Gjirokaster Or Berat: Which Is The Best City To Visit?
Before visiting Albania, I couldn’t figure out whether to visit Gjirokaster or Berat – or both! I decided to spend some time in both and believe both are 100% worth visiting, but if you’re short on time – this guide will help you make a choice!
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Gjirokaster or Berat? Why Not Both?
Gjirokaster and Berat were my two favourite cities I visited during my 2 weeks in Albania, by a country mile. Both are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites under the same title and have so much charm packed into each place.
They must be pretty similar then right? Well – yes, but also no. If you’re looking at photos online of the two places, they do look very similar. Both have unique buildings located on winding cobblestone streets, both have castles overlooking the cities and both are very safe to visit.
Gjirokaster offers heaps of different attractions for every kind of budget traveller, is home to the best hostel in Albania. The ancient town of Berat has much of the same with a good hostel scene and benefits from its proximity to Tirana.
Before I visited, there wasn’t much great information online comparing Gjirokaster vs Berat – so I decided to just visit both and see how I liked them!
I’ve decided that if you have the time, you should 100% visit both heritage cities. However, since you’re researching “Gjirokaster or Berat?”, i’m assuming you don’t have the time to visit both or you’d rather focus most of your time on one of the two.
What city you would prefer is down to what type of traveller you are – so in this post i’ll chat about each city’s selling points and hopefully it’ll help you decide whether to visit Gjirokaster or Berat!
The Short Answer To Gjirokaster or Berat
If you’re short on time, squeezing in both cities into your Albania itinerary is not really an option and you should decide whether to visit Gjirokaster or Berat.
In my opinion, the short answer to who wins the battle between Berat vs Gjirokaster is definitely Gjirokaster. Sure, Berat is much easier to get to from Tirana and is equally as charming, but Gjirokaster has just got that extra edge for me!
There are many more things to do in Gjirokaster, it has the best hostel in Albania and offers more diverse travel photography opportunities.
Gjirokaster or Berat: Who Should Pick Gjirokaster
Is Gjirokaster worth visiting? Absolutely! Gjirokaster is a fantastic pick for travellers who are keen on history and getting out in nature. If you don’t mind some pretty steep streets, you’ll reap the rewards of the southern Albanian city.
There are more things to do in Gjirokaster
Overall, there are definitely more things in Gjirokaster worth visiting than Berat – especially for us budget travellers. There is plenty to keep you busy for at least 2 days in Gjirokaster.
If you want to stay longer, check out my guide on How Many Days In Gjirokaster, Albania
From the seriously cool Old Bazaar to the Gjirokaster Castle, which is home to one of the most informative museums in the country. From the traditional stones houses to the off-the-beaten-path Ali Pasha Bridge just a 30 minute walk from the city.
Planning a trip to Berat or Gjirokaster?
Gjirokaster is better for nature
If you love a bit of nature like me, you would be wondering if Gjirokaster or Berat is better for it! Personally, I found that Gjirokaster is better for nature – but only just.
The main thing making me lean towards Gjirokaster with this is that it’s quicker to get out in nature. It’s a city built between two hills and you can easily be walking along charming green paths in less than 20 minutes from the Old Bazaar.
It’s home to the best hostel in Albania
It’s seriously rare for me to rave about a hostel so much, and I haven’t shut up about Stone City Hostel since visiting. If you had to choose between Gjirokaster or Berat on hostels alone, Gjirokaster wins every time purely because of this hostel.
The hostel has a relaxing vibe with great common areas. Everything is clean and the beds are crazy comfy.
Not to mention the free breakfast which is so god damn tasty and actually fills you up which is so crucial when travelling on a budget.
Make sure you check out my guide on How To Survive Hostel Life to make your stay even comfier.
Those focusing on the Albanian Riviera
If you’re mainly visiting the Albanian Riviera, Gjirokaster is not all that far from Sarande, Himare and Ksamil.
Sarande to Gjirokaster: 1 hr
Himare to Gjirokaster (bus to Sarande then transfer): 2hrs 40 mins
Ksamil to Gjirokaster (bus to Sarande then transfer): 1hr 30 mins
Whilst the coast down here are super lovely, missing out on a UNESCO World Heritage Site like Gjirokaster would be a mistake. The city is a massive culture trip and cannot be skipped.
Check out my guide on How To Get Around Albania
Gjirokaster or Berat: Who Should Pick Berat
Is Berat worth visiting? For sure. Berat is a great choice for travellers who appreciate walkability, more authentic attractions and perhaps aren’t planning on visiting the entire country.
Check out my full guide about Backpacking Berat on a budget
Berat is easier to walk around
If the physical aspect is a key factor in deciding whether to visit Gjirokaster or Berat, I would recommend choosing Berat. There aren’t many places in Gjirokaster that are flat and you’ll pretty much always be walking up or down no matter where you go.
Whilst walking around the charming neighbourhoods in Berat can be pretty tough as well, there are far more areas where the ground is completely flat including the main area of the city and along the river.
Gjirokaster on the other hand is pretty extreme, even in the main parts of the city.
Hiking to the Berat Castle is more worth it
Whilst both Gjirokaster Castle and Berat Castle are must visits, if you had to choose between Gjirokaster or Berat based on the castle alone – I believe Berat’s castle is cooler.
Sure, the Castle of Gjirokaster is probably maintained a bit better and has a better museum inside – but I found that it felt like I was wandering around a museum.
In Berat, I genuinely felt like I was walking around the old castle grounds as I saw children playing football in the courtyard and families eating at restaurants. It’s also a bit bigger than the one in Gjirokaster, so you can spend more time there.
Check out my 1 day in Berat guide!
Berat is easier to get to
Berat’s location is fantastic. From Tirana to Berat, it only takes a couple hours. The country’s only international airport is in Tirana, so if you’re just backpacking Albania and headed south – you’ll be going past Berat anyway, so you may as well check it out!
Getting from Tirana to Gjirokaster takes another couple of hours.
Check out the best 6 Free Things To Do In Berat
Final Thoughts On Gjirokaster or Berat
If you appreciate walkability, more authentic attractions and perhaps looking to visit just one more place other than Tirana, Berat is a great choice. Berat offers a couple of good hostels and an awesome castle overlooking the famous Gorica Quarter.
Check out Gjirokaster first if you love history and getting out in nature. You can enjoy everything from museums, nature and some more offbeat tourist attractions.
Either way, both cities are absolutely worth visiting and if you have the time – visit both! Unlike many popular cities in Western Europe, both Gjirokaster and Berat attract people solo travelling.
Check out all of my posts about Albania
Book Your Trip With My Favourite Resources:
Cheap Flights: I always use Skyscanner to browse for cheap flights. It offers so many options to help you find a good deal! It even allows you to search for “anywhere” if you haven’t decided where to go yet!
Accommodation: I start my hostel search with Hostelworld. Most hostels are now on this platform making it the place to find the best hostel for you.
Travel Insurance: If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. It is so important to have when travelling as it will save you from illness, injury, theft and cancellations! I always use Worldnomads when travelling on a budget as they have the best deals for me.