Which Trip is Right for me?

SELF-GUIDED TRIPS COMPARED

Albania and its border regions have a variety of different trails to offer. Below you find a side by side comparison of each trail’s characteristics, including best season, region visited, the level of trail difficulty and comfort of accommodation, as well as highlights along the way. We hope this overview helps you to choose the perfect trip for your active holidays! Also, did you know that Zbulo helped create most of these paths and that many of them are our exclusive signature trails?


	Alps Explorer	Hidden Valley Trek	High Scardus Trail	Coastal Trail	Peaks of the Balkans
Duration	8 days	8 days	8 days	8 days	8/11 days
Region	Northern Albania: Albanian Alps, Shkodra, Koman Lake, Valbona, Theth, Tirana	Southern Albania: Zagoria Valley, Permet, Gjirokaster, Tirana	Eastern Albania from Kukes via Mt. Korab to Peshkopi	Southern Albania: Albanian Riviera, Ionian Sea, Llogara National Park	Accursed Mountains in Albania, Kosovo & Montenegro’s border triangle
Season	Late May-early Oct	Apr-mid Jun, Sep-Nov	Jun-Sep	Apr-mid Jun, Sep-Nov	Jun-Sep
Highlights	Two national parks, the fjord-like Koman lake and two vibrant cities	Zagoria and Vjosa Valley, stone villages and UNESCO sight	Vast, sparsely visited wilderness of the Korab-Koritnik NP	Combination of mountains and the Ionian sea from two bases	Hiking beyond borders through the best mountainscapes of three countries
Hikes	Moderate treks, one mandatory hike, options to shorten/ extend	Moderate trek, one longer crossing, swimming opportunities	Challenging trek including the highest peak of Albania	Shorter and moderate day walks, swimming opportunities	Moderate shorter and challenging longer treks, no phone signal
Hosts	Experienced, English-speaking hosts	Moderately experienced, limited English	Limited experience, basic or no English	Experienced with leisure, not hikers, English-speaking	Moderately experienced, mostly English speaking
Rooms	Private ensuite rooms throughout the trip	Three homestay overnights with shared bath	Shepherd hut overnights without power and shower	Private ensuite rooms at hotels throughout	Mix of hotels, guesthouses & huts, private / shared rooms
Learn more	Read more and book →	Read more and book →	Read more and book →	Read more and book →	Read more and book →

Alps Explorer

The Albanian Alps are Northern Albania’s prime mountain destination. Valbona and Theth aren’t new or undiscovered, but still stunningly beautiful destinations. Here you will find better infrastructure and accommodation, but also more people around. It’s a great option if you enjoy the comfort of an ensuite private room and flexibility to shorten and extend your hikes.

8 days
Northern Albania: Albanian Alps, Shkodra, Koman Lake, Valbona, Theth, Tirana
Late May-early Oct
Two national parks, the fjord-like Koman lake and two vibrant cities
Moderate treks, one mandatory hike, options to shorten/ extend
Experienced, English-speaking hosts
Private ensuite rooms throughout the trip

Hidden Valley Trek

The Zagoria Valley is one of Albania’s best kept secrets and our favorite trekking spot in the South. The views aren’t all as dramatic alpine, but the stone village of Limar, river swimming spots and lovely homestays make more than up for that. If the Albanian Alps were Nepal, the Hidden Valley Trek would be Bhutan.
We start/end in Tirana but you can take off from Gjirokaster to continue to the Albanian Riviera. If you feel more comfortable to embark on this trek with some company, a local guide can accompany you upon request, given availability. Or you look into the Hidden Valley Trek as a small guided group tour, which offers an intimate experience, running with as few as 3 and capped at 8 participants.

8 days
Southern Albania: Zagoria Valley, Permet, Gjirokaster, Tirana
Apr-mid Jun, Sep-Nov
Zagoria and Vjosa Valley, stone villages and UNESCO sight
Moderate trek, one longer crossing, swimming opportunities
Moderately experienced, limited English
Three homestay overnights with shared bath

: This views stepping out of the house beat it again. Limar becomes our favorite village in the Southern Highlands.

