How Many Days In Tirana, Albania Do You Really Need? (2024)
On your way to Albania, but unsure how many days in Tirana you really need? Fret not! Here, I go into 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 Tirana Should You Spend?
If it’s your first time, deciding how long to spend in Tirana you want to spend is tricky. Albania is a country with an insane amount of things on offer. If you only have a strict couple of weeks here, you want to make sure you don’t spend too little or too much time in each city.
So, getting a rough idea of how many days in Tirana before you visit is very helpful!
I’ve spent a total of 9 days in Tirana on three separate occasions, so, yeah – I love it. Some consider Tirana to be a boring city, but I really enjoyed my time here. Whilst there’s not an abundance of high-profile “attractions”, you can definitely linger here and just fall in love with the way of life.
Tirana has some incredible nature on it’s doorstep, cool day trips and some confronting yet interesting history. However, figuring out how many days in Tirana you want to spend depends on what you’re interested you, and the kind of trip you’re on. In this blog post, i’ll run through everything. By the end, you’ll have a great idea of how many days in Tirana is best for you.
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. That being said, it really helps me by having a rough idea of the direction i’m going in, where I’m keen on going and a timeline.
Here are some things you should consider before deciding how many days in Tirana you want to spend:
Some Things To Consider
Are you a nature or a city person?
When deciding how many days in Tirana you want to spend, being a nature or a city person will play a big factor!
Tirana is a big city. So, for city lovers – you might want to stay a little longer! That being said, nature lovers can get something out of Tirana too.
In Tirana, you’ve got Dajti Mountain just a stone’s throw away. It’s got some incredible views that are amongst the best in the country. Maja e Tujanit is an awesome trail you can hike that goes further into the national park and ends with a view of Bovilla Lake!
Definitely consider these factors when deciding how many days in Tirana you want to spend.
How much do you like history?
You should definitely factor in your level of interest of history. Tirana is FULL OF IT. So, when figuring out how many days in Tirana you’ll spend – this can vary wildly.
If you love history, you can honestly spend a full week exploring the museums and historical artefacts. Albania is a nation that has been through a lot, being one of the most isolated countries in the world for 40 years in the 1900s. During this time, it’s living standards were similar to North Korea’s.
By the time communism fell apart in the country in 1991 – Albania was ranked as the 3rd poorest country in the world. So, if you’re interested in this stuff – take some more time to explore the history of Tirana.
Here are some museums in Tirana you can check out:
- BunkArt 1 & 2 – awesome underground bunker museum
- National Historical Museum – a comprehensive history of Albania, located in Skanderbeg Square
- Museum of Secret Surveillance – museum dedicated to the innocent people who were spied on under the communist regime.
Taking day trips from Tirana
“How many days in Tirana should I spend if I want to take a day trip?” I hear you ask. Well, there’s a couple of great day trips from Tirana to choose from. So if you’re interested in them, adding a couple of days is be a good idea!
The most popular day trip from Tirana is one to Kruje. It’s an extremely picturesque town only an hour away from the capital full of fantastic photo opportunities. Make sure you wander around the Old Bazaar and head up to Kruje Castle, one of the coolest in the country!
If you’re only visiting Tirana for a quick city break, I would recommend staying in Tirana only. Kruje is fine as a day trip because it’s close, but some people take a day trip to Berat too.
The question you might be asking yourself is “is Berat worth visiting as a day trip?”. I personally think Berat deserves a couple of nights. Located 2-3 hours away from Tirana, doing a day trip here might be exhausting.
Going anywhere in Albania from Tirana? You’ll need to know how to get to Tirana’s Regional Bus Terminal. It can be confusing to figure out yourself!
Are you a slow traveller?
I’m a slow traveller – in which I tend to stay longer than the average person. I do this so, one, I don’t get burnt out, and two, I can connect with a place better. Instead of hitting the highlights, you can see the place more like a local.
So how many days in Tirana do you need if you travel slow? In Tirana, you can see the main sights in a couple of days. But, I reckon you should first book a couple of nights. Then, keep extending your stay until you feel it’s time to move on! Tirana is a big city, and you’ll definitely get exhausted if you run around and see everything in one day!
