Byrek, Bunkers, and Buses: A Realistic 7-Day Albania Itinerary in April

Practical Tips

Tirana International Airport (TIA)

The airport has plenty of restaurants, bars, shops, ATMs, and money exchange booths, including a KFC for a quick bite and a Vodafone store for SIM cards. It offers free and unlimited Wi-Fi.

My Tips:

1. Watch out for ATM fees: Most ATMs charge a hefty fee (around 4–6 EUR) to take out cash.

2. WDon't exchange too much money at the airport: The rates here aren't great. Save your Euros for the exchange offices in the city center—there are many of them, and they offer better rates.

3. **WSave on SIM cards:**W You can get a cheaper SIM card at the Vodafone store in the city center, and they even accept Euros! I spent 1300LEK on a 10GB pre-paid sim card. You can also opt for e-sim:

Getting to the City (by Airport Shuttle):

1. The airport bus stop is located in the parking area at bus platforms 9 and 10. You can see it right away when you walk out of the airport—it’s just a one-minute walk.

2. Schedule: It runs 24/7, with one bus leaving every hour. check on Luna Official. No reservation needed: If it gets crowded during rush hour, a second bus will leave at the same time. It takes about 30 minutes, but traffic jam can happen.

3. Ticket Prices (One Way):

   • Airport --> South and North Albania Bus Terminal: 3 Euros

   • Airport --> Tirana Center: 4 Euros

   • You can pay by card or cash (both EUR and LEK are accepted).

Day1: Tirana

I didn't land at the airport until noon. Between taking the airport bus, checking into my hotel, exchanging money, getting a SIM card, and grabbing lunch, a huge chunk of time was already gone. But even with a late start, I still managed to see a ton of places!

Once you get to the city center, every major spot is within walking distance, which is incredibly convenient. In just one afternoon, I covered Skanderbeg Square, BUNK'ART 2, Christ Orthodox Cathedral, Tirana Castle, St. Paul's Catholic Cathedral, and the Pyramid of Tirana. You can check out all the details in this guide: Tirana: Bunkers, Pyramids, and Chaotic Charm

Tirana really surprised me—there is a lot of ongoing construction at the moment, but the city feels very organized, thriving, and full of life. My only regret is that if I had more time, I would have loved to visit the National Historical Museum too.

Day2: Berat

9:30 - 10:00 | City Bus to the Bus Terminal
Take the local bus from the city center to the South and North Albania Bus Terminal. The fare is 40 LEK, and you just pay the conductor on the bus. This terminal has buses going to all the major cities, and there are plenty of departures. The parking lot might look a bit messy and chaotic at first, but don't worry. There are restrooms, small shops, cafes, and restaurants right nearby. If you need to swap money, there is a mall just across the street with a money exchange office.

10:20 - 12:35 | Bus from Tirana to Berat
Catch the bus to Berat. The ride takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes, and the ticket costs 500 LEK.

Arriving in Berat & The Rest of the Day
Once you get to the Berat Bus Terminal, you’ll need to take a 10-minute local city bus to reach the center (it costs 30 LEK). Berat is a UNESCO World Heritage site—it’s absolutely beautiful, rustic, and not over-commercialized at all. I spent the rest of the day exploring the whole town. You can check out all the details in this guide: Berat: the City of a Thousand Windows

Day3: Gjirokastër

7:30 - 7:40 | Local Bus to Berat Bus Terminal
Caught the local city bus back to the Berat Bus Terminal. The ticket was 30 LEK.

8:00 - 12:00 | Bus from Berat to Gjirokastër
Took the bus to Gjirokastër, which cost 1,000 LEK. Normally, this ride only takes about 3 hours. However, since it was the low season, we had to transfer to another bus halfway through. We also stopped for a quick break at a cafe along the way, so it ended up taking an extra hour.

12:30 - 13:30 | Huge Lunch at S&P Restaurant
I stuffed myself at this restaurant! I ordered three whole dishes for just 700 LEK and was completely full—it’s super cheap and tastes amazing. The owner doesn't speak English, but it doesn't matter at all because the place is packed with locals (always a good sign). Just a heads-up: S&P Restaurant closes early at 17:30, so don't go too late.

Afternoon | Exploring Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër is an incredibly beautiful UNESCO World Heritage town. For the rest of the afternoon, I walked around the town and checked out: Castle of Gjirokastra, Gjirokastra Bazaar, Zekate House. For all the details, check out this guide! Gjirokastër: the City of Stones

Day4: Blue Eye + Sarandë

9:00 - 9:40 | Minibus to the Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër)
Took a local minibus (furgon) from Gjirokastër to the Blue Eye. The ticket was 400 LEK. Here is the bus stop, where you can get a ticket only with cash.

