Tirana, the capital of Albania, makes a perfect weekend break with direct flights from all over Europe and a very easily walkable city centre. I recently spent a couple of days in Tirana and was blown away by the history, architecture and food. If that sounds like it’d be up your street, then read on for the top things to see and do in Tirana.
About Tirana and Albania
It’s essential to understand a little of Albania’s history either before you visit or by taking a walking tour when you arrive. I knew very little about Albania before my trip to Tirana, but it’s such an interesting country. You might think because of where it sits next to Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia that it might have been part of Yugoslavia, but it’s been an independent country since 1912.
Tirana became the capital in 1920 and a wave of Italian and Austrian-influenced building began, transforming Tirana from a small town to the new Albanian capital – which partly explains why there’s no typically European-style old town in Tirana.
After Italian and German occupation in the second World War, Albania was closed off from the rest of the world for half a century under a repressive communist dictatorship. The leader, Enver Hoxha (you’ll hear his name a lot in Tirana) died in 1985, and Albania gradually began re-establishing contact with other countries. The communist regime fell in 1991, but there was a further revolt in 1997 after ordinary Albanian citizens lost a total of $1.2 billion when pyramid schemes failed.
Since the end of communism, Albania has aligned itself with the west. Albania joined NATO in 2009 and is aiming to join the European Union in the future. Joining the EU is a way off, but Albania is changing so quickly that a lot of what I read before I visited is already out of date.
Top sights in Tirana
On my trip to Tirana I had two full days in the city, plus the morning before my flight back to Manchester, which was easily enough time to see all these sights. The National Historical Museum and National Gallery of Arts are both currently closed, so if you’re planning a visit when they reopen you might want to add an extra day. If you have a little longer in Albania, I’ve suggested some ideas for day trips further down this post.
The main sights in Tirana are in a very compact area; everything on this list apart from Bunk’Art 1 and the cable car are within 20 minutes’ walk of each other. Even then, Bunk’Art 1 and the cable car are in the same area on the outskirts, just 10 minutes’ walk apart.
1. Climb the Pyramid
The Pyramid in Tirana (Google Maps link) was originally going to be a mausoleum for the dictator Enver Hoxha. It wasn’t ready in time for that, but it was a museum dedicated to him during the final years of Communism.
It had a number of other uses in the 1990s until it was finally abandoned and left crumbling and derelict. Nobody was sure what to do with it, and it was even proposed that it should be demolished as a relic of the bad old days.
It’s now been brilliantly renovated and is full of tech education facilities, shops, bars and restaurants, most of which are in the fun colourful blocks perched around the outside and suspended inside. It’s truly incredible to see the change from just a few years ago.
2. Visit the two Bunk’Art underground museums
The Hoxha regime built hundreds of thousands of bunkers across the country, and Albania is believed to be the world’s most-tunnelled country after North Korea. Two bunkers in Tirana are open to the public as the Bunk’Art museums.
Bunk’Art 1
Bunk’Art 1 on the edge of the city (Google Maps link) is the biggest and most interesting. This is the bunker that the leaders of the regime would have run the country from in the event of an attack. It extends deep under a hill on the edge of the modern city; inside you can see the leaders’ private suites, soldiers’ quarters and even a huge theatre.
To get to Bunk’Art 1, take bus number 11 from behind Skanderbeg Square towards Porcelan. The bus takes around 40 minutes and costs 40 Lek.
Bunk’Art 2
Bunk’Art 2 is just off Skanderbeg Square in the centre of Tirana (Google Maps link). It’s smaller than Bunk’Art 1 and focusses on policing, which turned into the detention and torture of citizens under Hoxha’s regime.
If you don’t have time to go to Bunk’Art 1, you should definitely visit Bunk’Art 2, but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to visit both if you’re only on a short trip.
3. Take a walking tour to understand Albania’s history
This is a must and I recommend doing it early in your trip so you have a better understanding of what you’re seeing.
