With turquoise waters, scenic mountain views, charming villages and ancient Greek and Roman ruins, Albania really is a hidden gem in the Balkans! It’s the perfect blend of Mediterranean beauty, delicious food and rich history (and it’s both budget- and child-friendly!).
We spent 8 days exploring some of the gorgeous nature and culture of Albania with our 2-year-old child, and it did not disappoint! We decided to go off-season at the end of September/early October as the weather is a bit cooler (late 20s) and the beaches are less busy.
Below is my detailed guide for the perfect, toddler-friendly Albanian road trip, starting and ending in Tirana.
7-day Albania itinerary with a toddler at a glance
Arriving Tirana
Day 1 Tirana-Berat
Day 2 Osumin Canyon
Day 3 Berat-Gjirokaster
Day 4 Gjirokaster to Ksamil
Day 5 Sarande
Day 6 Sarande to Himare
Day 7 Himare to Tirana
Arriving in Tirana
We arrived at Tirana airport around 6pm and picked up our car to drive to our Airbnb. We had found a place right in the old quarter of Tirana, which was perfect for us as we knew we wouldn’t have a lot of time the next day, so it meant that everything was within walking distance.
We decided to head out for a meal straight away and found lots of restaurants in the area, so we opted for a nice place just around the corner from where we were staying and then headed back so that our daughter could have a quiet evening settling in after the trip.
Where to stay: Central Old Town Tirana Apartment
Day 1: Tirana to Berat
Today, we spent the whole morning and early afternoon exploring Tirana. The vibrant capital of Albania is a city full of energy, culture, and historical charm. Known for its colourful and playful architecture, the city is a blend of Ottoman, Fascist, and Soviet-era influences.
With most of Tirana's sights within walking distance from our accommodation, it was very doable over a couple of hours. We started our tour with Rinia Park, a beautiful park near Tirana Castle which had an enormous playground. This provided the perfect start for our daughter after a long day of travelling the day before. We then proceeded to the famous Skanderbeg Square, which is surrounded by landmarks like the National History Museum, the Et'hem Bey Mosque, and the grand Skanderbeg statue, which pays homage to Albania’s national hero.
From there, we meandered back through Tirana Castle, which has been remade into an area full of restaurants and shops - quite cool, but very touristy so I wouldn’t suggest going here for lunch! You will also find the famous Bunk’Art Museum here (originally a massive underground bunker) - though we decided to skip this as we had read it wasn’t very child-friendly.
Across the river from Tirana Castle you will find the Pyramid of Tirana - an unusual, pyramid shaped structure with interconnecting stairs on top of the sloping exterior, taking visitors to various platforms that offer great views of the city’s skyline and the mountains beyond. My daughter enjoyed climbing the lower steps and there were also some colourful statues of animals down on the ground which she enjoyed. We finished off with lunch in the trendy Blloku neighbourhood, before starting the drive towards Berat.
The drive to Berat was just under 2 hours and we arrived mid-afternoon to our accommodation, Guest House Iljesa, which is situated inside Berat Castle (yes, you can actually stay inside the castle walls!). This was one of our favourite spots to stay during our trip - the staff was absolutely lovely, the breakfast in the morning was delicious and the tables outside were right next to the castle wall overlooking the hills and the city of Berat below.
We spent the late afternoon walking around the cobblestone streets of the castle grounds - there are quite a lot of stairs, but there’s a pram accessible route clearly signed which takes you around the castle area (we had brought the pram and it was absolutely fine). You can climb the castle walls, visit one of the little shops selling colourful rugs and other local crafts and have dinner in one of the guest houses. I must say I thought it would be a lot more touristy than it was - there were some other tourists wandering around, but mostly we had the streets to ourselves and you could see people living inside the houses, going about their day-to-day lives.
Where to stay: Guest House Iljesa
Day 2: Day trip to Osumi Canyon and Bogovë Waterfall
If you have the time, I would highly recommend a day trip to Osumi Canyon and Bogovë Waterfall. The drive is about 1h40 to Osumi Canyon, with Bogovë Waterfall located pretty much half way.
We started the day with an incredible breakfast with a view, and then hit the road towards Osumi Canyon. The drive goes through beautiful hilly landscapes and quaint villages, with the some great views of the Osum River.
