If you’re planning a trip to northern Albania, hiking in the Albanian Alps should absolutely be at the top of your itinerary. This region is one of the most unique places I visited in Europe, with dramatic mountain scenery, remote villages, and some really rewarding hikes. Best of all, it’s very budget friendly compared to other mountain destinations in Europe.
During my week in Albania, I based myself between Valbona and Theth and completed three hikes, each offering something completely different. In this post I share everything you need to know about each hike and my personal experience completing them. If you’re still planning your route, check out my 1 Week Northern Albania Itinerary for Solo Travelers to see how I fit all of these hikes into one trip.
About the Albanian Alps
The Albanian Alps, also known as the Accursed Mountains, are one of the most beautiful and underrated hiking destinations in Europe. Located in northern Albania near the borders of Montenegro and Kosovo, this region is known for its dramatic mountain peaks, remote villages, crystal-clear rivers, and some of the most rewarding trails I’ve ever done.
The most famous hike in the Albanian Alps is the Valbona to Theth trail, which connects the two mountain villages through a scenic pass. But there are many more incredible hikes in the region. In this guide, I’m sharing the three hikes I personally did, including the Valbona to Theth trail, during my week in northern Albania. Each offers something different, from a challenging peak hike to a relaxed walk to one of Albania’s most beautiful swimming spots.
How to Get to the Albanian Alps
The easiest way to visit the Albanian Alps is to base yourself in Shkoder and book transportation to the mountains through your hotel or hostel. I booked all of my transportation and accommodations through the Wanderers Hostel in Shkoder, which I highly recommend. They handled all the logistics for me, including transport to Valbona, accommodation bookings in the mountains, and transport back from Theth. It made the whole experience so much easier, especially as a solo traveler.
If you’d rather book everything yourself, here’s a quick summary of the journeys. These routes should be booked in advance, especially during peak summer season. Check out this listing on GetYourGuide, where you can book transportation to and from both Theth and Valbona.
How to Get to Valbona from Shkoder
Getting to Valbona is not easy but it’s part of the adventure. It involves a ferry ride that is incredibly scenic and one of the highlights of visiting the Albanian Alps.
The typical route is from Shkoder to Valbona is:
- A 2 hour shared minivan from Shkoder to Komani Ferry Terminal
- A 2–3 hour ferry ride through Lake Koman to Fierze
- A 1 hour shared minivan from Fierze to your guesthouse in Valbona
How to Get from Valbona to Theth
The Valbona to Theth hike is the only direct way to get between the two villages without returning all the way to Shkoder by road. That’s one of the reasons the hike is so popular.
How to Get to Theth From Shkoder
If you want to start your visiting in Theth and complete the hike from there, you can take a 2–3 hour shared minivan from Shkoder to Theth. The road is paved now, making the journey much easier than it used to be.
Popular Tours in the Albanian Alps
If you’re short on time and can’t spend multiple nights in the mountains, there are also day tours available from Shkoder or Tirana that take you into the Albanian Alps for hiking and sightseeing. They’re a great option if you want to experience the scenery without organizing all the transport yourself.
3 Best Hikes in the Albanian Alps
1. Maja e Rosit (Rosni Peak Hike)
Maja e Rosit was the hardest hike I did in Albania, but also one of the most rewarding. This trail climbs high above Valbona Valley, crosses the over the border to Montenegro’s Prokletije National Park, and ends at Rosni Peak. However, you do not need to complete the full summit hike for it to be worth doing. I only hiked to the pass, right on the Montenegrin border, and it was an incredible experience.
Hike Overview
- Distance: 10–12 miles out and back
- Elevation Gain: ~3,900 ft
- Time: 7-10 hours
- Difficulty: Hard / Very hard, depending on if you hike to the peak
Tips & Things to Know
- The trail is fairly well marked but downloading offline maps from AllTrails or Maps.me is recommended. The trail splits off in a few directions as you approach the pass, and without a map it can be unclear which way to continue.
- Bring enough water and snacks for the entire day. This trail is very remote, which no bathrooms or places to buy food or drinks. There is only one simple rest stop with a shaded structure, tables, and benches, but no one working there.
