The Albanian Alps: Everything We Learned in the Accursed Mountains
The Albanian Alps were the best thing we did in Albania and it is not close. My rating for this section of the trip, and I am not exaggerating, was 1000 out of 10.
They are also the part people get wrong. Most visitors treat the mountains as a single hike squeezed onto the end of a beach holiday, give them two nights, and leave wishing they had not. We gave them two nights. We were those people.
This is what the region actually is, how the pieces fit together, what we paid, and the three things we would change.
We booked the whole thing as one package through Tias Hostel in Shkodër, which covered two nights, every transfer and the Shala River day for A$249.78 each, meals included. If you want the short answer, that is it. Book it through them and turn up. There is more on why below, and on what it would cost to assemble yourself.
What the Albanian Alps actually are
They are called the Accursed Mountains, or Bjeshkët e Nemuna, and they run across the north of Albania into Montenegro and Kosovo. Limestone, sharp and grey, cut by three valleys that most visitors see: Valbonë in the east, Theth in the west, and the flooded canyon of Lake Koman with the Shala River running into it.
You do not tour them by car. There is one famous walking route over the pass between Valbonë and Theth, one boat journey up the lake, and a lot of very slow road in between. That constraint is what makes the region feel remote when the coast is only five hours away.
Almost everything runs out of Shkodër, which is where you should base yourself either side.
How we did it, day by day
We booked the whole thing through Tias Hostel in Shkodër as one package, and I would do that again without hesitating.
Day one: Shkodër to Shala River to Valbonë. A bus from Shkodër down to the lake, then a traditional long boat up the water for about an hour and a half to the Shala River. A day there. Then the same boat back the same way, back onto the bus, and on by road to Valbonë for the night.
Day two: the pass. Valbonë to Theth on foot. Five to eight hours for most people, around 800 metres of climbing to a pass at roughly 1,800 metres. Night in Theth.
Day three: Theth. The Blue Eye and Grunas Waterfall, then back to Shkodër.
Worth being clear about one thing, because guides muddle it: the boat was a day trip, not the way in. We went up the lake and came back the same way, then drove to Valbonë by road. Plenty of people instead take the scheduled Koman to Fierzë ferry as transport into the valley, which is a different journey. We did not do that one, so I will not describe it as though we did.
Shala River, and the mistake we made
Shala River is a side canyon off Lake Koman with water so clear it does not look real, and it is reachable only by boat.
The boat is most of the appeal. An hour and a half of flooded gorge with the walls going straight up out of the water, and then the river opens out into pale stones and turquoise shallows. The water is extremely cold, cold enough that getting in is a decision rather than a drift. There are chalets, restaurants and camping along the bank, and day beds were around 20 to 30 euros when we were there.
Here is what we would change. We did it as a day trip and that was the wrong call. There are places to stay right there on the river, and the people we met who were staying two or three nights had the better version of it by a distance. Daniel's verdict afterwards was blunt: if we went back, we would stay at Shala River.
So if you are building this yourself rather than taking a package, put a night or two on the river. It is the single change I would make to our whole Albania route.
Valbonë: the valley and the night before
Valbonë Valley National Park sits at the eastern end of the pass, and for most people it is a single night before the walk. That is what it was for us, and it turned out to be one of my favourite evenings of the trip.
You stay in a family-run guesthouse in the valley, and dinner is a long communal table with everyone who is walking to Theth the next morning. It is the sort of evening where you end up in a group by accident and then hike with them the whole way. The food kept coming, the mountains were right there, and it made a 6am start feel like an event rather than a chore.
If you have the time, Valbonë is worth more than one night. There is walking in the valley itself that has nothing to do with the pass, and it is quieter than Theth.
The Valbonë to Theth hike
The walk over the pass is the thing the region is famous for, and it deserves it.
Five to eight hours for most people. Around 800 metres of climbing to a pass at roughly 1,800 metres. Not technical, but long, exposed and genuinely hard work in July heat. We finished it with salt dried into our shirts.
You do not carry your luggage. You leave the big bag in Shkodër and walk with a daypack, because the route loops back. We left ours at Tias and collected it afterwards.
Our full Valbonë to Theth guide covers how hard it actually is, how long it takes and what to bring, so I will not repeat it here.
Theth: the Blue Eye and Grunas Waterfall
Give yourself a full day in Theth after the hike, because the two best things there are still ahead of you.
The Theth Blue Eye is a turquoise pool fed by a waterfall. Note this is the Blue Eye near Theth, not the more famous one near Sarandë, which is a completely different place at the other end of the country. People book the wrong trip over this.
Walking the whole way from Theth village takes about three to four hours each way. We paid for a drive to the main trailhead instead and then walked roughly 25 to 30 minutes. There is an upper and a lower viewing area close together, and somewhere to get food nearby.
We paid our driver to wait, then continued on to Grunas Waterfall. That walk is about 30 minutes, short and straightforward but steep, to a fall around 30 metres high. From there it was roughly 35 minutes back to Theth on foot.
Those are our own timings from July 2025, not official ones. Trail conditions and whether a driver is free on the day can both change.
What it cost
A$249.78 per person, booked through Tias Hostel, covering two nights of accommodation, every transfer and the Shala River trip. Meals were included too: dinner at the hostel and every meal at the homestays.
