Booking choice: The Berat day trip, ★ 4.8 (7,533). Check dates Compare the options below
Tirana sits in the middle of Albania, which makes it an easy base. Castles, UNESCO towns, mountain lakes, the Adriatic coast and even two neighbouring countries are all within a day's drive. The trips differ a lot, though: some are a relaxed half day, others start before sunrise and end after dark.
This guide compares the day trips sold on GetYourGuide, with the drive time each way, the length of the day, what is included and who each one suits. If you are still planning your stay, read how many days in Tirana first. For buses, furgons and rental cars, see getting around Albania.
The quick answer
Best first day trip: Berat and Belsh Lake (9.5 to 10.5 hours, rated 4.8 from 7,533 reviews, castle entry included). Best half day: Lake Bovilla and the Gamti hike (5 to 6 hours, 4.9 from 6,857 reviews, about 2 km of hiking each way, no swimming). Closest: Kruja (about 45 minutes to 1 hour each way, 8 hours in all) and Durres (about 1 hour). Longest days: Komani Lake (about 13 hours, boats about mid-April to early November), Theth (11 to 13.5 hours), Kosovo (13 hours) and Ohrid (11 hours). Passport: needed for Ohrid in North Macedonia and for Kosovo. Extra on the day: the Onufri Museum in Berat, the museum tickets inside Kruja Castle, food on most trips. Cancellation: full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead on every trip listed here.
Which day trips can you take from Tirana?
The four most booked are Berat, Lake Bovilla, Kruja and Komani Lake. Ohrid in North Macedonia, Kosovo, Durres on the coast and Theth in the Albanian Alps complete the list.
The numbers show what travellers choose. The Berat and Belsh Lake Day Trip has 7,533 reviews, more than any other tour on this site. The Bovilla Lake and Gamti Mountain Hike follows with 6,857, then Kruja Castle, Bazaar and Sari Salltik with 3,721 and the Komani Lake and Shala River Day Trip with 3,591. All four start with pickup in Tirana.
A good plan for most visitors is one day in the city and then one or two day trips. Central Tirana is easy to see on foot, as what to see in Tirana explains, while the castles, lakes and mountains are hard to reach without a car or a tour.
Which is the most beautiful town to see on a day trip from Tirana?
Berat, for most visitors. Its white Ottoman houses climb the hill above the Osum river, people still live inside its castle walls, and it is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Berat was added to the UNESCO list in 2008, together with Gjirokaster, which was listed in 2005. You can read the listing on the UNESCO page for Albania. Berat is about 2 hours from Tirana, so it fits in a day with time to walk. The castle quarter, the Byzantine churches and the Mangalem and Gorica quarters on either side of the river are the highlights.
Gjirokaster is just as beautiful, with stone-roofed houses below a huge castle, but it is 3 to 3.5 hours each way. As a day trip it is very long, so it is better as an overnight stop on a longer route through Albania. Kruja, with its castle and bazaar, is the prettiest town close to Tirana.
Berat's lived-in castle, its Byzantine churches and the Mangalem and Gorica quarters, with a stop at Belsh lake, hotel or meeting-point pickup and the castle entry included. Rated 4.8 from 7,533 reviews.
Explore the Berat day tripHow do Berat, Kruja, Bovilla, Komani and the other day trips compare?
Kruja, Bovilla and Durres are about an hour away or less. Berat is about 2 hours each way. Komani, Theth, Ohrid and Kosovo are full, long days. The table sets them side by side.
