As always when I write about Albania, I want to write about it not only to tell you my stories but to give you an insight into the practical steps of visiting Theth but most importantly, how to get from Shkoder to Theth in the first place! Youll get off the ferry at Fierze. I have a fair amount of trekking and mountaineering experience. Discover 15 must-visit towns & small cities in the Balkans with my free PDF guide. The trail starts pretty flat for the first half hour or so. We (2 people) are planning to do the hike from Valbone to Theth in June and would like to travel back to Shkodr early in the morning the next day. Please take enough cash with you for the time you are staying there. Rome2rio uses cookies to help personalize content and show you personalised ads. Technically theres no reason you couldnt do the trek solo provided youre an experienced hiker with the correct gear. Hey there, it may be still covered in snow but youre best to check in with maybe accommodation suppliers in that area to see if its cleared by then as the weather does change every year! Copyright 2015-2023 Emily Margaret Naughton Lush. (check out the best hotels in Theth here), How to get from Shkoder to Theth, Albania (Thethi). The trek surpassed all my expectations and will go down as one of my top travel experiences in Albania. Theth and Shkoder, 2 Days Tour from Tirana 1 Bus Tours from S$263.05 per adult (price varies by group size) 2-day tour from Shkodra to Theth Adventure Tours from S$124.22 per adult Two days tour from Durres to Theth and Shkoder Adventure Tours from S$175.37 per adult Selfguided Hiking Tour of Koman Lake Valbona and Theth in 4 Days Adventure Tours Im not sure what your odds are of finding cheap public transportation to Valbone. Limited international flights leaving Albania began to resume from June 15. Thanks for the really detailed overview of the hike. It wasnt until I had already spent a few days in Albania that I even found out that Albania had mountains, let alone an entire region known as the Albanian Alps. Are there any? Getting back to Shkoder from Theth is easy by comparison (van only). Distance: 9.5km from Rrogam to Theth (12km from Valbona village; 17.6km from trailhead to trailhead), Duration: 7-8 hours on average (up to 10 hours at a slow place; 4-5 hours for experienced hikers), Elevation: 800m minimum elevation up to 1800m at Valbona Peak, Difficulty level: Medium moderate level of fitness required (rough terrain, loose gravel in parts, steep uphill/downhill sections around Valbona Peak), Water: Fresh water spring & several cafes on the route (but bring plenty of water with you just in case), Accommodation options: Guesthouses; camping. Shkoder - Koplik - Dedaj Shkreli - Boge - Field Okolit - Qafe t'Thore - Valley of Shale -Theth. Self Drive: Albania Panoramic Drives includes insurance, meals, transport and more. Finally, it's easier to organise transport back to Shkoder from Theth on the fly. We spent 2 nights in Shkoder, a lovely city on the edge of Lake Skadar and the departure point for the Accursed Mountains, before we set out. Honestly, if youre trekking in good weather in summer, you dont need any of it. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. in one of the coffee places or any other weather protected place? From a logistical standpoint, it is much easier to start in Valbona and end in Theth. Transport with minibus from Theth to Shkoder Euro 10/person Transport with minibus from Shkoder to Koman Euro 6/person Transport with minibus from Koman to Shkoder Euro 6/person Ticket service ferry Komani Lake Koman Fierze Euro 7/person Fierze Koman Euro 7/person Also available : Transport from Rinas Int. Learn more. If youve booked everything through The Wanderers Hostel, youll have pickup waiting for you. Your email address will not be published. April 20, 2021. A transfer from your hotel in Shkoder to Koman ferry terminal costs an additional 700 lek. From Shokder, youll need to take a bus to Lake Komani, then take the ferry, and then get transportation to Valbona. I brought less than two liters, but I knew that you could fill up on water about 1/4 of the way through the hike and 3/4 of the way through. Either way, your accommodation supplier will be able to organise it for you. I was wearing high speck, gripping hiking trainers and was struggling with slipping all along. Lake Shkodr - 2 nights. Hence it will be great if you can clarify on this point and any other point that I need to be careful about during my trip to Albania. Do you know if the passes unmanageable at that TIME? There are 93+ hotels available in Theth. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It was right along a river, although it was a tad too cold to swim in. Ive only been sunburnt once in my life, but I never want to feel that pain ever again. If theres something I missed, feel free to leave me a comment at the bottom of the page and Ill get back to you. Enjoy planning your trip to Albania! There are some hotels, but for the most part, youll be staying with local families at their houses that theyve converted into guesthouses for travelers. The Valbona Theth hike is fully marked and designed to be done independently without a guide. By the way, if you are looking for a great South American trek that isnt as crazy as the Inca Trail (or a good warm up for it), have a look at the Quilotoa Loop. Trust me. Valbona to Theth is a thru hike once youre over the pass, theres no road to take you back. The route isnt marked on Google Maps, but you can use Maps.Me if you want to. Please note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link (at no extra cost to you). (Note that WIFI is standard in guesthouses in both villages.). Rozafa Castle. Its difficult to say I would recommend asking someone local in Theth or Valbona so they can give you advice, perhaps your guesthouse house or the staff at the national park service (the Theth office was particularly good when we visited). The Valbona (Valbone) to Theth (Thethi) hike in Northern Albania is an A to B trek that takes you from one idyllic alpine village to another through the heart of Theth and Valbona National Parks. Everyone you speak to seems to have a different opinion about which direction is best. Unfortunately, there isnt a lot of places to pull over and take pictures but its a beautiful drive even if you cannot stop. Hi Emily Im living in Tirana and Ive been contemplating doing the Valbone to Theth hike. Planning to do the trek in June 2020, after discovering last year it was closed in April. The stunning Valbone to Theth hike only left me wanting more, but I have no doubt that Ill be back in this region someday. Rome2rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated fares from relevant transport operators, ensuring you can make an informed decision about which option will suit you best. The expressways are the secondary roads, also dual carriageways, but . Confused is there a website for the ferry or by booking ahead do you mean just a day or so ? This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. It costs 10 euros, or about 1200 lek for the three hour journey. All Rights Reserved. The water is meltwater and safe to drink. Hi Emily, Personally, because of the remote location and risk of falling (especially in the loose rock sections), I would not feel comfortable trekking alone. The views here are absolutely gorgeous. Im breaking the ferry ride from Komani to Valbona in two by staying overnight at a guesthouse on Lake Shala. They also have the option to see the blue eye (which is an extra charge). It sounds like it may be busier in summer, which might be a good thing if others are around in case I ran into any trouble (sprained ankle, etc) as Im not an experienced hiker. There is only one daily journey, leaving at 7 am on the dot. They will ring and book you in and then you will pay the driver on the day. Some travel restrictions are being lifted in Albania. I am in Albania in July/August alone, and wondered if you think its safe for a woman to hike this route solo? I hope you have a wonderful time there. Hi Emily, Hi Andrea, thats great to hear! Meals were also included and the price was 25 euros per night. You can do the hike in sneakers, but it is a lot more difficult than having boots with good traction. Just hike back? Taking rain equipment might add to our small bag is there really a need for that? The bus from Shkoder to Theth costs 10 euros per person, and the drive takes about 2 hours - you should arrive in Theth around 9 am, depending upon weather and traffic conditions. But like, Albania had Alps?!? 26 Incredible Things to do in Tirana, Albania. Thank you Rosie! The views here are absolutely epic. Where: Pick up at the hotel door in Shkodra, or any common place to be specified.Time-table: every morning at 07.00 a.m. from Shkodra, once a day; every afternoon at 11.00 a.m. from Thethi, once a day.Trip duration: around 2 hours one wayMinibus Ticket Price: 10 Eur/ Person one wayPick-up: is offered from the hotel door in Shkodra, at around 07.00 a.m. Booking: Ask the hotel/guesthouse manager to book the seats for you or contact directly