Work that out against doing it yourself and it is remarkable value. Independently you are chaining a bus, a boat, another transfer and beds at each end, in a region where booking ahead is not always straightforward and where nobody is answering email in the middle of the walking season.
We paid A$250 each and did not open our wallets again until Theth.
Our full Albania cost breakdown has the rest of the trip if you are budgeting the whole thing.
Where to stay for the Alps
Base yourself in Shkodër either side of the mountains. It is where the transport leaves from and where you leave your luggage, and one night before and one after is better than trying to do it in a single rushed stop.
Tias Hostel, Shkodër
This is where we booked the entire Alps trip and it was the best planning decision we made in Albania. Dinner was included and eaten at one long table with everyone heading up the next morning, they held our luggage while we walked the pass, and we came back to the same beds. Arranging the mountains through your Shkodër base rather than assembling it yourself is the whole trick. It scored 9.4 from 66 reviews when I checked.
Up in the valleys you do not really choose a hotel, you get a guesthouse, and if you book a package it is chosen for you. That is a feature rather than a compromise: the homestays are the good bit. If you are going independently, comparing hostels and budget stays is the easiest way to see what is actually bookable in Shkodër for the nights either side.
How many days do you need in the Albanian Alps?
Three to four nights. We had two and it was the clearest mistake in our whole two weeks.
Two nights buys you the pass and Theth, which is genuinely enough to see why people come. What it does not buy you is any margin: no rest day, no second night at Shala, nothing if the weather turns.
Here is how I would spend it now:
Scroll to see the full table →
| Nights | Plan |
|---|---|
| 2 | Shala day trip, Valbonë, hike to Theth. What we did. It works, but it is tight. |
| 3 | Add a night in Theth so the Blue Eye and Grunas are not squeezed into a departure day. |
| 4 | Add a night at Shala River. This is the version I would book. |
| 5 or more | A second night in Valbonë for the valley walks away from the pass. |
Our how many days in Albania guide has the whole-country split, where we would take nights off the coast and give them to up here.
When to go
Realistically June to September for the pass. July and August are the busiest and the hottest, and we walked it in July heat that made an exposed climb harder than the distance suggests.
Shoulder season either side is quieter and cooler, but check before committing: snow lingers on the pass into late spring, and guesthouses and transfers wind down at the end of the season. If the Alps are your reason for coming to Albania, this window is what sets your dates, not the beaches.
What we would change
- A night at Shala River. The single biggest one. We treated the best water in the country as a stop on a bus route.
- Two nights in Shkodër, not one. One night before and one after, instead of arriving off a bus and repacking the same evening.
- Four nights in the mountains, not two. Taken off the coast, where we had four bases in nine nights and did not need them.
None of those is a criticism of the package. Tias got the logistics right and the price was fair. We just did not give the region enough of the calendar.
Is the Albanian Alps trip worth it?
Yes, and if you only have time for one half of Albania, make it this one.
The coast is lovely and busy and it is a beach holiday. The Alps are the thing we still talk about a year later: a boat through a flooded canyon, a long table of strangers in a valley with no phone signal, and a pass at 1,800 metres with the whole range opening up behind you.
If you are planning the route, start with our free two-week Albania guide, then read the Valbonë to Theth hike guide before you book anything.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Albanian Alps?
A limestone range across northern Albania, also called the Accursed Mountains or Bjeshkët e Nemuna. For visitors it comes down to three places: the Valbonë valley, Theth, and Lake Koman with the Shala River. Almost everything is organised from Shkodër.
How many days do you need in the Albanian Alps?
Three to four nights. Two is enough for the Valbonë to Theth pass and Theth itself, which is what we did, but it leaves no margin and no second night at Shala River. Four is the version we would book.
How do you get to the Albanian Alps?
From Shkodër. We took a bus to Lake Koman, a boat up to the Shala River and back, then continued by road to Valbonë. Others use the scheduled Koman to Fierzë ferry as transport into the valley instead. Our package handled every transfer, so we did not use that ferry ourselves.
What is the Shala River like?
A side canyon off Lake Koman, reachable only by boat, with the clearest water we saw anywhere in Albania and cold enough that getting in takes a decision. Chalets, restaurants and camping along the bank, and day beds around 20 to 30 euros when we visited. We went as a day trip and wish we had stayed.
How hard is the Valbonë to Theth hike?
Five to eight hours for most people, around 800 metres of climbing to a pass at roughly 1,800 metres. Not technical, but long, exposed and hard work in summer heat. You walk with a daypack, not your luggage.
Is the Theth Blue Eye the same as the Sarandë Blue Eye?
No, and it is a common and expensive mix-up. They are at opposite ends of the country. The Theth Blue Eye is in the Alps, roughly 25 to 30 minutes on foot from the main trailhead if you drive to it. The famous one near Sarandë is on the southern coast.
What is the best time to visit the Albanian Alps?
June to September for the pass. July and August are busiest and hottest. Snow can linger into late spring and services wind down at the end of the season, so check current conditions before you commit to dates.
How much does the Albanian Alps trip cost?
We paid A$249.78 each for a package booked through Tias Hostel in Shkodër, covering two nights of accommodation, all transfers, the Shala River trip and meals. Doing it independently means arranging a bus, a boat, another transfer and beds at each end yourself.
