TIRANA/BERAT/KSAMIL/DHERMI

OVERVIEW

• When: 12 August – 18 August, 2025
• Where (accommodations): Tirana: The Plaza, Best Western Premier Ark Hotel; Berat: Beratino Hotel; Ksamil: Arameras Beach Resort; Dhermi: La Brisa Boutique Hotel
• Transportation: Air Baltic flight from Vilnius (VNO), Lithuania to Tirana (TIA), Albania; Car Rental: Auto B. Brahimi
• Sights/attractions: Tirana: BunkArt2, Plaza Skanderberg, Resurrection Cathedral, Pyramid of Tirana, Et’hem Bey Mosque, Blloku district, Namazgah Mosque, Dajti Express Cable Car; Berat: Berat Castle, Old Town/bridges; Gjirokaster: Gjirokaster Castle, Skenduli House; Ksamil/Saranda: Beaches, Lekuresit Castle, Hand of Ksamil; Albanian Riviera beaches: Livadhi Beach, Jale Beach, Dhermi Beach.
• Food/drinks: Tirana: Artigiano at Villa Restaurant, Sky Club; Berat: Homemade Food Lilly; Gjirokaster: Furra Restaurant; Ksamil/Saranda: Abiori Bar Restaurant Pizzeria, Sirocco Restaurant; Dhermi: Zoe Hora hotel and restaurant

Albania marks 73rd country for me and a new country for our entire family! It never was a bucket list destination, but I’ve seen an influx of videos and photos online, so it peaked my interest. It just so happened that Air Baltic had a major sale- I am talking flights that are just around 100 Euros per person (round trip) from Vilnius to Tirana! I saw that as a sign (it does not take much for me to see the signs for travel :)).

We were planning our bi-annual visit to my home country Lithuania, and it sort of became a tradition to take a side trip somewhere in Europe while we are there. I love coming home and seeing everyone, but I also immediately revert back into being a child. My mom cooks for us daily (we plan the favorite meals menu weeks prior), she does not let us clean or even do the dishes (I wish this was the case when I was actually a kid :)). So after a week, I feel that mom needs to have a break too. She will never complain, but she also never stops when she is around the house. There is always something to clean, cook, water the plans, and the list goes on. The only way to get her (and my step dad) to relax is to take them out of their home environment. So that’s how these little side trips came about.

I’ve also heard that starting 2026 there will be direct flights to Tirana from NYC. Which means increased amount of tourists, higher prices, and more crowds etc. I am glad we explored Albania now because it was already busy.

We never sit still, so this trip was no different. We picked up our rental car at the airport and spent two nights at the capital Tirana. Next destination was Berat– we enjoyed here one night, but (spoiler alert) this town was my favorite. Gjirokaster was also beautiful (we did not stay at the hotel, but if you have time, I’d say you should). We always try to get beach time, especially when the country has incredible blue water. Ksamil was perfect location for three nights. Specifically our hotel, but more about that later. And finally, after stopping at a few more beaches in Albanian Riviera we spent one night in Dhermi. My sister and brother-in-law joined us for the beach part of the trip, so it was a full family reunion after more than 2 years! They live in Frankfurt, Germany and flew to the Greek island Corfu, where they took the ferry to Saranda– there are many ways to get to Albania from Europe! Finally, we drove back to Tirana to one last hotel to relax before the overnight flight, and that completed our weeklong Albanian adventure. Now a bit more about each stop!

TIRANA

We landed in Tirana at 2.30 in the morning after a short 2 hr flight. The drive to hotel was about 30 min, but luckily at this time of the night there was no traffic. Rental car was waiting for us at the airport and the guy met us at the arrivals- super fast and easy process, very much recommend using Auto B. Brahimi. Drop off was even faster- we left the car with they key inside at the airport parking lot, texted the guy that it’s been dropped off, and went on our way. Nobody was there to even see the condition it was delivered.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Plaza Hotel

Our dental hygienist in Boston is Albanian and she recommended The Plaza hotel for the two nights in Tirana. 100% excellent choice! Super centrally located, attentive staff, great views from our room, and excellent breakfast buffet. With amazing GF bread and even GF cakes, plus options to order eggs your way (which was not the case in other hotels in Albania).

