This tour is for adventurous travelers with open minds who like staying in the traditional houses of the native Albanian highlanders, the “malesore”. The tour covers some of the most scenic parts of northern Albania and includes a world-class ‘Boat Trip on the Spectacular Lake Koman’, a trek through the beautiful ‘Valbona Valley’, and a visit to the ‘Thethi Valley’. You will hike about 6 hours per day and all the overnight stays are in local guesthouses – that also prepare traditional meals.
You will get to experience the best of rural Albania, set high in the Albanian mountains, and admire the spectacular view of one of the largest lakes in Europe from the ruins of the Rozafa Castle.
Special highlights of this tour are:
Lake Koman: The ferry trip on Lake Koman is an outstanding experience. The lake is narrow and winding, and stretches along the bed of the Drini River. The lake was formed after the construction of a dam in the 80’s. The steep cliffs on both sides create a spectacular landscape reminiscent of Norwegian fjords.
Valbona Valley: This is probably the most beautiful valley of Northern Albania. The turquoise waters of Valbona River flow in the middle of a spectacular border of steep mountain peaks. This is the jewel in the crown of the Albanian Alps.
Theth Valley: A hidden paradise in the heart of the Albanian Alps, the Theth Valley is the starting point for all treks to the highest peaks and passes in the region. It leads to Montenegro in the North, Kosovo in the East and the city of Shkodra in the West.
You can book this tour as a private departure via the enquire now button.
| DEPARTURE/RETURN | Shkoder | |||||||||
| CODE: | W 5.1 | |||||||||
| TYPE: | Global trekking holiday | |||||||||
| LEVEL: | Challenging | |||||||||
| PRICE: | Ask a quote from our direct sales department | |||||||||
| DATES: | May – October | |||||||||
| NIGHTS: | 4 | |||||||||
| DAYS: | 5 | |||||||||
| START/FINISH | Shkoder | |||||||||
| ACCOMODATION: | Local guesthouses | |||||||||
| DEPARTURE TIME | To be decided | |||||||||
| INCLUDED |
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| NOT INCLUDED |
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Essential Info:
Level of the tour: Challenging
This tour is physically challenging, and demands you to be in excellent physical shape.
Normally, the treks are between six to eight hours a day, so preliminary trekking experience is an advantage, but not necessary for those who are in very good shape. During the hikes, you are required to personally carry you own day rucksack. The main luggage will be transported on a mule/ horse or vehicle.
Terrain during the hikes:
This trail is saturated with lots of descends and ascends. The route passes over engraved relief representing alpine terrain with steep slopes, mountain river valleys incised on the mounts, rocky peaks, belts of mountain pine, etc. However, the chosen paths are mostly well trod underfoot and safe.
What to bring:
Breathable light weight waterproof gear (gore-tex, sympatex, etc), fleece/wool pullovers/wind-stopper jackets and gloves, small back-pack with rain coverage, cap, sun-block, mosquito repellent, head-lamp, hiking poles, water bottle, sun glasses/block.
Land only
The “OA” tours are Land Only; the prices do not include your flight, nor transport to and from the airport to hotel. You must make your own way to the starting point of every tour. Please let us know at booking if you would like us to arrange an airport transfer for you.
Good to know
Pick-up location
Central Shkoder, to be specified at booking confirmation
Drop-off location
Central Shkoder, to be specified at booking confirmation
Children policy:
Children joining this tour should have experience with hiking. An adult needs to accompany children under 18.
Luggage transport
The hike from Valbona to Thethi is accompanied by a mountain mule/horse that carries the luggage. It is therefore important that you pack your luggage in a bag, not a suitcase. You will carry your own day backpack. From Thethi to Boga, a vehicle will transport the luggage to Boga. From there we drive back to Tirana.
Hiking route
We reserve the right to modify the hiking route, in case of presence of snow.
FAQs
Do I have to carry my luggage?
All luggage transport will be taken care of by Outdoor Albania. The only thing you will be carrying is your day back pack. However, please make sure you bring a bag and not a suitcase, as we will use horses/mules to carry the luggage for you.
Can I book a single room for the local village house trek?
On this tour, we use local guesthouses where you share a room up to about 5 persons per room. Therefore with the set departure tours, there is no possibility for booking a single room.
It will be possible for private tours and tailor-made tours to book a single room, in in this case we will make sure there are either no other persons sharing the room with you, or we will use small hotels.
Are Airport transfers included in the tour?
Our set departure tours do not include the airport transfers, if you wish to book an airport transfer, please mention this at your booking form.
The price from the airport to Tirana or vise versa is 30 euro (max 3 pax) and the price from the airport to Shkoder or vise versa is 110 euro (max 5 pax). In case you need a transfer for more than the maximum amount of pax, please contact us for prices.
Does this tour has a guaranteed departure?
For the local village house trek we need a min number of 5 participants to guarantee a departure. You can can check our departure dates and see what departures are guaranteed. 42 days prior to departure we will let you know if there are enough participants to run a tour, in case there are not enough participants you can either choose to cancel or pay a small group supplement.
