I’ve been to Albania twice now and right at the top of this article I need to say, if you are looking for an itinerary that covers more of Albania (including Tirana, Berat and into the north of the country) and is suitable for spring and autumn seasons, then you need my Albania itinerary that’s linked here.
If you’re looking for a beach holiday and a summer Albania itinerary that’s specifically focused on South Albania and the beaches and towns of the Albanian Riviera, then you’re in the right place - Welcome!
This is the South Albania itinerary that I followed on my most recent trip to Albania which was basically a beach holiday BUT with a couple of inland adventures thrown in to visit Gjirokaster, Langarica Canyon and the Blue Eye.
The key difference with this South Albania itinerary is that I start with flying into Corfu and taking the ferry to Albania. This was because the timings for flights worked better and it was easier for us to rent a car in Sarande, rather than fly into Tirana and drive all the way down south.
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Albania Coast
How to get to South Albania
On my previous visits to Albania I’ve flown to Tirana or driven in from Greece or North Macedonia.
However, for a summer trip to Albania that’s focused on the beaches in the south, I’d suggest flying into Corfu and taking the ferry over to Sarande in Albania (unless they open up an airport in the south of Albania any time soon!)
Corfu has multiple flights per week from several UK airports. I flew out of Manchester.
Then I stayed one night in Corfu Old Town before taking the ferry to Sarande the following day.
Hiring a car in Albania
I have a full guide to driving in Albania here from my first visit to Albania.
But there are two reasons for hiring a car in Albania, not in Corfu:
Car rental in Greece is very strict and generally does not allow cross border travel
Any rental car company will charge a “cross border” fee if you take a rental car into another country, so by renting a car in Albania, you save money
We found car rental in Albania to be very affordable and we rented from Enterprise, booked via Expedia.
1 week in the Albania Riviera itinerary
Day 0
I’m putting Day 0 here because due to my flight times, I flew to Corfu the night before and stayed for 1 night in Corfu Old Town before taking the ferry the next day.
This actually worked really well because it meant I didn’t have to use my first day of my trip as a travel day, so I had a full 7 days in Albania. If you’re able to do this I really recommend it.
We stayed at Casa Verde, a gorgeous, self contained apartment in the centre of Old Town.
Corfu Beach
Day 1 - Sarande
Where we stayed in Sarande: Hotel Aloha (£47 per night)
We wanted to make the most of our first day in Sarande, so we got a ferry at 10am.
There are multiple ferries daily between Corfu and Sarande. Remember that Albania is not in the Schengen area, so arrive with plenty of time at the ferry port as you will have to go through passport control.
There are three ferry lines that serve the Corfu-Saranda line, I just booked our tickets on Direct Ferries to find the time that suited us best. We paid £39.80 for a return ticket.
There are two types of ferries: the hydrofoil which takes 35 minutes and the car ferry which takes 1 hour. We booked the hydrofoil.
Once in Sarande we checked in to our hotel: HOTEL
Then we had a walk and grabbed lunch along Saranda Embankment and saw the town.
After we headed back to our hotel, we got changed to head next door to African Beach Club to enjoy a beach afternoon.
In the evening we had dinner at Vila Bajrami 45 which turned out to be one of the best meals of our trip in Albania! Meat is prepared on site during the day, portions are huge and the dishes are traditional and authentic.
Alternatively if the sunset looks good, you could head up to Lëkurësi Castle which has incredible views of Saranda and the coastline. There is a bar up there for sunset drinks but the reviews of the restaurant food are not good. We ended up going during the day the next morning to see the views instead.
Sarande View
Africa Beach Club in Saranda
Corfu-Sarande Ferry
Day 2 - Langarica Canyon and Gjirokaster
Where we stayed in Gjirokaster: Kerculla Resort (£121 per night)
Now this day is totally optional depending on how much driving you want to do and whether you’re interested in seeing any of the inland destinations, if you’d prefer to stick to the coast for a beach holiday, I’d recommend heading down to Ksamil today and adding an extra day to your time in Himare/Dhermi at the end.
I’m not a big beach fan so I like a good mix of coastal, inland, cities and adventures.
We picked up our rental car first thing in the morning and drove inland towards the thermal hot springs at Langarica Canyon.
We left around 8am and it took 2 hours to drive to Langarica Canyon through beautiful mountain roads and lush green scenery.
Langarica Canyon is home to thermal water which flows down through the canyon and into this winder river area. Here you can find pools to swim and soak in along the banks of the river and a beautiful traditional stone arch bridge: Kadiut Bridge.
