What is there to do in Albania?
Four things draw most visitors: the Ionian beaches around Ksamil and Himarë, the UNESCO old towns of Berat and Gjirokastër, the Roman and Greek ruins at Butrint, and hiking in the northern Alps. Each one is anchored to a different base, so what you want to do decides where you book.
Beaches and the sea
The Ionian side is the draw: Ksamil's islets and shallows, the long pebble bays at Himarë and Dhërmi, and boat trips out to caves and coves along the Karaburun peninsula from Vlorë. On the Adriatic, Durrës has the country's easiest sand.
Base yourself in Sarandë or Ksamil for the south, Himarë or Dhërmi for the middle Riviera, Vlorë for the boat trips, Durrës for the quick version.
Old towns and ruins
Berat and Gjirokastër are the two UNESCO towns, and both are places to walk rather than tick off — castles still lived in, Ottoman houses, and museums worth an afternoon. Butrint, near Ksamil, is a large archaeological park layered from Greek through Roman to Venetian.
Butrint works as a half-day from Sarandë or Ksamil. The two towns each deserve their own night.
Mountains and water
The Theth–Valbonë crossing in the northern Alps is the country's best-known walk, and the Komani Lake ferry through the gorge is worth doing as an experience in itself. Both run from Shkodër.
In the south, the Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) is a deep karst spring that is a short trip from Sarandë — impressive, busy, and not somewhere you sleep.
Food, cities and evenings
Tirana carries the country's restaurant scene, its museums and its nightlife, and is the one place that gives you something to do in any month. Coastal towns are seasonal in the opposite way — lively in August, shuttered in January.
Wine is a quieter pleasure worth planning for: the hills around Berat have wineries that take visitors.
Common questions
- What is Albania best known for?
- The Ionian beaches of the Albanian Riviera, the UNESCO towns of Berat and Gjirokastër, the ruins at Butrint, and increasingly the hiking in the northern Alps.
- What can you do in Albania besides the beach?
- The two UNESCO old towns, Butrint's archaeological park, the Blue Eye spring, the Komani Lake ferry, hiking in the Alps, and Tirana's food and museums.
- Is Butrint worth visiting?
- Yes, and it is easy — a half-day from Sarandë or Ksamil, which is where most people stay to see it.
- What is there to do in Albania in winter?
- Tirana, Berat and Gjirokastër stay open and are pleasanter without the heat. The Riviera largely closes, and the Alps become a snow destination rather than a hiking one.
Read next
Last updated 2026-08-01