What's up guys, we're here in the Albanian
Alps and in this video we're going to cover a three to five day itinerary between
Valbona and Theth. So enjoy the video. The Albanian Alps, also known as the Accursed
Mountains, are located in the north of Albania and occupy about eight percent of the country's
territory. Home to dramatic mountain peaks, deep green valleys, and thick forests,
this is the finest hiking area in Albania. It's the most attractive and fascinating
part of the country in our opinion, but also relatively isolated since there
are only a couple of roads in and out. In fact, there is no road connecting the two
most famous parks: Valbona and Theth, and you have to hike over a mountain pass to get from
one to the other. In this video, we'll show you how to spend three to five days in the Albanian
Alps while visiting both national parks. We'll show you the circle route overview as well as the
beautiful hikes that you can do. So let's dive in! We're Zac and Ine. We make helpful videos about destinations around the world so you
can easily plan your own adventures. The itinerary starts and ends in the
city of Skodra and can be completed in either direction since it's a
circle. If you have a rental car, it's best to leave it in the city so you can make
the most out of your visit to the Albanian Alps. We left our car and big backpacks at the hotel and
only took the essential items in our day packs. In Shkodra, you can ask your accommodation
to organize a package to Valbona. This package includes the shuttle bus to
Koman Lake, the ferry from Koman to Fierza, and the bus from Fierza to your accommodation
in Valbona. During the summer months, it's best to arrange this package a few weeks in
advance with your hotel as spots fill up quickly. You can also reserve your spot on the ferry via
the link in the description if you would like. The minivan picks you up as early as 6:30 AM from
your hotel in Skodra. After two hours of driving, you board the ferry on the gorgeous Komani Lake,
which is a man-made reservoir on the Drin River. The ferry takes you for almost three hours
over emerald waters that meander for over 70 kilometers or 43 miles through the mountains. In
some places, it gets very narrow with vertical canyon walls towering on both sides. And even
though you're technically not in the Albanian Alps yet, this is already a highlight
of the trip. After you arrive in Fierze, you hop into another minivan which takes you
to Valbona in about one and a half hours. As you arrive in the afternoon, there's only a
bit of time left for a short hike in Valbona. We hiked the beautiful Kukaj Valley and the
ridge on the right side. You can find the trail on maps.me but unfortunately it doesn't have
a name. Alternatively, you can also decide to rest and just take in the views from your
guest house. The valley is breathtaking. On the second day, it's time to fully
explore Valbona Valley National Park, which boasts some of the most beautiful
natural scenery in all of Albania. Most people only spend a night here before
trekking to Theth, which is such a shame because they're a wealth of excellent hikes in
the area. We hiked to the mountain saddle on the Montenegrin-Albanian border at the base of Rosi
Peak. This actually ended up being our favorite hike in all of Albania. It's an out-and-back trail
that's about 17.5 kilometers or 11 miles long, with 1,280 meters or 4,200 feet of elevation gain.
From the pass, you can also continue to Rosi Peak, which adds another 400 meters or 1,300 feet of
elevation. This is considered the easiest Peak hike in Valbona Valley as the other ones
are more technical and harder to reach. Nonetheless, this trail offers panoramic views
that will take your breath away. Enjoy the view of the surrounding peaks in serenity, as you
won't encounter many other people while hiking. So this Pyramid Rock here marks the
border of Albania and then Montenegro, but there's no border control here. You'll hike to Theth National Park
via the famous Valbona to Theth trail. Keep in mind that this trail gets very busy,
especially during the peak summer season. This point-to-point hike is about 17 kilometers
or 10.5 miles long, depending on where you start and finish it. We would say the difficulty level
is medium and you don't need to be fit or have a lot of mountain experience to complete the trek.
Just make sure you can walk for 6 to 9 hours. The beginning of the hike is
flat and rocky on a dry riverbed. You can actually skip that part by taking a 4x4
taxi if you want. Then, the path turns into a dirt trail and starts to climb gradually
steeper till you reach the Valbona Pass. From here, you'll observe the most beautiful view
of Valbona Valley with endless mountain peaks surrounding you from all angles. It's a stunning
rest area. Heading down the other side of the pass, it's almost entirely in the shade through
an old-growth forest. It's a long but relatively gentle descent to the village of Theth. Theth is
the most popular destination in the Albanian Alps and you'll notice that it's more developed
than Valbona. There are many newly-built guesthouses and hotels to pick from, as well as
a little supermarket and restaurants. The town has been developing quickly in the last decade,
bringing larger crowds of tourists to the park. On the last day, you can explore
the sights in Theth National Park. If you're catching the bus back
in the afternoon, like we did, you can do a half-day hike to the iconic Theth
Church, Grunas waterfall, and Blue Eye. If you plan to hike all the way to the Blue Eye, keep in
mind that it's 17 kilometers or 10.5 miles total. The hike is not intensive as it's fairly flat,
but the distance makes it a 6 hour round-trip. Alternatively, you can hike to the church and
Grunas waterfall only, which is a lot shorter and you only need about 3 hours total to do that one.
We took the bus back to Skodra at 2PM on day four, which was the last bus for the day. It's
best to check the bus timetable in advance at the local supermarket in time. That's
also where you purchase your bus ticket. If you want to spend a full day in Theth instead,
we don't recommend hiking this extremely crowded trail. Instead, opt for a more rewarding trek
to one of the peaks, or caves, or glacial lakes. Find other trail options in
the tourist center in town. If you do this option, then you need to take the
bus back to Skodra the morning after on day five. If you're planning your Albania trip, we recommend
keeping things organized with our interactive travel planner. Find a discount code below.
We also included important specific links that you'll need for your Albanian Alps trip in the
description such as a blog article with the links to the hiking routes so you can follow them for
yourself. We'll catch you on the next adventure.
