday, so you fly home on a Sunday. May and June have clear trails, green hills and quiet beaches. July and August are hot on the coast and best for swimming, and the summit days start early to avoid the heat.

One specialised, top-rated English-speaking local hiking guide leads all nine days, and our own driver takes you between the trailheads in a private air-conditioned vehicle. The same two people are with you from the airport to the airport. Your guide carries first aid on every hiking day and checks the weather before each hike. Other languages on request, ask us before booking.

Broken-in hiking boots, layers for the summits, a rain jacket, a 20 to 30 litre daypack, trekking poles for Qorres, water shoes for the Langarica canyon, swimwear and a towel, sun protection, a reusable bottle, some cash in lek and your personal medication. A full packing list is sent with your booking.

In Tirana. Our driver meets you at Tirana International Airport on day 1 and takes you back for your flight on day 9. Arrive by mid-afternoon on day 1 to join the city walk and the folk dinner. If you arrive earlier or want extra nights in Tirana, we arrange them.

Book online on this page or write to [email protected]. You pay a 30% deposit to confirm your place and the balance 30 days before departure. A single room is €400 extra for the trip, and the optional activities can be added in the booking box. A departure runs with a minimum of 6 travellers, so book 2 to 3 months ahead for the peak months.

You pay a 30% deposit to book and the balance 30 days before departure. The deposit is not refundable. After paying the balance, you get it back in full 30 days or more before departure, 70% of it 15 to 29 days before, 50% of it 1 to 14 days before, and nothing on the day or for a no-show. Rescheduling for a valid reason is free a month or more ahead, subject to availability.

Five, all per person and bookable in the booking box or when you book: paragliding from the Llogara Pass on day 3 (€115, weather permitting), rafting on the Vjosa near Permet on day 7 (€42), kayaking on the Vjosa for experienced paddlers on day 7 (€42), and a buggy tour or a horseback ride in the hills around Gjirokastra on day 8 (€47 each).

Yes. On day 8 you drive from Permet to UNESCO Gjirokastra, the stone city, and walk its old town, the traditional stone houses and the bazaar, then visit the castle for the view over the Drino valley. Entrance is included. From there you continue to Tirana for the last night. A buggy tour or a horseback ride around Gjirokastra can be added for €47 per person.

Yes, that is the idea of InAlb's Hiking & Exploring the Albanian Riviera tour. In nine days you climb Maja e Qorres at 2,018 m with Corfu below you, walk down Gjipe Canyon onto a beach with no road, and still swim most afternoons on the Ionian coast. Six hikes, about 50 km, one local hiking guide throughout, groups of 6 to 16, from €1,150 per person.

This one. Hiking & Exploring the Albanian Riviera in 9 Days stays in the south: the Ceraunian peaks above the Ionian Sea, Gjipe Canyon, the Laberia villages, the Langarica canyon and the Benja springs, from €1,150. For Theth, Valbona and the Albanian Alps, see our 13-day Albania Hiking Tour, which crosses the Theth to Valbona pass and ends in the south.

No. Travel insurance is not included and is strongly recommended. Make sure it covers hiking up to 2,100 m, canyon walking with river wading, medical costs, evacuation and cancellation. Buy it when you book so the cancellation cover starts from day one, and bring the policy details with you. Our liability insurance as an operator is in place.

Travellers from the EU, UK, USA, Canada and Australia do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days, a valid passport is enough. On other passports, contact us before booking and we check the requirements for your nationality. Fly into Tirana International Airport, where our driver meets you on day 1.

Yes. For groups of 6 or more we can run the same route as a private departure on your own dates between May and September. The itinerary can be adapted, for example an extra night on the coast or a lighter hiking day. Use the private tour link near the title or contact us with your dates and group size for a quote.

InAlb, a Tirana-based tour operator and Travelife Partner. We plan the route, run it with our own guides and drivers and support you 24/7 during the trip. The same tour is listed on TourRadar under our name, and booking here on inalb.al gives you the same guide, hotels and dates at the direct price.

On WhatsApp, 24/7, on three numbers: your dedicated agent, a second contact and an emergency line. You receive them with your booking confirmation. Your guide is with you every day, and before the trip a local expert replies to any question within 24 hours. Signal is patchy in the canyons and on the summits, so buy a local SIM at Tirana airport.