How Many Days In Tirana: The Easy Answer
Some of you guys reading just want a quick answer, and I get it. So, how many days in Tirana does the average visitor need? The easy answer is that, a full 2 days is the perfect amount of time to visit Tirana.
Luckily for you, I have a 2 days in Tirana itinerary ready to help plan your trip! Just a couple of days here will allow you to hit up the main attractions without feeling too rushed.
If it’s you’re only visiting Tirana on a short city break – you can even fit in one day in Berat as a day trip.
Planning a trip to Tirana?
2-3 Days In Tirana For Your First Time In Albania
If it’s you’re making a trip to Albania for the first time, figuring out how many days in Tirana you should spend can be a hard task. After all, if you only have a couple of weeks in Albania – it’s not as easy to book a couple of nights, and then extend if you feel like it.
I believe that for your first time in Albania, Tirana is worth visiting. Unless you’re travelling overland from neighbouring Balkan countries, you will land here as Tirana has the only international airport in the country. So, why not settle in for 2-3 days before moving on?
Spending 2 or 3 days in Tirana 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!
With a few days in Tirana, you can see the main sights and and fit in some lesser-known attractions. As I mentioned, Tirana is BIG. If you try and see more, you’ll get pretty knackered! In the summer, it also gets scorching hot – so walking around all day can be dangerous if you’re not properly hydrating.
Here are some things to do in Tirana that you should prioritise:
- Skanderbeg Square – awesome after 5pm as people start flocking here after a big day of work
- BunkArt Bunker Museums – BunkArt 2 is the most popular as it’s within the city centre
- Dajti Express & Mountain Hike – it’s crazy having nature like this so close to the city!
- Kruje Day Trip – easy to do without a tour
1 Day In Tirana: The Highlights
Maybe, you’re more interested in heritage listed cities like Gjirokaster and Berat. Or, you’re keen to head down to the Albanian Riviera as soon as possible. Either way, you’ve arrived in Tirana and only want to see the highlights before heading south. So how many days in Tirana do you need if you want to do this?
I believe that one day in Tirana is fine for a stopover, and you can still see the top highlights to keep you busy.
Credit: Mario Beqollari (Unsplash)
With just a single day in Tirana, you can do quite a few cool things! I recommend doing a free walking tour of Tirana in the morning to learn as much as you can about the city in a short period. With this free tour, they’ll take you around the main sights of the city. This is great as you don’t have to stress about what you want to do.
At the end of your only day in Tirana, head back to Skanderbeg Square for a evening xhiro (walk) and watch it come to life! Children play, and friends and family catch up after a long day at work or school. It’s a good glimpse into the community spirit of Albanians.
If you’re only staying in Tirana for the one night, there’s no shortage of great hostel options! I stayed at Blue Door Hostel, which was super social. However, i’ve heard really good things about Trip’n’Hostel and it seems to be the most popular hostel in Tirana.
How Long To Stay In Tirana For Slow Travellers: 4-7 Days
If you’re more of a slow traveller, like me, you’ll be wondering how many days in Tirana would be best for you! I’ve actually been to Tirana on 3 separate occasions. Once, before my flight to Athens before returning once more and again at the end of my trip.
I stayed in Tirana for a total of 9 days and I kept finding things to do! As it’s such a big city, you can just wander around and find new cafes, restaurants and parks to hang out in. When i’m slow travelling (which is most of the time), I tend to pick one or two attractions a day. This is so I can spread them out and not feel too exhausted.
I’ve written a range of 4-7 days in Tirana for this, but realistically you can stay as long as you can! With this long, you can see everything the capital has to offer. Everything!
If you’re slow travelling in Tirana, you can easily pick more than one day trip. From Kruje to Bovilla Lake, you have a couple of great day trips to do!
Check out my guide on How To Get Around Albania On A Budget
How Many Days In Tirana: Final Thoughts
So that’s it! How many days in Tirana is best? To recap, I think the best amount of time the average traveller should spend in Tirana is 2 full days. That will give you enough time to see the main attractions without walking the soles off your shoes!
But of course, the only limits to how many days in Tirana you’ll spend are – your budget, your interests and visa. Don’t be afraid to be relaxed with your itinerary!
Enjoy your time in Tirana!
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.