We also loved the spa here- saunas, steam room, salt room, and a barely warm jacuzzi that was ideal temperature after walking around in the 107 F (43C heat).

I would say Tirana is not a destination city, but if you are here and have a night or two- definitely stay at The Plaza.

Sweaty Sightseeing

There is no other way to describe this chapter. We knew it will be hot (and had some concerns for the parents health), but it was even hotter than what we imagined. As soon as we walked out of the hotel it was like walking into a sauna. Luckily it was a dry heat, so with breaks in the shade it was manageable.

Bunk’Art2

Former Communist- era nuclear bunker, now turned museum with the exhibits dedicated to the victims of the Communist terror. It was built between 1981 and 1986 to shelter elite police and interior ministry staff in the event of a nuclear attack and conveniently only a short walk from The Plaza hotel.

Mom and Alius were hesitant to leave the hotel in this extreme heat, but when the sights are so close to each other they decided to join us. Sun hats and a portable fan- that’s what was the key for survival. And water. Lots of water!

It was a bit cooler underground in the bunker, but quite busy.

We did not read all the descriptions and walked pretty fast- for mom and Alius it was less interesting- we have similar museums in Lithuania. Sean liked it, I did too!

Plaza Skanderberg and Resurrection Cathedral

That is a main square in Tirana and we passed by it walking to see a few churches.

Resurrection Cathedral was not on my radar, but we sort of stumbled upon it and it was a perfect refuge from the heat. Beautiful to look at, cool, plenty of empty seats- we probably spent 45 minutes here just resting and taking it all in.

Pyramid of Tirana

Mom and Alius felt rested and did not want to go back to the hotel yet, so we slowly walked towards another landmark of Tirana- The Pyramid. Former museum, conference center, and even a NATO base during the Kosovo War, now this is a structure with a youth IT center inside.

Sean and I climbed to the top- pretty nice view and not as many steps as it seemed from down below.

Et’hem Bey Mosque

This elegant mosque was closed when we walked by it previously, so on the way back to the hotel we tried again.

Worth stopping by for a quick visit.

Namazgah Mosque

Sean and I went to this mosque right before it closed, after dinner. Also beautiful, though we have seen so many mosques that it didn’t break any records for us.

Dajti Express Cable Car

Out of all the days of the week, Dajti Express is closed on Tuesdays. And one full day that we had in Tirana was on a Tuesday. However, this is a longest cable car in the Balkans and we are not leaving Tirana without taking a ride.

On Wednesday morning we had breakfast and took Patoko (a version of Uber in Albania) to the cable car. I am glad we didn’t drive because there was a ton of traffic in the city and some of the drivers are quite aggressive. Also, make sure to go there as close to the opening time as possible. We were there around 9.20am and were one of the few people to go up. When we came back down- a bus load of people were waiting and to stand in line at the heat of the day seemed like a complete nightmare.

It was worth it- even with the hazy skies due to wildfires, we still had a great view. It takes about 18 min to go up so you can really take in the surroundings. There is a restaurant and a coffee shop up top- we got some cold drinks and had the place basically to ourselves. As we were descending all the cable cars were crammed with people and that was at around 10.30 am.

Food in Tirana

Both breakfasts we had at the hotel-it was a no brainer. Plentiful and delicious, it was probably the best breakfast buffet on this trip. For lunch we walked over to Artigiano at Villa Restaurant and that’s where we had our first Albanian dishes. Both the service and the food were amazing!

For dinner we booked Sky Club in advance. I have a mixed review on this one. Absolutely amazing place to watch sunset while in Tirana. And to have a drink. But for dinner- make reservations somewhere else. The food was not that tasty (not even close to lunch experience), it was pricey and the service was not that great either.

After dinner we walked around and had some amazing gelato (overall in many places in Albania pistachio gelato was phenomenal!). We passed by some very nice looking (and well rated) restaurants in Blloku area – I would eat here instead.

