5 Days in Albania: The First-Timer Itinerary
Five days pushes the loop all the way to the coast: Tirana, Berat, Gjirokaster, then down to Saranda and Ksamil for Butrint’s Greco-Roman ruins before a long drive back. Pay in LEK, carry cash (Butrint, the Blue Eye, and every furgon are cash-only), fly into TIA, and rent a car for this one, roughly EUR 10-25/day off-peak climbing to EUR 25-80+ in July-August, because the Saranda leg alone adds well over 250km of driving to the loop.
Shorter trip? See 3 or 4 days . Longer trip? See 6 or the full 7-day loop .
Book these before you go
- Guesthouse in Gjirokaster: check listings on Booking.com
- Hotel in Saranda or Ksamil: check listings on Booking.com
- Butrint day tour: search current availability on Viator
| Day | Focus | Travel time | Daily cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Tirana: Skanderbeg Square, Bunk’Art, Blloku | Arrival | ~EUR 40-65 |
| Day 2 | Tirana to Berat: castle, Mangalem, Gorica | ~2-2.5h | ~EUR 35-55 |
| Day 3 | Berat to Gjirokaster: castle, bunker, old town | ~2.5h | ~EUR 35-55 |
| Day 4 | Gjirokaster to Saranda/Ksamil, Butrint | ~1h (55min-1h20) | ~EUR 55-90 |
| Day 5 | Blue Eye, Ksamil, drive back to Tirana | ~4h return | ~EUR 50-80 |
Day 1: Tirana Base
- Morning: land at TIA, pick up your rental car or the Rinas Express shuttle into Skanderbeg Square (roughly 300 LEK, about EUR 3; schedule on TIA’s transport page )
- Afternoon: Bunk’Art 2 (900-1,000 LEK with audio guide), then the free square itself
- Evening: dinner in Blloku, the old communist-elite quarter, off-limits to ordinary Albanians until 1991
Day 2: Tirana To Berat
- Morning: drive to Berat, roughly 2-2.5 hours
- Afternoon: Mangalem and Gorica quarters across the Osum River, the pairing that earned Berat UNESCO status in 2008; the general castle fee is waived in 2026, the Onufri Museum still runs 400-500 LEK
- Evening: overnight in Berat, tave kosi for dinner (roughly 600-900 LEK)
Day 3: Berat To Gjirokaster
- Morning: drive to Gjirokaster, roughly 2.5 hours
- Afternoon: the UNESCO-listed stone old town beneath its castle; castle entry roughly 400 LEK, plus 200 LEK for the Cold War bunker and 200 LEK for the weapons museum inside
- Evening: overnight in Gjirokaster
How much does a 5-day Albania trip cost? Budget travelers land around EUR 25-45/day covering guesthouses, furgons, and local meals; mid-range travelers run EUR 50-90/day with hotels and a rental car folded in. Add the car rental itself (EUR 10-25/day off-peak) on top if you’re driving this route, which this itinerary recommends.
Day 4: Gjirokaster To Saranda And Butrint
- Morning: drive to Saranda/Ksamil, roughly 55 minutes to 1h20 depending on route
- Afternoon: Butrint , the UNESCO Greek/Roman/Venetian ruins on a coastal lagoon roughly 20km south, entry 1,000 LEK (about EUR 10), open 08:30-20:00 with last entry at 18:00 through October; budget 2-3 hours
- Evening: overnight in Saranda or Ksamil, seafood dinner on the waterfront, roughly EUR 20-40
Do I need a visa for Albania? Most Western nationalities don’t, Albania is visa-free for short stays even though the country itself isn’t in the EU or Schengen (it’s an EU candidate, not a member yet). Confirm your specific passport’s requirement before booking flights.
Day 5: Blue Eye, Ksamil, And The Long Drive Back
- Morning: the Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër), a karst spring roughly 22km away via Muzine; entry is only 50 LEK (about EUR 0.50), cash only, plus 100-200 LEK parking
- Afternoon: Ksamil’s islets for a swim, then the drive back to Tirana, roughly 4 hours direct
- Evening: depart from TIA
Don’t rush Butrint into a quick photo stop, it’s the strongest single site on this whole loop and earns its full 2-3 hours more than any castle on the route. Five days gets you the interior UNESCO towns and a genuine taste of the coast; the full Riviera drive over the Llogara Pass is still out there for a 6 or 7-day trip.