This 5-day Albania road trip took us from Gjirokastër to Tirana via the Riviera, Butrint, the Blue Eye, Berat and Osumi Canyon.
Rain is falling over Gjirokastër when we park the car, and we look at each other wondering whether heading straight south without stopping at the hotel was really such a good idea. Luggage still in the boot, threatening skies, and only an hour and a half before we have to leave again. Welcome to our Albania road trip: five days, almost nine hundred kilometres, and hardly a minute to spare.
Albania road trip 5 days: our complete itinerary
We had not been planning Albania for months. A few rainy days in France in May 2026 and the urge for sunshine did the rest. Flights booked, car hired, and a few days later we were landing in Tirana without really knowing what to expect.
Our itinerary at a glance
Five nights in Albania, from 13 to 18 May. Our return flight left at 5:55 a.m. on the final morning, so that sixth day was not really a travel day.
We completed the route with a hire car: Tirana, Gjirokastër, Vlorë, the Albanian Riviera with Pulebardha Beach, Ksamil, Butrint, the Blue Eye, two nights in Berat with Osumi Canyon, then back to Tirana to finish. Our total mileage was around 850 to 900 km, including the main drives and local detours along our route.
Weather-wise, we were lucky. Daytime temperatures were around 26°C and only the first day was disrupted by rain. The real bonus of travelling at this time of year was finding places such as Ksamil almost empty.
Five days is short. Too short, really, for a country like this. We accepted the fast pace because that is how we like to travel when time is limited. In hindsight, it works very well as a first taste of Albania. If we did it again, though, we would aim for seven days for a little more breathing room, and ten days to really take our time at each stop.
Albania road trip 5 days: our itinerary at a glance
Our map brings together the places and sights we visited, the restaurants we actually tried and recommend, and our main viewpoints and photo spots.
Overall route: Tirana Airport → Gjirokastër → Vlorë → Pulebardha Beach → Ksamil → Butrint → Blue Eye → Berat → Osumi Canyon → Berat → Tirana.
Main drives: distances and driving times
To show the pace of the trip, here are the main drives between our stops. The distances and times below are approximate : they reflect our route and may vary depending on the exact roads taken, traffic, stops, beach access and detours to viewpoints.
The actual total depends on detours in the towns, beach access, the viewpoints around Osumi Canyon and the various photo stops. These figures mainly show how intense our 5-day itinerary was.
The 8 detailed stages of our Albania series
- Stage 1 – Gjirokastër
- Stage 2 – Pulebardha Beach
- Stage 3 – Ksamil
- Stage 4 – Butrint
- Stage 5 – Blue Eye / Syri i Kaltër
- Stage 6 – Berat
- Stage 7 – Osumi Canyon
- Stage 8 – Tirana
Day 1 – Tirana → Gjirokastër → Vlorë
Our Wizz Air flight leaves Paris-Beauvais at 9:40 a.m. and lands in Tirana at 12:15 p.m. We collect the car directly at the airport from OK Mobility, with full insurance and unlimited mileage: €166 for the whole trip. No detour to the hotel: we head south straight away.
First stop: Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër is our first real encounter with historic Albania. Stone façades, slate roofs and an old town clinging to the hillside make an immediate contrast with what we have just left behind.
The sky is closing in, though, and we still need to reach Vlorë before nightfall. We have only an hour and a half here. We walk through the main street of the old centre, then climb towards the castle for the panorama before getting back on the road.
This short stop definitely leaves us wanting more. Gjirokastër deserves more than a flying visit. With extra time, we would happily give it half a day or even a full day.
Read more: our article about Gjirokastër.
Night in Vlorë
Back on the road towards Vlorë, this time with no sightseeing planned: it is simply our overnight stop. We stay at the Harmony Hotel, which cost €53.88 for two, including tourist tax and breakfast.
A very good surprise. The value for money is hard to beat, and instead of going back out to search for a restaurant we choose the evening menu served at the hotel. Excellent decision: the meal is very good, and after that first long driving day we have no desire to go hunting for another table.
Day 2 – Vlorë → Pulebardha → Ksamil → Butrint → Blue Eye → Berat
Without doubt the busiest day of the trip. Lots of driving, several visits and almost no downtime. That is exactly how we travel when time is short.
If you are looking for a relaxed holiday, do not necessarily copy this day exactly. Ksamil clearly deserves more than two hours. Pulebardha could easily become a proper beach break, while two hours at Butrint were enough for us to complete the main circuit without rushing.
Pulebardha Beach: two hours almost to ourselves
From Vlorë we drive down the Albanian Riviera. Our first proper stop is Pulebardha Beach, a small pebble cove before Ksamil. We spend two hours there in May with almost nobody around. Turquoise water, small cliffs: exactly the kind of place we had hoped to find in Albania.
Read more: our article about Pulebardha Beach.
Ksamil: a great surprise out of season
We continue to Ksamil and spend another two hours there. Not enough to see everything, but enough to cross several areas, spot the islets, walk past the organised beaches and get a feel for the place.
