10 Things to do in Shkoder + 6 Day Shkoder/Alps Itinerary
Shkoder is Albania’s ancient city and the culture capital of the country. The city has a lively atmosphere, a cute city centre, and an epic biking culture. In this blog post I’ll tell you all about things to do in Shkoder plus outline a Shkoder itinerary that involves the alps; Valbona and Theth.
Shkoder is the access point for the Albanian Alps. All trips to Valbona and Theth begin in Shkoder making it both an important transportation hub and a lively place for backpackers to visit.
Skip Ahead:
- How to get to Shkoder
- Where to stay in Shkoder
- Things to do in Shkoder
- Where to eat in Shkoder
- 6 day Shkoder/Alps itinerary
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Albania Google Map – 200+ pins
Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Albania?
Then my Albania map is for you!
Get my 200+ recommendations all in one place for:
- Outdoors: hiking trails, waterfalls, secret beaches & national parks
- Places: ancient cities, beach towns & historical sites
- Things to do: viewpoints, unique activities & tours
- Planning: lodging, restaurants, bus stops & tedious details
Quick Albania Travel Guide:
**Find my recommended Albania itineraries linked in the section below**
Travel Insurance: ALWAYS purchase reliable travel insurance before your trip. This insurance is trusted by backpackers and adventure sport enthusiasts around the world. You can also use my link to receive 5% off SafetyWing policies. Here’s a blog post with more trustworthy travel insurance options you can compare.
Best Time to Visit: May to September.
Best Activities: Looking for the best tours and activities around Albania? See my Viator shop for my top recommendations.
Currency: Albanian LEK (aka ALL). This is a closed currency so you’ll need to wait until you’re in Albania to withdraw/exchange money. Make sure you exchange any leftover money before you leave the country too. Credins ATMs don’t have a service charge.
Transportation: to enter the country you’ll find 1 international airport in Tirana, 1 port in Saranda (daily ferry arrivals/departures to Corfu, Greece), and a bus line from Montenegro. Buses are very cheap here, but unreliable and taxis are pricey in comparison. Driving is chaotic and there are no trains within the country.
Phone: purchase a local SIM card from Vodafone – the plans are cheap and they include lots of data, however international minutes are typically not available. Vodafone storefronts can be found in bigger cities (Tirana, Saranda, Shkoder, etc).
Language: Albanian, however you can get by with English. Google translate is recommended for smaller cities/villages.
Safety: I found Albania to be very safe. I and my fellow travellers had no trouble with theft and I felt comfortable walking around as a solo female at night. People are generally very welcoming here, but always keep your wits about you – no matter where you travel.
Helpful Info: don’t drink the tap water or bring a purifying bottle like this one. Most hostels/guesthouses/hotels have laundry facilities.
Purchase my Albania map which is downloadable to google maps on your phone. It has 200+ pinned locations around the country – all available at your fingertips.
Packing Guide: here’s my ultimate packing guide/travel essentials.
Albania is one of the last “undiscovered” countries in Europe. Plan your trip while prices & tourism levels are low!
Helpful Albania Blog Posts
Albania Itineraries: 1 week south | 1 week north | 2 weeks whole country | 1 month for backpackers
- My Ultimate Albania Backpacker Guide
- 15+ Helpful Tips You Should Know BEFORE Travelling Albania
- 30+ Best Things to do in Albania: Excursions, Tours, and Destinations
- 17 Best Places in Albania
- Hiker’s Guide to the Albanian Alps
- Valbona to Theth Hiking Guide
- 10+ Albania hikes Worth Doing
- Lodging: best hostels for backpackers | luxury hotels
Shkoder itinerary for backpackers.
How to get to Shkoder
Shkoder is located in the north of Albania, right up close to the Montenegro border. There’s a bus line from Montenegro to Shkoder, but aside from this all bus routes to Shkoder depart from Tirana’s regional bus station. Regardless of where your journey to Shkoder originates, you’ll need to catch a connecting bus in Tirana. The Tirana-Shkoder bus takes approx 2.5-3 hours and costs around 400LEK/4 euros (as of 2022).
This is the “bus station” in Shkoder where you’ll be dropped off and picked up. Rather than a station, there are multiple buses lined up on the side of the road, each displaying a sign in the front window for where it’s going.
Be aware that Albania’s bus system is a bit chaotic. Route timetables are starting to show up online/on Google Maps (as of 2024), but I’d rely on local knowledge for exact pickup times/locations. Hoteliers are usually well informed on this topic.
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Where to Stay in Shkoder
Backpacker Budget
- Wanderer’s Hostel is the best hostel in Shkoder and where I’d recommend staying. They serve a delicious breakfast, the staff can help plan your trip to the alps, and they have a storage room where you can stash extra luggage while you’re away hiking in Valbona and Theth. Book this hostel in advance as it fills up quickly.
- Shkodra Backpackers (aka Mi Casa es Tu Casa) is a great alternative for Wanderer’s if it’s full.