Do I need to be an experienced hiker?
This tour is physically challenging, and demands the participants to be in excellent physical shape.
Normally, the treks are between six to eight hours a day, so preliminary trekking experience is an advantage, but not necessary for those who are in very good shape. During the hikes, participants are required to personally carry their own day rucksack. The main luggage will be transported on a mule/ horse or vehicle.
What is the terrain like during the hikes?
This trail is saturated with lots of descends and ascends. The route passes over engraved relief representing alpine terrain with steep slopes, mountain river valleys incised on the mounts, rocky peaks, belts of mountain pine, etc. However, the chosen paths are mostly well trod underfoot and safe.
What should I bring along on this hiking trip?
Breathable light weight waterproof gear (gore-tex, sympatex, etc), fleece/wool pullovers/wind-stopper jackets and gloves, small back-pack with rain coverage, cap, sun-block, mosquito repellent, head-lamp, hiking poles, water bottle, sun glasses/block.
What time does the tour depart?
You will be picked up at 6.30 a.m. from your (central) Shkoder accommodation.
Ending of the tour
The expected ending of the local village house trek is on day 5, at around 5:00 p.m. in Shkoder. (Please know that these are approximate times, in case you need to be in time for an after tour activity, please let us know at booking).
Can I bring my kids along to the local village house trek?
Yes you can bring your kids to the local village house trek, but do be aware that the hike from Valbona to Thethi takes about 8 hours. There is no way to make this hike any shorter.
In case your question is not answered yet, after reading the FAQ, please feel free to contact us via the enquiry form.
Through the Canyon of Lake Koman into the Albanian Alps
We depart early in the morning from Shkodra and drive towards the reservoir of Koman. This artificial lake was created in the 1980s after the construction of a hydropower plant in the canyon of the Drin River.
What follows is a breathtaking boat trip through one of the most beautiful landscapes in Northern Albania – an absolute highlight!
After arriving in Fierza, we enjoy a traditional lunch before continuing to the Valbona Valley, one of the most spectacular valleys of the Albanian Alps. Our final destination is the mountain village of Valbona – Rrogam, where we stay overnight in a welcoming guesthouse, perfectly located as a base for hikes in the surrounding mountains.
Overnight: Guesthouse in Valbona – Rrogam
To the Mount Rosi Meadows
Today we begin our first hike towards the hamlet of Kukaj, from where we explore a remote side valley via an old shepherd’s trail through the forest.
We reach the green alpine meadows beneath the rocky dome of Mount Rosi – also called ‘Pllana’ by the locals. Here we enjoy a picnic, with views of the dramatic peaks of Grykat e Hapta and Jezerca, the highest mountain in Albania. During the summer months, sheep and cows often graze here, and a chat with the shepherds is never far away.
Those who wish can continue hiking to the mountain pass Qafa e Rosit (2000m), on the border with Montenegro, for a panoramic view of the Accursed Mountains.
On the way back, we drink mountain tea on the wooden terrace of one of the houses in Kukaj before returning to our guesthouse.
Duration: approx. 6 hours (or 8 hours with extension to Qafa e Rosit)
Overnight: Guesthouse in Valbona – Rrogam
Crossing the Valbona Pass to Theth
Today we cross one of the classic mountain passes of the Albanian Alps: the Valbona Pass at 1860 meters. For centuries, this pass formed the connection between the Valbona and Theth valleys. Luggage is carried by horses while we leave the valley on foot.
After the last houses of Rrogam, the trail climbs steeply to a high plateau with breathtaking views of the ‘Bjeshkët e Namuna’ – the Accursed Mountains.
We descend through forests and meadows towards the authentic mountain village of Thethi (850m), where we overnight in a traditional stone house and enjoy the hospitality of the local community.
Overnight: Guesthouse in Theth
Exploring Thethi and onward to Nderlysa
Today we explore Thethi, perhaps the best-known village in Northern Albania. We visit the characteristic church, the ‘Kulla e Ngujimit’ (a defensive tower against blood feuds), and the impressive waterfall of Thethi.
At the wooden bridge of Grela, we look into the narrow Grunasi Canyon and see stone terraces from the late Bronze Age – only discovered in 2007. After a picnic, we walk along the Shala River towards Nderlysa, where we stay overnight. Nearby are turquoise pools in the Kaprea creek – a perfect place to relax before dinner.
Overnight: Guesthouse in Nderlysa
Through the Valley of Kaprea and back to Shkodra
Our last hiking day takes us through the remote and rugged valley of Kaprea. We pass the idyllic “Blue Eye” pond, fed by a waterfall in the midst of lush vegetation, and then climb up through forest and alpine meadows towards the Thore Pass (1670m).
From the pass, we enjoy a panoramic picnic with views of the surrounding mountain landscape.
Afterwards, we start the drive through the beautiful Boga Valley – our gateway back to civilization. Depending on your travel plans, the journey ends in Shkodra or (upon request) in Tirana.
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