What You Want to Know for Albania's Theth to Valbona Hike
- Jen Bloss
- Oct 3
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 16
I bet that when you think of hiking in Europe, Albania is not the first place that comes to mind. But in fact, it’s an incredible place for hiking! The Albanian Alps are home to the rugged peaks of the Accursed Mountains and part of the multi-day 192-km Peaks of the Balkans trek. I was on Youtube one day and came across the Peaks of the Balkans trek, which goes through Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro and was inspired. However, my trip to Eastern Europe was not going to be during the right season for the full trek, and I was going to be with a friend that enjoys hiking, but not to that level. So, we opted to do this amazing day hike which follows part of the trail, from the town of Theth to the town of Valbona. The Theth to Valbona hike ended up being the highlight of my Balkans trip, and I want to share all about it with you! We got extra lucky to hike this during the peak of autumn leaf colors too!
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What is the Theth to Valbona Hike?
This hike goes between two small mountain towns in the north of Albania; Theth and Valbona. It goes through the Accursed Mountains, and boasts of jagged peaks, mountain streams, and lush forests. We did it in late October, which meant pure autumn bliss- yellow and red leaves on the trees, the smell of fall and crisp air, and cooler (but not cold) temperatures. The Theth-Valbonë hike is actually a section on the longer Peaks of the Balkans Trail. You can choose to do just this section like we did, or continue on to more sections if you have more time, each night staying in a guest house. The hike is commonly done as a circuit, often with a start and end point in the larger town of Shkodër
Theth to Valbona Hike Stats: Distance, elevation gain, time
There are multiple ways to do this hike: Theth-Valbona, Valbona-Theth, from either town up to Valbona Pass and back, etc. We did it starting from Theth and ending in Valbona. According to my Garmin, from trailhead to trailhead it was 9.7 miles and 3,500 feet of elevation gain. It can be tough to find accurate information for this hike, because most of my US-based GPS map apps didn’t have it. But thankfully, a girl in our shared ride to the trailhead showed me a great online resource for the hike that included a GPX file, and I was able to download it and send it to my watch during the drive! Check out this page for lots more details and a gpx file. One of my big fears was getting lost due to hiking without a map and no cell phone reception to call for help… but it turned out there were plenty of people on the trail and it was quite well marked. And while it is a terrible idea in general, even if you did not have a map for this hike, you’d probably be okay.
The Terrain
You may think, “3,500 feet of elevation gain over 10ish miles doesn’t sound bad”, but let me warn you: the trail goes straight up a pass, and then straight down. That means that all of the elevation gain is in the first half, so less than 5 miles. It is VERY steep, an average of a 13% grade. But don’t let this scare you! You will want to stop and take lots of photos along the way. And we all know that taking photos is the best excuse for a break without having to ask for one! This hike is definitely doable, has plenty of options to rest along the way, and very much worth the challenge!
The Time
How long will it take? That is totally based on your fitness level and desired pace. It took us about 6.5 hours at a very leisurely pace with lots of breaks. We were definitely chasing daylight though, as the late season date also brought an early sunset. If you’re an experienced hiker or don’t take long breaks, you could do this hike significantly faster.
Of Note The Theth to Valbona trail is closed November through May!
Theth- Valbona Hike Logistics: Transport and Accommodation
While this is a day hike, you cannot hike and get back to your starting point in one day due to logistics! There is no road directly connecting Theth and Valbonë, and it takes many hours to go between the two. So you have a few options:
Stay in Theth the night before and Valbona the night of the hike. Return the following day.
Stay in Valbona the night before and then stay in Theth the night of the hike. Return the following day.
Stay in Shkodër the night before. Take a shuttle to Theth in the morning, hike, and stay in Valbona the night of the hike. Return the following day. (We chose this option).
There is one transport from Shkodër to Theth daily, leaving around 0700, and it takes around 2 hours. There is one transport from Valbona to Shkodër daily, leaving around 1000. And there is one bus from Theth to Shkodër daily, also leaving in the late morning. Therefore, you must stay overnight in the town where you finish your hike, because there is no evening transport.
Guesthouses
The great thing is that there are lots of great options for guesthouses in which to stay, and many of them offer delicious food and are VERY affordable! You will want to stay in them! My friend and I opted to take a shuttle from Shkodër to Theth first in the morning and hike the same day (starting at 0930) and stayed in Valbonë that night. There is not much to do in these towns, so provided that you can finish the hike before sunset, I would recommend this option. We stayed at Lazer Çardaku Guesthouse in Valbone and loved it- it was one of the closest places to the trailhead, and it was warm and comfortable and we had absolutely delicious food for dinner and breakfast!
Getting to Valbona
To get to/from Valbona, you must take a 2 hour minibus, followed by a 2-3 hour ferry, followed by another 2 hour minibus. It’s a long day. But the good news is that this ferry is an experience in itself! You will relax on a boat overlooking epic views on Komani Lake, and marvel to yourself thinking “This is Albania? Why is no one talking about this?”. It’s nice to chill the day after a big hike rather than have an exhausting day of transport before the hike, which is another reason I recommend doing the route that we did.
