Read below for our two days in Tirana travel schedule. Tirana is Albania’s capital city and is located in eastern Europe just north of Greece. For more information on Albania and the sites mentioned below check out our blog, 12 Best Things to Do in Tirana, Albania (2021).
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Before we get to the two days in Tirana travel schedule, let’s talk flights. We came from the U.S., so we flew into Tirana International Airport and that is what this travel schedule is based on. We flew Austrian Air with a layover in Austria and a total of 9.5 hours in the air. Please note, if you are flying Austrian Air, at the time of this writing you will need a KN95 mask for the entire flight and while you are in the airport in Austria. There are several other international airlines that fly from the U.S. to Albanian as well such as British Airways, Delta, Lufthansa, and KLM.
If you are arriving from any other European country, there are several ways to get to Albania. Depending on where you are coming from you can fly, take a train, bus or even fairy. However, if you are flying at all you will probably still have to stop through in Tirana International Airport, and if you do it is a great time to add on two extra days to your trip to visit Albania’s capital city, Tirana.
The first day, the day of travel is not included in the timeline below. If you want to include the first day, then this would be three days in Tirana.
Arriving at Tirana International Airport
The airport is located about 30 minutes outside of the city. The plane deboarded on the apron, and then we took a shuttle bus to the main airport where we went through customs and collected our luggage. From there we had a taxi ready to pick us up. We stayed at Arleea Boutique hotel, and they offered a taxi service for a minimal additional price. The cost of a taxi should be about $25 USD.
There are several taxi drivers standing outside the exit soliciting rides, but we recommend scheduling this ahead of time and having a driver waiting for you, holding a piece of paper with your name on it. From there we drove for about 20 minutes through the countryside. It is a nice calm drive before you hit the city.
There is also a bus from the airport to the city center. The bus is called Rinas Express and runs from 8 AM to 11 PM every day with busses running every hour. The bus costs a little less than $3 USD and they accept euros or lek. You can just pay for your ticket right on the bus, as with most busses in Albania. There isn’t really a service for purchasing tickets online ahead of time and cash is king in Albania. The bus will drop you off at Skanderbeg Square, which is in the center of town.
Once we arrived at our hotel we walked around for a bit, grabbed a bite to eat and made sure to stay up until at least 8PM to avoid too much jet lag.
Tirana Travel Schedule, Day 1 – City Tour
Make sure to have some good walking shoes for this day because it is all walking.
Breakfast is not huge in Albania, so we opted to go with the breakfast offered by our boutique hotel. It was nothing crazy but did the job! They offered us fried eggs, toast, fruits, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Basically, any breakfast you order in Albania will come with tomatoes and or cucumber. I thought it odd at first but have come to love it.
Then off to Komiteti – Kafe Muzeum for some delicious espresso, unique atmosphere, and maybe a snack or shot of Raki.
From there we worked our way back to Skanderbeg Square. The next several attractions are completely free and can be seen here. The square is massive and a great place to people watch.
Skanderbeg Square – From Skanderbeg Square, you can access the Clock Tower, Et’hem Bej Mosque, and Skanderbeg Monument all within a few feet from each other.
Visit The National History Museum – Just a stone’s throw away is the museum.
Tirana’s New Bazaar – About a 10-minute walk from the museum is the new bazaar. This is a bustling market surrounded by locals, coffee shops, and restaurants.
Ride the Dajti Ekspres Cable Car – Next, we took a cab to the cable cars. These are the cable cars that will take you up to Dajti Mountain. Just riding the cable car, itself is an attraction. They offer stunning views of the city.
Dajti Mountain – Here on Dajti Mountain there are several family-friendly activities, and you can eat at Dajti Tower Belvedere Hotel and enjoy some great views. If you are more of an adventurer, I would recommend getting here a little earlier to wander some of the trails.
Tirana Travel Schedule, Day 2 – Castle and Park
After a nice hotel breakfast make sure to put on your walking shoes again and grab a cab or head to Skanderbeg Square to catch the bus to Kruje Castle.
Kruje Castle – If you are taking the North bus the ride to Kruje will be a little over an hour and if you take a taxi the ride will be about 45 minutes. You should be able to see all that you want to see in about 2 to 3 hours. There are several restaurants around as well if you want to grab a bite to eat here before heading back to the city.
The Tea Room – back in town we decided to check out The Tea Room on our way to the Grand Park. It is a great spot to sit and enjoy a delicious cup of tea or coffee.
Grand Park – Then we headed off to Tirana’s Grand Park. We walked around here, checked out the stadium, and lounged for a little while.
Oda Traditional – Finally we headed to Oda Traditional for dinner before returning to our hotel for the night. This restaurant has the most delicious traditional food served family-style!
The next morning, we headed to the bus stop for Sarande along the Albanian Riviera!