Ratings and review counts are from GetYourGuide on 1 October 2026. Drive times are typical and depend on traffic, the season and road works.
| Trip | Drive each way | Length | What's included | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berat and Belsh Lake | About 2 hours | 9.5 to 10.5 hours | Pickup, guide, castle entry; Onufri Museum extra | 4.8 (7,533) | A first day trip, old towns |
| Bovilla Lake and Gamti hike | About 1 hour, last part bumpy | 5 to 6 hours | Pickup, guide, entrance fees | 4.9 (6,857) | A short hike and a big view |
| Kruja, bazaar and Sari Salltik | About 45 minutes to 1 hour | 8 hours | Pickup, guide, castle entry; museum tickets extra | 4.8 (3,721) | Skanderbeg's history, shopping |
| Komani Lake and Shala River | About 4 hours, with a coffee stop | About 13 hours | Pickup, boat ticket, entrance fees | 4.7 (3,591) | Scenery by boat, mid-April to early November |
| Ohrid and St Naum | About 2.5 to 3 hours, plus the border | 11 hours | Pickup, tour leader, border crossing tax | 4.8 (1,956) | A lake town in North Macedonia |
| Theth and the Blue Eye | About 3.5 to 4.5 hours | 11 to 13.5 hours | Pickup, entry fees | 4.9 (966) | Fit hikers, the Albanian Alps |
| Durres and Golem Beach | About 1 hour | 9 hours | Pickup, a guided walk in Durres | 4.7 (1,013) | Roman history and the beach |
| Prizren and Pristina, Kosovo | Several hours | 13 hours | Pickup; bring your passport | 4.8 (1,401) | Adding a country to your trip |
What is included on a day trip from Tirana, and what costs extra?
Pickup, transport and a guide or tour leader are included on all the main trips, and so are the key tickets: the castle in Berat and Kruja, the boat on Komani Lake, the border tax for Ohrid. Food and some museums cost extra.
- Berat: castle entry is included. The Onufri Museum inside the castle, with its icons, is a separate ticket, and food is extra. The guide speaks English and Italian, with a digital booklet for other languages.
- Kruja: castle entry is included. The museum tickets inside the castle are extra, and the Skanderbeg Museum is seen from outside on the tour.
- Bovilla: the guide and the entrance fees are included. Food is not: the tour stops at a market or a restaurant.
- Komani: the boat ticket and the entrance fees are included. Kayaks and sunbeds at the Shala River cost extra.
- Ohrid: the border crossing tax is included. Lunch is extra.
- Every trip here: full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead.
Carry some lek in cash for lunch, coffee stops and museum tickets. Cards work in central Tirana but not everywhere outside it.
Kruja in one easy day: the castle with entry included, the old bazaar and the Sari Salltik shrine high on the mountain, under an hour from Tirana.
Check dates for the Kruja Castle tripIs the Komani Lake day trip worth the long day?
Yes, if you love scenery and do not mind about 8 hours on the road. The boat ride through the steep gorge of Komani Lake is one of the most striking sights in Albania.
The Komani Lake and Shala River Day Trip (4.7 from 3,591 reviews) lasts about 13 hours. The listing shows a shorter time, but the real day is much longer. Pickup is very early, and the drive is about 4 hours each way with a coffee stop. Part of the road is under construction and bumpy. At the lake you walk about 7 minutes through a tunnel to the boat, ride for about an hour between the cliffs, and spend time at the Shala River, where the water is clear and green.
The boats run only from about mid-April to early November, so plan Komani for the warm months. The tour is in English only, with a booklet for other languages, and you need a passport or ID card. If you have time for a slower trip, the lake is easier from Shkoder with a night there, as the route in how many days in Tirana shows.
Do you need a passport for the Ohrid and Kosovo day trips?
Yes. Both trips cross a border, so bring your passport. The Ohrid trip goes to North Macedonia and the Kosovo trip to Prizren and Pristina.
The Ohrid and St Naum Day Trip (4.8 from 1,956 reviews) takes 11 hours, with hotel pickup and a tour leader. The border crossing tax is included. You walk through Ohrid's old town and bazaar beside the lake, stop at the Bay of Bones, then visit the St Naum Monastery at the southern end of the lake. The Lake Ohrid region is on the UNESCO list. In summer, queues at the border can add time to the day.