Luxury Budget
- Hotel Colosseo & Spa is rated 5 stars with over 700 glowing reviews on Booking.com. Hotel Colosseo offers a complimentary breakfast, a fitness studio as well as various heath and wellness facilities like saunas, an indoor pool, and massage. Here you’ll get air conditioning, free parking, and an on-site restaurant with a prime location in the city’s centre.
- Grand Hotel Europa is another 5 star hotel in Shkoder that offers free access to a fitness studio and a spa.
Mid-Range Budget
If you’re looking for something mid-range, you have plenty of options. If we’re factoring in price, location, and quality I’d recommend either Sol Hotel or Shkodra Apartment.
Shkoder itinerary for backpackers.
Things to do in Shkoder
Here are the best things to do in Shkoder for backpackers and travellers alike.
Popular Albania Tours
From Berat: 4×4 tour: Mount Tomorr & Sotira Waterfall | Bogove Waterfall & Osumi Canyon | Osumi Canyon Rafting
From Permet: Benja Hot Springs & Lengarica Canyon | Horseback Riding | River Rafting
From Tirana: Gamti Mountain & Bovilla Lake Hiking Tour | Bike Tour | Traditional Cooking Class | Zipline
From Tirana or Shkoder: Day trip to the Blue Eye of Theth & Grunas Waterfall | Shala River Day Trip
From Vlora: Boat tour to Haxhi Ali Cave & Sazan Island – Karaburun | Snorkelling
From Saranda/Ksamil: Paddle boarding the Islands | Butrint, Ksamil, Blue Eye, Lekuresi Castle – 1 Day | Day Trip to Gjirokaster | Catamaran to Korez & Kokomo Beach
UNIQUE: Multi-day hiking tour: Peaks of the Balkans
You can find more Albania tours I recommend here
Walk to Rozafa Castle for Sunset
Rozafa Castle, or Rozafa Fortress, is a huge castle resting just outside the city centre. Here you can find ruins and a museum (for an extra fee).
The best time of day to visit the castle is in the evening for sunset. You’ll have a view overlooking the entire city as well as the surrounding mountains.
There are also events hosted fairly frequently at Rozafa Castle. If you’re lucky, there might be some sort of concert or festival happening when you visit.
Bike to Shiroka
The biking culture is huge in Shkoder, so something you could easily add to your Shkoder itinerary is a bike trip. There are rental shops all over the city. I rented mine from Eko Club which was my favourite place to eat in Shkoder.
Approx 7kms from Shkoder is Shiroka; a cute and quiet town along Skadar Lake. There’s a nice waterfront walkway here and plenty of lakeside restaurants where you can try carp – a signature local dish.
Rent Kayaks on Lake Skadar
Speaking of Lake Skadar, something you may want to do after biking here is rent kayaks. There are a few small rental shops located along the shore of the lake where you can rent kayaks pretty cheap.
Stroll Down Rruga Kolë Idromeno
In the centre of Shkoder you’ll find a large pedestrian area filled with shops, ice cream parlours, restaurants, patios, and souvenir shops.
Rruga Kolë Idromeno is primarily where life in Shkoder happens. It’s where all the hostels are located and where you’ll want to be for evening xhiro. You can add a drink or meal in this area to your list of things to do in Shkoder.
Engage in Xhiro
In the evening hours when the sun sets, all of Albanian emerges for their evening walk – aka “xhiro.” Shkoder becomes very lively in the evening hours – patios are packed, there’s live music, and everyone’s out & about with their friends and family.
Going for an evening walk or grabbing a late dinner at one of Shkoder’s patios is great way to engage in the local culture so this is definitely something you should add to your Shkoder itinerary.
You can add this to your list of things to do in Shkoder.
Visit the Albanian Alps
Shkoder acts as the gateway city to the Albanian Alps which is mainly comprised of Komani Lake, Theth National Park, and Valbona Valley National Park. In the alps you’ll find incredible hiking trails, waterfalls, and a unique mountain village culture.
Typically travellers visiting Shkoder go to Valbona then Theth before returning to Shkoder again.
Here’s my complete guide to visiting the Albanian Alps which holds every bit of information you need to know regarding visiting Valbona and Theth.
Spend a Night on the Shala River
The Shala River is an area off Komani Lake where guesthouses line a mountain river originating from Theth. There are beach bars here, kayak rentals, hiking trails, and horses. Plus an unimpeded view of the stars at night.
Many people overlook the Shala River, however I recommend adding it to your Shkoder itinerary. I spent 2 nights at Riverside Komani Lake which was the perfect escape in nature.
If you don’t want to spend a whole night on the Shala River, you can also book a day trip here from both Tirana and Skhoder.
More information about the Shala River can be found in my
Albania Google Map – 200+ pins
Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Albania?
Then my Albania map is for you!