Tours vary but you’re likely to see places like Enver Hoxha’s house in the Blloku area, where party officials lived and where the general population were forbidden from stepping foot, the bunker at the entrance to Blloku and the historic Et’hem Bej Mosque.
4. See Tirana from above at the 360 degree rotating SkyBar
Tirana is a lot of fun too! This bar at the top of a hotel on the edge of Blloku (Google Maps link) takes around 90 minutes to do a full spin. It’s definitely a tourist attraction with drink prices to match, but it’s worth it for the views. There’s no need to book.
When I was there they put on a display of traditional Albanian dancing.
5. Go to the top of Dajti mountain by cable car
This is one of the longest cable car trips I’ve ever been on, taking around 15 minutes to travel from the lower station near Bunk’Art 1 (Google maps link) to the top of the Dajti mountain which dominates the Tirana skyline. At the top there’s a hotel, restaurant, hiking trails and mini golf.
6. Go out for cocktails in Blloku
The Blloku (the Block) area (Google Maps link) used to be reserved for Hoxha and his party’s officials, closed off to normal Albanians. Today it’s one of Tirana’s coolest areas, full of bars, restaurants and shops. I went to the quirky Radio bar for some cocktails.
7. See huge Skanderbeg Square
You can’t miss Skanderbeg Square (Google Maps link)! It’s one of the biggest squares in Europe, named after Albania’s national heroes. There’s a new skyscraper going up in one corner in the shape of Skanderbeg’s head.
8. Have dinner at Tirana Castle
Inside the walls of an old fortress which dates back to 1300, Tirana Castle (Google Maps link) has loads of restaurants selling a wide range of Albanian and international food, along with some interesting shops for souvenirs. I had Turkish-style pizza and local beer at Lezet.
9. Go shopping at Pazari i Ri bazaar
Although the Pazari i Ri market (Google Maps link) is new, this part of Tirana has a bit of the old Ottoman charm that you get in the older cities in Albania and places like Sarajevo elsewhere in the Balkans.
Under the market roof you’ll find stalls selling food, household goods, souvenirs and crafts. The pedestrian streets on either side are lined with restaurants, including Odas Garden which serves traditional Albanian food and is popular with people visiting Tirana.
10. Take a walk around Tirana’s huge park
On my last day in Tirana I had a walk around the huge park at the south of the city centre (Google Maps link). There’s a big lake, cafes, and lots of green space for relaxing.
Tips for visiting Tirana
Arriving in Albania
Tirana airport is easy to navigate and modern, with direct flights from all over Europe. We flew direct from Manchester with Ryanair in under 3 hours. The only unusual thing was that we needed to print our boarding passes for the return journey back to Manchester.
I have a UK passport and didn’t need a visa to enter Albania. The rules for entry are mostly the same as for Schengen countries. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you leave Albania and must have been issued within the last 10 years.
Tirana Airport is the only commercial airport in Albania, so if you’re planning a trip to the southern riviera, you might find it easier or quicker to fly into the Greek island of Corfu and take the ferry across to Sarandë.
Getting to and around Tirana
The airport and city centre are connected by an hourly bus which takes between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on traffic and costs around £4. It stops just behind Skanderbeg Square, near the Opera and mosque. You can buy tickets online or buy on board – just get on and at some point a conductor will come round to collect the fare.
I used a city bus to get from Skanderbeg Square to Bunk’Art 1 and the cable car. The same easy system applies as on the airport bus – each bus has a conductor who’ll come round and sell you a ticket (cash only).
Language
I didn’t have any language issues in the hotel, in restaurants and bars or at tourist attractions. Almost everyone I came into contact with spoke some English, and restaurants often had a menu in English for tourists. I did try using Google Lens to translate but the results were pretty mixed!
Money
Albania is still mostly cash-based, although more places are starting to accept cards. There are ATMs everywhere to get Albanian Lek, but expect to pay a hefty charge per withdrawal. I tried to use my card as much as possible to avoid spending the cash and having to pay another fee. Many places accept Euro even though Albania isn’t in the EU.