The Kosovo Day Trip to Prizren and Pristina (4.8 from 1,401 reviews) lasts 13 hours: Prizren's stone bridge and old town, then Pristina's Newborn monument and cathedral. It is a long day for two cities, but it adds a country to your trip. More on documents and money is in before you travel to Albania.
Can you swim in Lake Bovilla?
No. Lake Bovilla is the reservoir that supplies Tirana's drinking water, so swimming is not allowed. The tours come for the hike and the view from the Gamti viewpoint above it.
The Bovilla Lake and Gamti Mountain Hike (4.9 from 6,857 reviews) runs in the morning or the afternoon and lasts 5 to 6 hours. Pickup details arrive on WhatsApp on the morning of the tour, and you may walk a few minutes to a main road. The drive is about an hour, and the last part of the road is bumpy. After a photo stop at a canyon, you hike about 2 km each way to the viewpoint. It needs moderate fitness, and reviewers say trainers or hiking shoes are a must.
If you want to swim, Durres and Golem beach are about an hour away. The Durres and Golem Beach Day Trip (4.7 from 1,013 reviews) is 9 hours: a guided walk past the Roman amphitheatre, the Venetian Tower and the old walls from outside, then time on the Vollga promenade and the beach. If you plan to go inside the amphitheatre on your own, check the opening hours before you go.
Half a day, a real hike of about 2 km each way and a view over a turquoise lake: pickup in Tirana, a guide and the entrance fees included.
Check dates for the Bovilla Lake hikeWho should skip the very long day trips?
Families with young children, travellers who get car-sick on winding roads, and anyone with only one or two days in Albania. For them, Kruja, Bovilla, Durres or Mount Dajti are better choices.
Komani, Theth, Ohrid and Kosovo each mean 11 hours or more, much of it in a vehicle, and often with a very early start. The Theth and Blue Eye Hike Day Trip (4.9 from 966 reviews) is a good example: 11 to 13.5 hours over the Qafa e Thores pass to Theth village, then a hike to the Blue Eye pool of Theth. The mountain road is paved now, but it is slow and winding. If you love the mountains and have time, a night in Theth is more relaxed.
For a gentle day, Kruja is under an hour away and Bovilla takes half a day. Mount Dajti is even closer: the Mount Dajti and Shengjergj Waterfall tour (4.8 from 172 reviews) is 6 hours with pickup near your address. The cable car ticket is not included, and the cable car does not run on Tuesdays, but the van can drive you up instead. Every option is also on the homepage shortlist.
Skanderbeg's castle town and its old bazaar of carpets, felt hats and copperware, then the Sari Salltik shrine at 1,176 m on a panoramic road. 8 hours, castle entry included. Rated 4.8 from 3,721 reviews.
Explore the Kruja Castle tripFrequently asked questions
Which day trip from Tirana is best for one day?
Berat, for most first-time visitors: a UNESCO town about 2 hours away, with the castle entry included. If you want something shorter, Lake Bovilla takes half a day and Kruja about 8 hours.
Can you visit Gjirokaster on a day trip from Tirana?
Yes, but it is very long: 3 to 3.5 hours each way. Most travellers enjoy it more with a night in Gjirokaster on a route south.
When do the Komani Lake boats run?
From about mid-April to early November. Outside that season the Komani day trip does not run.
Can I cancel a day trip from Tirana?
Yes. Every trip in this guide gives a full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead.
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Check your date and the live price on GetYourGuide; the refund terms are shown on each option.
Berat and Belsh Lake Day Trip
The UNESCO town of a thousand windows, its lived-in castle and old quarters, with a stop at Belsh lake
Bovilla Lake and Gamti Mountain Hike
A real hike of about 2 km each way to the viewpoint over the turquoise reservoir, morning or afternoon
Kruja Castle, Bazaar and Sari Salltik
Skanderbeg's castle town, its old bazaar and the mountain shrine of Sari Salltik, castle entry included