: I have never been to Buthan but this is how I imagine it. The snowy peaks create the impression to be on much higher altitude than there actually is.

: The Ura e Kalase looks so delciate that it is hard to imagine hte building process above canyon?

: After looking at some more houses we start late from the village.

: Peeking over one of the walls, the puppet on the top right keeps the “evil eye” away – a protective charm.

: A lady and her animals, she’s wondering why those guys from the city make their way out to the mountains. 🙂

: Rovenna is Stavri’s wife, the older brother who works in construction and is currently on a site in Gjirokaster.

: But it isn’t easy to get there, maybe the brave will take a jump on a hot summer day?

: A beautiful church, the sedilia, iconstatis and icons as well as frecoes are in good condition and impressive.

: The highest peak of Cajupi, it is a 9h ronud trip climbing it from the Gjirokaster side.

High Scardus Trail

As a new trail in the early stages, it’s a great choice for an off-the-beaten-path adventure. As such it provides authentic insights, but also has a more basic comfort level than our other trips. Previous trekking and GPS navigation experience is recommended. Note that not every overnight has phone signal.
Not sure about doing this by yourself? An optional English/German-speaking (limited availability) local guide is an affordable option for a private trek. If you like to have company or prefer a professional guide, consider our guided small group tours on the High Scardus Trail. Please note that these trips only cover a part of the entire High Scardus Trail, ask us if you’re interested in a longer trekking adventure.

8 days
Eastern Albania from Kukes via Mt. Korab to Peshkopi
Jun-Sep
Vast, sparsely visited wilderness of the Korab-Koritnik NP
Challenging trek including the highest peak of Albania
Limited experience, basic or no English
Shepherd hut overnights without power and shower

Albanian Coastal Trail

Without a doubt, the Albanian Riviera and Ionian Sea feature the best beaches of the country, which are packed in July and August. But visitors who come in spring or autumn will quickly discover that Albania’s coast has much more to offer than just sunbathing on the beach. The mountainous coastline is perfect for hiking from village to village through olive groves and mediterranean flora, while discovering abandoned stone houses, bunkers and Orthodox churches along the way, before ending the day with a feast of fresh seafood. Stunning views of lush green mountain slopes, crystal blue waters and secluded beaches that you have mostly to yourself this time of the year make this trail a perfect mix of hiking, cultural immersion, culinary indulgence and relaxation.

8 days
Southern Albania: Albanian Riviera, Ionian Sea, Llogara National Park
Apr-mid Jun, Sep-Nov
Combination of mountains and the Ionian sea from two bases
Shorter and moderate day walks, swimming opportunities
Experienced with leisure, not hikers, English-speaking
Private ensuite rooms at hotels throughout

Peaks of the Balkans

Arguably the region’s most famous long distance path, the Peaks of the Balkans Trail includes the highlights of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Border crossing permits, complex logistics and multiple days without phone signal make this trip more complicated than others. Beyond being a premium trip, we highly recommend previous trekking and GPS navigation experience as well a certain degree of self-sufficiency for an individual trip.
You like to have company, it’s your first time trekking or perhaps it sounds better to be in good hands? Then join our guided 8 and 12-day group tours. Groups run from three guests, above eight we add a second assistant guide and cap at a maximum of 12 persons. Read our TripAdvisor reviews and you will quickly see that this is a experience not to be missed, and one of our most popular tours.

8 days
Accursed Mountains in Albania, Kosovo & Montenegro's border triangle
Jun-Sep
Hiking beyond borders through the best mountainscapes of three countries
Moderate shorter and challenging longer treks, no phone signal
Moderately experienced, mostly English speaking
Mix of hotels, guesthouses & huts, private / shared rooms