Food
The food in Albania is great, with influences from Italy, Greece and Turkey. I’m vegetarian so many of the traditional dishes were out of bounds but I did eat way too many spinach pies (byrek)!
I also had Turkish style pizza at a restaurant at Tirana Castle and halloumi gyros at a Greek street food place. Visiting as a vegan might be more challenging but I did see vegan dishes at a few restaurants and the Happy Cow app lists some options.
Hotels
There are plenty of great hotels in central Tirana, although sometimes star ratings might not quite line up with your expectations. I recommend reading the description and reviews carefully if particular hotel features or services are important to you.
I stayed at Mulaj Hotel on the edge of Blloku, which was 10 minutes walk from Skanderbeg Square and 5 min from the Pyramid. The room was really clean and comfortable and I had a wonderful view of the city from my balcony.
Best places to stay in Tirana
Near Skanderbeg Square
The Crown Boutique Hotel & SPA
Blloku area
Big brands
Hotel Elisa Tirana, Affiliated by Meliá
Radisson Collection Morina Hotel
Budget options
Day trips from Tirana
If you have more than two or three days in Tirana then you might want to consider a day trip outside the city. There are a whole range of day trips available from Tirana, from easy beach days to historic castles, hiking tours and even a day trip to another country. Here are some of my favourites.
Beach day to Durrës
Durrës is around 1.5 hours from Tirana by bus and has a long, sandy beach on the Adriatic Sea. There’s also a large Roman amphitheatre and a Venetian tower.
To get to Dürres, you’ll need to take a city bus to the South and North Albania Bus Terminal on the edge of Tirana, then another bus to Dürres.
Kosovo
This is the one I really wanted to do but ran out of time as there were so many things to do in Tirana!
Day trips take you from Tirana over the border to Kosovo where you’ll visit the capital, Prishtina and the beautiful city of Prizren.
See more information about visiting Kosovo from Tirana
Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia
Another one on my bucket list that we just didn’t have time for! This day trip from Tirana shows you some of the highlights of North Macedonia, including the old town of Ohrid which has 365 churches, beautiful Lake Ohrid and historic Saint Naum Monastery.
Find out more about a day trip to Lake Ohrid
Berat and Belshi Lake
The lovely, UNESCO-listed city of Berat is known for its beautiful white Ottoman-era houses. Tours from Tirana tend to combine a visit to Berat with a stop at pretty Belshi Lake.
Berat City and Belshi Lake tour from Tirana
Albanian Riviera
Southern Albania is all over Instagram at the moment with stunning shots of the Blue Eye spring and the ‘Maldives of Europe’ beaches in Ksamil.
If you don’t have time to take a separate trip to southern Albania, this day trip might be just the thing to check these lovely locations off your bucket list.
Saranda, Ksamil, Blue Eye & Lekursi Castle day tour from Tirana
Slide down the longest zipline in the Balkans
Did you know that Albania has one of the longest ziplines in Europe? The Petrela Zipline is 30 minutes’ drive from Tirana city centre and has stunning views of the surrounding countryside and Petrela Castle.
From Tirana: Petrela zipline adventure with transport
Kruja Castle
Kruja is another day trip option from Tirana (1.5 hours by bus – as with Dürres you’ll need to take a city bus to the North and South bus terminal first), or alternatively if you have a late flight from Tirana it’s a good place to go on your final day, as it’s only 30 minutes by taxi from the airport.
The most popular sight in Kruja is Skanderbeg’s castle, and there’s also a traditional bazaar, and a couple of museums.
If you’d prefer to take an organised tour from Tirana, this one has great reviews and includes both a guided walking tour and free time to explore.
In summary: is Tirana worth visiting?
Tirana is a bit of an unusual city break destination, but it’s at a fascinating point in its history and full of just enough sights to fill a weekend away without being overwhelming. There may not be a cute old town like you’d find in other capital cities, but the energy you’ll feel in Tirana more than makes up for it.
If you’re into 20th century history and architecture, then you’ll absolutely love Tirana; history is all around you, ready to discover, and as the city develops I can see it getting better and better.
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