Backpacking Berat On A Budget: The Ultimate Guide (2024)
Backpacking Berat is incredible. It’s relatively undiscovered and has so much on offer! See out how you can visit on a budget in 2024.
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Backpacking Berat
Backpacking Berat has to be on your to-do list when visiting Albania. Whilst it’s been a popular day trip from Tirana for a number of years, it’s now becoming a non-negotiable on many traveller’s Albania itineraries.
From the unique Mangalem and Gorica Quarters staring at each other from across the river to the best castle in the country. From the intricate mosques and Byzantine churches to the peacefully stunning view from Gorica Hill. It’s also an awesome place to try out some local cuisine!
After 4 months backpacking throughout the Balkans, it stands out because of how unique it is! I spent a full 3 days here and loved it. It remains relatively off-the-beaten track for those travelling in Europe, but that seems to be changing.
In this backpacking Berat travel guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about visiting the UNESCO World Heritage listed city. Let’s dive in!
Things To Know Before Backpacking Berat
- The currency in Albania is the Albanian Lek and at the time of writing, 1 AUD = 62 LEK (67c USD)
- Berat gets HOT in the summer. By hot, I mean it can get into the high 30s (celsius) and it is very humid
- The predominant religions of Berat are Islam and Christianity – thanks to the influences of the Ottoman and Byzantine Empire. Look out for churches and mosques!
- Keep cash on hand when backpacking Berat, places like cafes, restaurants and even hostels rarely accept card payment.
How To Get To Berat
Berat is fairly easy to get to, thanks to its close proximity to a few different cities in Albania. This means that buses aren’t super long!
The best and most affordable way to get to Berat is by furgon (minibus). There are a few cities you can actually get direct buses from. For the other cities, you can get there by taking two separate buses.
That being said, you’ll likely not have to do this. Most travellers visit Berat straight after spending a couple of days in Tirana, and there’s heaps of buses every day connecting the two cities.
Once you arrive from any city, you have to get a separate bus from the station to the centre.
For more more info on how to do this, check out my in-depth guide on how to get from Tirana to Berat.
For finding the bus schedule from other cities, check out Gjirafa Travel
How Much Does Backpacking Berat Cost?
Backpacking Berat is really affordable, and you really get some bang for your buck! The city isn’t that big, and a lot of the main things to do are free! So, it’s pretty easy to keep your costs down.
However, to see how much backpacking Berat will set you back, you have to consider who you are as a traveller.
For example, are you picky with comfort or can you sleep anywhere? What kind of things do you like doing when visiting somewhere new?
During my trip in 2023, it was really easy to spend under $30 AUD a day ($18 USD) when backpacking Berat. I was quite comfortable too, my affordable hostel meant that the only other thing I was spending money on was groceries. Because luckily for us, Berat’s best attractions can be done for free!
Thanks to Albania’s boom in popularity amongst backpackers, in 2024 – hostels have upped their prices. To compare, I stayed at Hanna’s Hostel and it was $16 AUD (10 EUR) per night. As i’m writing this, it’s now $24 AUD (15 EUR) per night during peak season.
But of course, you and I likely don’t have the exact same budget – so here’s a budget breakdown for different flavours of budget travellers! When I was backpacking Berat, I was a “Frugal Traveller”.
Daily Budget Breakdown (in $AUD)
| Type of Traveller | Accommodation | Food | Transport | Activities | Total |
| Skint Traveller | $0 | $5-10 | $0 | $0 | $5-10 |
| Frugal Traveller | $15-30 | $5-15 | $0 | $0-5 | $20-50 |
| A Bit More Comfort | $30-60 | $15-30 | $0 | $10-15 | $55-105 |
Skint Travellers use couch surfing or volunteer in hostels for a free bed, cook their own food, walk (which is easy to do in Berat as it’s small) and visit free attractions.
Frugal Travellers backpacking Berat stay and do their cooking in hostels. They also cook their own food or eat at cheap restaurants, walk and sprinkle in a couple of paid activities.
Budget travellers fancying A Bit More Comfort in Berat still stay in hostels but with private rooms. They will only eat at local cafes and restaurants, walk around and enjoy a few more paid activities.
Berat Budget Travel Tips & Tricks
As we’ve established, backpacking Berat on a small budget can be done without much struggle! In saying that, there are still certain things you can do when visiting that can help you save a bit of money to put towards something else.
1. Where To Eat In Berat On A Budget
It is very easy to choose a restaurant in the middle of the Mangalem District. But where there are tourists, there are tourist prices! A lot of the time, the food can be a little less authentic too.