Parking is located here and you pay a couple of euros to the guy managing the car park, then it’s around 5 minutes walk to the thermal pools.
The Langarica River has carved its way through the canyon here and formed a slot canyon which you can hike through from the thermal waters. We planned to do this hike but it had rained heavily the night before and the river was flowing full. If you’ve never visited slot canyons before, they are very susceptible to flash flooding after heavy rain and we made the decision not to follow the riverbed and do the hike.
There’s even a sign at the bridge saying this is for experienced canoeists and canyoneers, you must have life jackets, helmets, wetsuits and level of difficulty in normal conditions is 3. However we actually saw a rescue happen while we were there! Two tourists had decided to walk down the canyon with no equipment and had got stuck in deep mud and fast flowing water. Emergency services and park rangers turned up while we were enjoying the thermal pools and eventually they came out with two people who were covered in white clay mud and absolutely didn’t have the required equipment with them!
So, all this to say - maybe just play it safe and enjoy the thermal pools!
Kadiut Bridge Albania
Thermal Pools at Langarica Thermal River
We spent around 1.5 hours here before driving an 1.5 hours back towards Gjirokaster where we spent the rest of the afternoon and overnight.
We stayed at the stunning Resort Kerculla which has an infinity pool with mountain views, huge rooms with beautiful dark wood decor, an incredible restaurant view and great breakfast included. It was definitely the most expensive place we stayed in Albania (by a long way!) but it was gorgeous.
We visited the Cold War Tunnels in the afternoon just before they closed at 4pm (last tour is 3pm) and it was fascinating. This really is the darker side of Albania’s recent history and being able to see this kind of “untouched” version of their recent history was amazing but also unnerving. The bunker was built in the 70s during Albania’s Communist era and was intended to protect leaders from a nuclear attack.
Entering the tunnel and bunker is by tour only. Tours are every hour on the hour between 10am-3pm so you need to arrive at the ticket office outside a few minutes before the hour. Tickets cost 200 LEK.
We spent the evening in Old Town Gjirokaster, having beers on the terrace at Old Town 13 to watch the most iconic street in Gjirokaster. Then had a traditional dinner at Vojsava Restaurant. I’d recommend strolling around the Old Town at night and during the day, it really is beautiful and in the evening everywhere is so warmly lit and inviting.
Alsara Rooftop Cocktail Bar is also a great spot for sunset cocktails and incredible views of the mountains and town at night.
Kerculla Resort
Kerculla Resort Pool
Day 3 - Gjirokaster, optional Blue Eye
After a morning swim in the hotel pool and breakfast, we checked out and headed back into town for a few more activities.
The Castle of Gjirokastra is a must-visit with incredible views, informative military exhibits and incredibly well-preserved walls and fortress considering some of it dates back to the 12th century.
You can see canons and an incredible array of military equipment inside when you first walk inside from the ticket desk. Outside you’ll find old aircraft, lookout towers, there’s also the famous Clock Tower backed by the mountain range and you can walk to the top for amazing views of Gjirokaster.
After another stroll around the Old Town and picking up some cushions, a bowl and trinkets at the markets, we discovered a doorway in a side street that leads to The Obelisk of Education! Up here is a big stone monument (the obelisk) and a small cafe with spectacular views of the hillside town and mountains!
Gjirokaster Old Town
Gjirokaster Clock Tower
After lunch it was time to hit the road to head to Ksamil: the most famous spot in Southern Albania. But first we drove 45 minutes south to stop off at the Blue Eye.
I’m going to be honest here… I was always really sad that I missed out on the Blue Eye the first time I visited Albania in 2018, back then you could swim in it too. Now was my chance to go and I was a bit disappointed and underwhelmed.
Here’s why and I’ll let you decide if it’s worth it…
The car park is located here and it’s 3 euros or 300 LEK to park. From here it’s 30 minutes to walk down to the Blue Eye itself and we walk fast, I heard some people with young kids say that it took them an hour.
In the car park there are loads of ebike stores that are hassling you to rent an ebike so you don’t have to walk, so that’s an option I guess if you’d prefer not to walk and it probably is a good option for couples or solo travellers. I just hate being hassled by sellers like that so I didn’t want to on principle!
There is a road train that can drive you down there which is probably a good option for those with mobility issues or with kids - riding a big toy train is fun of course! But it’s 3 euros per person each way for around a 5 minute ride so for a family of 4 you’re looking at 24 euros there and back!
