Two Weeks in Albania: North and South Without Racing Between Them

This is an active itinerary with seven changes of base, including the return stays. Theth gets two nights, so there is one full day for walking. Himarë gets three nights, giving you two full coast days. If you imagined several long hikes followed by a week at the beach, this version is too busy for that holiday.

The deliberate second night in Shkodër comes after Theth. It creates a break between leaving the mountains and travelling to Berat. Cutting it to make the route look simpler would create a more demanding day, particularly with public transport. Count the repeat stop as useful logistics rather than a failure to keep moving.

Discuss the transfer, walking conditions and luggage with the Theth accommodation. A room reservation confirms a bed, not the suitability of a mountain route. Pick a local outing that fits the weather, fitness and equipment of your group. If your first choice is unsuitable, the plan should still work without completing it.

This itinerary returns from Theth to Shkodër. It does not cross to Valbona, and no ferry ticket is required. Adding that crossing changes where you sleep, how your luggage travels and how you recover your car. Treat it as a replacement for the northern section, not an optional activity on day 4.

On day 6, travel from Shkodër to Berat. Keep the evening simple: check in, eat and decide which part of Berat to explore next morning. Do not promise yourself a castle visit before you know the actual arrival time.

By bus, establish whether your dated service is direct or requires a change, and which Tirana terminal would be involved. Leave enough time to reach the onward departure point. If the available connection requires another overnight stop, take that night from the coast or remove a destination; do not hide it outside the thirteen-night count.

Days 7 and 9 are your uninterrupted days in Berat and Gjirokastër respectively. They break up the sequence of transfers. In Berat, split the castle and lower quarters across the day. In Gjirokastër, choose a historic house as well as the castle so the visit is not only a panorama.

Choose old-town accommodation with its access in mind. Ask how close a taxi or car can come and what stairs remain. Two nights make a characterful but less convenient address more manageable than arriving late for a single night, although limited mobility still needs a property-specific conversation.

Once you reach Himarë on day 10, leave days 11 and 12 open. You have already changed accommodation repeatedly. Another hotel move to collect a different beach would take away some of the rest this final stretch is meant to provide.

Choose a waterfront base for walking access to meals and swimming, or a quieter property only after sorting the transport it needs. A stay with a pool is a different proposition from direct beach access; check the actual description and position rather than treating them as interchangeable search filters.

If this sequence feels busy, drop Shkodër and Theth. Redistribute those five northern nights across Tirana, the historic towns and the coast, or include a two-night Përmet stay after checking its transport. You can keep the same flight dates while reducing packing and gaining time for food, smaller outings and unplanned afternoons.

A northern alternative does the reverse: retain Shkodër and Theth, extend the mountain stay and omit the far south. Use the Alps guide to choose a return-valley visit or a through-hike. The choice should come from the walking you want to do, not a wish to colour in both ends of the map.

Put every overnight stop into one calendar before paying. Check that each move has a workable transport option and that the last Tirana night falls immediately before your flight. Note which cancellations close first so one non-refundable stay does not accidentally dictate the rest of the trip.

For a rental car, obtain the company’s rules for your intended mountain approach and breakdown assistance. For a partly car-free trip, decide where the car stays during Theth and confirm any luggage storage. Keep one document with accommodation contacts and transfer confirmations available offline.