Albania in 10 days itinerary
The Peaks of the Balkans is a 192 km trail situated in the mountains of Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo. When visiting Albania, it’s the perfect opportunity to head North and hike part of this popular trail. In Albania, between Valbona and Theth, the trail is about 16km long and it takes about 7 hours to complete for those with an average fit level.
Even though this route is very popular, it’s not as straightforward to do. This post covers all you need to know to do this stunning hike.
Shkoder
The starting point to Northern Albania and the 3 day hiking adventure is in Shkoder. If you’re coming by car, use the secure parking to leave it. Keep your luggage in your hotel and take only the bare necessities with you.
Tip: Book transfer, ferry and accommodation yourself! Other travel blogs mention the 3 day trek arranged by Wanderers Hostel in Shkoder. I’m going strongly against that recommendation and absolutely do this yourself! Why? It’s very easy to do! You get to choose your own nicer accommodation, and use the best ferry on Komani Lake. Here’s how!
Komani Lake
For the first part of the trek you need to get from Shkoder to Valbona. This part of the journey is with an arranged minivan to Koman, the entry point to Komani Lake. The first highlight is a beautiful trip across the lake, with its blue green waters and cliffs.
Transfer: The Shkoder – Komani Lake – Valbona crossing is easy to book online with the Komani Lake ferry operator. Besides the ferry service, they also offer a minivan pick-up in Shkroder and drop-off at your accommodation in Valbona.
Avoid the crowds on Rozafa Ferry: Book the Komani Lake ferry directly online with Rozafa Ferry. Everyone else, and I mean every other tourist, books the ferry crossing with Berisha (do not book here!!). All the travel agencies do, people directly do. I assume Berisha does good marketing and the company also exists a few years longer.
Rozafa Ferry and Berisha offer the exact same ferry service on Komani Lake, same time, same boat, same price (approximately €40). Only the popular Berisha ferry is extremely overcrowded. And the Rozafa Ferry is very peaceful with only maybe 15 people on board while I was taking the trip. During the 3 hour crossing I could walk around, sit anywhere I wanted, while on the other ferry people were desperate for even a seat.
 |  |
| Berisha ferry | Rozafa ferry |
Timetable:
06:45 pick-up in Shkroder
09:00 – 11:30 ferry Komani Lake from Koman to Fierza
13:00 arrival in Valbona
Valbona
Arriving in Valbona in the afternoon gave me the option to relax for the rest of the day. I stayed in the lovely and affordable guesthouse Hotel Margjeka, which is one of the closest accommodations to the trail towards Theth. The guesthouse offers an on-site restaurant with an extensive menu of delicious Albanian food. By the time I arrived I was famished and ordered the Mish vici with fries and treated myself to a Spritz. Afterwards I chilled in one of the lounge chairs to enjoy the view of the valley and went to bed early to have a fresh start tomorrow.
For those who prefer a more active day out, there are also various short trails in Valbona you could hike.
The Peak of the Balkans: Valbona – Theth Trail
 |  |
It’s the end of June with 34° C. I decided to start the day at 6AM to have an early start, to beat the intense heat and before the majority of hikers on the trail. Through my guesthouse I arrange a taxi that takes me to Bar Emanueli in Rragam and skip the first boring 5 km alongside the riverbed.
Doing the trail from Valbona to Theth has a few advantages:
1. You can skip the first part and take a taxi.
2. Hiking from this side it’s less of a climb, from Rragam at 1127m, ascending 630m all the way up to Valbona pass. From the pass it’s a constant descent of 1043m to Theth village at 715m.
3. The second half of the trail between Valbona pass and Theth is amidst the trees, giving a much needed shade in the afternoon.
The first part of the hike up to Valbona pass was absolutely the most stunning with those gorgeous mountain views. With Valbona peak as its highlight.
Theth
At the end of the trail you arrive in Theth, another gorgeous mountain village. I arrived around 2PM and took the afternoon to relax at my hotel. Those with energy to spare can visit the Blue Eye of Theth or the Grunas Waterfall.
The next day it’s time to head back to Shkroder and continue your Albanian journey. Several companies offer bus and minivan rides between Theth and Shkoder. These can all be booked locally.
Good to know
Download maps.me: Use the app maps.me on your phone and download the Albania map. The Theth-Valbone trail is marked on this offline map, which makes it super easy to navigate with only GPS and no cell service.
Cafes along the trail: On the trail are various cafes offering water, drinks and food. No need to bring too much water and carry that extra weight with you. I was even presently surprised when I stopped at Bar Kafe Zef Rrgalla during my descent, who had a spotless bathroom, a luxury I wasn’t expecting.
My own experiences: all my recommendations are based on my own experiences. I receive no incentives nor affiliate marketing by promoting these.
Related posts
Een prachtige reis mooie foto’s