one of them. Thank you for all the information you have provided. This part can feel like it drags on, especially towards the end when the trail gets super rocky and steep. Many thanks for all the detailed information, really useful to us as were planning our trip to Albania! The area is beautiful and although there isnt a lot to do other than walk and hike, its still the perfect place to relax and take in the surroundings. It takes approximately 2h 20m to drive from Shkodr to Theth. Both cafes I mentioned are located on the edge of a stream and have free water. Yes, the driving distance between Shkodr to Theth is 73 km. Times are above. When I did this trip, it took 3.5-4 hours. From Theth, you can easily catch a bus back to Shkoder. Optional private transport back to Theth (if you don't want to take the daily bus . Since my backpack had split open, I could no longer frolic down the mountain like I wanted, but the views made it worth going slow. Although it was about a 10-15 minute walk from the center of Valbone village, it was absolutely worth it for the location. We had limited reception in Valbona and Theth, and were mostly without a signal during the hike. Most of the trail is a white rocky path that is very easy to distinguish from the terrain around it. That way you can just carry the bare essentials on the hike. Just wondering. They had Wi-Fi, although I never connected to it so I dont actually know if it was good or not. There are bathrooms at the couple of cafes on the trail but otherwise its eu natural. Youll be a lot more exposed to the elements, so if youre hiking during midday, the heat can become brutal. Thanks for reading Im so happy this could be of value for you! I am considering to hike with my son who is 4 years old. There's a lot more to do in this village compared to Valbone. The Highways in Albania are the central state and main transport network in Albania.The motorways and expressways are both part of the national road network. Also a good opportunity to support the local economy. Tickets cost 800 lek per person. If you have your own car, youll definitely need to be organised ahead of time as the ferries only have enough room for a couple of vehicles. If you start the trek in Valbona, you can skip the first part of the trail, a gravel path thats very exposed and rough. In the end, we triumphed and had an amazing day. We were able to leave our guesthouse by 7am and after a short drive to the trailhead, we started walking at 7.20am. You will need to book the night before as a furgon will pick you up from your hotel or hostel. For travel planning advice, please refer to our Rome2rio Coronavirus information page . Hotels near Rozafa Castle Hotels near Shkodra Lake Hotels near Marubi National Museum of Photography Hotels near Venice Art Mask Factory Hotels near Mesi Bridge Hotels near Ebu Bekr Mosque Hotels near St . In the lead up, I sifted through a lot of inspirational content about the Valbona Theth hike. As I understand it, there are no regulations on camping in this area, meaning you can pitch a tent anywhere you please along the trail. Id recommend doing it this way because this is the one that I can give you the details for, and the route that can be organized entirely by The Wanderers Hostel in Shkoder. Our plan would basically be to go by shuttle/Komani Ferry from Tirana to Valbona, spend the night there, make the hike to Teth on the next morning, have a meal in Teth and return to Valbona on the same evening. Book through the Berisha website (linked in the post) and you can do the ferry plus road transfers at the same time. I recommend avoiding peak season (July/August) if you can, and opting for June or September shoulder season instead. Lake Komani. Alternatively, you may use. Would you consider it dangerous to attempt with high chances of a storm? About this activity Free cancellation Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund Reserve now & pay later Kapshtice (Grecce) Korce Elbasan Tirane Shkoder Theth. Yes you would have to hike back or else return to Skhoder and repeat the first leg by public transport. There are the top ways to get to Theth, whether youre an adventure lover or not there are options for everyone. Vans can be booked through your accommodation in Theth or Shkoder. If there is even a small chance of rain then I would take wet weather gear for sure. Shkoder is the gateway to the Albanian Alps, so I recommend starting your journey from there. Hi Wan, yes the road is complete as of a couple of weeks ago. 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