5-day Hiking Tour in South Albania (Guided)

Route

Day 2: Llogara – Mount Çika (2045m) – Llogara (guesthouse)

Day 4: St. Andreas Bay – Karaburun Peninsula – Palasa Beach (tent)
10,5km | 3 Hours | Level: Easy | Elevation: 170m | Trail type: one way

There is no better feeling than waking up from the sound of calm waves hitting the shore. After breakfast with a seaside view, you'll enjoy a final swim in the crystal-clear waters. After you've packed up your tent you'll discover Karaburun Peninsula by hiking along the southwest coastline. While hiking you will discover empty beaches, isolated old churches and hidden caves used by pirates back in the days. Palasa beach is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Southern Albania. Free afternoon by the beach.

Day 5: Palasa Beach – Drymades – Tirana

After waking up with an amazing view by the seaside, you can explore some of the most beautiful hidden rocky beaches between the white roads and Drymades. The next destination is the balcony of the Albanian Riviera where you will enjoy a traditional lunch with a panoramic view. You will arrive at your hotel in Tirana in the late afternoon.  

What's Included

Included:

√ Transport
The trekking company will pick you up from your hotel in Tirana at the beginning of the trek. All local transfers during the trek are also included in the price.

√ Guide
During the whole trip, you will be accompanied by a professional, English speaking tour guide.

√ 2 Nights Accommodation  in Guesthouse
During this 5-day trek, you will spend 2 nights in a Guesthouse in Llogara.  Prices are calculated on triple or quadruples room occupancy. Double or single room occupancy is possible at an extra charge. The Triple/Quadruple room occupancy means you might share the room with other travelers and/or the tour guide (who could be males or females).

√ 2 Nights Camping on the beach
You will spend the nights in tents on the beaches of St Andreas Bay and Palasa. We will provide all equipment necessary except for sleeping bags.

√ Breakfast
Breakfasts are included in the price of the trek. They will be provided at the accommodation where you spent the night before.

√ Dinner on St. Andreas Bay
Dinner on the third day, at St. Andreas Bay, is included in the price of the trek.

√ Camping Equipment
On the camping nights, we will provide tents and all the equipment necessary except for sleeping bags. The transport of the equipment by boat is also included in the price of the trek.

√ Taxes
Tourist taxes, road taxes, and petrol are included in the price of the trek.

Excluded:

× Airfare and Visa
You have to make your way to Tirana. The total amount is exclusive of flights to Albania. 

× Accommodation before and after the trek
Before and after the trek you have to take care of your own accommodation.

× Single and double supplement
Accommodation is based on Triple/Quadruple room occupancy. If you want to stay in a single or double room, you will have to pay an additional fee. Double room occupancy is possible on 15 Euros extra charge per night per person. Single room occupancy is available for 30 Euros extra per night per person.

× Meals
The meals during the trek are not included in the final price, except for the dinner on the third day and all breakfasts.

× Sleeping bags 
For the nights camping on the beach, you must bring your own sleeping bag.

× Boat from St. Andreas Bay to Dhermi (Palasa Beach)
On the last day of the trek, you can choose to either walk from St. Andreas Bay to Palasa Beach or take a boat. The boat ride is not included in the price of the trek and has an extra cost of EUR 40,- per person, 3 pax minimum, from May till September. 

× Travel Insurance
Your international travel insurance is your own responsibility. Discuss your itinerary with the insurance company before your trek.

× Mule
Mule or horse caravan, to carry heavy luggage from Llogara to St. Andreas Bay, is available on request with an extra charge of 95 Euros per horse/mule.

× Personal expenses
Personal expenses such as souvenirs, drinks at the bar and other similar expenses are for your own account.

× Tipping
Tips are not a must in Albania or the Balkans, however, our recommendation is to tip the tour guide/driver 5 - 10 Euros per day/person as an international practice to tip good service.

Accommodation

FAQ

FAQ

Best season
The best months to visit Albania are from mid-June to mid-September. The summer months are relatively warm due to its geographical location. Average temperatures in July, August and September are around 25 °C in the Riviera, while temperatures are lower in the Albanian Alps. The beaches are crowded during this period and you will meet most people on the trails. September, October and the first part of November are considered the most ideal period, there is no snow yet and the trails are a lot quieter. The weather conditions in these months are ideal for a brisk trek. 