We loved it. But to be fair, our opinion is completely tied to the season. Few people, no packed beaches and a relaxed atmosphere. In the height of summer, with much heavier crowds, the experience would probably feel very different.
To really enjoy Ksamil, allow at least a full day, and longer if the sea is your main priority.
Read more: our Ksamil guide.
Butrint: two hours to explore the site
Next comes Butrint. Two hours are enough for us to complete the archaeological park without feeling rushed. Ancient ruins, dense vegetation, water and forest blend together here, creating a completely different atmosphere from the rest of the trip. Admission cost us about 1,000 ALL per person.
Read more: our visit to Butrint Archaeological Park.
Blue Eye late in the day
By this point the day is already packed. We even hesitate about keeping the Blue Eye in the plan: we still have the drive to Berat ahead of us and do not want to arrive too late.
We go anyway. We are very glad we did.
The Blue Eye / Syri i Kaltër does not necessarily require several hours. We leave the car in the car park, walk to the spring and discover that almost unreal water colour late in the day. Admission was around €2 per person, plus around €3 for parking. We walk on the way in. On the return, tired after a marathon day, we take the little train.
A short visit, but one of the nicest surprises of the route.
Read more: our article about the Blue Eye.
Arrival in Berat
The final stretch is the longest of the day: about 133 km from the Blue Eye to Berat. Our first night is atHotel Plaza Berat, which cost 82,92 €, breakfast included.
Day 3 – Berat and Osumi Canyon
This is one of the days we will remember for a long time: Osumi Canyon, one of the most spectacular nature stops of the trip. From Berat, it is roughly sixty kilometres to reach the main canyon area.
The canyon viewpoints
We choose to discover Osumi from above: the viewpoints, Zabërzan Bridge and several places that are perfect for flying the drone. From the air, the canyon really makes sense. The river bends and cliffs become much easier to read from above.
No rafting this time: perhaps on a future visit.
Lunch with a view before the track
Halfway through the outing we stop at an isolated restaurant before continuing towards the unpaved section. Grilled food and an open view over the area: exactly the sort of place we never plan in advance but love finding by chance on the road.
Be careful with the roads south of the canyon
A practical point worth highlighting. During our trip, and after checking locally, some tracks to the south were strongly discouraged with a normal car. For these routes, it is better to use a 4×4 with good ground clearance.
Conditions can of course change with roadworks or improvements. Always check the state of the roads just before travelling rather than treating this advice as permanent.
Read more: our Osumi Canyon guide.
Second night in Berat
Back in Berat, we completely change the atmosphere for the night: Te Gjyshi – At Grandfather, which cost 53,78 €, breakfast included.
Berat’s charm is clearly one of the great successes of the trip. Of all the towns we visited, it is probably the one that made us want to slow down most and simply enjoy being there.
Our favourite address in town: Eni Traditional Food. We liked it so much that we went back a second time.
Read more: our complete Berat guide.
Day 4 – Berat → Tirana
After two nights in Berat, we head back to Tirana. Around 97 km of driving. At 11 h 53, we are already outside Bunk’Art 1.
Bunk’Art 1: the one we actually visited
It is Bunk’Art 1 that we actually visit inside. The museum helps explain the country’s recent history and the bunker system built during the communist period. We paid around 900 ALL per person.
There is also a combined Bunk’Art 1 + Bunk’Art 2 ticket at around 1,300 ALL per person. We did not, however, do the full Bunk’Art 2 visit: we only stopped to see and photograph its distinctive entrance in central Tirana.
First impressions of Tirana
We use the rest of the day to start exploring the city. We stay at the Doanesia Premium Hotel & Spa, for two nights at a total cost of 206,03 €, breakfast included. After several very active days, a hotel with a spa feels very welcome.
Day 5 – Tirana
Our last full day is entirely devoted to the capital. We are fairly active travellers, so we fit in several places:
- Skanderbeg Square;
- Et’hem Bey Mosque;
- the Pyramid of Tirana;
- Pazari i Ri ;
- the Namazgah Grand Mosque;
- Tirana Castle / Fortress of Justinian;
- the Grand Park and its lake;
- the MET Building;
- the entrance to Bunk’Art 2.
The Pyramid and the mosques we visited were free to enter.
The only cancelled plan: Mount Dajti
We had planned to take the Dajti Ekspres. A major storm in the morning changes our plans. That is part of travelling: forcing a visit when the weather is against you rarely makes sense.
Eating well in Tirana
Tirana is also the perfect place to slow down over a good meal. We try Oda and Era, two very different restaurants that we would both recommend.
More generally, food was one of the best surprises of the trip. We ate in restaurants most of the time because prices were low compared with the quality. For two people, we generally spent around €30 for a really good meal, and about €20 for a simpler lunch or snack.
Read more: our Tirana guide.
Day 6 – Very early return to Beauvais
Our Wizz Air return flight leaves Tirana at 5 h 55 and lands at Paris-Beauvais at 8 h 55. Honestly, this is one of the few choices we would make differently. We effectively pay for the second night at the Doanesia mainly so that we can be near the airport in the middle of the night.
