Last updated September 2, 2026 · Editorial policy
More: When to visit Albania · Albania travel guide
Things to Do in Albania: 12 Experiences You Can’t Miss: What Is Actually Worth Your Time
Quick answer: This is an honest look at Albania: 12 Experiences You Can’t Miss: which popular attraction to think twice about, what to do with that time instead, and the spot most visitors never reach. It also covers the transit and money moves that save the most hassle.
Ksamil gets oversold. Its white sand and tiny offshore islets photograph beautifully, but in July and August the beaches are wall-to-wall sunbeds, prices have climbed sharply, and you fight for a few square metres of space. For the same Ionian water with room to breathe, drive south to Borsh, where the pebble-and-sand strand runs roughly 7 kilometres and you can walk well clear of the beach clubs. Himara and nearby Dhermi are the better all-round base on the Albanian Riviera.
The pick most visitors skip is the Komani Lake ferry through the Accursed Mountains (Bjeshket e Namuna). The Berisha passenger boat leaves Koman around 9am for the roughly 2.5-hour crossing to Fierza, threading a flooded canyon that rivals any fjord. Tickets run about 10 euros at the dock and a touch less booked online.
Two smart moves:
- Use the ferry as the gateway to the Valbona-to-Theth hike over Valbona Pass (around 1,800 metres, roughly 17 km, about 6 to 8 hours of walking).
- Skip the queue logic of Gjirokaster and base yourself in Berat instead. Its Kala citadel is still a lived-in neighbourhood, not a ticketed ruin, and the Mangalem quarter below earned the ‘town of a thousand windows’ name.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
