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/ Albania / 17 Fun and Unique Things to Do in Tirana, Albania

17 Fun and Unique Things to Do in Tirana, Albania

July 13, 2015 by Silvia 25 Comments

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Even though I had visited Tirana just last year, Albania’s capital still managed to surprise me. I had forgotten how swanky Tirana is!

Plus, there are just so many fun things to do in Tirana. I don’t know what it is about this city, but I swear you will never run out of things to do and places to see in Tirana. Like, I would happily spend a month or longer exploring this city.

downtown Tirana, Albania

Tirana Take 2 also reminded me how different of a travel experience can be depending on whether you’re Couchsurfing or staying at a hostel. I’m huge fans of both, and I think they each have different advantages.

While Couchsurfing in Tirana last year I ate at my host’s favorite student cafeteria everyday (read: cheap, not necessarily delicious), got a haircut from his friend, and spent most evenings watching the World Cup at the NGO/bar his friends had just opened downtown. It was the perfect glimpse into local life in Tirana.

However, living like a local meant that I didn’t see most of Tirana’s sights, so this time around I had ground to make up!

So here are my top things to do in Tirana, Albania:

Eat all the pizza

Before this trip to Tirana, all I really remembered about the city was 1. the incredible pizza (a lot of Albanians have worked in Italy) and 2. that I left Tirana seriously tempted to move there. No, not just because of the pizza!

I mean, of course the pizza did have something to do with it.

See and be seen

As Dan and I walked through Tirana’s tree lined streets amongst women in colorful shift dresses and men having loud debates at outdoor cafés I remembered what I loved so much about Tirana: the city feels like how I imagine European cities to have been half a century ago. I loved the pretty villas, how everyone seemed a little more dressed up, the friendly outdoor vibe, the quirky mix of Italian and plain bizarre architecture, and of course the low prices.

So one of my favorite things here is just dressing up a bit and wandering the streets – see and be seen, guys!

downtown Tirana, Albania

Visit downtown Tirana!

Overflowing with hip cafés and bars, this was the area of Tirana that made me label the city “swanky.” Since Albania has very low prices, eating out here still totally fits in a backpacker’s budget (and if not there are plenty of corner fast food shops here that will) and it is the most perfect place to people watch. Because if you’re wondering what to see in Tirana, one of my favorite things to see there was actually the people!

downtown Tirana, Albania

Go to The Pyramid

The Pyramid of Tirana was built in 1988 and originally housed a museum, and later during the Kosovo War it served as a base for NATO and aid organizations. Now it seems to be a popular hangout for Tirana’s teens and tourists with bulky cameras (oh hey guys!).

Pyramid of Tirana

Pyramid of Tirana

Head to the park across the street from the pyramid for some reminders of Albania’s communist past

downtown Tirana, Albania

A piece of the Berlin Wall

downtown Tirana, Albania

The first of hundreds of 1-man bunkers that I would spot around Albania

Count the bunkers

Albania is covered with bunkers (read more about Albania’s mysterious bunkers here) and one of my favorite things to do in Albania is to count all the bunkers I see. Once you start paying attention you’ll see loads of them everywhere – even in Tirana!

Stand in Scanderbeg square in awe of the Italian-style architecture and huge Albanian flags

It’s just amazing.

downtown Tirana, Albania

Eat everything

I know I already told you to eat all the pizza, but you also need to eat all the other Albanian food too (especially burek with a glass of yoghurt!).

Take the Dajti Ekspres cable car

There’s also a cable car on the edge of the city that takes you 800 meters up a mountainside – perfect in the summer if you want to do some hiking near Tirana, or just get some beautiful views.

Visit the National Museum

I’m not much of a museum person, but considering how fascinating Albania’s history is, this one is actually well worth a visit. I also find Albania’s history quite complex and at times confusing, so a walk through the museum helped clear up a lot of my questions about this once mysterious country!

Visit Et’hem Bey Mosque

Albania has lots of beautiful mosques, and the most notable one in Tirana is Et’hem Bey Mosque. It was built in the 19th century and while for nearly half a century Albanians weren’t allowed to practice religion, now Et’hem Bey Mosque is a symbol of religious freedom in Albania.

Admire the quirky architecture

Tirana truly does have some bizarre architecture, and I love it.

downtown Tirana, Albania

Get the bus to the seaside

The Albanian Riviera is amazing and if you ever find yourself in Tirana then you really shouldn’t miss seeing Albania’s beautiful beaches as well.

