Three hours through the Vjosa valley to the stone city — slate roofs, a hilltop castle and the best-preserved bazaar in Albania.
Gjirokastër, the 'city of stone', climbs a mountainside in tiers of slate-roofed Ottoman mansions beneath one of the largest castles in the Balkans. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the birthplace of writer Ismail Kadare, and the cultural heart of southern Albania. Reaching it from Tirana Airport by bus means a transfer into the city and a slow intercity coach; our drivers make it a single three-hour ride.
South on the A2, then along the emerald Vjosa — one of Europe's last wild rivers — past Tepelenë and into the wide Drino valley, where the city appears stacked against the mountain. The drive itself is a highlight: river gorges, stone bridges and mountain silhouettes most of the way.
Gjirokastër pairs perfectly with the Blue Eye spring and Sarandë, both under an hour further on. Many guests sleep one night in a stone guesthouse here before continuing to the coast — we'll happily split the trip that way.
Rated 5.0 on Google by our travellers. Send us your date, time and group size on WhatsApp and you'll have a fixed, per-vehicle price in minutes — no prepayment, you decide after.
Good to know
Yes — the spring is about 40 minutes further south. Add it to this transfer or to a continuation toward Sarandë.
The upper lanes are steep and cobbled; we drop you at the nearest accessible point and help carry luggage the last stretch.
Around 3 hours in normal conditions. Summer weekends can add 20–30 minutes; your driver plans around it.
Keep exploring
Message us your route now — you'll have a fixed price before you finish your coffee.