2 Day Adventurous Permet Itinerary (Albania)

Permet is located right next to Fir of Hotova National Park – an ideal place for hiking, river rafting, horseback riding, and hot springs. In this guide I’ll tell you everything there is to do in Permet, plus outline a 2 day Permet itinerary for adventurous travellers.

Permet is currently one of the quieter destinations in Albania, but this won’t last for long. Travellers are quickly discovering this little inland city packed with adventures and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes as popular as places like Gjirokaster and Himara.

Skip Ahead:


As you read this post, please consider clicking the links throughout. These are affiliate links which means when you book a hotel or purchase a product, I make a small commission at no additional cost to you (full disclosure). These commissions fund The Holistic Backpacker and help me write more blog posts.

Thank you for supporting my work!

~ Taylor ♡



Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Albania?

My Albania map is for you.

Get my 200+ recommendations for hiking trails, beaches, activities, and must-see spots all in one place.

One click and everything is saved to your Google Maps app – a digital tour guide that fits in your pocket.

see what other travellers are saying about my map

**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 charge 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. Driving is chaotic and there are no trains within the country. Taxis are fairly expensive.

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. Bring an international travel adapter, and notify your bank before travelling.

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!

Albania Itineraries: 1 week south | 1 week north | 2 weeks whole country | 1 month for backpackers



How to get to Permet

Fir of Hotova National Park next to Permet
Fir of Hotova National Park near Permet

Permet is located further inland within the Gjirokaster region. If you have your own car it’s a 1hr and 10 minute drive from Gjirokaster, 2 hours from Saranda, and 3.5 hours from Tirana. There are also direct bus routes to Permet from Gjirokaster and Tirana’s regional bus station. If you’re taking the bus to Permet from elsewhere, the drive will likely involve one if not multiple connecting buses.

The “bus station” in Permet – not actually a bus station, just a sign on the road – is located here. This is where you’ll be dropped off initially and where you’ll catch your departure bus.

Be aware that the bus system in Albania can be unreliable. Bus schedules are just starting to appear online/on Google Maps (as of 2024), however I’d still recommend checking in with your lodging providers as they’ll have exact knowledge on bus routes and pickups times.

Connect via socials:
STAY CONNECTED

Sign up for emails to receive a 25% discount on my travel maps + occasional updates on new hiking guides & travel resources.

Taylor ♡



Where to Stay in Permet

Things to do in Permet
Lengarica Canyon in Permet

The best place to stay in Permet is definitely Funky Guesthouse & Adventures. The Funky Guesthouse is located in the centre of the city, they serve a delicious complimentary breakfast, and they curate local adventure tours like this horseback riding tour.

If you’re looking for a traditional hotel option, RAMIS Hotel is your best option. They have a garden, shared restaurant & lounge, bike rentals, and offer car hire.

I personally stayed at Eljo’s House in Permet and had a lovely experience. Eljo’s House is located further from the centre of town, but it’s run by the sweetest generational family. The guesthouse is named after the family’s young son and they stocked the fridge with the local dessert – gliko – and fresh fruit when I arrived. The grandmother brought me fresh fruit and fresh flowers each morning and to top it off the guesthouse is a total bang-for-your-buck. A whole apartment for less than less than 15 euros (when I visited in 2022).



Things to do in Permet

Here are the best things to do in Permet from river rafting to eating delicious local dishes.

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



Ascend Big Rock and Wander Along the Vjosa River

Permet walkway with Big Rock on the left

In the centre of Permet there’s a walkway along the Vjosa River – the last wild river in Europe – and a large rock you can walk up, literally named “Big Rock.” It’s 42m high and there’s a nice view from the top.

This is something quick and easy you can add to your Permet itinerary in between activities or do the morning before your departure.


Raft Down the Vjosa River

Vjosa River - things to do in permet
The Vjosa River is a 272km river with an uninterrupted flow and no man made structures

If you’d like to further explore the Vjosa River and add an adventurous activity to your Permet itinerary, there’s a unique white water rafting tour that departs Permet. Transportation, equipment, and a knowledgeable guide are included with this tour.

Rafters will get to experience class II and class III rapids, waves up to four feet, and narrow passages that send the boat shimmying and water gushing over the sides.


Try Traditional Permet Cuisine

things to do in Permet

Something you must do in Permet is try the traditional cuisine. I’m not a huge foodie, but I had some of my favourite meals in Albania in Permet at Bar Restorant Sofra Permetare and Trifilia.

