Albania is located in the Balkans, below Montenegro and above Greece, with Tirana as the capital. Due to its location, this country has a long and complicated history, which is fascinating in itself to history buffs.
I visited in August of 2017, and despite only seeing Tirana and Gjirokaster, and not enough of either, I really loved the time spent exploring. Albania is such a hidden gem, known as Europe’s last unturned stone, and I loved learning and experiencing a place very different to my home. I am a really big fan of the Balkans area of Europe so Albania is definitely up high on my list of places to return to and see in more depth! Especially the stunning beaches that I’ve heard so much of.
(I did manage to return to Albania in 2022 where I was able to see a lot more of South Albania and the beaches. Suggested read: South Albania travel guide: The best places to visit in South Albania)
One thing that I do remember was that the Albanian roads were crazy and I recommend unless you are very experienced and confident to get a local driver.
Scroll down for my Albania photo diaries.
We spent the evening taking the cable car ‘Dajti Ekspres‘ up the mountain where there was a bar looking out over Tirana. It was incredible.
Returning as the sun was setting over the city was simply spectacular. After dinner back in Tirana we enjoyed a few drinks at a local bar.
After one night in Tirana, we ventured down through Albania into Northern Greece, stopping at Gijirokaster
Budgeting for Tirana, Albania
As an Australian, Albania is an incredibly cheap company by relative standards. An example of this is as follows:
For $27AUD, I bought:
1 x return trip on a cable car
1 x beer bottle
2 x soft drinks
1 x bread appetiser
1 x pasta main meal
1 x bus trip and,
1 x taxi trip
I can’t wait to visit more of the Balkans again in the future.