Tirana 7-day itinerary

1. Stop 1

   Orthodox Church

   Orthodox Church is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

2. Stop 2 · 4 min walk

   Catholic Church

   Catholic Church is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

3. Stop 3 · 11 min walk

   Et'hem Bey Mosque

   Construction of this mosque took about 28 years and finished in 1821. It is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in Albania with very interesting decorations and artwork within it. Reopened in 2021 after full restoration.

4. Stop 4 · 7 min walk

   Mosque 'Kokonozit'

   Finished in 1750 during Ottoman rule and one of the few that survived the Communist rule intact. During that time the building functioned as a storehouse and a tobacco shop, then in 1991 it was returned to its original use.

5. Stop 5 · 9 min walk

   Saint Paul Catholic Cathedral

   This modern cathedral features fascinating window murals.

6. Stop 6 · 5 min walk

   Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral

   This cathedral features fascinating architecture and rich interior iconography. The church covered with a 23-m-high dome

Eat · Flower's: Daily menu and à-la-carte. Free water and bread as locals are used to it. Muzaka, creamy egg plant ... feels like the try beyond the usual.

1. Stop 1

   Tanners' Mosque

   Built in the 17th century in a part of the city where leather workers lived. It was largely destroyed by a lightning strike in 1927, but quickly rebuilt. Functioning as a storehouse during the Communist rule, in 1990 it was renovated and reopened, and a new minaret was built. Nearby there is also a bridge named the Tanners' Bridge (Ura e Tabakëve).

2. Stop 2 · 13 min walk

   National History Museum

   The largest museum in Albania holds many of the country's archaeological treasures and a replica of Skanderbeg's massive sword (how he held it, rode his horse and fought at the same time, is a mystery). The lighting might be poor but the excellent collection is almost entirely signed in English and takes you chronologically from ancient Illyria to the post-communist era. The collection of statues, mosaics and columns from Greek and Roman times is breathtaking.

3. Stop 3 · 7 min walk

   National Gallery of Arts

   Tracing the relatively brief history of Albanian painting from the early 19th century to the present day, this beautiful space also has temporary exhibitions. The interesting collection includes 19th-century paintings depicting scenes from daily Albanian life and others with a far more political dimension including some truly fabulous examples of Albanian socialist realism. The ground-floor part of the gallery is given over to temporary exhibitions of a far more modern and challenging kind.

4. Stop 4 · 11 min walk

   National Archaeological Museum

   Features ancient artifacts from Illyrian to Roman and Hellenic times: wonderful mosaics, Roman statues and illustrative maps. The collection here is comprehensive and impressive in parts, but there's only minimal labelling in Albanian and none at all in English (nor are tours in English offered), so you may find yourself a little at a loss unless this is your field.

5. Stop 5 · 22 min walk

   Natural Sciences Museum of Albania

   This museum features the fauna and geological composition of Albania.

6. Stop 6 · 5 min walk

   Tirana Mosaic

   The mosaic was discovered following excavations for an apartment complex. Various artifacts point to the presence of a village in the area thousands of years ago. This is the only archaeological site in Tirana.

Eat · Gjelltore Dibra: Local dishes and central location.

1. Stop 1

   House of Leaves

   This grand old 1930s building started life as Albania's first maternity hospital, but within a few years the focus turned from creating new lives to ending lives as the hospital was converted to an interrogation and surveillance centre (read: torture house). It remained as such until the fall of the communist regime. Today, the House of Leaves is a museum dedicated to surveillance and interrogation in Albania.

2. Stop 2 · 11 min walk

   ZETA Center for Contemporary Art

   As non-profit exhibition space founded in 2007. With its 150 m² area on the second floor of a mixed residential and commercial building at Abdyl Frashëri Street No.7 in the Blloku area of Tirana (zona Libri Universitar: between Santa Margherita Wine Shop and LC Waikiki Store), ZETA functions as an autonomous cultural venue for contemporary visual arts, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation, sound, and performance.

3. Stop 3 · 13 min walk

   The Museum of the Bank of Albania

   The museum lies on two floors, each of which is conceived as an independent space from the other. On the first floor is presented the rich numismatic collection of the Bank of Albania from antiquity to the present day. The second floor of the museum presents the history of the central bank institution in Albania, its role in maintaining price stability and ensuring the country's financial stability, as well as its constitutional functions.

4. Stop 4 · 37 min walk

   Bektashism Museum

   The museum presents, through documents, photos and original objects, the history of Bektashism (an Islamic Sufistic movement) on a world scale and in particular of Albanian Bektashism. It is organized in 12 stands of 12 showcases, observing the 12 Imams. A very important angle is the one devoted to religious tolerance and harmony, which has contributed and contributes greatly to the Bektashi World Bishopric. Part of the Bektashi Museum are three environments: Chimney - Coffee, Ashurja and Pilgrimage.