Make some new friends

Albanians are incredibly friendly, so it’s unlikely that you’ll visit Tirana without making some new friends. I found that especially at restaurants at night everyone wanted to chat. It’s a very laid back atmosphere in Tirana and an easy one in which to strike up conversations with locals. Plus, with Albania’s crazy past, they all seem to have some really good stories!

Aimlessly wander around

Okay, there’s of course a lot more to do in Tirana than these things, but the truth is I do prefer to aimlessly wander through a city than scramble to see all the sites. And Tirana is a perfect place for wandering.

Now, I feel like I should note that a lot of other travelers I met weren’t as enthused by Tirana – it seems to be the sort of place people either love or hate.

I first visited Tirana after already having spent a week on Albania’s beaches and falling in love with the country, so perhaps I was already biased. Though I suspect I would have liked it regardless – Tirana is simply my sort of city!

Don’t get lost (or maybe do?)

Tiran does require a bit of patience.

Like the time when Dan and I planned to catch a bus to the airport only to find the city center totally closed off for the Serbian prime minister’s visit, with no one having a clue where else we could go to find the bus. Luckily being Albania, a taxi to the airport only set us back 10 euros. Plus the taxi gave us a prime view of just how many policemen line the city streets when a Serbian leader is in town.

And then there was the time we needed to get a bus to Skopje, Macedonia. Tirana doesn’t have a central bus station, so we had to book our tickets at a travel agency, but when it came time to get the bus no one we asked could decide where we should go.

Luckily we ran into some Albanians with suitcases who were getting the same bus, so it all worked out. Not that I would have terribly minded getting stuck in Albania.

Where to stay in Tirana

Dan and I stayed at Trip’n’Hostel, a converted villa in Tirana’s oldest quarter which Erjon and Eni opened after being inspired by other hostels on their travels (I know the feeling!).

Trip N Hostel Tirana Albania

^^Dorm beds with curtains pretty much make any hostel an automatic win in my book.

Trip'N'Hostel Tirana Albania

Trip N Hostel Tirana Albania

Hostels are obviously the best place to mingle with like-minded backpackers – and Trip’n had the perfect outdoor bar area to do so, but I also love that the people working there are usually SO enthusiastic about their city. Trip’n’Hostel was no different. These guys really love Tirana. Check current rates and availability here

And if you’d rather stay at a hotel, my friends recently visited Tirana and loved their stay at the LAS Boutique Hotel. It’s in the city center, the staff are super warm and friendly, and it even has a heated pool. It’s the sort of hotel that would be really expensive anywhere else, but because it a Tirana hotel it’s totally affordable. Check current rates and availability here

Have you been to Tirana yet? Is it love or hate for you?

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Comments

  1. Nick Myers says

    July 13, 2015 at 11:36 pm

    I am DYING to get to Albania – heading to the Balkans (Serbia and Bosnia) for the week between Xmas and New Years this year, but really want to spend some major time there in the summer. Tirana looks killer and like it has my favorite architecture – concrete and/or colorful!

    Thanks for the post! 🙂

    Reply
    • Silvia says

      July 14, 2015 at 4:48 pm

      Tirana is killer! It definitely sounds like exactly your sort of place – go!!

      Reply
  2. Miriam of Adventurous Miriam says

    July 13, 2015 at 11:37 pm

    I haven’t tried Albanian pizza, but if it’s half as good as the ones in Croatia and Slovenia (or Italy), I’m totally with you! Albania looks so much different than I would have thought – I’ve always pictured it more similar to Montenegro with mountains and small Medieval houses. Nevertheless, it looks like a place I’d visit.

    Reply
    • Silvia says

      July 14, 2015 at 4:49 pm

      Albania looks quite different than the rest of the Balkans – maybe because it was closed off for so long? I’m pretty sure you would like it though 🙂

      Reply
    • Ana says

      July 21, 2023 at 11:46 am

      It has a lot of that as well, but mostly outside of Tirana (Gjirokastër, Krujë, Berat, Korça, etc).
      The capital itself is more of a mixture of the austerity of Eastern European communist architecture and whimsical modern designs.