Driving
You could also drive to a trailhead, but this is not recommended. The roads are narrow and windy and require caution while driving. Albanian roads will really test your driving skills! Also, you’d have to find a good place to park your car, and then get back to the town where you left it. It’s easiest to arrange transport from Shkoder, which is a really lovely town to base yourself in anyways!
Speaking of Shkodër
This was one of my favorite towns in the Balkans! It is small but has a lot going on. Beautiful historic cobblestone and streets, a pedestrian zone of picturesque cafes and bars, and close to many attractions. And like the rest of Albania, it is a serious bargain! We were eating nice dinners for $10-15 and our accommodation was less than $60 USD/night. Shkodër is accustomed to tourists coming to hike, and therefore many guesthouses will be happy to help you make the arrangements for transport, which can be made the day in advance. We stayed at InTown Guesthouse in Shkoder, and they really took care of us! They helped us book transport for the hike, and packed us a takeaway breakfast for the morning we left, arranged parking for our rental car while we were gone, stored our luggage, and helped us navigate through the stressful narrow roads of Shkodër. 10/10 recommend! We also did a day trip to Kotor, Montenegro from Shkodër, so it is definitely worth it to base yourself here before and after the hike. If you don’t want to rent a car, there are buses from the capital Tirana to Shkoder, and the journey takes about 90 minutes. In retrospect, I would have enjoyed not having a car because driving in Albania was stressful- either due to traffic in Tirana or the impossibly narrow “2 lane” roads in the historic parts of Shkodër.
Theth to Valbona Hike Logistics: What to Bring and Expect
Plan to bring all of the water and snacks you will need for this hike. Definitely factor in how long you will be out there, the weather, and your personal water consumption needs. We brought 3 liters of water each on a cool fall day, and it was adequate. We didn’t find any water spigots along the way, although if you had a water filter you could fill up in one of the few streams we passed by. I wouldn’t rely on it though! Bring more snacks than you think you will need; it's nice to have some leftovers to eat on the next day transport back.
Coffee in the mountains? Yes please!
As an American, the idea of finding a cafe during a hike in the mountains is foreign concept. But apparently this is normal in other countries, and I totally approve. And you will find some cafes along the Theth-Valbonë hike! As we were there during the end of the season, there was only one cafe open and it had limited options. I opted for a turkish coffee, my friend a Coke. It didn’t really have any food options though… maybe just a baklava or candy bar. I would not rely on these places for your hiking nutrition plan, but I definitely couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a mid-hike coffee with a view.
There are also some rest pavilions along the trail, which are quite lovely. Of course, we never saw them until we had just taken a break, but in theory you could actually sit on some benches along the way.
Shoes and Poles
The trail is steep, and there are sections of large stone steps. If you have weak knees or just want some extra support, hiking poles would be a welcome accessory for this hike! I didn’t have mine, but I sure would have loved to have them for pretty much every section. Also, bring footwear with some good tread. I did it in my trail-running shoes, since my road shoes were pretty worn out. There are some slick sections and there was a bit of mud, so make sure whatever you choose can handle that.
Layer Up!
This is also a given, but make sure you dress in layers! Per usual in the mountains, weather can change quickly. We had sunny skies for the first half of our hike, but as soon as we crested Valbona Pass we were hiking through thick clouds that were cool and moist. I went from feeling comfy in a t-shirt to wishing I had gloves very quickly.
Overnight Essentials
Because you will be spending the night away from your suitcase, you will need to bring spare clothes, toiletries, and pajamas in your backpack with you! Keep this in mind when choosing a daypack for the trip. It really doesn’t take up too much room to bring these things, just bring your bare minimum for one night. I had a 30L day pack which easily fit everything in: PJs, a change of clothes, a puffy jacket, a few toiletries, power banks/cables, and shower sandals. It’s actually so freeing to have just a few things with you, but also to realize that it’s totally sufficient. A 20L pack might be doable, but it’s going to be a tight fit.
Bonus Miles
The guest houses in Valbona are not by the trailhead. The trailhead is technically in Ragram, and the center of Valbona can be up to 4 miles from the trailhead. Definitely look on the map when choosing accommodation, and be willing to take a taxi, arrange a ride from your guesthouse, or walk. Our guesthouse was one of the closest options to the trailhead and we opted to walk the additional 1.3 miles. We didn’t need to be in the actual town since our guesthouse offered dinner and breakfast. After a long day on the trail, we wanted something nearby and easy, and we easily got to our guesthouse on foot.
Albania: Your Next Hiking Destination!
The Theth to Valbona hike is just one of countless scenic hikes in Albania. There are tons of other options in the Theth and Valbona areas, as well as other parts of the country, as well as in the neighboring Balkan countries. There is so much to explore! And if you plan your trip for fall, you might just get lucky to be there for prime leaf-peeping season! I hope that you add the Theth-Valbone hike into your Albania itinerary, and that this information helps you plan your journey.
If you're like me and love to get in some epic hikes while on vacation, check out this cool hike I did in Quito, Ecuador and this volcano hike in Guatemala! And if you're looking for the challenge of your life, check out this adventure to climb the active volcano Cotopaxi!
Do you have any favorite hikes in Europe, or know of any other hidden gems? Let me know in the comments!
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