Albanian Alps: Trip Report

We're back. It's still a bit tough to get precise info, so here's a quick trip report!

A good starting point is Shkoder, a really pleasant city. You can easily explore Shkoder itself in a day or two.

Two accessible spots: Valbona and Theth. In both cases, local travel agencies in Shkoder or online offer round-trip or one-way access packages. Super handy, especially for Valbona.

Valbona and Theth are both very steep! There aren’t many easy hikes for less sporty folks (like me!).

Valbona: The highlight is the amazing 2.5-hour boat ride across Lake Koman. There are day trips from Shkoder, but you’ll only get a short tour of the lake. The best option is to do the full crossing—so spend a night in Valbona (or two if you want to hike in the valley) and return.

Theth is deeply nestled in the mountains. The village at the end of the valley, which is a dead end, has lots of hotels, but they’re pricey. Other hostels are scattered along the mountainside road, but it’s a steep climb down to the village or to the start of the two easy hikes (waterfalls and the Blue Eye). For us, it was a one-hour descent (and ascent!). It’s fine if you have a car; otherwise, keep an eye out for a taxi (cheap) or try hitchhiking—it works really well. Access from Shkoder to Theth is through an agency. The road is in great condition, and you can also rent a car for 2-3 days in Shkoder. If we did it again, that’s the option we’d choose.

We didn’t do the trek and returned to Shkoder each time. I can’t speak to its difficulty, but we were there in late May, and even experienced hikers had given up because of heavy rain and snow.

Hope this helps! It’s a stunning region you shouldn’t miss.

Hi there, and thanks for this little overview.

Theth

How do you pronounce it correctly? Thanks.

Wow, you're asking for a lot there 🤯

I said "HEAD," and they understood.

Theth is very narrow. The village at the bottom of the valley, which is a dead end, has a lot of hotels, but they're expensive.

Hi there, We went there two years ago—the guesthouses/hotels weren’t really expensive: on average between 30 and 50 euros. Pretty much the same price as anywhere else in Albania. As for hikes, there are still quite a few that aren’t too difficult! Like the Grunas waterfall or the "Blue Eye." Lots of people brought their kids along... If 400 or 500 meters of elevation gain on well-marked trails is considered difficult, then sure, I guess we’re not talking about hiking anymore but a Sunday stroll. 😏

Access from Shkoder to Theth via an agency. The road is in great condition, and you can also rent a car for 2/3 days in Shkoder. If we did it again, that’s the option we’d choose.

We took a minibus there—the road was brand new and in perfect condition, better than a departmental road in the Vercors! I really don’t see the point of using an agency!

Hey! Well, the Albanian "Th" is pronounced exactly like the English (hard) "Th." So if you say "tête," you're almost there. 😄 But in Albanian, proper nouns decline (like common nouns), so depending on the case (subject or object), you might say "Thethi," for example. Like Shkodër can also be Shkodra...

Hi there,

The English "th" sound: Fffefff or something like that depending on how comfortable you are with the English "th"! 😛

Hi there

The two excursions you mentioned are exactly the ones I was talking about! There was no need to contradict me. I hike and I do distinguish between an easy hike and a Sunday stroll. But do you have another easy one to suggest that I might have missed??? That would be helpful for the community.

Your trip was two years ago and tourism is booming in Albania. Plus, it was the weekend and there were lots of Albanian tourists. Maybe we weren’t the smartest, but the only hostels within your price range were outside with a long, steep slope to get down. That was the case with ours.

For transportation to Theth, they are indeed minibuses chartered by different agencies. I didn’t see any public transport, but I don’t have your expertise (it was only my third trip to Albania).

I’m just sharing my very recent experience to help the community. Modestly 😊

Every forum has its know-it-alls—the same ones often across multiple destinations.

Hi there,

I chose Valbona as my base but rented a car. It was stunning in the autumn.

Maybe Theth next time?

It’s actually not easy to find hikes for casual hikers!

The trails are steep and more often long-distance treks than loops.

But it’s so beautiful!

I noticed tourism is developing really fast here too. Lots of construction coming up! Or maybe it’s already there...

But maybe you have another easy one that I might have missed?

Yes, this one for example (among others): https://fr.wikiloc.com/itineraires-randonnee/theth-nenrreth-gjelaj-217592457 5 miles and 980 ft of elevation gain... It's not a long-distance hike. Suitable for hikers with basic mountain experience.