To get to Bogovë waterfall, put Roi Bogovë into Google Maps, which will take you to a parking lot at the start of the trail. Parking here cost 500 lek, though it looked as though you might be able to park for free a little further up. From here, it’s about a 20 minute walk to the waterfall. The trail is mainly flat, with a couple of descents and ascents, however the path is quite rocky so I wouldn't recommend bringing a pram. We let our nearly 2-year-old daughter walk herself (translation: we spent most of the trail with her either on our hips or shoulders, or standing still whilst she contemplated some rocks on the ground). We didn’t think we were going to do much walking so hadn’t thought of bringing a baby back carrier - it was fine without one, but if you have one I would suggest bringing it as it would have definitely made the walk a bit faster!
The waterfall was definitely worth the trek - a stunning spot with water cascading from a height of about 20 metres into a pool of crystal-clear, turquoise water and surrounded by lush vegetation and rugged limestone cliffs. There are some picnic tables where you can have a bit of a rest, or you can walk out onto the rocks for better views of the waterfall. If you’re feeling brave, make sure to go for a dip! I went for a quick swim and it was VERY COLD (about 12°C), but very refreshing!
We spent about 45 minutes here in total, our daughter dipped her feet in the water and then had a bit of a run around in the grass nearby (my mum was with us on this trip so she kindly spent some time with her whilst me and my husband went for a swim). We then continued towards Osumi Canyon, stopping on the way for lunch in one of the little villages.
Osumi Canyon, often nicknamed the "Grand Canyon of Albania", stretches approximately 26 kilometres, with limestone walls towering up to 80 meters above the Osum River, creating a breathtaking landscape of narrow passageways, hidden caves, and lush greenery. There are several viewpoints of the canyon that are worth stopping at to view the canyon from above, however to get the full experience, I would highly recommend going down into the canyon.
We had read about a good entry point for the canyon in advance, which turned out to be a great spot so I will share it with you as well - in Google Maps, put in Summer Bar & Restaurant - you can park here or just below on the side of the road. From there, just walk down to the water and you will see the opening of the gorge. There are a couple of restaurants located on the shores, with a rope bridge crossing the water so you can go over to the other side. There are also some steps leading up to a trail into the canyon where you can get a better view. To go in deeper, however, the only way is to swim! I would have been keen, but felt this would not be doable with a toddler in tow (and I felt my mum had had enough of playing with my daughter on the beach by this point) so we decided to head back instead.
After driving back, we finished with a lovely dinner in the heart of Berat, followed by a walk along the narrow cobblestone streets of Old Town Berat, stopping on the New Bridge for the best view of the iconic Ottoman-style houses stacked on the hillsides, which give Berat its nickname the "City of a Thousand Windows".
Day 3: Berat to Gjirokastër with a stop at Apollonia
We started the morning in Berat and found a great playground right in the centre where our daughter could burn off some energy before hitting the road again towards Gjirokastër. The drive from Berat to Gjirokastër is about 2h30m and takes you back out towards the coast before heading down south. By looking at the map, it might seem like there is a shorter route to Gjirokastër through the mountains, but we had been advised that this route would take almost twice as long!
Although the drive wasn’t very long, we decided to make a pit stop in Apollonia, about an hour from Berat, just outside a town called Fier. Apollonia is an ancient Greek archaeological site, dating back to 6th century BCE, featuring impressive ruins, including a grand theatre, a colonnade, parts of temples, and a Bouleuterion, a building used for political meetings. The site is located up on a hill, surrounded by olive groves, with views of the sea in the distance. The fee to get in was 600 lek for adults and free for children. It was the perfect stop for a few hours - my daughter could run around freely and there were two restaurants onsite where we could have some lunch before heading off.
The drive to Gjirokastër was another stunning drive through the mountains, mainly following the Vjosa river, which took just over an hour and a half. We arrived mid-afternoon and made our way to our hotel, Kerculla Resort. This was honestly such a find - a gorgeous hotel with a large pool area that feels luxurious but is actually very reasonably priced. It is beautifully situated quite far up in the hills, offering incredible views of the mountains and the city below. Can highly recommend this place if you're staying in Gjirokastër!
After relaxing by the pool for a bit (my daughter loves a swim!) we made our way into Gjirokastër for dinner and a bit of an exploration. From the hotel, it’s about a 20-minute walk into town, however it is mainly downhill, so after walking down for a bit with the pram, we decided to head back and get the car instead to avoid having to walk all the way up the hill when coming back.
Gjirokastër, the "City of Stone," is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its well-preserved Ottoman-era architecture. The old bazaar has many artisan shops selling traditional crafts, as well as cafés, bars and restaurants. You can also visit Gjirokastër Castle, located in the heart of the city. We had dinner in the old bazaar and then spent some time just meandering the cobblestone alleyways, before heading back to the hotel where me and my husband were able to have a date night in the hotel bar (perks of bringing grandparents on holiday!).
