Theth & the Albanian Alps

Itinerary

Times are approximate. The day adapts to you: more time where you like it, less where you don't.

1. Day 1Tirana → Shkodër → Theth

   1. 07:30

      Pickup in Tirana

      Early pickup from your hotel and drive north.

   2. ~1 h 45 min drive

      09:15

      Coffee in Shkodër

      A short break in Shkodër before heading into the mountains.

   3. ~1 h 15 min drive

      10:45

      Bogë & the Thore Pass

      The road climbs past the village of Bogë to the Thore Pass, with photo stops for the jagged limestone peaks of the Albanian Alps.

   4. ~1 h drive

      12:00

      Arrival in Theth & lunch

      Descend the paved hairpins into the valley, check in at a guesthouse and enjoy a home-cooked lunch.

   5. ~5 min drive

      13:45

      Theth church & Lock-in Tower

      The little stone church from 1892 — the valley's postcard view — and the Lock-in Tower, where men caught up in blood feuds under the Kanun once shut themselves in for safety.

   6. ~45 min on foot

      15:15

      Grunas waterfall

      An easy-to-moderate walk of about 2.5 km each way (around 45 minutes) through the forest and past the Grunas canyon to a tall waterfall. Back at the guesthouse for dinner and overnight.

2. Day 2Theth → Blue Eye of Theth → Tirana

   1. 08:00

      Breakfast at the guesthouse

      A hearty mountain breakfast before the hike.

   2. ~15 min drive

      08:45

      Hike to the Blue Eye of Theth

      A short drive to the village of Ndërlysaj, then a walk of 45–60 minutes each way along the river to a small emerald-blue pool fed by a waterfall. Brave swimmers can take a very cold dip.

   3. ~15 min drive

      12:00

      Lunch in Theth

      Lunch back in the valley before leaving the mountains.

   4. ~2 h 30 min drive

      15:30

      Coffee stop in Shkodër

      We leave at around 13:00. Back on the plain, a coffee break in Shkodër or by Lake Shkodër.

   5. ~1 h 45 min drive

      17:45

      Back in Tirana

      Drop-off at your hotel in Tirana.