How Many Days In Gjirokaster, Albania Do You Really Need?
Visiting Albania soon, but unsure how many days in Gjirokaster you really need? Don’t you worry! Here I cover different trip lengths and why they might suit you best.
This post may contain affiliate links to things like hostels and products. These help me earn a small commission to keep the blog running at no cost to you!
In a rush? Pin this for later!
In a rush? Pin this for later!
How Many Days In Gjirokaster Should You Spend?
For those visiting for the first time, it can be difficult to decide how many days in Gjirokaster you should spend. Whilst a number of nationalities can visit Albania for 90 days visa-free, few actually use that amount of time and instead spend just a few weeks in the country before moving on to surrounding countries.
In that case, getting an idea of how many days in Gjirokaster is very helpful!
I spent 4 days here recently and fell in love with the place. Whilst 4 days may not suit you, it’s definitely a place you can linger in just taking in the way of life.
Ultimately, deciding how many days in Gjirokaster you want to spend is dependent on what interests you, and the trip that you’re on. In this post, i’ll go through all of these factors and hopefully you’ll be able to get a better idea!
I’m not a huge planner on my travels. As a long-term budget traveller, I really enjoy going with the flow and figuring it out along the way. It does however help me by having a general idea of where i’m headed and where I want to be by a certain date.
Here are some things you should consider before deciding how many days in Gjirokaster you want to spend:
Check out my post on Is Gjirokaster worth visiting?
Some Things To Consider
How Much Do You Like History?
When deciding how many days in Gjirokaster you want to spend, your interest in history plays a huge role.
Gjirokaster is definitely not the place to party, it’s very much a history and heritage-centric destination with some pretty decent nature surrounding it as well.
If you’re not a fan of history, you probably don’t need that long in the city at all. You can wander around the gorgeous bazaar and out to Ali Pasha Bridge, and then check out the view from Gjirokaster Castle. After that, I gather you wouldn’t want to see the various museums around the city.
Taking Day Trips From Gjirokaster
When deciding how many days in Gjirokaster you want to spend, you should factor in whether or not you want to take a day trip.
When backpacking Gjirokaster, you don’t really have many day trips to choose from, but if you’re not going to be visiting Sarande – you can head out to Southern Albania’s Blue Eye.
If you’re really interested in this and want to go (and you absolutely should), you might want to consider adding an extra day to your Gjirokaster itinerary.
Also wondering How Many Days In Tirana You Should Spend?
Do You Like Travelling Slow?
I’m a big fan of slow travelling. It gives you the chance to see a place from a local’s perspective as you’re not always going to be “seeing the sights” as such.
When you slow down, the way of life of a place becomes the attraction. Gjirokaster has many cafes, bakeries and restaurants where you can relax and enjoy life with the locals.
That makes deciding how many days in Gjirokaster a little more difficult. Ultimately, you can spend however long you want there! The beauty of travelling around Albania is that you can be flexible – so turn up and see how much you enjoy the city!
How Many Days In Gjirokaster: The Easy Answer
Generally, two full days is the perfect amount of time to visit Gjirokaster. I actually have a 2 Days In Gjirokaster Itinerary ready for you to check out! Spending a couple of days here will allow you to see a decent amount of things without feeling like you’ve run a marathon.
Planning a trip to Gjirokaster?
2-3 Days In Gjirokaster For Your First Time In Albania
If it’s your first time in Albania, figuring out how many days in Gjirokaster can be a bit confusing. You might be torn between visiting some places, and not others.
For your first time in Albania, you absolutely must include Gjirokaster on your route. A lot of people tend to choose between Gjirokaster or Berat and that’s a huge mistake in my opinion. You’ve simply got to do both.
Spending 2 or 3 days in Gjirokaster is the perfect amount of time in the city for your first time in Albania. It will give you the chance to see most of what the city has to offer and even include a day trip if you fancy it!
You can pretty much see everything in Gjirokaster in 3 days, the main sights and some more offbeat attractions. You’ll likely get pretty knackered though if you go all out! Gjirokaster is not that big, but the cobblestone streets are annoyingly steep. After my first day in the city, I was ready to just conk out in my dorm bed for the rest of my stay!
Here are some things to do in Gjirokaster that you should check out first:
- Gjirokaster Castle & Museum
- Gjirokaster Bazaar
- Ali Pasha Bridge
1 Day In Gjirokaster: The Highlights
If for whatever reason you’re racing around the country, or perhaps you’re not as interested in history and are just using Gjirokaster as a quick stop before heading out to the coast or up to Tirana – 1 day in Gjirokaster is a fine amount of time to see the main highlights.
In just one day in Gjirokaster, you can fit in quite a few things in. I highly recommend doing a free walking tour in the morning to get to grips with the city and learn as much about it in the shortest amount of time possible. This will take you all around the bazaar.
After this, you can head up to Gjirokaster Castle and learn about the history of the city and the castle itself. I found it super interesting and I spent probably an hour and a half just reading everything!
I don’t think you can leave without visiting Ali Pasha Bridge, it’s my favourite place in the whole city and only a 30 minute walk away from the bazaar.
If you’re only spending one day in Gjirokaster – you must stay at Stone City Hostel. It’s one of the best hostels I have ever stayed in.
Headed to Tirana soon? Check out my 2 days in Tirana itinerary
How Many Days In Gjirokaster For Slow Travellers: 3-5 Days
If you like slow travelling like me, you’ll be wondering how many days in Gjirokaster would be best? During my time in the city, I ended up staying for 4 full days – I loved it that much.
With this amount of time, you can see absolutely everything Gjirokaster has to offer. Every nook and cranny! What I did during my visit was choose one or two things a day to check out and then in between – hang out in the local cafes and my hostel socialising.
This suited me well, it was consistently hitting a ridiculous 38 degrees celsius when I was there and I couldn’t bear with the heat.
If you don’t plan on visiting Sarande on your Albania itinerary, its worth it to take a day trip out to Albania’s famous Blue Eye (Syri i Kalter). All you need to do is catch the bus to Sarande and hop off a bit early. For more details you can ask your hostel staff for more detailed instructions.
Check out my guide on How To Get Around Albania On A Budget
How Many Days In Gjirokaster: Final Thoughts
There we have it! So, how many days in Gjirokaster is best? To recap, I think the best amount of time you should spend in Gjirokaster is 2 full days. That will give you enough time to hit the main sights without feeling too rushed.
Of course, you can spend longer to really get to know the place as well. It’s worth it.
Enjoy Gjirokaster!
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.