In hindsight, we would look for a late flight on the evening of day five. That would let us enjoy Tirana until late, go straight to the airport and save the cost of an almost unused hotel night.
Actual budget for our 5-day Albania road trip
There were two of us and breakfast was included at every hotel. Because restaurants remained very affordable during our trip, we chose to eat out most of the time rather than relying on quick meals.
| Item | Details | Cost for 2 |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Flights | Wizz Air return Paris-Beauvais ↔ Tirana + 1 checked bag of 20 kg | 479,56 € |
| 🚗 Car hire | OK Mobility · full insurance · unlimited mileage | 166 € |
| ⛽ Fuel | Estimate for the whole road trip | €80 to €100 |
| 🏨 Accommodation | 5 nights · Harmony €53.88 · Plaza Berat €82.92 · Te Gjyshi €53.78 · Doanesia €206.03 | 396,61 € |
| 🍴 Meals | Most meals in restaurants · breakfasts included at the hotels | ≈ €250 to €300 |
| 🎟️ Visits | Butrint, Blue Eye, Bunk’Art 1 and other small entrance fees | ≈ €45 to €55 |
| 💶 Estimated total budget for 2 people | €1,420 to €1,500 | |
Breakfast was included at every hotel. With low prices and generally very good quality, we ate in restaurants most of the time. A good meal was often around €30 for two; for a simple lunch or snack, closer to €20 for two.
The hire car cost us €166 with full insurance and unlimited mileage. For such a fast-paced route, having our own car gave us the freedom to link the stops without relying on public transport.
Our 5:55 a.m. return flight meant keeping the final hotel night even though we barely used it. With a late flight on day five, the budget could be reduced by one night while still allowing more time in Tirana.
This budget is a faithful estimate of our trip. It does not include souvenirs, personal purchases or a few small extras. Prices can naturally change.
Driving in Albania: our experience
In our view, a car is the best way to reproduce this type of itinerary in such a short time. The main roads on our route were perfectly manageable in a normal car.
Driving does, however, require a little more attention than on the main road networks of western Europe. Local traffic can be unpredictable, overtaking is common, and winding or more isolated roads are part of the experience.
Do not rely only on the number of kilometres shown on the map either. A distance that looks short can take much longer than expected, especially on the Riviera or in the mountains. For the tracks south of Osumi, the same advice applies: do not take a normal car onto them without checking the road conditions first.
May: a very good time for this road trip
For us, May was an excellent compromise. Daytime temperatures were around 26°C, with a few clouds and some rain on the first day, but overall the weather was very pleasant. Most importantly, we could visit several popular places without summer crowds.
Ksamil is probably the best example. We loved it with almost nobody around us, but we also know we would enjoy it much less if the resort were packed in high season. Our experience of Ksamil is therefore inseparable from the time of year.
Is 5 days in Albania enough?
Yes, but only if you enjoy very active trips. We saw a huge amount in five days by deliberately keeping some stops short: around an hour and a half in Gjirokastër, two hours at Pulebardha, two hours in Ksamil, two hours at Butrint, and the Blue Eye late in the day.
It worked for us because our goal was to discover as many different places as possible. It is definitely not the route to copy if you want to spend several hours on a beach, enjoy long lunches and only drive once a day.
- 5 days: possible for our itinerary, but fast-paced from start to finish.
- 7 days: far more comfortable. You could add time in Gjirokastër, Ksamil and Berat without changing the route significantly.
- 10 days: probably what we would choose today. It would give us time to really enjoy each stop and, above all, add northern Albania, Shkodra and its lake.
What we would change if we did this road trip again
We would keep almost all the places. What we would change is mainly the pace: more time in Gjirokastër, a full day in Ksamil out of season and more time simply enjoying Berat.
We would also add several days to explore northern Albania. And we would look for an evening flight on the last day rather than leaving at 5:55 a.m. the following morning. That would avoid paying for an extra night and let us enjoy Tirana right to the end.
Our favourite food stops on the road trip
- Vlorë : the Harmony Hotel evening menu, a very good surprise.
- Berat : Eni Traditional Food, so good that we went back twice.
- Osumi Canyon: a small isolated restaurant serving grilled food with a view, just before the unpaved section.
- Tirana : Oda for the traditional side, Era for a more contemporary style.
Food was one of Albania’s big positives for us. We ate very well throughout the trip without blowing the budget.
Our verdict after 5 days in Albania
It is difficult to pick a single favourite because every stop felt different. Ksamil won us over with its off-season calm and turquoise water. Berat probably had the urban charm that impressed us most. Butrint mixes history and nature in a way we had not seen elsewhere. Osumi completely changes the scenery, with cliffs and viewpoints. The Blue Eye was a great surprise even though we almost dropped it from the plan. And Tirana turned out to be far more enjoyable than we had imagined, especially for walking, eating and enjoying the city between visits.
That is probably what we will remember most from this first road trip: within a few hundred kilometres, the landscapes and atmosphere keep changing.
We left for five days to discover Albania. We came back wanting to spend ten days there next time.
Find the whole series: all our Albania articles.