Is Tirana Worth Visiting? 9 Pros & Cons You Should Know

Is Tirana worth visiting? People I met told me to skip it, but thankfully I found it very much worth my time!

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Is Tirana Worth Visiting?

So, you’re visiting Albania soon, awesome! If you’re not travelling from bordering countries by bus, you’ll be flying into the capital, Tirana. However, you may be wondering “is Tirana worth visiting? Or, should I stay the night and move on?”.

From people I met during my 4 months in the Balkans – they either loved it or hated it! It was surprising to me to see the general opinion be so divided, so I wanted to investigate myself.

I’ve visited Tirana on 3 separate occasions. The first time, just for the night before flying to Greece. The second, where I properly explored the city and the third, where I finished my trip in Albania before crossing into North Macedonia.

Thanks to these visits, I believe i’ve “gotten” the city as such. So now, I wanted to create this guide running through the pros and cons of visiting Tirana. Depending on what kind of traveller you are, you may or may not love it – so this will help give you an answer!

My short answer to “is Tirana worth visiting?” is yes! I loved it. Without further ado, here are the pros and cons of “is Tirana worth visiting”:

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Is Tirana Worth Visiting? The Pros!

1. Tirana is full of history

Is Tirana worth visiting for history lovers? Yes! Albania’s capital has history in abundance.

Albania’s modern history is quite confronting to say the least. During the 1900s, it was one of the most isolated countries in the outside world. For 40 years, under dictator Enver Hoxha – living conditions were awful and similar to modern day North Korea.

Food was supplied in rations, religion was outlawed and those who spoke against the communist regime were sent to labour camps or executed.

In 1991, the regime fell apart. By this time, Albania was ranked as the world’s 3rd poorest country. Thankfully, Albania does not shy away from its dark past – and there are a few great museums in Tirana to learn more about it.

Here are some museums in Tirana you can go and explore:

• Museum of Secret Surveillance – museum dedicated to the innocent people who were spied on under the communist regime.
• BunkArt 1 & 2 – awesome underground bunker museum
• National Historical Museum – a comprehensive history of Albania, located in Skanderbeg Square

2. Main Attractions are within walking distance

If you’ve looked at a map of Tirana, you’ll see that it’s a pretty big city. However, most of the main attractions in Tirana are within walking distance!

In the centre of the city, Skanderbeg Square is where everyone catches up after a big day at work or school. It comes to life in the late afternoon, food stalls pop up and kids play. It’s really cool to watch!

From here, you can get to most of the best things to do in Tirana pretty quickly. Here’s a couple of things to do in Tirana relatively close to Skanderbeg Square.

• BunkArt 2: cool bunker museum, also great to escape the summer heat!
• Pyramid of Tirana: originally opened as a museum dedicated to dictator Enver Hoxha, it’s now a monument.

Since most of Tirana’s attractions are within walking distance, is Tirana worth visiting? I think it definitely makes it easier to visit!

3. Day Trips from Tirana

Since Tirana does not have an endless list of things to do, a lot of people take a day trip!

The best day trip from Tirana is one to Kruje. It’s an incredibly beautiful town just an hour away from the capital full of stunning photo opportunities. The best things to do in Kruje are wandering around the Old Bazaar and heading up to Kruje Castle, one of the best in Albania!

You could spend the whole day walking around, exploring the city and getting some great photos!

On the other hand, a lot of people visit Berat as a day trip from Tirana. In my opinion, I think it deserves a couple of nights in itself. Only visiting for a few hours couldn’t possibly do it justice!

So, is Tirana worth visiting for the day trips? Absolutely!

4. Coffee Culture in Tirana

Thanks to Albania once being apart of the Ottoman Empire, it’s got an incredible coffee culture. Most of the time when walking around Tirana, the busiest of shops are the coffee shops!

Albanians live and breathe coffee – and Tirana is the epicentre of the culture in the country. I’d recommend just walking around the main part of the city and choosing a coffee shop! You’re unlikely to have a bad coffee because of how dedicated Albanians are to their craft.

So, is Tirana worth visiting for coffee lovers? Definitely, get yourself to Tirana!