We paid it to come back to the car park because after the walk down, I couldn’t face the walk back uphill (I was only around 20C but I was ill at the time but I’d imagine in peak summer this would be a very hot walk back up) but 6 euros for two of us to ride 5 minutes felt steep.
The Blue Eye itself was pretty but I personally don’t really think it was worth it. I’m glad I satisfied my curiosity after missing it in 2018 but can I honestly recommend it as a worthwhile activity to you… not really. But it was a good way to break up the drive to Ksamil I guess…
So after that pitstop, it’s back on the road for another 45 minutes to Ksamil and beaches, yay!
We stayed at a small, very purse-friendly, family run hotel called Hotel Meta where we had sea views from our rooms. Although our room was small so it might not be a suitable place to stay for families but the family who ran it were so so nice, parking was free and it was such a lovely, welcoming place.
Blue Eye Albania
Day 4 - Ksamil & the Albanian Riviera
Where we stayed in Ksamil: Hotel Meta Ksamil (£47 per night)
This is your first full beach day of your South Albania itinerary!
We spent the whole day beach hopping, swimming and just enjoying ourselves in Ksamil so there’s really not too much for me to share if you’re planning to do the same!
In terms of the best beaches in this part of the Albanian Riviera, we spent the morning on Ksamil Beach 7 so we could swim in the shallow waters and also this is where you can rent a kayak or jetski to go and check out the Ksamil Islands.
Or book on an island boat tour to take you around and enjoy a relaxing half day on the water.
Ksamil Islands
You can grab a spot on the sand for free here but if you want to use a sun lounger you have to pay - there’s people around from the surrounding beach clubs who will come to charge you and you can order food and drinks too.
I’d also heard good things about Bianco Beach Club which is right on this beach, it has a restaurant, cabanas, a pool and incredible views but it was definitely more of a party vibe and we weren’t in the mood for loud music as we wanted to swim and chill. But I’d imagine it’s gorgeous especially for sunset.
In the afternoon we went to Lori Beach which is in a much quieter bay and we really loved it, it’s definitely more low-key with loungers to rent and a snack bar.
We went to Kuga Beach Bar for sunset drinks and the views over the bay were stunning, the colours of the sky and the water were gorgeous and we enjoyed a few drinks here! They also have nets over the water which would be a great spot for during the day too.
Ksamil definitely has more of a party vibe in the evenings (compared to Himare and Dhermi where we went at the end of this week) so if that’s your vibe - there’s loads of options. Africana Beach Club is across the bay from Kuga and they were pumping music all day and all evening while we had drinks!
Ksamil Beach
Lori Beach
Ksamil Hotel
Day 5 - Ksamil & Butrint National Park
Today’s order of service: culture in the morning, beach in the afternoon.
Butrint National Archeological Park is only an 8 minute drive from Ksamil, so it’s the perfect option for a change of scenery and getting some culture in! I’d recommend going in the morning before it gets too hot as most of the park is outside.
Tickets cost 1000 LEK and you pay on arrival at the ticket gate in the car park.
I wouldn’t say Butrint is a hidden gem because it’s one of the most famous places to visit in Albania. However I do think I seriously underestimated how spectacular and extensive that part of Albanian culture and history was and it really is one of the best things to do in South Albania.
Butrint is an extensive archeological site with Greek, Roman and medieval remains of a city that once stood there. You’ll see a Roman Amphitheatre, the remains of a church, a palace, merchant houses, and even a shrine from an ancient era when the city was a cult!
Butrint National Park
Butrint was Albania’s first designated UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992 and is protected because it encapsulates such a vast range of Mediterranean history in its 93km2 area.
Head back to Ksamil for your afternoon and enjoy a few more hours on the beach, either in the same areas as yesterday or head further out to explore Pulëbardha Beach or Mirror Beach.
Other popular Ksamil beach bars that we didn’t have time for but I had saved:
Manta Beach Bar and Restaurant
Bora Bora Ksamil
Aloha Ksamil
Foga Beach Restaurant
Ksami Beach Bar
Day 6 - Himarë/Dhermi
Where we stayed in Himare: Aphrodite’s Garden (£52 per night)
Make a decent start time for the 1.5 hour drive from Ksamil to Himare.
On the way, we stopped on the side of the road to visit the Castle of Porto Palermo which is a triangular fortress on a peninsula out on the bay and was the fortress of Ali Pasha.