Get my 200+ recommendations all in one place for:
- Outdoors: hiking trails, waterfalls, secret beaches & national parks
- Places: ancient cities, beach towns & historical sites
- Things to do: viewpoints, unique activities & tours
- Planning: lodging, restaurants, bus stops & tedious details
Visit Ebu Bekr Mosque
A quick and easy thing you can do in Shkoder is visit the Ebu Bekr Mosque. It’s one of the prettiest mosques in Albania and it’s centrally located.
You can photograph the mosque from the outside or venture inside as long as there isn’t an active prayer session happening.
Shkoder itinerary and things to do.
Learn About Albania’s History
The Shkodra Historical Museum, Rozafa Castle, the Photography Museum (Marubi Photo Collection), and the Venice Art Mask Factory are all things you can add to your Shkoder itinerary to learn more about Albania’s past and Shkoder’s local history.
Visit the Mesi Bridge
The Mesi Bridge (located here) is a fantastic Ottoman-style bridge located approx. 17kms (roundtrip) from the city centre of Shkoder. If you’re looking for active, outdoor activities in Shkoder this is great option.
The Mesi Bridge dates back to 1770 and was previously on the trade route between Shkoder and Kosovo. It’s 100m in length and is now lined by green vegetation and the hills of the Maranai Nature Park.
Things to add to your Shkoder itinerary.
Where to Eat in Shkoder
The following are notable restaurants and cafes if you’re looking to grab a bite in Shkoder.
- Eko Club – vegetarian options, great cheese platter, fresh juice, and local desserts at a great price point.
- Fisi Traditional Restaurant – traditional foods at a decent price. Large servings.
- Gelateria Bell Italia – fantastic ice cream – best pistachio ice cream I’ve ever had – and tasty desserts.
- Stolia Coffee House & Brunch – healthy options, great wifi (perfect for digital nomads), and bright/nicely decorated interior.
6 Day Shkoder/Alps Itinerary
A detailed version of this Shkoder/Alps itinerary can be found in my 1 week north Albania itinerary.
Ensure you book lodging and transportation for Shkoder and the alps in advance. Usually spontaneous travel and last minute bookings work out fine in Albania, however the north of the country is popuar and things fill up entirely during the summer months.
Day 1: Shkoder
On day 1 of this Shkoder itinerary rent a bike and cycle over to Shiroka and explore Lake Skadar. Make sure you try carp which is the local fish. In the evening walk over to Rozafa Castle for sunset.
I recommend staying at Wanderer’s Hostel or Sol Hotel.
Day 2: Shkoder to the Shala River
On day 2 take the early morning mini bus to the Komani Lake ferry port. Here you’ll board a boat to the Shala River where you’ll spend the day relaxing or hiking. I talk about everything you need to know about visiting the Shala River here.
Alternatively you can take a day trip to the Shala River from Shkoder and return to the city in the evening.
Day 3: Shala River to Valbona
On day 3 of this Shkoder itinerary, regardless if you’re coming from Shkoder or the Shala River, you’ll make your way back to the Komani Lake ferry port to board the ferry to Fierza. From Fierza you’ll take another mini bus to Valbona.
Once you arrive in Valbona you can visit Xhema Lake and the Old Mill.
In Valbona I recommend staying at Villas Jezerca which is the most popular choice or the Valbona Resort & Spa for a more luxurious experience.
Day 4: Valbona to Theth
On day 4 I recommend hiking Maja Rosit which I think is the most beautiful hike in Albania. If your timeline doesn’t allow an extra day in the alps, you can head straight to Theth via the Valbona-Theth trail which will take you at least half a day.
In Theth I recommend staying at Shpella Guesthouse or Bujtina Berishta Theth.
Day 5: Theth
On day 5 of this Shkoder itinerary you’ll spend the day hiking to the Blue Eye of Theth, Grunas Waterfall, and Grunas Canyon. On your travels you’ll also pass the Theth Church.
This post has more information about hiking trails in Theth.
Day 6: Theth to Shkoder
This Shkoder itinerary ends with a bus ride back to the city from Theth. You’ll arrive back in Shkoder around 1-2pm which gives you plenty of time to wander the city upon returning.
and that concludes everything to do in Shkoder + my 6 day Shkoder/Alps itinerary. Enjoy!
Albania Google Map – 200+ pins
Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Albania?
Then my Albania map is for you!
Get my 200+ recommendations all in one place for:
- Outdoors: hiking trails, waterfalls, secret beaches & national parks
- Places: ancient cities, beach towns & historical sites
- Things to do: viewpoints, unique activities & tours
- Planning: lodging, restaurants, bus stops & tedious details
Shkoder itinerary and things to do in Shkoder for backpackers.
Happy adventuring!
Taylor ♡
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About the Author
HI, I’m Taylor – the voice behind The Holistic Backpacker.
After moving to Banff National Park in 2020 I became an outdoor adventure enthusiast and vowed to never stop exploring.
I now spend my days travelling the world, climbing mountains, and spending nights under the stars in the Canadian Rockies backcountry.
I created The Holistic Backpacker so I could share my adventures and help connect people like you with the same amazing experiences.