Tirana was quiet during the day, but in the evening the city comes to life. I imagine it’s the heat factor- even little kids were up late and playing in the playgrounds- makes sense, can’t really do that in the scorching temps during the day. We didn’t stay super late, but definitely enjoyed Tirana at night!

BERAT

From The Plaza hotel to the Beratino hotel in Berat is just about 1hr 40 min drive. However, getting out of Tirana proved to be a bit more difficult. Traffic was pretty bad and we missed the turn to get on the highway so we lost about 20 min.

Either way, 2 hours to Berat is not bad. Once we got on the highway the roads were smooth and it was clear sailing. We made to “The City of a Thousand Windows”!

ACCOMMODATIONS

Beratino Hotel

I am so glad we were able to get two rooms in this hotel. Perfect location in the Mangalem Quarter, overlooking the Osum river (we booked the room with the balcony), this family run hotel felt so cozy and traditional.

There were a few steps to climb to get to the rooms, but the entire Berat is built into the hills, so some other hotels or guest houses have much harder access. Also, there was a parking spot saved right in front on the street for hotel guests- not having to park further down in town and walk back in the heat was amazing!

We arrived during lunch, so the young guy was running between checking us in, showing us the room, and taking lunch orders at the restaurant on site. Amazingly the room was ready before even the official check-in time! It took a while to get food, but all in all we loved this hotel and would very much recommend staying here!

I was thinking of having a cup of tea before bed and enjoy it on the balcony. But when I asked the girl if they have tea she looked at mea like I’ve lost my mind. “Tea?! No.”. Ok, how about wine? “Oh yes, of COURSE!”. No complaints 🙂 !

Berat Castle and Town

The city is UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008 and is known for the Ottoman-era houses built into the hills (hence the nickname “The City of a Thousand Windows”). There are a number of Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques, but we didn’t have a lot of time, so Sean and I climbed to Berat Castle instead. High on top of the mountain, we were out of breath by the time we reached the top- I am glad mom and Alius chose to skip this adventure.

However, for those that have no heart or mobility issues- it is well worth it! Maybe it would be better if the temperature was not 40C, but we knew that was going to be the case.

The castle grounds are big, we only covered part of it, because we had an early 6.30pm dinner scheduled and needed to return on time. Views from the top were spectacular!

It felt like we are in a true authentic, unspoiled Albania. So different from the modern Tirana skyscrapers.

Overall- just walking around Berat felt like going back in time. We loved loved loved this city.

It goes without saying- no heels here, wear your most comfortable, non-slip footwear.

Homemade Food Lilly

For our one dinner in Berat we booked Homemade Food Lilly well in advance. I messaged them on WhatsApp nearly a month before arrival and the only time available was 6-8pm on a Wednesday evening. We pushed it to 6.30pm because Sean and I were running late to return from the castle, but the owner was very clear that he has another seating at 8pm. Which was completely fine, we did not need two hours to eat. But what a treat this was!

A short climb up from Beratino Hotel (one more benefit for staying here), the place is run by a husband (who was host/server and entertainer) and his wife who’s an incredible chef. Their son was also helping to bring the food out, but for the most part it’s just the two of them running the show.

We ate in a small and cozy yard, all tables are close together and the menu is not complicated- a mix of traditional Albanian dishes so we ordered literally the entire menu. And we felt like at home. The owner was super attentive to all the guests, explained which dish to try first, what goes better with what- we had delicious meal and an incredible service. No wonder this place has thousands of 5 star reviews. And no wonder it books in advance. Granted, everyone eating there were tourists, but at the same time- why would a local Albanian need to go eat homemade food at a restaurant if they can simply cook it at home? We loved the place and still think of it as one of the best (if not the best) dinners in Albania.

Berat at night

After delicious dinner (and with temperatures finally reaching comfortable levels) we set of for a walk around Mangalem and Gorica neighborhoods.