Where to stay: Kerculla Resort
Note: If you are arriving by car, the roads in Gjirokastër are very narrow and mainly up/downhill, so not the easiest to drive on and Google Maps wasn't always the most reliable for directions (would sometimes tell us to turn on roads that were way too tight). That said, once you got used to it, it wasn't too bad - just take it slow and if a turn seems a bit tight, just keep going and turn a bit further on!
Day 4: Gjirokastër to Serandë via Blue Eye and Ksamil Beach
After a morning swim in the pool, a lovely breakfast overlooking the mountains and a quick wander around in the old bazaar, we started making our way towards the Albanian Riviera. We made a stop at the famous Blue Eye, about a 50-minute drive from Gjirokastër on the way to the coast. This mesmerising natural spring is famous for its vivid blue and turquoise hues, which give the impression of a giant eye.
Getting to the Blue Eye was easy - Google Maps will take you to the main parking area, which costs 300 lek, and from there it’s about a 20-minute walk to the Blue Eye itself. The walk is paved all the way (apart from the last bit that takes you to the actual spring), so it is easy enough with a pram - it is a bit hilly though, so it can get a bit sweaty in the heat! Alternatively, there is a small train that takes you all the way (for a fee). To enter the park, you have to pay a small fee of 50 lek/person (children are free).
It’s a lovely place to spend an hour or two walking around in the lush nature and taking in the beauty of the clear-water spring. Although you can’t swim in the actual Blue Eye, there is a place nearby where you can go for a dip - ever the daredevil, I of course did this, it was however freezing cold and the current was very strong (there was no one else swimming so maybe I was the only one crazy enough to attempt this). There is also a restaurant on site if you wanted to spend some extra time here - we were very keen to hit the beach so decided to give lunch here a miss and make a move.
From here, we went straight to Ksamil Beach and finally got what we had been waiting for - a dip in the Ionian sea! The sea is just beautiful - even more turquoise in reality - and the beach was clean with several restaurants on the beach, as well as sun beds for hire. As we were here in October time, the beach was fairly quiet, but after reading online it seems like this beach gets quite busy in the summer months (and you might have to pay for a sun bed) so this is worth bearing in mind if you are planning to visit in the summer!
After a few hours at the beach we headed to our apartment in Sarandë, which was spacious and modern with incredible sea views from the balcony. Sarandë is only 20 minutes drive from Ksamil and a good option for exploring the area at it is slightly bigger and has everything you need nearby.
Where to stay: Kosta Apartments
Note: Sarandë is very hilly and has a lot of steps - you can usually get down without using the steps, but it means you have to zigzag down and sometimes the streets are really long. I had also read beforehand that there are a lot of beach clubs in Sarandë playing loud music into the early hours - as we went off season this is not something we noticed, but if you are travelling with kids in the summer I would maybe suggest staying a bit further out in one of the quieter areas.
Day 5: Sarandë
Today was cloudy and windy, and we were also quite tired after a few intense days of travelling, so we decided to stay local and take a break from driving. Sarandë definitely has that European beach town feel to it with its beach esplanade edged with palm trees, bars and restaurants. I went for a swim in the sea, which was surprisingly warm, then we went for a nice seafood lunch down by the harbour, before exploring the town a bit more.
Had it been a bit sunnier today, the plan would have been to explore a few more beaches in the area, such as Mirror Beach or Pulebardha. We also walked past some tour companies offering boat trips to beaches only accessible by boat, though I can’t say if these would be child-friendly or not. In Ksamil there is also the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Butrint, which offers a fascinating glimpse into Albania’s Greek and Roman past.
However, I think the weather today was actually a bit of a blessing for us, as I sometimes forget how important it is to plan for a day of rest (especially when travelling with children!).
Day 6: Sarandë to Himarë and Porto Palermo Beach
Today we headed further up the coast towards Himarë. This was another stunning drive, through the mountains along the coast, and we made several stops along the way to take in the views.
Although the weather was still not great, we decided to make a beach pit stop at Porto Palermo Beach, about an hour's drive from Sarandë and 20 minutes from Himarë. This little hidden gem was by far my favourite beach in Albania - it's a small beach situated in the bay, which means it's sheltered and the water is calmer (which is exactly what we needed today is it was very windy with big waves!).