- This hike is not very popular compared to the Valbona to Theth trek. You’ll be alone much of the day. I saw about 10 other people in total.
- The last part of this trail, from the pass to Rosni Peak, is very steep and involves scrambling over rocks. It is only recommended for experienced hikers.
- If you’re coming to Valbona mainly for this hike, I recommend staying close to the trailhead. My guesthouse, Arben Selimaj, was about 2 km away, but thankfully my host drove me to the trailhead, giving me a much needed head start for the hike. Rosi Peak Guesthouse is actually located on the trail, just past the trailhead.
My Experience Hiking Maja e Rosit
The trailhead for this hike was located about 2 km away from Arben Selimaj Guesthouse, where I was staying at. I had planned to walk that extra distance, but the owner of the guesthouse kindly offered to drive me there. I was so grateful because it gave me a much-needed head start for what would be a very hard day of hiking.
I was also the only person at the guesthouse doing this hike. Everyone else was preparing for the Valbona to Theth trail since that’s the most popular route. If you’re planning to visit Valbona mainly for this hike, I’d recommend staying closer to the trailhead near the main center of town.
I started hiking at 8 am from the trailhead. The beginning of the trail starts pretty flat, passing a few farms and guesthouses, before it begins climbing and gets steeper and steeper. I’m a pretty fast hiker, but I did take a lot of breaks on the way up, mostly to take photos because the scenery just kept getting better.
I made it to the pass, which markets the Montenegrin border, around 12 pm. The pass is a ridge, overlooking valleys on both sides, one in Albania and on in Montenegro. The landscape looks completely different depending on which side you face. I spent about 30 minutes here eating my lunch, enjoying the views and appreciating what my body just accomplished.
If you continue walking along the ridge, you’ll eventually reach the true peak of Rosni Mountain. However, this section of the hike is very steep and difficult, involving scrambling up rocks. It’s only recommended for experienced hikers.
I personally decided not to complete the hike to the peak. I was more than satisfied with the beautiful view at the pass and didn’t want to push my body any farther, especially since I had two more days of hiking ahead of me. If I had continued, it would have added at least 2 more hours to the day.
Throughout the entire hike, I only saw about 10 other people, so it’s definitely less crowded than the other hikes in the area. But you won’t be completely alone either. Around five people arrived at the pass around the same time as me, and a few of them encouraged me to keep going to the peak with them. But I had already made up my mind to turn around, and I was happy with that decision.
On the way back, I moved much faster, but I still took my time. The trail is steep and had lots of loose rocks that made it easy to slip, even with good hiking shoes. So I went slowly to avoid falling and to protect my knees.
I arrived back to the trailhead around 3, and back to my guesthouse around 3:30 after walking the extra 2 km. In total, the hike from the trailhead to the pass and back took me about 7 hours.
2. Valbona to Theth Hike
The Valbona to Theth hike is the most famous trek in Albania and one of the most popular hikes in the Balkans. This trail connects the mountain villages of Valbona and Theth by crossing a dramatic alpine pass, with incredible scenery the entire way. If you have time for only one hike in the Albanian Alps, this is the one I would recommend.
Hike Overview
- Distance: ~10 miles one way
- Elevation Gain: ~3,200 ft
- Time: 6–8 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate / Hard
Read More: 1 Week Northern Albania Itinerary
Tips & Things to Know
- This is by far the most popular hike in the Albanian Alps. You’ll see lots of hikers going in both directions all day and the trail can get quite crowded, especially in the height of summer.
- You can also hike the trail starting in Theth, but the elevation gain is slightly higher from that side, making it a harder climb.
- There’s a few places that you can purchase water or snacks from along the trail, including a cafe a couple miles after the pass, which is popular spot to stop. However, you should still bring a packed lunch and enough water to last you through the hike.
- Much of the hike is exposed to the sun, especially the final few miles into Theth, which you’ll be walking in the height of the day. Coverup and wear sunscreen.
- If you stay at Arben Selimaj Guesthouse, the owner drives guests a few kilometers to the trailhead in the morning. Many accommodations do not offer this, so it’s worth checking when booking.
