Our second destination in 2024 was Saranda, Albania. We continued to hear that Albania was a hidden gem and underrated as a destination. So after our month in Greece, we decided to head to the beautiful country of Albania. Here is what it was like visiting Saranda, Albania, in 2024.
How to Get to Saranda, Albania
Saranda does not have an airport, but there are a few ways to get there. The most common is to fly to Tirana, Albania’s capital, and then take a bus, shared van, or taxi. I’m not sure about the price of a shared van or taxi. That depends on your negotiating skills and time of year. A little research online can give you an idea (I saw anywhere from 150 euros to 450 euros). You can also fly to Corfu, Greece, then take the ferry. The ferry is around 30 minutes and costs between 10 – 20 euros.
Taking the bus in Albania
The bus is the cheapest option and takes around five hours. I had read some horror stories about the bus, but our experience was good. We took the bus in reverse (from Saranda to Tirana) and thought it was pretty easy.
Here’s how to take the bus from Saranda to Tirana. We recommend getting the tickets the day before you plan on traveling. You’ll find them at the office next to Friendship Park (Google map link). Look for the building with the sign “Agjensia.” Times change throughout the year, so it’s best to go to the office to check times and buy the tickets. As of March 2024, the tickets cost us 1500 lek (~$ $16 USD) per person.
In the off-season, the buses are more like minivans. But they were fairly comfortable and stopped about 2.5 hours in for a toilet break and food.
What to Do in Saranda, Albania in 2024
Saranda is a pretty small town, especially dead in the offseason (we were there from February into March 2024). But that makes it more relaxing and enjoyable (in our opinion). If you’re interested in visiting Saranda, Albania, in 2024, here are some things you shouldn’t miss.
Explore Butrint National Park
Located about 11 miles south of Saranda, Butrint is a wonderful archeological site. Butrint was a Roman colony in 44 BC, then in the 9th century, was reconstructed under Byzantine rule. Then, in the 14th century, it came under Venetian rule and passed again to Ottoman control in the 19th century. The ticket price was 1000 lek (~$11 USD) per person.
To get to Butrint, we hopped on the local bus that picks up right next to Kristiano Restaurant (Google map link). The ride takes about 45 minutes and costs around 200 lek (~ $2 USD) per person one way. Once you get on the bus, the attendant collects the money.
We spent around two hours exploring Butrint. It was incredible, and we basically had it all to ourselves when we were there. We actually ended up being the first visitors, as we arrived 20 minutes before opening. You can explore many amazing ancient ruins, visit the castle to see the museum, and get wonderful views. We would highly recommend visiting Butrint!
See the Incredible Waters of Ksamil
When visiting Saranda Albania, you must visit Ksamil. During the summer months, it’s incredibly busy and crowded. It’s completely dead during the offseason, but that means it’s perfect for getting great pictures of the water with basically no people. To get to Ksamil, you take the same bus to Butrint. We visited Ksamil the same day we went to Butrint, so we just took the bus from Butrint and stopped at Ksamil.
It costs around 100 lek (~ $1 USD) to travel from Butrint to Ksamil. The white sand and turquoise waters were breathtaking. Unfortunately, it was too cold at that time of year to swim (though we did see some young guys jumping in), but the water was so inviting that I put my feet in. Ksamil is called the Bora Bora or Maldives of Europe because of the clarity of the water. We spent a few hours walking around the beaches and taking photos before getting the bus back to Saranda (again, 200 lek to return).
Visit the Blue Eye
The Blue Eye is around 40 minutes from Saranda and is a really easy trip. You can take the bus that heads towards Gjirokastra and ask to stop at the Blue Eye. However, I read conflicting information about whether the bus will stop there due to the newly built road bypassing that area. So if you want to take the bus, go to the office and ask. We decided to take a taxi as that seemed the easiest option. The taxi cost us around 4000 lek (~ $42 USD) for the driver to take us, wait, and bring us back.
The Blue Eye is a water spring and natural phenomenon. The amazing thing is that experts are unsure how deep it goes. The farther depth explored has been 50 meters. The color and clarity are out of this world. It doesn’t take long to visit, though it is around a 15-minute walk from the parking lot. But once there, you might spend 20 to 30 minutes. During the summer months, you can swim, though I have heard it’s very cold, even in the summer.
