This tour is designed to show the highlights of nature in Northern Albania. Valbona Valley and Theth are two of the most picturesque regions in the Albanian Alps. Together with Vermosh they are likely to become tourist “favorites” in this beautiful but rugged area.
The tour is for anyone who leads an active life. It’s not necessary to be an experienced alpine climber, but participants need to be physically fit and in good health as walking long distances is part of this tour.
Accommodation will be at 3* hotels and local guesthouses. During the hiking days, the mid-day meal will usually be a packed lunch.
2022/2023 pricing, but please contact us for an estimate anytime
2020 Land Cost Per Person (double occupancy) Available Anytime from April to September.
4 travelers: $1690
Single Supplement: $260
Single supplement includes accommodation in single room only 2 nights in Shkodra and one night in Tirana.
Transport of the luggage from Valbona to Thethi by mules. One mule with his owner for 4 travelers costs 90 Euro to be paid locally.
This tour operates with a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 15 travelers. Other group rates available on request.
Price Includes:
- Four nights accommodation in guesthouses, 2 nights accommodation at 3* hotel in Shkodra and 1 night accommodation at 3* hotel in Tirana (double or single room)
- Meals as mentioned during five days, dinner on arrival day, breakfast on days 7 and 8
- Tour guide for 8 days for groups up to 15 participants
- Transportation from airport to Shkodra, from Shkodra to Tirana, and from Tirana to airport
- Transportation to Valbona by bus and ferry
- Transportation from Boga to Shkodra by bus
- Transport of the luggage from Valbona to Thethi by mules
Price Does Not Include:
- Airfare (unless otherwise arranged)
- Departure and custom fees
- Gratuities and individual daily expenses
- Additional beverages
- Travel insurance
- Trip cancellation
- Medical and luggage insurance are recommended for coverage against all unforeseen circumstances
Day 1: Arrival
Arrival at Mother Theresa Airport. Meet, assist, and transfer to the northern Albanian city of Shkodra. Shkodra has been an important city for over 2,000 years. Once part of the Venetian empire, Italian influence is evident everywhere in Shkodra. Dinner and overnight at 3* Colosseo Hotel. (D)
Day 2: Shkodra – Koman – Valbona Valley 
Departure from hotel in Shkodra for Koman. We drive for almost half an hour to enter the world of the Albanian Alps. We stop in Koman and see a huge dam built in the 1980’s which encases the waters of Drini River and creates one of the biggest artificial lakes of the country. We take the ferry to Fierze (Kukes), a town in the northeastern part of Albania. Passing through the mountains of canyon created by the Drini River, the route reveals the wild beauty of the Albanian Alps. We will have the opportunity to take numerous pictures of unique views of the beautiful surrounding landscape and the lake. Drive further northward to Bajram Curri. Lunch at local restaurant. Drive along the banks of the Valbona River. The 40 km long Valbona Valley brings us right to the heart of the Albanian Alps. With an area of 8,000 hectares, the National Park of Valbona Valley is the gem of the Albanian Alps. The high and craggy mountains present to the visitors a fantastic festival of colors in every season. Valbona Village is the focal point of the Park. Its forests, river and creeks, flowers, characteristic dwellings, and the hospitality of its people make it an ideal place to visit. Dinner and overnight at guesthouses in Valbona Valley. (B, L, D)
Day 3: Valbona – Theth (8 km, walking time: 8 – 9 hours) 
After breakfast, transfer from Valbona to Rrogam (900 m) – from there we will start hiking to Valbona pass (1948 m) and Theth village (8-9 hours with packed lunch on the way). We will stay for overnight in one of the guesthouses of Thethi Village and experience the hospitality of the people. We walk downhill from the guesthouse, and visit attractions of the village – Dinner (home cooked meal) is served at the guesthouse. (B, L, D)
Day 4: Grunasi Canyon – Large Waterfall (2 km, walking time: 2 – 3 hours)
After breakfast, we set out to see the center of the village. On the way we take time to visit the small waterfall of Grunasi Canyon. We arrive at the village where we visit the church and the Kulla e Ngujimit (a tower house used in the past by men as a shelter from enemies with whom they had “blood feuds”) and then we depart to the large Waterfall of Grunasi. Lunch and time at leisure to enjoy the nature and waterfalls of Grunasi. We return to the guesthouses. Dinner in the guesthouses. (B, L, D)
Day 5: Theth – Nderlyse (3 km, walking time: 2 – 3 hours) 
On this day, we have the chance to discover the wonderful hidden places passing the valley of Nderlyse. Trekking from our departure point of Theth to Nderlyse, we pass through numerous mountain streams. Arriving at the village of Nderlyse, the feeling of desolation and loneliness becomes tangible. Going from one abandoned house to another we hear about the difficulties of life in former times. Lunch and time to explore the scenery. Return to the village and overnight in one of the guesthouses. (B, L, D)
Day 6: Theth – Boga – Shkodra (10 km, walking time: 5 – 6 hours)
After breakfast at the guesthouse, we leave Theth to start trekking towards the village of Boga. We make use of the so-called “Shtegu i Dhenve,” a narrow pathway through the Albanian Alps that connects the villages of Theth and Boga. After two hours we arrive at the pass. It offers stunning views of Bjeshket e Namuna (The Accursed Mountains). The route continues downhill along the side of Radohima Mountain until we reach the village of Boga. We have lunch in this picturesque village surrounded by vertical slopes with peaks over 2000m high. In the afternoon, the minibus picks us up at Boga village and brings us 50km back to Shkodra. We visit the Rozafa castle in Shkodra. In the evening, we go out to one of the restaurants at the lakeside to enjoy the traditional fish specialties looking at the panorama of the lake of Shkodra. Overnight at 3* Colosseo Hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 7: Shkodra – Tirana 
After breakfast, depart for Tirana, the capital city of Albania. Present-day thriving Tirana was founded in the early 17th century by Sulejman Pasha of Mulleti who built a settlement consisting of a mosque, public baths, an oven, and a number of shops. En-route visit Kruja, home of Albania’s National hero, Scanderbeg, who in the 15th century successfully fought off the Turks for over thirty years. Sightseeing at the Old Castle, the impressive Scanderbeg Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, and shopping at the Turkish-style bazaar. Overnight at 3* Tafaj Hotel in Tirana. (B)
Day 8: Tirana – Airport
After breakfast, transfer to airport for departure. (B)
If you have any questions or you’d like to book this trip, please contact us.
Custom itineraries available to this or any of the destinations we travel to.
Kutrubes Travel has SPECIAL AIRFARES – Contact us for details.
Kutrubes Travel also offers a variety of other tours throughout this region. Contact us for detailed itineraries and descriptions.