9:40 - 12:00 | Exploring the Blue Eye
I spent a couple of hours checking out the Blue Eye. It’s easily one of Albania’s coolest natural sights. The water pumps up super powerfully from an underground cave that’s more than 50 meters deep. The very center looks like a deep, dark blue crystal, while the water around the edges is a bright, beautiful turquoise. It is amazing to see in person.

Getting Lost & Hitchhiking to Sarandë
My original plan was to catch a public bus from the Blue Eye to Sarandë, but I got lost and took the wrong way. Luckily, I met a super nice German couple in the parking lot, and they offered me a free ride all the way to Sarandë!

Afternoon & Evening | Relaxing in Sarandë
Sarandë is a beautiful coastal city. I chilled on the beach a bit and climed up to the Lëkurësi Castle. Even though it was only April, the weather was nice enough that some people were already swimming in the sea! While I was in town, I went ahead and bought my bus ticket back to Tirana in advance.

The Saranda to Tirana bus departs at 5:00 AM, 5:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 14:00 PM and 22:00 PM. It costs 1,500 LEK. The ticket office is here.

After dinner, the seaside promenade was packed with locals out for an evening stroll. I absolutely loved the vibe—it felt so lively and warm, it actually reminded me a lot of back home in China.

👉 If you want to know how I managed to get lost, check out this guide: Must See in Albania: The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër)

Day5: Sarandë + Butrint + Ksamil

9:40 - 10:10 | Bus from Sarandë to Butrint
Took the bus from Sarandë to Butrint, which costs 200 LEK. The bus leaves Sarandë every hour at half-past (it also passes Ksamil along the way). Bus Stop in Sarandë

10:30 - 12:30 | Butrint National Archaeological Park
This incredible UNESCO World Heritage site brings thousands of years of history to life with its well-preserved ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine ruins. It’s beautifully located inside a lush forest surrounded by water, so you get to walk through shady nature while exploring the past. Highlights include an impressive ancient theater, old city walls, and a castle, making it an absolute must-visit in Albania. The entrance ticket is 1,000 LEK. I spent two hours walking around and exploring in the park.

12:30 - 12:45 | Bus from Butrint to Ksamil
Headed back toward Ksamil on the local bus. The fare was 150 LEK.

13:00 - 16:30 | Hanging Out in Ksamil & Star In a Promo Video!

Ksamil is a small village in southern Albania, widely celebrated as the "Maldives of Europe" because of its brilliant turquoise waters, fine white sand, and lush offshore islands. While hanging out on the beach, I met two locals with a drone and cameras. They were shooting a tourism promotional video for the city. They told me they rarely see East Asian tourists around here, and they invited me to join them to shoot some footage for the promo! They paid for a boat to take us out to a nearby island. The beach there is small but absolutely beautiful. They told me that during the summer, this place gets completely packed with people lying all over the beach. We ended up taking a ton of videos there!

After "work", we went back to Ksamil beach and jumped into the sea. I have to say, the water in April is still pretty cold! After swimming, they kindly drove me back to Sarandë. It turned out our hotels were right opposite each other, so we all went back to take a shower, change clothes, and rest for a bit.

Evening | Sunset at Lëkurësi Castle & Seafood Feast
Before sunset, we met up again and they drove me up to Lëkurësi Castle to watch the sun go down over the sea. They had to drive all the way back to Tirana that same day, and I wrapped up this amazing day by treating myself to a huge seafood dinner. What an unforgettable day!

Want to see how stunning the "Maldives of Europe" really looks? Check out this post:Things to Do in Sarandë & Ksamil | Ancient Ruins and Turquoise Waves

Day6: Back to Tirana

Or Ferry To Corfu, Greece!
If you have more time, you can perfectly continue your journey by taking a 30-minute ferry to the Greek island, Corfu! There are two main companies running this ferry: Finikas Lines and Ionian Seaways. They change their departure times depending on the season, so make sure to check the most up-to-date timetables before you go.

09:30 - 14:30 | Bus Back to Tirana
The boarding point is right outside the ticket office, and there is a delicious bakery next to it. The bus stops at a restaurant along the way for a short break, but the prices there are very expensive. I was glad I bought some road snacks in advance.

Afternoon | Exploring Tirana's Parks
I visited Ismail Qemali Park, which offers a unique blend of nature, politics, and history. From there, I continued walking to the city's largest public green space, Tirana Lake Park. It might not have the grand architecture of some famous European parks, but its biggest charm is the vibrant, everyday local life you can feel there. I’ve also shared more details about these two parks in this guide: Tirana: Bunkers, Pyramids, and Chaotic Charm

Day7: Go home

Sadly, my journey through Albania has come to an end. But I’ll definitly be back. There are still so many fascinating places I didn't get to visit this time around! I’ve put together a bucket list of all the incredible spots I missed out on. Check out this article for details: The Albania I Missed: Destinations on My Return Radar