Travel to Albania

Hiking in Northern Albania

5 days/4 nights

2009 Tour Departure Dates:
Anytime. Contact us and let us know when you'd like to go.

This tour is designed to show the highlights of the nature in Northern Albania. Valbona Valley and Theth are two of the most picturesque regions in the Albanian Alps. Together with Vermosh they are likely to become tourist "favorites" in this beautiful but rugged area.

The tour is for anyone who leads an active life. It's not necessary to be an experienced alpine climber, but participants need to be physically fit and in good health as walking long distances is part of this tour.

Accommodation and Food: For the first and last day, accommodations will be at a 3* hotel in Shkoder. During hiking days participants are accommodated in groups at local guesthouses. If requested in advance, accommodation in double rooms may be arranged. Communication in English or Italian with the hosts is possible. We generally offer full-board for the "active" tours (which sometimes includes drinks). During the hiking days the mid-day meal will usually be a packed lunch.

Day 1: Shkoder - Koman - Valbona Valley
Departure from our office in Shkodra for Koman. Traveling by minibus half an hour away from Shkodra, we enter the world of the Albanian Alps. We stop in Koman, a huge dam built in the 1980's which encases the waters of Drin and creates one of the biggest artificial lakes of the country. We travel to Fierze by ferry. Passing the mountains through the canyon created by the river Drin, the route reveals the wild beauty of the Albanian Alps. We will have lots of opportunities to take pictures of unique views of the lake. Later cross at Breg Lumi near Fierze and travel to Bajram Curri. Accommodation in the guesthouses of Valbona Valley.

Day 2: Valbona - Theth
After breakfast, departure from Valbona. Hiking from Valbona to Theth takes 6-7 hours (packed lunch on the way). The 40 km long Valbona Valley brings us right to the heart of the Albanian Alps. With an area of 8,000 hectares, the National Park Valbona Valley is the gem of the Albanian Alps. The high and craggy mountains present to the visitors a fantastic festival of colors in every season. Valbona Village is the focal point of the Park. Its forests, river and creeks, flowers, characteristic dwellings, and the hospitality of its people make it an ideal place to visit.

We will stay overnight in one of these houses and experience the hospitality of the people. We walk downhill from the guesthouse, and visit attractions of the village, such as: the Church, the Kulla e Ngujimit (a tower house used in the past by men as a shelter from enemies with whom they had "blood feuds"), the Theth Waterfall, and Grunasi Canyon. Dinner is served at the guesthouses.

Day 3: Grunasi Canyon
After breakfast, we set out to see the center of the village. On the way we take time to visit the small waterfall of Grunasi Canyon. We arrive at the village where we visit the church and the tower of refuge. Departure to the large Waterfall of Grunasi. Lunch and time at leisure to enjoy the nature and waterfalls of Grunasi. We return to the guesthouse. Dinner in the guesthouses.

Day 4: Theth - Nderlyse
On our fourth day, we have the chance to discover wonderful hidden places passing the valley of Nderlyse. Trekking from our departure point of Theth to Nderlyse, we pass through the mountain streams that wend their way through sunken bathtubs created by tempers of nature. Arriving at the village of Nderlyse, the feeling of desolation and loneliness becomes tangible. Going from one abandoned house to another we hear about the difficulties of life in former times. Lunch and further visits of the scenery. Return to the village and overnight in one of the guesthouses.

Day 5: Theth - Boga - Shkoder
After breakfast at the guesthouse, we leave Theth to start trekking towards the village of Boga. We use a narrow pathway through the Albanian Alps that connects the villages of Thethi and Boga. After two hours we arrive at the pass. It offers stunning views of Bjeshket e Namuna (The Accursed Mountains). The route continues downhill along the side of Radohima Mountain until we reach the village of Boga. We have lunch in this picturesque village surrounded by vertical slopes with peaks above 2000m high. In the afternoon the minibus picks us up at Boga village and brings us 50km back to Shkoder. We visit the Rozafa castle in Shkoder and the city. In the evening we go out to one of the restaurants at the lakeside to enjoy the traditional fish specialties looking at the panorama of the lake of Shkoder

Optional package: Transport from the airport (PM arrival) to Shkoder, overnight in Shkoder. Transport from Shkoder to Tirana at the end of the tour, overnight in Tirana and transport to the airport for AM departure.

TOUR PRICE:$1108 per person.

Kutrubes Travel has SPECIAL AIRFARES - Contact us for details.

Price Includes:

Four nights accommodation in guesthouses
Meals as mentioned during five days + dinner on arrival day + breakfast on morning of departure
Four days guided mountain trekking
Transportation to Valbona by bus and ferry
A tour guide for five days for groups up to 15 participants

Price Does Not Include:

Additional beverages and/or food that can be consumed during the travel
Transport to and from the airport (additional overnights might be necessary to match flight and tour start/finish time)
Airfare (unless otherwise arranged)
Departure and custom fees
Gratuities and individual daily expenses
Additional beverages
Travel insurance
Trip cancellation
Medical and luggage insurance are recommended for coverage against all unforeseen circumstances

Payment and Refund Policies

If you have any questions or you'd like to book this trip, please contact us.

Custom itineraries available to this or any of the destinations we travel to.

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