8-day self-guided High Scardus Trail

Overall, I want to say, that we very very happy with everything!

To another traveller I would say these two things:

– Dont do this trekk in Juli / August, as it is very very hot and there is almost no shaddow on the entire trekk.

– Inform yourself about Cattle dogs and take security measures.

I would tell them that the organization is great. Before the trip, Zbulo team is super responsive and during the trip we just needed support at one moment and they were also super helpful and resolutive.
For the trails itself, the hiking was technically easy (sometimes the path was difficult to follow) but at some point the views got a bit boring (specially from Grama to Rabdisht). I would say that the last day (hike around villages) could be subtituted by, for example, getting back to Tirana during the morning and having a guided tour around the more interesting places in the city.
All the guesthouses were great and albanians were really charming.

This was our second self-guided trip with Zbulo! (after Peaks of the Balkans in 2025). The landscapes were splendid, the organisation was excellent and the hosts proved even more welcoming (hard to believe it could be even better than last year). However, days can be quite long , especially given the heat and the absence of shade on most of the trail. Storms are also quite frequent. Pathfinding can be a challenge – trails are not well marked, there ate barely any tourists at all, GPS is a must. This being said, if you are looking for pristine landscapes far from tourist turmoil, this is the trip for you!

– especially during the two hikes Peshtan to Hoshteve, landscape was really, really nice

– we had a brief rest on day 1 at a house of someone living there alone. We had some nice coffee, grapes and honey. It was a nice and peaceful place

– the food at the guesthouses was delicious

– the hosts were very friendly and gave us a warm welcome.

– the village of Limar with its stone houses within a stunning landscape was picturesque. We hope the village will maintain its character, even if in the future there will be a better road (other villages – day 3 – with access to a road were already different)

– hikes are relatively easy, but very much rewarding

– very recommendable during autumn (or spring) when temperatures are lower

– be prepared to meet shepherd dogs (and know how to behave) but in our case it was managable

Everything was perfect – communication was quick, transfers were on time, the accommodations were well chosen, everything was reserved according to plan, the food was very delicious, and the documents were detailed yet easy to understand. It was a complete package for a carefree, relaxed, and unforgettable holiday.

Thank Zbulo for their amazing work to get everything working well and all transportation and luggage getting on place, was without problem.
Nice places to stay and lovely people.
Great experience but you have to be in quite good condition because of steep climbs.

(Translated by Google) An operator we highly recommend, both from our own experience (self-guided High Scardus Trail) and from the stories of other travelers. Clear communication from the start, extensive information material, and perfect logistics.

(Original)
Ein Veranstalter den wir sowohl aus eigener Erfahrung (High Scardus Trail self guided) als auch aus Erzählungen anderer Reisender absolut empfehlen können. Klare Kommunikation von Anfang an, umfangreiches Informationsmaterial, perfekte Logistik.

Wir starteten zu einer individuellen Tour auf einem Teil des Scardus-Trails. Alles war perfekt organisiert: Abholung am Flughafen, Einweisung in die Wanderung, Briefing, Übergabe eine Not-Handys, mit dem das Zbulo-Team immer erreichbar war, GPS und GPS-App (die wir auch genutzt haben, weil die Markierung nicht immer gegeben war). Die Wanderung führte uns durch herrliche, beeindruckende Landschaften, die Quartiere waren super, die Verpflegung bestens, die Menschen ausnahmslos freundlich, herzlich, unser Gepäck wurde transportiert, so dass wir nur einen Tagesrucksack tragen mussten. Leider haben wir am 3. Tag unserer Wanderung in den Bergen einen schweren Unfall erlitten. Dank der o.g. Ausstattung war das Zbulo-Team sofort erreichbar, schickte uns zwei Bergretter (zu Fuß und zu Pferd) und weil das leider nicht genügte, organisierten sie einen Hubschrauber. Das war unfassbar und hat zwei Menschen das Leben gerettet! Wir können uns nicht genug bedanken, 5 Sterne reichen nicht aus, auch 100 Sterne würden nicht genügen. Es ist die allerbeste, pefekteste, freundlichste und zuverlässigste Organisation, die man/frau für eine solche Reise finden kann. Es gibt keine Steigerung. Besser und sicherer geht es nicht! Danke an das gesamte Team!!

DANKE!!!

Bitte gebt uns die Daten für eine Geld- u. o. Sachspende für die Bergrettung in Albanien bzw. dem Kosovo.

Fantastic mountains, beautiful nature, friendly residents, if you love solitude, this is the place for you. The only thing we can’t handle is the amount of garbage everywhere in Albania. People throw it wherever they can find it. Environmental awareness is lacking in this beautiful country.

You are a great travel planner and everyone was super friendly.

The rip was extremely well-organised and everything went entirely as planned. Transfers were always on time and exactly where expected. All the maps, route, GPS and details were in place and the accommodation was excellent ranging from rustic shepherd huts to comfortable hotels.

My friends and had an amazing time hiking the self-guided High Scardus Trail with Zbulo. The trip was impeccably organised with great communication throughout. The hosts were so hospitable, the food was amazing and the raki was terrible (as it should be). I could not recommend travelling with Zbulo more highly.

The High Scardus Trail is an amazing trekking on uncharted trails in northern Albania. Along the way we often walked alone through beautiful nature, stayed overnight with hospital mountain people who served delicious, honest meals. The trek was sometimes tough and the path was not always easy to find. However, Zbulo’s organization was impeccable. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to discover a part of Europe that is miles away from the ratrace in the West.

Faleminderit 🙂

The self guided high Scardus trail is an amazing hike with Zbulo and spring is a fantastic time with all the wild flowers and green pastures. Everything was well organized, transport, food, accomodation etc. It is in a remote part of Albania which we loved, great to watch the villagers and their lifestyle. It’s our favorite hike away from the crowds with amazing scenery.

Puuhhh…so many highlights:

Kristi, our driver

The small paths in a wonderful nature

The different hosts give a broad picture about albanian people

The food

You should be an experienced hiker going the High Scardus Trails, walking for many hours in remote areas.

You should feel comfortable by navigating with GPS, we didn’t use the booklet very much.

You should feel comtortable with different cultures and limited language skills.

The huts on day 4 were above my expectations.

The host at every place were very hospitable.

As a first time map reader and self guiding, it track and the description were good.

Carry a Powerbank and carry your coffee if you cannot drink strong coffee. Albanian coffee is extremely strong.

Download Albanian language in Google translate.

Zbulo is an exceptionally well managed tour operator, which is amazing value and service for money. Everything is as expected and as said. I highly recommend this company. It is sad they haven’t extended beyond Albania and Kosovo yet. I hope they do.

My friend and I did in August 2021 a non guided tour on the High Scardus Trail und the Peaks of the Balkans. Zbulo! had organised our tour, we were hiking without guide, Zbulo! had managed all the bookings for accomodation and food, luggage transport (mostly by horse / mule), motor transport between different sites, and had provided us with the GPS-tracks, which were abolutely necessary.
Zbulo! did an absolutely outstanding job, there was not not smallest problem in our tour – amazing. We recommend Zbulo! for all outdoor experiences in the balkans!!!