Just like in Tirana (and the seaside)- the city came alive after sunset. Streets were full of people walking, kids playing, but no loud noise or blasting music- just a very pleasant, beautiful place. We walked across the bridge in front of our hotel, strolled alongside the river and came back through the other bridge- we surely got our steps in today! Berat- you have a little piece of my heart.

GJIROKASTER

After breakfast in Beratino Hotel we are on the road again. Today is the longest driving day, because final destination is the seaside in Ksamil. But to break up the drive (and to see more of Albania) we decided to make a stop in the ‘Stone City’- Gjirokaster. From Berat to Gjirokaster is about 2.5 hours drive and we did not encounter any traffic or issues along the way.

So far we are very impressed with the roads in Albania. The only observation- drivers are aggressive. And the newer and fancier car they drive, the faster they go. We constantly got passed by Audis, BMWs and Mercedes. Oh well- we are not in any rush!

Gjirokaster Castle

Since we are not staying in this city and have limited time, we went straight to the main landmark – the castle. Luckily there is a road to access it by car, so no climbing was required. The road is narrow and gets congested, so prepare to have some patience. But once again, it was worthwhile.

Castle grounds are pretty big- we explored it inside and up top. Luckily it was a bit overcast so the heat was more manageable.

We saw a photoshoot in the traditional clothes and I could only think how warm they must feel with all those layers. But they looked beautiful!

For sure a castle that’s worth visiting. Lots of historical facts, tales, details.

Gjirokaster Old Town

We got lucky that we found parking in the crowded Old Town, but once that was settled it was time for lunch. Furra Restaurant is in the heart of the Old Town and we had a nice lunch (with a pretty fast service, which is not very typical in Albania!)

Mom and Alius decided to relax a bit, while Sean and I wanted to check out one more historical object in Gjirokaster- Skenduli House.

Skenduli House

The best preserved traditional house in the city, over 300 years old and with all original items inside. With 9 fireplaces and 6 bathrooms you know this was a rich family. The more fireplaces, the richer the owners were. Current owner is actually a descendant of the original owner’s family.

There is one room where photos are not allowed and of course it’s the most beautiful. It’s called “The Bride’s Room” and the fireplace and ceilings are decorated with pomegranate fruits and flowers- symbolizing good fortune, abundance and fertility.

I could see us staying here a night-the town seemed very lively even during the day, so I can only imagine what it’s like in the evening. But we have some more driving to do to reach the seaside, so it’s a short visit.

Gjirokaster ends our cultural and historical part of the Albanian road trip. The next stop was going to be ‘The Blue Eye,’ however due to forest fires in the vicinity they closed the area to tourists. It is suppose to be extremely blue body of cold water. Swimming is not permitted. Thus, it’s time to relax and reunite with Agne and Cosimo!

KSAMIL

There are numerous beaches and hotels alongside Ionian Sea (part of the Mediterranean) on the Albanian coast. It took a bit of research to finally decide on where we wanted to spend three nights. After seeing several beaches (on the way back to Tirana) we were VERY glad we chose the area and the resort that we did.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Arameras Beach Resort

Located all the way south of Albania this resort is away from all the hustle and bustle of Ksamil and Saranda, but also close enough to be able to reach the towns when you feel like you need more action.

We booked the Sea View villas and really enjoyed our stay. The best part here was the pool and the beach of course. That’s what we are here for! To reach the beach you either walk downhill for about 10 minutes (Sean and I did this walk to get more steps) or you message the staff via WhatsApp and they come with a golf cart to drive you down.

The beach had white sand and super clear water and was for sure the nicest beach that we have seen in Albania. It was not as crowded as some other beaches that we saw, the chairs were light and movable, so you could adjust your shade (other beaches had heavy chairs on the pebbles/rocks and you could not change their direction). I don’t believe it’s private beach, but it was mainly used by hotel guests and chairs generously spaced out- not on top of each other.

There is a restaurant as well, so we didn’t need to leave the beach to have lunch. Food was fresh and delicious!