Gliko – candied fruit – is a region-specific dessert in Permet. I didn’t love it as I found it too sweet, but it’s interesting and worth a try.

Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Albania?

My Albania map is for you.

Get my 200+ recommendations for hiking trails, beaches, activities, and must-see spots all in one place.

One click and everything is saved to your Google Maps app – a digital tour guide that fits in your pocket.

see what other travellers are saying about my map


Go Horseback Riding in Permet

Horseback riding in Permet
Horseback riding in Permet

My favourite thing I did in Permet was this horseback riding tour so I highly recommend adding it to your Permet itinerary.

4×4 transportation was provided to the ranch where the horses were kept. From here the guide led us up mountains and across rivers through Fir of Hotova National Park. The experience was epic and unique compared to any horseback riding experience I’d had before.

things to do in Permet - horseback riding
Horseback riding next to the Vjosa River

Visit the Benja Hot Springs

Benja hot springs, Permet
Benja hot springs, Permet

Something every traveller should do in Permet is visit the Benja Hot Springs.

The Benja hot springs are located 14kms outside the town of Permet in Fir of Hotova National Park. There’s currently no public bus to the Benja Hot Springs, so you’ll either have to hitchhike (what I did) to get there or sign up for a guided tour like this one.

The Hot Springs are said to have natural healing powers and as you can imagine they get pretty busy. Try to get to the Benja Hot Springs earlier in the day to beat the crowds.

ps – I’ve marked the Benja Hot Springs location + everything else mentioned in this post on my Albania Map.


Explore Lengarica Canyon

Lengarica Canyon near Permet - Fir of Hotova National Park
Milky blue water of Lengarica Canyon

Also located in Fir of Hotova National Park is the Lengarica Canyon. Lengarica Canyon is situated right next to the Benja Hot Springs and also is accessed via hitchhiking or guided tour. This is my favourite thing to do in Permet for a blend of adventure, exercise, and uniqueness.

To enter the canyon walk under the Ottoman-style bridge and continue on. The canyon is 5kms in length, however you can stop at any point. Some areas of the canyon are deeper than others which means you’ll rotate between full body swimming and walking through ankle deep water.

I wore Crocs (my favourite model: Canada link | USA link) to hike through Lengarica Canyon which I found to be the perfect footwear choice as they can be worn in the water and they provide protection for your feet against the rocks.



2 Day Permet Itinerary

This 2 day Permet itinerary is packed with the best things to do in Permet.


Day 1 in Permet

Lengarica Canyon, Permet
Lengarica Canyon, Permet

On your first full day in Permet plan to explore the Benja Hot Springs and Lengarica Canyon. If you arrive midday via the bus you can try your luck hitchhiking, but otherwise I’d recommend signing up for a guided tour which you can book here.

Visiting the Benja Hot Springs and Lengarica Canyon will take up at least half a day, so when you return plan to grab lunch or dinner and wander the “downtown” region to see the Vjosa River and walk up the Big Rock. I recommend eating at Bar Restorant Sofra Permetare or Trifilia if you’re hoping to try traditional cuisine.

I recommend staying at Funky Guesthouse & Adventures (best option), RAMIS Hotel (traditional hotel), or Eljo’s House (where I stayed).


Day 2 in Permet

things to o in Permet - horseback riding
Horseback riding in Fir of Hotova National Park

On day 2 of this Permet itinerary plan to go horseback riding through Fir of Hotova National Park on this tour. The tour should only last half a day and you should be back in Permet by early afternoon which gives you enough time to walk by the river again or take the evening to relax after your busy 2 days in Permet.

Most of the time the buses departing Permet leave in the morning, so it’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll need to stay overnight after the horseback riding tour.


Optional Day 3 in Permet

If you find yourself wanting to do more activities in Permet, you can opt to extend your stay an extra day to go rafting on the Vjosa River.

and that concludes the best things to do in Permet + my 2 day Permet itinerary. Enjoy!

Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Albania?

My Albania map is for you.

Get my 200+ recommendations for hiking trails, beaches, activities, and must-see spots all in one place.

One click and everything is saved to your Google Maps app – a digital tour guide that fits in your pocket.

see what other travellers are saying about my map




Happy adventuring!

Taylor ♡


Like This Post?

Share with friends or save it for later!


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.

GET TO KNOW ME | WORK WITH ME

error: Content is protected.