Another area to avoid when getting food when backpacking Berat is Boulevard Republika. It’s a nice street to walk down, seeing everyone hang out after work – but here, the prices are the highest in the city.
When I was backpacking Berat, I only ate out twice – one time was at Piccolo Grande Amore, per a friend’s recommendation. They referred to it as a “hidden gem”, but it seemed pretty well known amongst tourists and locals alike.
It was just around the corner from my hostel, Hanna’s Hostel. Which is just on the edge of the Mangalem Quarter, meaning you get a bang for your buck! Here, you can get a filling meal for under $10 AUD (16 EUR).
And the best part, the food is amazing. It’s a mix of traditional Albanian food and pizza. However, if you want to try somewhere else – stick to eating a local places (especially in the Gorica Quarter).
If you’re at Berat Castle for sunset, try out Temi Albanian Food. It’s pretty great! Run by a family, it’s some of the nicest food I had in Albania.
As I paid, they taught me some of the Albanian language and gifted me some fresh fruit!
If you’re looking elsewhere, here’s some cheap eats you can have when backpacking Berat.
2. Visit In Autumn & Spring
Backpacking Berat is best done in the shoulder seasons, autumn and spring! As I mentioned before, Berat can get ridiculously hot in the summer. For a couple of days that I was there, it was consistently hitting 38 degrees celsius with 90% humidity!
If you want to save a couple of bucks per day, visiting in these seasons will help. Whilst a lot of the hostels keep their prices similarly priced, you can find a good deal. Saving this amount can help you put your money towards some food!
3. Take advantage of the free stuff Berat
It’s not too hard to keep your costs down when backpacking Berat, because of the free attractions! Luckily for us, in Berat, the best attractions are free anyway!
From the icon of the city, Berat Castle to the historic Gorica and Mangalem Quarters – you’ll be able to keep yourself busy without dipping into your wallet. I’ve written a guide on what you can do in Berat for free, check it out!
4. Berat is small, so walk!
Unlike some other places in Albania (looking at you Tirana), Berat is really walkable! Thanks to its small size, you really don’t need to use public transport. Yes, the winding cobblestone streets in the Mangalem & Gorica quarters can be steep (certainly not as steep as Gjirokaster). But, you can actually walk from one side of the city to the other in under 15 minutes!
In my eyes, you’d be wasting money on public transport that could be better spent somewhere else.
Things To Do In Berat On A Budget
Like a number of places in the Balkans, some of the best attractions in Berat are free or cost next to nothing!
Here’s what you can do on a budget when backpacking Berat:
1. Berat Castle
Albania is known for its incredible castles all around the country. Out of 158 castles, perhaps the best of them all, is Berat Castle. You can’t say you’ve been to Berat if you haven’t been here!
The best thing about Berat Castle is how authentic it is. Life continues inside the castle walls to this day! You can find houses, cafes, restaurants, shops and locals going about their daily lives.
Berat Castle is quite big, so give yourself a couple of hours to walk around and see some awesome views of the city, the textile stalls and churches.
It was incredibly wholesome seeing families and friends come out after work. Kids were kicking a football around, flying kites and parents sat watching – it was one of the nicest afternoons I had when backpacking Berat.
Pro tip: The official opening hours are 9am-6pm. But, as it’s still a place where people live, it’s actually open all the time. Arriving outside of these hours means you can get in for free! Make sure you do this when backpacking Berat.
2. Wander Through Historic Gorica and Mangalem Quarters
Berat is mainly split into two quarters. On one side of the river, you’ll find the Mangalem Quarter which is also the side of Berat Castle. Long ago, the Mangalem Quarter was the Ottoman side of town.
The best thing to do in the Mangalem Quarter is to explore the seemingly infinite number of cobblestone alleyways set between the unique Ottoman buildings. If you’ve been backpacking in Gjirokaster, it may seem similar in a way.
On this side, you’ll find mosques. The best mosques in Berat you can see are the Sultan’s Mosque, the Bachelor’s Mosque and the Lead Mosque.
Credit: Mark de Jong (Unsplash)
Now, let’s talk about the Gorica Quarter! It was historically the Christian side of town, because of the influence of the Byzantine Era. It’s noticeably quieter here than in the Mangalem Quarter. However, it’s just as good for photo opportunities.
The architecture is still unique and the paths are equally as tight. The main difference you will notice is the number of Byzantine Churches, instead of mosques!
For my full list, read: 6 free things to do in Berat
When To Visit Berat
As I talked about before earlier, the best time to be backpacking Berat is in the shoulder seasons.
