Two days in Tirana – The perfect itinerary

Tirana › Two days in Tirana – The perfect itinerary

During my exciting road trip through Albania, I also stopped in the capital city of Tirana. After several days in the car, always on the road, it was time for some city life. So I got myself a cosy place to stay in the city centre and explored Albania’s capital on my own.

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Two days in Tirana: An easy-going itinerary

I visit Tirana often – the capital city of Albania just keeps calling me back and amazes me with its ever changing face. The place has a special energy, it hums with a vibrancy that is difficult to describe. Groups of friends hanging out in the numerous aesthetic bars and restaurants. Old blends with new, Ottoman buildings with communist heritage and contemporary architecture. Commuters are encouraged to cycle instead of driving, and urban green spaces have regained their rightful place amid the eclectic architecture.

The pace of change in Tirana is quite staggering and every time I visit there’s something new to see or a whole area of the city has been completely transformed. As a European city destination, the city is off-beat and cosmopolitan, yet it is still overlooked by many tourists. Tirana is a friendly and safe city, busy and bustling, where residents seem to have time to drink coffee in the morning and wine in the evening.

Tirana’s trendy Blloku district is located just ten minutes south of Skanderbeg Square on the other side of the Lana River. It offers another example of how innovatively and light-heartedly the past has been dealt with.

In this blog post, you can find a two day itinerary for anyone who wants to see the most exciting highlights of Tirana.

My two day itinerary for Tirana – What to expect

Albania is considered one of the less touristy countries in the Balkans. That’s precisely why Tirana is worth a visit. As a traveller, you can get to know the country without seeing it just through tourist-tinted glasses. Although it can be challenging to get around the country, Albania is incredibly cheap and unspoilt. The best time to visit Tirana is from May to early October.

Tirana is best seen when you stop and take time to enjoy it, rather than rushing from one activity to another. For this reason, my city guides will showcase the best of a city, but at a slower pace. If you want a two day itinerary filled all possible activities – then this is not the right blog post for you.

My blog post will give you a relaxed, unhurried and authentic way to enjoy two days in Tirana. With an emphasis on good eating and drinking, this is the perfect two day itinerary in Tirana for epicureans.

Discovering Tirana, Albania’s Rising Hotspot

The capital of Albania is located very centrally, yet only 40 kilometres from the sea. The parks and lush green mountains, such as Dajti, serve as Tirana’s green lungs. You can easily explore the city centre on foot. You should only take a taxi for the trip to Dajti and the BunkArt1 museum.

The best bits of Tirana are cafes, restaurants and bars. Take your time to linger a bit longer and watch life go by as you sip your morning coffee.

How many days for Tirana?

A stay of 2-3 days in Tirana is absolutely sufficient to explore the main sights and soak in the quirky vibe of the city. In addition to the attractions in the city centre, I highly recommend exploring the surroundings. The true beauty of Albania can be found above all in the countryside. Tirana is therefore the ideal starting point.

If you have longer in Tirana, you can definitely fill the time. You can find some of my suggestions for more activities to do in Tirana further below.

Two day Tirana Itinerary

Below you can find my two day Tirana itinerary – a slow paced meander around one of our favourite cities over 48 hours.

Two day Tirana itinerary – Map overview

Here you can find a map which includes all the key attractions, restaurants and bars that are referenced in my Tirana two day itinerary:

Day 1: Tirana two day itinerary

Morning: Coffee at Skanderbeg Square & Walking Tour

Your first day in Tirana absolutely should start with coffee on Skanderbeg square. Albania, like the Balkans in general, has a reputation for potent coffee. And, Tirana’s café scene exemplifies this. It’s reported that there are 650 coffeehouses per each one thousand inhabitants in Albania, making it the world leader in coffee shops per capita.

You can spend your time bouncing from one top-rated coffee shop to another, but to be honest sometimes the less frequented places are better and more authentic. Look for the places where locals gather and drink their morning espresso and not cafes full of tourists. Try brunch at Cafe Botanica right on Skanderbeg square or Antigua Specialty coffee.

Like many cities, there are free Tirana tours available (though, of course, it’s expected that you tip the guide, even though there’s no charge). However, if you are more interested in Albania’s recent history, I really recommend a paid-for tour I did, called Tirana 2-hour Hidden Treasure Walking Tour.

This tour focuses on the communist regime which lasted from 1946 to 1992 and led to Albania being very isolated, with heavy restrictions placed on its people. The tour will take you to various landmarks around Tirana, including the monument to the unknown soldier, the National Museum of History, National Palace of Culture and the former headquarters of the Albanian Communist Party. Find a link to a great 2 hour walking tour in Tirana here.

If prefer to wander on your own, without a guide, here are some of the landmarks you could check out around the centre of Tirana in the morning.

