HIKING VALBONA TO THETH: A TRIP THROUGH THE ALBANIAN ALPS
HIKING VALBONA TO THETH: A TRIP THROUGH THE ALBANIAN ALPS
After two and a bit weeks being sun-kissed along Albania’s Riviera, drifting between turquoise coves, I traded the rhythm of the coast and travelled north, where soft blues of the ocean and terracotta rooftops gave way to deep forested valleys, jagged limestone peaks, and panoramic ridgelines.
In the Albanian Alps, where the air cools and the roads narrow, the Valbona to Theth hike follows a centuries-old mountain trail connecting two remote villages through the Valbona Pass. Wide, open highlands reveal a quieter side of Albania, shaped by the land itself, feeling grounded and untouched by time.
A LITTLE CONTEXT
Duration: 3 days / 2 nights or 4 days / 3 nights
Best Season: May - October
Difficulty: moderate
Cost: ~€30 for bus and ferry transfers + €30 per night for accommodation
Starting + Ending Point: Shkodër
What’s Included: ferry ticket, bus transfers to and from Shkodër, luggage storage and guesthouse bookings
Tour Recommendation: The Wanderers Hostel
I booked the 3D2N package through The Wanderers Hostel, which meant the logistics — transport, guesthouses, ferry timings — were all organised and the heavy lifting taken out of the way.
Here’s exactly how it unfolded.
DAY 1: LAKE KOMAN + VALBONA
The morning started at 6:30am in Shkodër, meeting at The Wanderers for a run-down of what to expect over the next few days. From Shkodër, it’s roughly a 2-hour shuttle ride to Lake Koman, followed by a 3-hour ferry to Fierza.
The ferry is where it begins to feel surreal.
You move through narrow passages of water, completely surrounded by vertical canyon walls rising dramatically on either side. The water shifts between a deep emerald green and glassy blue. It’s cinematic without trying to be with uninterrupted views, cutting through the stillness of the Balkan countryside.
From Fierza, we were picked up by the host of our homestay and driven deeper into the mountains, arriving late afternoon in Valbona — a humble, rural valley town.
The architecture in the mountains is built out of fortified stone, designed for defence with a wraparound balcony overlooking the mountains. Surrounded by trees, it feels grounding — an introduction to the Albanian Alps and an invitation to slow down. It was the first time I’d experienced a landscape like this.
The family-owned property had multiple guesthouses scattered across the land, with a dining hall and kitchen out the back. That evening, the family put on a traditional feast — long shared dining tables with plaid table cloths, generous share plates and home-cooked dishes, welcoming us to Valbona. A beautiful experience to stay in a local home, eating local, eating food made from the land around you, somewhere so wildly far from home.
DAY 2: VALBONA TO THETH
The hike itself is a consistent incline on the Valbona side — a booty burner, weaving through rocky switchbacks as you slowly gain elevation.
The distance of the hike is 17km and takes 6-8 hours, taking it at your own pace. On the day, you carry a backpack with water and a sandwich packed by the homestay — how sweet.
Reaching the top at Valbona Pass (1,795m) is the moment everything opens up — jagged peaks stretching in every direction and valleys folding into one another. The pass is not just a hiking trail, it’s a route shaped by centuries of local use, linking isolated mountain communities across terrain that still feels remote and quietly untouched.
Crossing down toward Theth Valley, rocks give way to softer dirt paths. Sun-kissed with dusty Salomons, we stopped at a mountain café built into the earth for a mid-hike reset with views stretching out below us.
As you get closer to Theth, newly built guesthouses begin to appear. In the town centre there’s more liveliness with shops, restaurants and a supermarket, feeling slightly more built up than Valbona.
Dinner at the homestay is buffet-style and everyone is well hungry and lined up with a plate in hand. Homestyle cooking after a big day of hiking. By night, it gets chilly — temperatures drop by 10–15 degrees. Later, the family lights a huge bonfire outside with chairs circled around the pit.
DAY 3: GRUNAS WATERFALL + RETURN TO SHKODËR
The next morning, we walked to Grunas Waterfall — a stunning 30-meter cascading waterfall, a short hike from the guesthouse. The trail walks along the river, passing alongside farmland and open fields. The morning in the mountains feels soft in the morning light. The closer you approach, the sound of the waterfall builds before it comes into view.
We climbed up the rocks to lead up to the waterfall and step into the plunge pool. The water was freezing, but had to be overcome for something this beautiful. Cutting through the rocks and feeling like an ice bath, the waterfall cascaded down dramatically and loudly. We were lucky to have this to ourselves for a hot minute before hikers began to arrive.
If you stay a third night, you can spend the day hiking further out to the Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) — a natural, crystal clear spring-fed pool that’s turquoise in colour and very cold for another ice bath.
At 10:30am, the van arrived to take us back to Shkodër. Making a stop at what marks the start of the Albanian Alps region at a mountainside restaurant, soaking in the last dramatic views of the peaks before heading back to town. The shift from raw mountain landscapes to Shkodër’s old town charm of cobbled streets with outdoor cafe culture and pastel facades.
WHERE TO STAY
I stayed at the Scodrinon Hostel, which is in the old town in a very charming building with a rooftop that overlooks the streets of Shkodër. They also include breakfast with coffee, which is a sweet touch.
WHAT’S INCLUDED WHEN BOOKING A TOUR
I booked through The Wanderers Hostel in Shkodër. If you’re travelling in summer, book at least a week ahead as spots fill quickly. The package includes:
Transport from Shkodër to Lake Koman
Ferry across Lake Koman
Transfer from Fierza to Valbona
Note: tickets for these are given to you when you’ve paid
Accommodation reservation in Valbona and Theth (dinner + breakfast)
Transport from Theth to Shkodër
I loved this, and it took the hassle out of planning for the boat and finding accommodation in peak season. Everything was seamlessly organised, and I couldn’t recommend this option enough. For solo travellers, especially, it takes the friction out of logistics and is a great way to meet people to hike with.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Finishing the Valbona to Theth hike felt like the most fitting way to end my three weeks in Albania. After the coastline and historic towns, the mountains showed me a different side of the country — quieter, slower, deeply rooted. Up there, surrounded by vast peaks and still valleys, you feel how exquisite and untouched the landscape really is. From the family-run homestays to the locals you pass along the trail, the warmth of the people is woven into the mountains themselves.
