Self Guided Walking Holidays in Albania

Take the Komani Lake ferry from Vau i Dejës to Fierza Dam, passing waterfalls and villages in the Albanian Alps. Trek to Piramida 18 at 2,000m on the Montenegro-Albania border—it's a tough 16km loop with 1,180m elevation gain through Kukaj village. You'll spend two nights in basic guesthouses in Valbona Valley National Park and can explore the Crown of the Albanian Alps on your own.

Trek 18km to the Blue Eye natural spring in Theth National Park, where glacial meltwater creates bright turquoise pools at just 5°C/41°F. Then hike through the Albanian Alps to Grunas Waterfall, a natural monument since 2002 that cascades down grey limestone cliffs with 270m of elevation gain. You'll stay in traditional stone Kullas guesthouses in Theth village and check out the historic Lock-in Tower and Old Church while walking scenic trails that reach up to 1700m at Qafa e Thores.

Hike the ancient caravan routes through Albania's Zagoria Valley, walking across Ottoman stone bridges built by Ali Pasha and climbing up to Dhembel Pass at 1,450 meters where you can see into Greece. Walk through remote stone villages like Limar and Hoshteve, staying in local homestays where families share traditional Albanian food and show you mountain life that tourism hasn't really reached yet. Check out the UNESCO-listed "City of Stone" Gjirokastra with its detailed Ottoman mansions and big castle, then hike to Sopot Waterfall beneath the 650-meter walls of Nemercka Range. Soak in the warm thermal pools at Benje's sulfuric springs after your hikes.

Trek on your own through Albania's mountain valleys and cross the Valbona Pass at 1,811 meters, where you'll see Mount Jezerca rising to 2,694 meters as the highest peak in the Albanian Alps. Take a ferry across Lake Koman through steep gorges to reach Valbona National Park, then hike beneath Mount Arapi, called the Matterhorn of Albania.

This 8-day trek takes you along the famous Peaks of the Balkans Trail from Shkoder to Tirana through the Albanian Alps. You'll hike through Gashi River Game Reserve to find Doberdol shepherd's huts at 1,750m, where locals gather around campfires and share highland stories. The route climbs Mount Trekufiri at 2,366m right where Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro meet, and you can swim in cold Lake Hrid before heading to Theth village to see the old Kulla tower.