• Skanderbeg Square – Named for the military commander who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in the 15^th century, Skanderbeg Square is the main plaza in Tirana.
• Namazgjah Mosque – Heading down Rruga George W Bush, you’ll see a large white and gold mosque, called Namazgjah Mosque. When I saw it, it was still under construction but was nevertheless very impressive and attractive from the exterior.
• Tanners’ Bridge – You could easily miss Ura e Tabakëve (Tanners’ Bridge), which is an 18^th century Ottoman style bridge which is no longer in use. It used to cross a stream and was used to bring livestock and produce into the city near the area where leather workers were located (hence the name Tanner).
• Pyramid of Tirana – The Pyramid of Tirana is a legendary landmark in Tirana. It opened in 1988 as the Enver Hoxha Museum, about the life of the communist dictator.  At the time, it was said to be the most expensive individual structure ever constructed in Albania.
• Lulishte Ismail Qemali – Lulishte Ismail Qemali is a small park, which contains some of the concrete underground bunkers that Albania is famous for, as well as a section of the Berlin Wall.

After this, head to the Blloku district for either coffee at Antigua, or lunch at the Italian restaurant Artigiano (details for both on the map). I’ve recommend an evening in Blloku, a trendy area of Tirana on your second day, as the district really comes into it’s own at night.

Afternoon: Museums & Traditional food

For the afternoon, we recommend picking one of two museums to visit in Tirana. Since you did a lot of walking in the morning, you can go at a slower pace in the afternoon. Head to Bunk’Art 2, a fascinating museum housed in of those underground bunkers I mentioned earlier.

In the centre of Tirana, Bunk’Art 2 reconstructs the history of the Albanian Ministry of Internal Affairs from 1912 to 1991. It focuses specifically on the ‘Sigurimi’, the political police used by the regime of Enver Hoxha to spy on and control the Albanian people.

The subject matter is a little challenging, so we wouldn’t recommend it for young children. And, as the museum is underground in the corridors of bunkers, this museum may not suit anyone with claustrophobia. The current ticket cost is 900 LEK.

The second is The House of Leaves museum – an incredibly interesting expose on surveillance in Albania’s communist era. The house itself, was once a medical clinic but during the communist period, it was taken over by secretive security forces. It then became a covert operations centre used for spying and interrogation.

It is a well curated museum, with lost of information and poignant exhibits. Well worth a visit. Tickets cost 700 LEK and I recommend spending around 90 minutes there.

Evening

For the evening, we’d suggest visiting the lively area around Tirana Castle. You’ll find the streets of Tirana fill with people in the evenings: walking, talking, catching up. It’s a very chill way to round off a day in Tirana.

Some nice places to take a xhiro include Shëtitorja Murat Toptani, a leafy pedestrian walkway between the Cloud and Rruga George W Bush.

As promised, I suggest dinner is for traditional Albanian cuisine. Good authentic options I tried in Tirana are found around the new bazaar (Pazari i Ri). Those no-frills place and seemed popular with locals.

I had fried white cheese for a starter, was like halloumi. For a main, I had Fërgesë, which they translated as ‘traditional Tirana food’ on the menu. The Fërgesë was quite intense: it’s made with tomatoes, peppers and feta and was probably a bad choice after a cheese starter.

Other traditional Albanian restaurants you could try include:

• Oda Garden is a very good spot for quality traditional Albanian food. A bit touristy but with a beautiful inner courtyeard located just a 2 minute walk from Skanderbeg square.
• Restorant Tymi – this is the other side of Skanderbeg Square and was so popular it was hard to get a table! The clientele seemed like a mixture of locals and tourists, and the décor is kind of kitsch, with a picture of the Queen and pop culture figures on the wall.

Day 2: Tirana two day itinerary

Morning: Buy spices, and souvenirs at Pazari i Ri

Tirana is a city undergoing change, with entire neighbourhoods currently being renovated, particularly in the city centre. The area around the Pazari i Ri (New Market) market was also completely renovated a few years ago. Now you can buy spices, tobacco and souvenirs there in a relaxed atmosphere. If you prefer a little more hustle and bustle, head to Rruga Isuf Beshiri in the north of the city, where you will find a street market selling everything from car parts to DIY accessories.

If you want to do something a little more active – you could join a cooking class. This four hour class is a fun way to learn more about local cuisine.

Afternoon: Tirana Park & Blloku

For the evening I recommend stretching your legs and walking to Tirana park. Here you can stroll in the park, visit the lake or grab a drink in one of the cafes.

Later, I suggest heading back to trendy Blloku district. This seems to be the fastest changing area of Tirana. Every time we have visited over the last few years there are new restaurants or bars.