Spend a Night or Two in Gjirokastra
If you’re visiting Saranda Albania, or Albania in general, Gjirokastra is a great place to visit. Again, we took the bus there. It took around an hour and a half and cost about 800 lek (~ $9 USD) per person. You can grab the bus at the same area as the bus to Tirana (near Friendship Park). If you take the bus, once you arrive in Gjirokastra, you can either grab a taxi, take the local bus, or just walk into the old town area. We walked; it took about 20 minutes but inclined very steeply once we got closer to the old town.
The old town of Gjirokastra is a UNESCO site recognized by its amazing stone buildings. There are many great guesthouses and hotels in Gjirokastra—it was so difficult to choose! We stayed at Alsara Guesthouse and had a wonderful experience. Though it was very difficult to find when we arrived, we had to ask a local who kindly helped us.
The family running the guesthouse was kind and helpful, and we got a fantastic breakfast in the morning. The guesthouse is in the center of the old town and has an incredible view of the castle and mosque next door. Unfortunately, it rained the next day, so we couldn’t enjoy breakfast on the rooftop.
When we arrived in Gjirokastra, after checking in to our guesthouse, we ate lunch at Restaurant Gjoça Tradicional. We ordered the traditional qifqi (rice balls), some lamb, and stuffed grape leaves. The food was yummy, and the owner was very friendly. After lunch, we headed up to the Gjirokastra Fortress, which is apparently one of the biggest in the Balkans.
Gjirokastra Fortress
This fortress, built between the 13th and 14th centuries, sits atop the hill overlooking Gjirokastra. It is quite big and has many areas to explore. From here, you’ll get great views of the town below and the mountains in the distance. The entrance fee is 400 lek (~ $4 USD) per person, and it is worth the price if you enjoy exploring old buildings or just want a wonderful view. There are various dark rooms and entranceways that can be explored. It also seems they hold festivals at the fortress, as there was a stage in the middle of the field.
There a several museums to see in Gjirokastra as well, but as we were only there 1 night, we only went to the fortress and then walked around the old town. But Gjirokastra is definitely worth a visit!
Sites to See in Saranda Albania
In addition to visiting the surrounding towns, we explored a few sites in Saranda. For one of the best views of the area, head to Lekursi Castle. It was built in 1537 to defend against the Venetians but is currently a restaurant. We didn’t eat there but saw the incredible views and explored some of the bunkers still found in the area.
Another great view you can get when visiting Saranda, Albania, is from The Monastery of the 40 Saints. This Eastern Orthodox monastery was built in the 6th century AD. Today, it’s just the ruins, and admission costs 200 lek (~ $2 USD) per person. You can walk all around the ruins and even into the monastery’s dark tunnels while taking in the breathtaking views.
Places to Eat When Visiting Saranda Albania
Finding open restaurants can be a bit difficult in the offseason, but several are open all year round. Here are a few we really enjoyed:
Haxhi has great views of the water, fun interior decoration, great service, and delicious food. The bean salad was my favorite, and we also had some amazing calamari.
Marini is run by THEE friendliest people! The food is absolutely delicious, and they also have amazing breakfast options for Westerners. They weren’t open for the first two or three weeks we were there, but once they opened, we went almost every day and sometimes twice a day.
Pastaria had a good variety of yummy pasta for a cheap price
Pastiçeri Çako for the BEST trilece and delicious burek!
Pastiçeri Dolce for delicious pastries and good coffee (second best trilece)
Queen Coffee Bistro for yummy donuts and coffee
The Dick & Devil’s Pub for great drinks and even better company. This expat bar is the place to be if you want a good drink and conversation with other foreigners. They also host a monthly potluck which seems to turn out a pretty nice crowd.
Visiting Tirana
We only spent 2 days in Tirana on our way out of Albania, so we tried to see as much as we could in that time. Staying near Pazari i Ri (New Bazaar) allowed us to be within walking distance of most major sites. We walked through Tirana castle (which is basically just old castle walls that now has cute shops and restaurants), walked to Skanderbeg Square, went inside Et’hem Bej Mosque, saw Bunk’Art 2, and went to see the Pyramid of Tirana. We also walked around the Blloku area and past Enver Hoxha’s (the communist leader) Former Residence.
Tirana is a cool city and was easily walkable, though the traffic was horrible! We definitely want to return and spend more time exploring this vibrant city. But onto Montenegro, we had to go!