5. Tirana Is Safe

First things first, I am a guy – so my experience is from a position of privilege. However, after speaking with female friends they all mentioned they had a really safe experience in Tirana!

I had no issues walking around even in the quietest of areas at night. I also didn’t feel the need to have my hand in my pockets at all times to avoid pickpockets.

The only thing that I would say isn’t the best for women is catcalling. Unfortunately this is fairly prevalent in the Balkans (and let’s be real, the world). However, in terms of worrying about your physical safety – it’s safe. In Tirana, violence against tourists is extremely uncommon.

6. There Are Heaps of Hostels in Tirana

When visiting Tirana, you’re not going to struggle to find accommodation. Luckily, for budget travellers – there’s an abundance of hostels, and quite a few good ones.

Whether you party or want something more chill – there will be something for you.

The best hostel out of the two I stayed at was Blue Door Hostel. It’s great for 2 days in Tirana. The beds are really comfortable and have privacy curtains that are actually private (compared to some that droop down) The bathrooms are spotless and they have free brekky! That’s something I always look for when choosing a hostel.

Trip’n’Hostel is another great option and the most popular party hostel in the city. I didn’t stay there so I can’t personally recommend it – but based on the reviews and friends who have stayed there, it’s pretty great!

Is Tirana worth visiting for the hostels alone? Not entirely, but it makes it easier for someone to come!

7. Lots of Green Space

One of the best things about Tirana is the abundance of green space! When you want to slow down, or relax in between visiting the sights, Tirana has some great parks.

For me, as a budget traveller – I like to pick one or two attractions a day and just chill out the rest of the time. Instead of sitting on my hostel bed, it’s great to sit in the shade and people watch!

In some other places with no green space – like Gjirokaster (my favourite Albanian city), there’s no escape from the summer heat.

So, is Tirana worth visiting because of the green space? It’s definitely a help!

Is Tirana Worth Visiting? The Cons

1. Getting to the regional bus station

One of the cons of visiting Tirana is getting to the regional bus station. Unfortunately this station isn’t in the centre of the city. Just be clear, the one that i’m referring to here is the South and North Bus Terminal.

If you’re going pretty much anywhere in Albania, you’ll come here to catch a bus. But, you’ll need to catch public transport to the station. For someones’ first time in the city, it can be complicated.

Thankfully, i’ve written an in-depth guide on how to get to the South and North Bus Terminal in Tirana.

Is Tirana worth visiting despite this? If you’re new to solo travel this might be a bit tricky for you. Definitely read my guide and if you think its easy enough, go for it!

2. You’ll likely run out of things to do after 2 days

Tirana is a huge city, but in the grand scheme of things – there’s not a whole lot to do. For a first-timer, you’ll likely only need a couple of days in Tirana.

If you want to see the city from more of a local’s perspective. You can spend a much longer time here exploring the cafes, restaurants and more obscure attractions.

So is Tirana worth visiting even though there’s no a crazy amount to do? Definitely! Visiting a place isn’t always about “attractions” as such, but the local experience. Tirana has that in abundance.

Best Time To Visit Tirana

For most people visiting the country, they arrive in summer. This is Albania’s peak season largely because of the Albanian Riviera. Saying this area is stunning is an understatement, it’s seriously beautiful. During the summer, locals and tourists come here to escape the heat in pristine water.

That being said, Tirana isn’t on the beach so the only way you can escape the heat is by sitting in a park in the shade. Tirana gets extremely hot in summer, and it can be really unbearable.

For those just visiting Tirana for a quick city break, arriving in late spring or early autumn is perfect. The heat won’t make you question your existence, instead, it’ll be nice to walk around in.

If the main purpose of your trip is to see the Albanian Riviera, is Tirana worth visiting at all? Well, i’m sure a couple of days away from the beach won’t kill you!

Travel Insurance For Tirana

Is Tirana worth visiting without travel insurance? Nuh-uh! 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 Tirana.

Is Tirana Worth Visiting? Final Thoughts

After asking myself “is Tirana worth visiting?” before arriving, my mind was at ease when I arrived. It’s got a lot going for it and is perfect for budget travel.

So where next? I’d recommend heading from Tirana to Berat.

Don’t hesitate, book the trip!

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