Start with passing by the former residence of Enver Hoxha, the dictator that presided over communism in Albania between 1946 and his death in 1985. He lived in a house on Rruga Ismail Qemali in the upmarket Blloku neighbourhood. It might not look as grand as other presidential homes around the world. However, considering the average Albanian in Tirana was living in cramped apartments, his modernist-style home was palatial by comparison.

Then continue with cocktails at Radio Bar or Mugo. There are many amazing bars, from Tiki Bars to retro spaces and places with gorgeous gardens – even on the same road as Mugo (Rruga Pjetër Bogdani) alone.

For dinner, Blloku offers the chance to enjoy any cuisine imaginable. From Italian, to Sushi and more. When I am Tirana, I do like eating somewhere extravagant and different every time. Keeping in mind that even a quite luxurious meal in Tirana could set you back by only around 50 Euros for two people, sometimes it’s worth spending that little bit extra.

Makamona Restaurant is normally the type of place we would avoid as it is uber hip – but when in Blloku! It offers sushi, steak or anything else indulgent that you could dream of. But, if you want to get in, you’ll need to make a reservation.

Tirana Three Day Itinerary

If you have an extra day in Tirana, there are a few options. Of course, you’d be perfectly entitled to wander around a little bit more – eating and drinking. I have certainly done this before! But, if you’d like something a little different, you can find our suggestions below.

Dajti Cable Car & BunkArt1

A popular activity out on the outskirts of Tirana is to take the Datji Express cable car – this is a 4km cable car taking you to the top of Datji Mountain at a cost of 15 Euros per person. Many tourists choose to take the cable car to enjoy the views at the top or enjoy drinks in the retro rotating restaurant.

Bunk’Art 1 – the original Bunk’Art exhibition is located right around the corner from the lower Dajti Expres station and I recommend combining your visits. It focuses on the history of the Albanian communist army and the daily lives of Albanians during the regime. I don’t recommend you go to this one if you only have one day in the city, as it’s far out, but I’ve heard it’s worth the trek if you have more time

Day Trips from Tirana

If you have a third day in Tirana and you aren’t planning to explore more of the country, there are two day trips that I would suggest.

Gamti Mountain and Bovilla Lake – For those craving a nature-filled escape, head to Gamti Mountain and Bovilla Lake. While the journey through scenic landscapes is a treat in itself, the stunning views and crisp mountain air when you’re there make it well worth the trip out of Tirana. It is surely the perfect retreat for hiking enthusiasts and anyone seeking a peaceful day surrounded by nature. Practical tip: Allow 1.5 hours for the drive or take a group tour to hike with some like-minded travellers! Don’t forget to pack some snacks and water for a delightful lakeside picnic.

Take a day trip to the surrounding area. In the end, I didn’t do this during my time in Tirana, but I had been eyeing up a day trip to Kruja, a mountain town north of Tirana with a castle. Some people also go on day trips to Berat, a historic town to the south famous for its Ottoman architecture, but I think Berat warrants an overnight stay, personally.

How to get from Tirana airport to the city

There are two ways to get from Tirana airport to the city. The first is by taxi, which you can expect to take around 25-30 minutes at a cost of around 25 Euro.

My recommended way to get from Tirana airport to the city is by shuttle bus. The airport shuttle bus leaves the airport once an hour until quite late at night. From the city, you can take the bus back to the airport – buses also leave on the hour.

The airport bus will drop you off and pick you up from this bus stop – just behind Skanderberg Square. The price of the bus is 400 LEK, you can pay by card or cash (ideally LEK but they will accept Euros.)

Where to stay in Tirana

I recommend that you opt for a hotel or hostel, rather than an apartment. The reason I say this is that sometimes the apartments can vary in quality, and often they are quite “informally” managed, or you’ll have to pay in cash on arrival.

Best neighborhoods in Tirana

• Blloku | Blloku was once an area reserved for members of the Communist Party. Today, most of Tirana’s third-wave coffee shops and modern, aesthetic cafés are in Blloku. It’s the creative and gastronomical hub of Tirana. It’s where my friends and I stayed during our time in Tirana. This is a great area for social travelers to stay in.
• Tregu Çam | Also known as the city center, Tregu Çam is found in the city center, this neighborhood is close to almost all famous museums and landmarks – the National Historical Museum in Skanderbeg Square, BunkArt2, House of Leaves, Mosque Et’Hem Bey, and the Orthodox Cathedral of Tirana. It is one of the best places in Tirana for those looking to dig into the culture.

Best hotels in Tirana

• Hotel Boutique Restaurant Gloria | An institution the city, cozy rooms very centrally located with constantly good ratings
• Hilton Garden Inn Tirana | Standard Hilton hotel rooms and amenities, close to Skanderbeg Square and less than10 miles from the airport
• Arté Boutique Hotel | Artsy design rooms in the heart of Tirana, yet quiet
• Sky Apartments | Contemporary apartment hotel rooms

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