The fact that we had the beach all to ourselves (apart from a friendly dog who kept going into the water every time someone went for a swim to make sure we were ok) added to the experience - I'm not sure if this was due to the overcast weather or if this is just generally a quieter beach. There was a restaurant on the beach, however we had brought a picnic this day.
After a couple of hours spent on the beach, we said goodbye to our furry friend and continued to Himarë. The total drive today was just under an hour and a half, so you could easily go here for a day trip from Sarandë if you weren't planning on coming up this way.
In Himarë we had booked to stay at NaDim Rooms - a self-catered apartment that was literally on the beach, with a balcony facing the water. Best view to wake up to! The Apartment is located on Maracit Beach, which is the beach right next to Himarë Beach, so we coul easily walk into town to explore Himarë.
Himarë is a small town and very quiet when we were there, however I could see plenty of bars and restaurants along the beach so I imagine it will be buzzing in the summer months. We went for dinner at a lovely restaurant called Merkur Merkuri, and when we walked back, the windy weather had turned into a full on thunderstorm. We spent some time down by the beach at sunset watching the dramatic waves and intensified colours of the turquoise water and yellow sky, before having a cozy evening indoors listening to the thunder and the waves breaking against the rocks.
Where to stay: NaDim Rooms Himarë
Day 7: Himarë to Tirana via Dhermi Beach
For our last day, the sun came out again! We started the day with a morning swim in the sea and breakfast out on the balcony, before driving back towards Tirana - about a 3,5-hour drive in total.
As we wanted to maximise on the nice weather, we decided to stop at one of the beaches further up the coast on the way. There are plenty of seemingly gorgeous beaches all along the coast, so we could have easily stayed a few more days and just explored the beaches, but as we were short on time and had a long drive ahead, we opted for Dhermi Beach, as it was right on our route and meant we didn't add any extra time to our drive.
Although sunny, it was still quite windy today and therefore the long, white beach was mainly empty, barring a few people braving the waves like us (the waves were very strong still today, so our daughter could not swim today, but enjoyed running along the beach). There were also parts of the beach that had some construction going on, building new beach hotels by the look of things, so that took away a bit from the natural beauty of the beach, but all in all it was a lovely long beach to spend a good few hours.
We had lunch at one of the many restaurants on the beach and then went for a final dip in the water, before hitting the road again towards our final destination this road trip. One of the roads on the way back was closed, so we had to make a detour, which added a bit of time, but we still made it to our hotel in Tirana before dinnertime. For ease and comfort, we had chosen to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn, situated on the other end of the Lana River in Tirana, closer to the airport.
When walking to find somewhere for dinner, we stumbled upon an outdoor play area five minutes from our hotel, called Peter Pan Kids Shop. It had a playground, a soft play, a bouncy castle, trampolines and a couple of rides - it was the perfect place for my daughter to have a play whilst my husband and mum ordered food at one of the nearby restaurants. It wasn't free, but it wasn't expensive - I think I paid around 350 lek (adults go free) and it had a little bar/café where parents could have a drink whilst watching their kids play.
Where to stay: Hilton Garden Inn
Top things to note
Stray cats and dogs - we noticed a lot of stray cats and dogs in Albania, both in the cities and in the countryside. They were mainly harmless, but some of the younger dogs would be quite playful and sometimes jump us and follow us around - again, harmless, but worth noting especially if you have children that are scared of dogs (also meant it could be quite noisy in the evening)
Smoking indoors - one thing I noticed was that Albanians smoke a lot, and smoking is still allowed indoors, so people would often smoke inside of restaurants. As it was quiet when we went, we were always able to find a table away from smokers, but for busier periods, this might be trickier
Bring cash - cash is still needed in a lot of places, even in bigger towns/cities. The local currency is lek, however in the cities and more touristy areas, a lot of places also accepted euros
Lots of hills - Albania is a mountainous country and almost all places we went to were very hilly. Though mostly pram friendly, in terms of having step-free access, it was quite tough pushing uphill at times, so I would definitely take a light-weight pram and consider bringing a sling/baby back carrier if your child can't walk by themselves for longer periods
Coast busy in summer months - as mentioned, it was very quiet when we went, but when doing research for this trip, I read that the coast in particular gets very busy (and quite rowdy as it is a popular party spot) in the summer, so this might be worth bearing in mind when deciding where to go
Pebbly beaches - most beaches are pebble beaches, so I would recommend bringing beach shoes. A lot of the beaches also had an immediate drop about a metre from the shore which is worth noting when swimming with children
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