We stayed at Aphrodite’s Garden which is a stunning hotel located just outside of Himare. We picked it for its incredible views and amazing restaurant: Fig and Olive which has live music on weekends and the most stunning sunset views. The team here were so wonderfully welcoming and it really felt like a family, everyone knew us by our second night here and I honestly wish we’d stayed here longer, it was the best place we stayed in South Albania.
It was also only a 2 minute drive down the hillside to Livadhi Beach which we found to be much quieter and more beautiful than the town beaches in Himare.
Aphrodite’s Garden
Aphrodite’s Garden Hotel
However if you’re a family or you want more ease of access to Himarë town, you might want to stay in the town centre. Rea Boutique Hotel was another option I considered for a water view, or Emily’s Hotel on Potami Beach which is a beachfront hotel on the next beach over from Himare’s main beach and a much calmer place to stay.
Since we’re not party-goers, we found Himare and Dhërmi to be much more our vibe and more laid back than Ksamil. Although the coastal area of Ksamil is obviously beautiful too.
After getting lunch along the beach in Himarë, we drove 25 minutes up the coast to Dhërmi.
This stretch of road is actually home to some of my favourite beaches that I visited the first time I came to Albania 8 years ago! Jala Beach and Gjipe Beach are both secluded and stunning but be warned - you cannot drive to Gjipe Beach unless you have an off-road vehicle. You’ll need to park at the top and walk down.
Dhërmi is GORGEOUS and I can’t believe I missed this stop 8 years ago!
The old town is nestled in the hillside of the mountain with labyrinthine streets and traditional stone houses. It’s also the area of the town that’s home to the world-famous Zoe Hora restaurant and hotel. If you’re a foodie who loves an exclusive experience, you might want to stop in here, but we didn’t.
But we did park here and walk up to St. Mary Monastery which has stunning views of the whole town and also the Zoe Hora property if you’re nosey, like me!
We actually came here to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at Luciano which is a stunning Italian restaurant with a pool and beach access but unfortunately it was closed the day we visited (boo!)
Two other options to check out are Sanur Beach House (more casual) and Olio (also an Italian restaurant) if Luciano doesn’t work out.
The beach here is mostly accessed through the hotels, although you can walk through small walkways to get there as it’s not private, but we found parking to be tricky. So one of these restaurants with beach access is a great option for spending a few hours.
Dhermi
Day 7 - Himarë
On our last full day of our South Albania itinerary, we really took advantage of Livadhi Beach being just 2 minutes from our hotel and spent the whole day here on the beach, walking along the beachfront road, swimming in the sea and drinking aperol at one of the many beach bars, Aura Beach was our favourite.
Be aware that the waves can get quite big here on windy days!
Livadhi Beach
Livadhi beach water
In the afternoon we visited Himarë Old Town which is right around the corner from our hotel and is a very interesting mix of ruins and still-habited properties. This is a traditional stone old town, pedestrianised and visitors have to pay a small fee to enter at the kiosk next to the car park.
The town is a maze of winding cobbled streets and courtyards, the lower houses are still well maintained and mostly occupied, but as you walk through the maze of alleyways, more buildings become ruins.
At the top of the town is Himarë Castle ruins with incredible 360 degree views.
Among the rubble and ruins, you’ll see an occasional house and there are a couple of cafes overlooking the side of the town that faces the sea: Cafe Butterfly and Greek Butterfly, although Cafe Butterfly was closed when we visited.
Himare Old Town Fortress
Himare Beach
It’s an interesting place to explore for an hour or so before heading back to the hotel for dinner!
We ate at our hotel’s onsite restaurant: Fig and Olive but even if you’re not a hotel guest you can still book to eat there. We ate there on a Saturday and the atmosphere was amazing with incredible food, live music and the most spectacular sunset for our last night.
Weekend nights are the most popular so I’d definitely recommend calling in advance to book.
Day 8 - head back to Sarande and take the ferry back to Corfu
It’s an hour and 20 minutes drive from Himare to Sarandë so depending on your return ferry time and flight time, make sure to allow plenty of time for returning your rental car before you get on the ferry.
We had a couple of hours to spare which we spent wandering around Sarande and on the beach before heading back and taking a taxi from Corfu port to the airport.
Corfu Town
Summary: summer itinerary in the Albania Riviera
If you’re looking for the ultimate summer getaway in Europe that’s affordable and doesn’t feel over-touristy yet, the Albanian Riviera is the perfect option.
With a great variety of beaches, coastal towns, mountain regions and cultural activities, a summer Albania holiday really has it all and I hope this South Albania itinerary help you plan the perfect getaway.
Enjoy your trip!