If I were to give one suggestion to Arameras Beach Resort, it would be breakfast. It was a pretty generous buffet, but there was no option to order freshly made omelet or eggs. And the eggs that they had available were extremely overcooked and barely edible. After three mornings of the same, we were ready to move on. Also, the breakfast staff was not the most customer friendly attitude 🙂 . When asking for coffee, the girl said- you order it at the bar. Previously they took orders right at the table, so I asked- do all six of us need to go to the bar? And her reply : ‘Ok, fine, what do you want?’. So there are some corners to polish, but all in all, we were very happy with the stay here and for sure recommend this hotel for a beach vacation in Albania.

Relax, take it easy

There was not much doing for the three days in Ksamil. We enjoyed the sea, read, ate- pure bliss after a few sweltering hot days in the cities. The weather was perfect- low humidity and pleasant sea breeze.

As we were enjoying the beach, we saw the boat rental at the pier, and walked over to see what are the possible options for a short sunset excursion. It was a pretty hilarious conversation because we were negotiating with a 10yr old. Franci was the translator and the hard working hustler who periodically had to ‘call his boss’ to check on the prices. We negotiated down from 280 to 220 Euros a private boat ride at sunset for two hours.

My mom was not a big fan of getting into this little boat and demanded a life vest right away : ) . And it was not so much of a tour, but more like riding the coast towards the left, seeing some castle, then towards Ksamil town where Franci pointed Dua Lipa’s house, and finally we asked to be dropped off at the Hand of Ksamil.

Basically it was our self guided tour, except we didn’t need to drive the boat. We also got a beautiful sunset through the clouds!

As for the Hand of Ksamil. The line to take a photo on the steps was very long and people were taking multiple photos for each person. We started waiting, but then realized that by the time we reach the hand it will be too dark for a good picture. So I went down, waited between people getting on it, snapped a pic and we left. Saved us probably an hour in line.

Lekuresi Castle

One of the evenings we decided to drive over to Saranda for dinner, but before that- stop at the Lekuresi Castle for sunset. Well, let me tell you- the drive up this mountain was winding and VERY busy. I am glad we left early, because by the time we reached the parking lot (extremely messy and disorganized) and got to the castle- we just made it for the good views of the sunset.

There is a restaurant up top, but it has terrible reviews and we were glad we didn’t choose to have dinner there. We took the photos and left before the crazy traffic jam formed.

The view is gorgeous , but the road is steep and to get down in the dark would not have been fun. We saw a ton of cars still stuck in traffic trying to make it up the hill- for sure missing the sunset view. It is worth visiting, but go early. If sunset is at 7.45, aim to get there by 7pm the latest or you will miss it.

Beach dinners

All breakfasts and lunches we had at the hotel/by the beach. Since the breakfast was not spectacular and the lunch menu was similar to the dinner menu at the hotel, we chose to venture out and have dinners in town. The first night we went to Ksamil- after all the driving, we wanted to be close and took a taxi. Quite pricey- $15 Euros one way for a short drive (and we needed two taxis to accommodate 6 people), but we avoided dealing with beach traffic and parking. It was very crowded at around 6.30 pm and honestly I don’t know what these towns will do if more tourists come. We finally got out of a taxi and walked the remainder of the way, because it was faster than sitting in the bumper to bumper traffic jam.

Abiori Bar Restaurant Pizzeria is right on the water but does not have sunset view, so I ran around the corner to capture a beautiful sunset in Ksamil.

Now that the photoshoot is out of the way- time for dinner! We got the freshly caught fish, salads, crudo- it was absolutely delicious and the service was amazing too.

Great first dinner together in Albania!

For our second dinner we went to Saranda– right after visiting Lekuresi Castle with that amazing sunset view. Sirocco Restaurant was also great, but there was a music festival going on down below and it was like eating at the EDM concert 🙂 .

Food was great, we enjoyed it all. And then the family went back to the hotel while Sean and I walked around Saranda and OF COURSE checked out the concert! Apparently it was free to enter and the music was great! Dancing was not on the agenda in Albania- what a nice bonus on this vacation!