From April to the beginning of June as well as September and October are great times to travel to Berat on a budget. The prices for accommodation are a bit lower and the weather isn’t as messed up hot!
The most affordable time to go is winter, and it can be pretty magical in a way. But, generally it can be pretty gloomy. With the cobblestone streets, they turn into a slip and slide when it’s wet! It can be pretty dangerous to walk around the Mangalem and Gorica Quarters.
On the flipside, backpacking Berat in the midde of summer is actually ridiculous. Funnily enough, summer is when I visited! It’s scorching hot and there’s not a whole lot of areas to hide from the sun.
Most people visit Berat apart of a longer Albania itinerary, and summer is a great time to visit the Albanian Riviera. If you mainly visiting the country for the water, you can get away with backpacking Berat in the summer (as long as you head out early and late).
Where To Stay In Berat
When I was backpacking Berat, I stayed in Hanna’s Hostel Berat. At the time, it was a fairly new hostel and was the most affordable hostel in Berat. Now it’s pretty much the same price as others.
It’s really clean, on the edge of the Mangalem Quarter – really close to Berat Castle, and the owner cooks an amazing free breakfast. The kitchen is great, which is the first thing I look for when searching for a hostel (in European countries, anyway).
The most popular hostels in Berat amongst backpackers are Maya Hostel and Berat Backpackers (which are owned by the same people). The first hostel to open in Berat was Berat Backpackers, but from friends – i’ve heard it’s gone downhill.
Check out my guide on how to choose a hostel like an expert traveller
How To Get Around Berat
Berat isn’t really that big, so you won’t need public transport. You can walk from one side of the city to the other in under 15 minutes! If you’re not able to walk as easily, you can get a taxi to places – especially up to Berat Castle.
If you’re not able to walk as easily, you can get a taxi to places – especially up to Berat Castle. Be sure to establish the price with the driver before getting in!
Is Berat Safe?
Berat is one of the safest places in all of Albania in my opinion! The city has a population of 60 thousand, but it gives off the vibe of a small town with a population far less than that.
You can comfortably walk around in the middle of the night without a bother. Whilst I’m aware of the fact that I’m a man saying this, female friends have had the same experience.
The only thing you should have at the back of your mind is petty theft, like pickpocketing. It can happen, however, it is still very rare. In this part of the world, it’s just a part of life. That being said, popular tourist destinations like Paris and Barcelona are so much worse for pickpocketing!
A good part about Berat being a small city, is the fact that it feels like everyone knows everyone. So, the community spirit is very much alive and locals will help you in a heartbeat.
Read: Travelling Safe Tips
Where To Go After Berat
Berat is in a pretty decent spot. It’s relatively central within Albania, and thanks to it’s proximity to Tirana – it can fit into most Albania itineraries. So, here are my thoughts on where to go after Berat (in Albania):
If you head south, you’ll reach the beautiful Albanian Riviera. Beach towns like Himare, Sarande and Ksamil are worth a stop, Himare being my favourite! Sarande for example, only takes 4hrs on a minibus.
Whilst you’re down south, you can stay a couple of days in Gjirokaster, my favourite city in Albania that has similarities to Berat. If you’re not sure if you want to go to both, check out my guide on Gjirokaster or Berat. Getting from Berat to Gjirokaster takes 3-4 hours, but there’s only one direct bus per day. Check Gjirafa Travel to double check the times.
If you somehow haven’t been yet, head up north and spend 2 days in Tirana. It’s the beating heart of the country, with a lot going for it.
Read: my in-depth guide about how to get around Albania on a budget
How Many Days Do You Need In Berat?
A lot of people travelling around Albania only visit Berat as a day trip. That’s a shame! Because it definitely deserves to be explored further. As a general answer, 2 full days in Berat is good. However, it depends on the type of traveller you are.
In my guide to how many days in Berat, I go through every factor and why you might want more or less days when backpacking Berat on a budget!
Travel Insurance For Backpacking Berat
If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel – end of. I’m a big advocate for using travel insurance when solo travelling as it will save my arse if anything goes wrong. I use Worldnomads, easily the best company out there for long-term travellers. Get insured with these guys when backpacking Berat.
Final Thoughts On Backpacking Berat
Backpacking Berat is a must-do when visiting Albania. Whilst it has been a popular day trip from Tirana for many years, now, people are staying here! The amazing architecture, the tasty food and the people mix together to make it an unforgettable trip!
Head there as soon as you can. As Albania increases in popularity each year, so will Berat. This means things will begin to get more and more pricey. Get in quick!
You won’t regret backpacking Berat!
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.