      Reply
  3. Katie @ Second-Hand Hedgehog says

    July 14, 2015 at 12:03 am

    I know next to nothing about Albania, so thank you so much for sharing this. I may just have to add Tirana to my list…

    Reply
    • Silvia says

      July 14, 2015 at 4:50 pm

      Albania is such a fascinating place. I think you will have to add it to your list 🙂

      Reply
  4. Camille says

    July 14, 2015 at 3:19 pm

    Haha Sylvia, you seem to be tempted to move to every city you visit (but I know the feeling, I had the same thought again recently in Riga)! Tirana looks like an eclectic mix – amused by the 1-man bunkers!

    Reply
    • Silvia says

      July 14, 2015 at 4:57 pm

      Haha it’s so true, I basically want to move to every city – especially in the Balkans! There are just so many wonderful places in the world.

      Reply
  5. Jenia says

    July 14, 2015 at 7:28 pm

    It’ss o funny – Tirana tug at my hear strings too. It’s not the prettiest city in Europe, but there is just something about the ambiance in here. Plus the rock-bottom prices really help too! We loved going out to all of the restaurants and cafes downtown 🙂

    Reply
    • Silvia says

      July 18, 2015 at 12:59 am

      There really is just something so special about Tirana – what a charmer!

      Reply
  6. Doris says

    July 15, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    Silvia I am so happy to hear you enjoyed your time there! I love my homeland but can’t visit nearly as often as I would like because of limited vacation time. Also, definitely the best burek (not even biased in saying that because I’ve tasted many in my lifetime).

    Reply
    • Silvia says

      July 18, 2015 at 1:00 am

      I’m glad it’s officially confirmed then (also now I’m totally craving burek ahhh).

      Reply
  7. Anna says

    January 12, 2016 at 4:37 am

    I am so surprised to read your post about Tirana. For me it is the most bizarre city in Europe if not the agliest.

    Reply
    • Silvia says

      January 18, 2016 at 5:32 pm

      Haha it’s funny how some people love Tirana and others hate it. It just really touched my heart!

      Reply
  8. Raul (@ilivetotravel) says

    June 1, 2016 at 5:16 pm

    Great post! I have been wanting to see Albania since it was a mysterious and closed country. I have gotten to see other places in the Balkans but still no Albania. This lights the fire that I just have to do it – and especially to get to see it as it changes.

    Reply
    • Silvia says

      June 5, 2016 at 11:26 am

      Albania will not disappoint! I think I’ll be returning again and again.

      Reply
  9. anja says

    August 29, 2016 at 9:57 am

    haha I think Tirana is such a great mixture of everything. Is it just funny what you can find there 🙂

    Reply
  10. Grace says

    July 25, 2017 at 10:44 am

    I’m in Tirana right now! And I absolutely love it. There is such a wonderful feel to this city. I also had the “I could totally live here” thought.

    Reply
    • Silvia says

      July 27, 2017 at 8:03 am

      Oooh happy to hear you’re loving it!

      Reply
  11. Gina says

    October 15, 2017 at 1:42 pm

    We definitely enjoyed the same things in Tirana. Nice post!

    Reply
  12. Alban says

    September 30, 2019 at 11:47 pm

    Thanx for the detailed list. Recently a lot of new spots as tourist attractions have been added to the city like: Pazari i Ri, reconstructed Castle of Tirana, the Lake Park, etc. Tirana is such a dynamic city, both day life and nightlife are filled with numerous things to do.

    Reply
  13. Noelle | Wandering On says

    April 22, 2020 at 6:18 pm

    Hi SIlvia,
    Great post!
    We absolutely loved Tirana too when we visited in October 2018. We also considered moving there! 😉
    It was just so quirky and incredibly affordable too.
    We loved how easy it was to get out into nature from the city with Dajti National Park and the cable car so easily accessible.
    We definitely want to go back to explore more of Albania’s coastline, hopefully sooner rather than later.
    Stay safe!

    Reply
  14. MJ says

    October 30, 2020 at 11:16 pm

    I’m currently here and I’m loving the traditional Albanian food! There are many nice cafes with really good desserts too. Walking about I found some unique graffiti on random walls. It’s pretty cheap. Sadly, my tour to the other villages were cancelled due to lack of tourists.

    Reply
  15. amit khaitan says

    April 25, 2021 at 4:24 pm

    hey Silvia, hope you doing well. i following you since long and your blogs are quite useful..particularly for norway. this time i want your help for my next trip to Albania.i want to cover one more country along with Albania.. so which one you suggest out of these three.. Serbia or Montegro or Macedonia. i have planned for a week. i am beach lover and party goer kind of person. Thanks

    Reply

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