On our last night in Ksamil, after the boat ride and Hand of Ksamil we had no dinner reservations and played it by ear. We walked around town and decided to eat at Elite restaurant. Out of the three it was my least favorite. Service was meh, food was fine, but nothing to write home about.

Vacation is not over, we have one more beach town to visit!

DHERMI

Our road trip is coming to an end, but before we fly our separate ways, we have one more night all together. We have to return to Tirana, but the drive all the way from Ksamil would be quite long for one day. So why not enjoy another beachy town with a different perspective?

Instead of driving straight to the hotel we decided to make a few stops and check out other beaches on the Albanian Riviera. First one was Livadhi Beach in Himare. It was just around 2 hour drive from Ksamil- perfect for a quick stop, bathroom and coffee.

The water was beautiful, but the beach- crowded and with pretty big pebbles. We much prefer sandy beaches, so right away felt assured that we made a good decision with Ksamil.

The next beach we stopped at (adding 20 min to our drive) was Jale Beach. A pretty steep road to get down to it, crowded parking lot- Sean idled while I ran to see the beach. Same as before- super crowded and pebbles.

I think we have seen enough. Our beach selection was the best, glad we spent three nights where we did.

ACCOMMODATIONS

La Brisa Boutique Hotel

For the last beach getaway we picked modern and well rated La Brisa Boutique Hotel in Dhermi. Equipped with a restaurant downstairs and amazing pool on the roof this beach front property was excellent to end our family trip.

I am VERY glad there was this pool (and not crowded), because the beach was unbearable in the late afternoon. While in Ksamil there was a cool breeze, here it was super hot and no wind near the water. The beach chairs were unmovable, so no way to adjust the shade. We came, checked it out, and spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool where it was about 10 degrees cooler!

It was a nice change of scenery from Ksamil, so we all confirmed it was a good decision.

Zoe Hora Restaurant

Last night together before Agne and Cosimo fly to Italy and we head back to Tirana to fly back to Lithuania. We wanted a special dinner and I totally got ‘influenced’ by Zoe Hora. I saw a few videos online and was debating if we should go here. The views looked stunning, but the rating was low, but we took the risk. We figured if the food is really bad, we will at least have nice photos and go eat somewhere else 🙂 .

Nothing was bad! The view- no doubt- SPECTACULAR. I am glad we came early though. Sunset was at 7.45pm, we got there around 7. We were seated right away despite the message during booking that it might take an hour to get seated. We just finished taking the photos, and the sun hid behind the mountain well before the official sunset time. So if you want amazing sunset pics, arrive well in advance.

The food was very good as well! The fish portion was very small (but tasty), overall it was pricey, especially for Albania, but when you have views like these- it’s absolutely worth it!

I am glad we didn’t get swayed by bad reviews and came here.

Also- don’t drive to this restaurant. We took the taxi and it was the best idea. Parking and driving up and down that hill is a nightmare.

After dinner we went for a little walk around main street in Dhermi- the town looked cute, a lot of restaurants and bars.

One more visit to the rooftop pool and we are done for the night…

Agne and Cosimo left late morning, the rest of us relaxed by the pool, Sean and I jumped into the sea one more time, delicious lunch, and we are back on the road to Tirana.

Since the flight back to Vilnius was not leaving until 2.45 in the morning, we booked a hotel at the airport to relax for a few hours.

Best Western Premier Ark Hotel is 3 min walk to the terminal, has a pool, and a restaurant on site. It was great to just drop off the car and not have to even use a taxi when it was time to fly out.

Enjoying that warm weather until the very last minute!

CONCLUSION

What a fun (and hot!) week across Albania! We explored the cities, old castles, tried delicious food and of course loved relaxing on the beach. I would not say that Albania was a dream vacation and that it’s a ‘must’ country to visit, but we were not disappointed either. I think tourism is still bit new there, so not every place has the manners or the speed for perfect customer service, but then again- what country is perfect? I am glad we went now though, because the more tourist destination Albania becomes, the more crowds it will have, and the more expensive it will get. I would not say that prices were low now either. All in all we saw everything we came to see, and had a great time. Best of all- we got to do it all together!