My Experience Hiking Valbona to Theth
Unlike Maja e Rosit, this trail is popular and can be crowded. I hiked it in early June, and while there were plenty of people on the trail, I never found it overcrowded. Everyone else from my guesthouse was also hiking this trail, so it was a very social experience. It was nice having other hikers around to chat with throughout the day. And don’t worry about getting lost or needing a trail map, there will always be someone in front of you to follow.
The trail from Valbona to Theth begins with a gentle incline for a few miles, slowly gaining elevation through the valley. Eventually, it becomes steeper with a series of switchbacks as you approach the pass. The views during this section are incredible. I took my time and stopped quite a lot to take pictures.
When you reach the pass, you’ll see an Albanian flag. I highly recommend climbing the small “peak” just above it. It’s a short but steep scramble, with only a tiny place to stand at the top, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re afraid of heights. But the 360-degree views from up there were some of the best of the entire trip.
After the pass, the trail descends steeply toward Theth. There’s a long forested section, which provided some nice shade, compared to the rest of the trail which is exposed to the sun. A couple miles after the pass, there’s a small cafe selling drinks and snacks. It’s the perfect place to rest and eat your packed lunch.
The final stretch into Theth was actually one of the hardest parts of the day for me. The trail becomes long, less steep, and exposed to the sun. After already hiking for hours, and after two days of climbing mountains, my legs and knees were definitely feeling it.
If you’re staying at Dreni Guesthouse through Wanderers Hostel, you’ll walk through the town of Theth before reaching the accommodation. Along the way, you’ll pass restaurants, small shops, and even an ATM. If you need snacks, toiletries, or cash, stop then, because once you get to the guesthouse you probably won’t want to walk back out again.
3. Blue Eye Hike
The Blue Eye hike is a much easier trail than the other two and makes for the perfect final hiking day in Theth. It leads to one of the most beautiful swimming spots in Albania, where bright blue water flows through the mountains. After two difficult hiking days, this felt like the ideal mix of hiking and relaxation.
Hike Overview
- Distance: 8–10 miles out and back
- Elevation Gain: ~1,000 ft
- Time: 4–6 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Taxi option available for part of the route
Tips & Things to Know
- This trail is much easier than Maja e Rosit or Valbona to Theth because it’s relatively flat.
- The trail starts in the village of Theth and follows a river, before climbing through forested trail to the swimming spot. You can take a taxi for the intial section along the river if you don’t want to walk all the way from town, or take it on the way back.
- There are a few restaurants along the route before the final climb.
- There are actually two swimming spots: a stream area first, then the actual Blue Eye a few minutes farther ahead.
My Experience Hiking to the Blue Eye
I set out for the Blue Eye in the morning and walked the entire way from my guesthouse. The beginning of the trail is mostly flat and follows a river, making for a very scenic and relaxing start. There were lots of other people walking the same route, so it was easy to know where to go.
This first section is very exposed to the sun, so I was glad I started early. Eventually, I passed a few restaurants and began seeing signs for the Blue Eye. From there, the trail became steeper and rockier before descending down toward the water.
The first swimming area is more like a stream with a few deeper pools. There’s also a bridge where people were jumping into the water when I visited. It looked like a lot of fun.
If you cross the bridge and continue walking a few more minutes, you’ll reach the actual Blue Eye. It’s really impressive seeing it from above as you walk down the path. The water is an intense blue color and surrounded by rocks and trees.
You can relax and swim at either spot for as long as you’d like. I chose to spend my time at the first stream because there was more shade. I met up with a few people from my guesthouse there, and we relaxed, swam in the cold water, and watched people jump from the bridge.
On the way back, I was planning on taking a taxi once I got to the main road. Someone I met on the hike was also interested in taking a taxi, so we decided to split one if we could find one.
Thankfully, once we got out of the forested part of the trail, there was a taxi waiting for us. It cost €20 total, so €10 each. If you’re with a bigger group, it could be even cheaper. And after all the hiking of the previous few days, I felt no shame in taking advantage of the taxi. It brought me right back to my guesthouse, where I was able to relax the rest of the night.