In winter (November, December, January, February and March), temperatures can drop considerably. You will encounter snow in the mountains, making northern Albania in particular very suitable for winter sports. The transition periods between winter and summer are very unstable. A day with temperatures of 25 °C is certainly not unusual, however, the next day can be 15 °C cooler. This applies mainly to the months of April, May, June and October. From mid-May to around the end of June, weather conditions are good for a nice trek and you won't meet as many other hikers on the route.

Training
The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the trek. No doubt about that. If you are in good shape, this trek shouldn't be a problem for you. Remember that during these treks in Albania you will be walking many hours in the mountains for several days. If you are worried that it might be too much, you can always train in advance, walking a few hours a day and climbing some stairs. 

Tipping
Tipping is not a must in Albania or the Balkans. However, if you got a good service from your guide and you want to thank him, it will always be much appreciated. How much to tip your guide is up to you. Our recommendation is to tip the tour guide/driver 5 – 10 Euros per day/person as it is an international practice to tip good service.

Single room occupancy
Single room occupancy is possible for EUR 30 extra per person per night. Please ask our trekking experts about the possibilities. 

If you want to get more in-depth information you can check out the following blog posts from Bookatrekking.com about hiking in the Balkans: 

Hiking Albania
Hiking in Croatia
Climb Triglav
Hiking in Montenegro

Packing List

Packing List

Balkans-Challenge accepted! But what should I actually take with me? That's a hard question to answer, because you don't want to compromise on quality but certainly don't want to carry too much weight as well. Perhaps this packing list will help you to prepare for the trek. Use these as a guideline, our trekking experts are happy to advise you if you have any questions. 

Clothing:

- Hiking boots
- Hiking trousers 
- Fleece/down jacket
- Rainwear (jacket, trousers, poncho, etc.)
- Hiking socks
- Hat or buff
- Gloves
- Swimwear (in the summer months)

Equipment:

- Backpack
- Sun protection (sunglasses, sunscreen, etc.)
- Headlamp
- Nightwear
- Travel towel 
- Earplugs

Personal care:

- Water bottle and/or water bottle
- Plastic bag (for rubbish)
- Snacks
- Toiletries 
- Painkillers 

Indispensables:

- Passport/ID
- Travel and/or mountaineering insurance
- Cash money
- Chargers
- Camera for capturing memories

Choose Balkans

Choose Balkans & Bookatrekking.com

Choose Balkans has been Bookatrekking.com's preferred partner in Albania and the Balkans since 2019. Alban and his team are operating from their office in Tirana and they have excellent knowledge of the region. Arranging the local logistics, but also showing the hidden gems of their country is one of their specialities. They also have broad experience in Guided and Self-Guided hiking Trips in Albania and on the Peaks of The Balkans Trail.

If you book your tour through Bookatrekking.com, we will be glad to help you with making the right choice and advise you in the best way possible. Once the booking is made, we leave Choose Balkans to do where they are best. Arranging your accommodations, routes, and all other travel plans to make your hiking trip in Albania an unforgettable experience!

How to Book

How does it work?

On Bookatrekking.com you can find and compare the adventures of your dreams. Is this trekking adventure your match? In that case you can proceed to booking. At Bookatrekking.com you make a deposit of 20% of the total amount. You pay the remaining amount on location prior to the trek directly to the trekking company.

Bookatrekking.com uses only the safest payment methods. Once your booking has been received, your place is reserved, your place is safe and you can look forward to your chosen trekking.

After you have made your booking, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with all necessary information and the contact details of the trekking company. If you have any questions or if you want to clarify something, you can obtain information directly from the right person. Of course, you can also always ask us your question. Send us an e-mail on support@bookatrekking.com

The trekking company will also receive your details and can therefore always contact you and provide you with extra information.

Cancellation Policy

You wish you didn’t have to, but there is no other way: You find yourself having to cancel your plans. In this case, you lose your deposit, but since you haven’t paid the large sum yet, you at least save that. Please do let us know if you cannot make it. A no-show can be a small disaster for your trekking provider, who did its best to block your dates. View our complete cancellation policy here.