Theth to Valbona – hiking adventure in the Albanian Alps

Are you ready for a hiking adventure in an underrated country in Europe? Albania: a nation that is not on everyone’s list when it comes to touring around Europe. But it definitely should be!

Albania has so much to offer for your outdoor adventures, from the demarcated mountain villages to historical towns and gorgeous beaches.

In the north of this hidden nation in Europe are the Albanian Alps, also Accursed Mountains belonging to the Dinaric Alps. This mountain range starts in Slovenia and stretches down a big part of the Balkan peninsula, covering 8 countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia and Slovenia.

The part that lies on the border between Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania offers a special 10-day circular hiking trail: The Peaks of the Balkans. This is indeed an adventure in itself, but in this blog post, you will learn more about the famous hike from Theth to Valbone, with the starting and ending point Shkoder.

The mountain crossing is a full day hike and lets you discover some of the unique nature of Albania. The Albanian Alps are absolutely stunning and the town Theth a must see! But let’s start from the beginning. It is an adventure itself to reach the hiking destination in Albania:

The adventure drive from Shkoder to Theth

Unfortunately, Albania’s public transportation network is a little bit tricky. You can get around by minibus. But in this case, you need a 4×4 vehicle. Since most of the road is unpaved and partly in bad condition. In the summer months you can get a 4×4 shared taxi which takes you there. The cost for the ride is 10 euros and you can book it at your accommodation or the tourist office.

Hitchhiking is also an option, but many drivers will ask for money. A friend and I did that and we got three different rides. Learned more about the Albanian culture, and ended up with our last ride where we paid five euros each.

The first part of the drive is a flat country road until you reach the beginning of the mountains. A quick stop for coffee and the adventure starts. If you are getting motion sick easily, have your medicine or plastic bag read. The road is asphalted and winds its way up the mountain in a single lane. After the long stretch uphill, it turns into a gravel road.

There also comes my learnings from my Balkan trip: never trust Google Maps. There are either new roads that aren’t shown on the map yet, or the length of the journey is entirely different from what it tells you. The latter was the case here. The drive from Shkoder to Theth takes around 4 hours. It may be less or more depending on road conditions. At the end of the road, the driving speed is the walking speed. There is no two-way traffic, and in some places there is a steep slope to the right of the road and the mountain on the other side. But despite the long, bumpy road, it is well worth the trip. After the adventure, you will reach this quiet, relaxing place in the middle of the mountains: Theth.

Theth – the starting point and hidden gem in Albania

Theth isn’t so easy to reach, which makes it a real hidden gem. It is a remote valley village surrounded by the Albanian Alps. If you have the time, spend more nights here as there are many things to do. For instance, the hike to the Blue Eye of Theth, which is a lake, and the waterfall, various viewpoints, relax in the sun or get drunk from Raki, a traditional Balkan alcoholic beverage. This is truly a place to unwind and relax in the middle of nature in Europe.

In Theth there are many guest houses run by locals. The hospitality I experienced in this little village was outstanding. I stayed in the Dreni Guesthouse, which I can highly recommend. This Guesthouse is a wooden house near the Reconciliation Tower. An older Albanian man, the owner, is very hospitable, and serves a delicious dinner.

Hiking in Albania – the Theth to Valbona mountain crossing

Many visitors who come to Theth are doing the Theth to Valbona hike. You might also meet hikers that are doing the Peaks of the Balkans which is a multiple day hike.

The Valbona track starts at the other end of the Dreni Guesthouse. You should start the hike in the early morning hours, because it takes the full day.

The way to the track is mainly flat, but once the track starts also the altitude increases, the trail gets steeper and steeper until shortly before the pass. On the path, there are small huts that serve tea, coffee and some snacks. As well as water fountains to refill your drinking bottle. Going up from Theth to the pass, there is one hut. On the way down from the pass to Valbona there are three or four shelters.

The pass is overlooking the mountains and into the valley towards Valbona, with an empty riverbed. It doesn’t really look inviting for a longer break, as there is not much space to sit down. However, shortly before the pass are some meadows that are suitable for taking longer midday breaks.

From the Valbona pass, the hiking path leads downwards. After the steep downhill part, a long flat stretch along the empty riverbed opens up. Soon you will reach the first houses of Valbona. Nevertheless there is still a stretch of walking in front of you, depending on which guest house you are staying in.

The hike in this hidden mountain paradise in Europe takes around 8 hours and is 17 kilometers long.

My Theth to Valbona hiking experience

As an Austrian, I’m used to hiking, though I was not too fond of it when I was younger. I think the hike is not easy. It’s doable for people who aren’t used to hiking so much. But remember it is steep! It requires a moderate level of fitness and endurance.

The area reminded me a lot of my home area. It was very beautiful. To be honest, I was a little disappointed that there were no streams on the trail and the empty riverbed looked very sad. Probably it depends on which time of year you go there. I was there in late September, and it was a hot and dry month. It is for sure a different experience if the month would have been rainier or hiking the trail during the springtime.

Valbona and the onward journey

After you cross the mountain you reach the village of Valbona. While you are closer to the village you can see the Bunkers that Albania is known for. Reminders of the communist times.

Valbona is nothing like Theth. It is reachable by a new broad asphalted road and has enormous hotel complexes. There you can’t find the charming little mountain village atmosphere that Theth offers. As it is easier accessible, it seems more touristy.

From Valbona you will finish your roundtrip to Shkoder, by another full-day adventure via boat and bus. So, if you feel super tired from the hike it is worth considering staying in Valbona for more than one night.

Adventurous touring through Albanian mountain roads and lake Komani

After a full day hike in the Albanian Alps and restful night the next adventure awaits you. The return trip to Shkoder. You can conveniently book this trip through your guesthouse. The journey starts in the morning. The first part of the trip is done by bus. It takes two hours to reach the ferry on Lake Komani, which is actually a reservoir on the Drin river. At the starting point of the ferry is a little café/shop with a toilet.

On the ferry board cars and pedestrians. The landscape that you are passing through is impressive: from the clear water of the river, the rocks of the steep mountains rise. Around every corner, a different, stunning landscape view opens. You can just sit there and enjoy the journey. The trip on the ferry takes another two hours. 

After the best part of this long trip, get ready for another bumpy road in front of you. This is a long stretch of dirt road along the river that eventually brings you to the main road leading to Shkoder. This part of the journey also takes two hours.

However, the times can vary, and it could take some while for the ferry to arrive. You can definitely count the whole day for the trip from Valbona back to Shkoder. 

For me personally this adventure in Albania was a bit too long, especially after the day of the hike. It totally took eight and a half hours from the guest house to the hostel in Shkoder. Luckily the bus was dropping guests right at their places of accommodation in Shkoder. If I would have known more about this journey I would have stayed longer in Valbona.

This is also what I highly recommend: Take your time to do the Theth to Valbona hike in Albania. You can do the adventure in three days. But truthly see and discover the mountain area, you have some easy days just exploring your surroundings. Alternatively you can also do a part of the journey to Shkoder and stay somewhere at Lake Komani. Or if you don’t need to go back to Shkoder you can continue your travels to Kosovo.