5. Stop 5 · 119 min walk

   Historical Museum of the Armed Forces

   This museum contains more than a thousand objects, from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, decorated with gold and silver, a range of display cases with rifles of various types of Medieval, Renaissance, Skanderbeg's swords, of Ali Pasha Tepelena, aircraft, helicopters, tanks, four silhouettes, ground artillery, anti-aircraft of various calibres, as well as transport vehicles of different types. The two main pavilions are: the historic era pavilion 1470-1945 and the pavilion of 1945-1990.

6. Stop 6 · 132 min walk

   Studio House "Kadare"

   This apartment was the residence of Kadare, an important writer, from 1974 to 1989, and his work place. It was designed by architect Maks Velo in 1972, was declared category II Culture Monument in 2015. The modernist and cubist building was called at that time "the palace with cubes", and represents the aspiration of Albanian architecture to be in step with time and in particular with the West. The Kadare Studio House will foster a deeper understanding of Albanian history during the dictatorship.

Eat · Tasty: An authentic and plain cantine-like restaurant with a great choice of inexpensive, genuine Albanian dishes.

1. Stop 1

   Piramid

   Completely renovated and reopened in May 2023, the pyramid was built in 1987 according to the design of Enver Hoxha's daughter and was opened as a museum dedicated to her father. In 2007 US President George W. Bush gave a speech in front of this building. The building was the most expensive erected under communism, but by 2017 it had been empty and derelict for some time and threatened with demolition, instead it was saved and rebuilt.

2. Stop 2 · 7 min walk

   Blloku or Ish-Blloku

   Among the apartment blocks, one can find some of Tirana's trendiest cafés, shops, and restaurants. Here is also located the villa of the former dictator, Enver Hoxha. During communism, the area was reserved solely for government officials and was not allowed to be entered by the commoner. It was opened to the public in 1991 and since became the number one spot for Tirana's youth. At night the area gets full of people especially on weekends when most night clubs are full.

3. Stop 3 · 14 min walk

   Tanners' Bridge

   This is an 18th-century Ottoman period stone footbridge. The bridge was once part of the Shëngjergj Road that linked Tirana with the eastern highlands. The Shëngjergj Road furnished the city with agricultural produce and livestock. The bridge went across the Lanë stream and was adjacent to the area of butchers and leather workers. The Lanë was rerouted in the 1930s and the bridge was neglected. In the 1990s the bridge was restored to its former glory and is now used by pedestrians only.

4. Stop 4 · 8 min walk

   National Library of Albania

   The library holds over a million books and is known for its ancient collections.

5. Stop 5 · 4 min walk

   Clock Tower

   This tower has become a symbol of Tirana. It is one of the oldest constructions in Tirana, built in the 1820s. Don't forget to visit the nearby Clock Towers of Albania Museum featuring Clock Towers from around Albania, and traditional costumes from Tirana region. The stairs have 90 steps that go in a spiral fashion. It is 35 m (115 ft) tall and was the tallest building in Tirana at the time.

6. Stop 6 · 13 min walk

   Sali Shijaku's Traditional House

   This well-preserved traditional house owned by painter Sali Shijaku features art displays, traditional house emnities, and a restaurant.

Eat · Te Dhuri: Only daily lunch menu available, no à-la-carte. Simple but delicious. Though, it seems a little Albanian might be needed to communicate your needs.

1. Stop 1

   Petrela Castle

   This is one of Albania's best-preserved castles. It is known as an ancient settlement 2000 years old and was commanded by princess Mamica, the sister of the national hero, Skanderbeg.

2. Stop 2 · 330 min walk

   Preze Castle

   This 15th-century castle is on the picturesque hills of Preze village west of Rinas airport.

3. Stop 3 · 301 min walk

   Dajti Castle ruins

   An archaeological site comprising the remains of a Roman fortification (built over an earlier Illyrian castle) on a mountainside of Mount Dajti.

4. Stop 4 · 338 min walk

   Ndroqi Castle ruins

   Located on a pyramid-shaped hill. A cobblestone paved pass lead to the castle.

5. Stop 5 · 238 min walk

   Persqopi Archeological Site

   Persqopi was an ancient city. It's on the Viles Hillside (malin e Vilës). The outer wall was 7 m high, the bastion 12 m high. The city is built using more than 2 m long and 1 m high stone elements. Take a stroll around the hill.

Eat · Vjosa: Serves all regular Albanian dishes; Supe Pule, Tashqebab, Tave Dheu, Salate Fshati, Fergese, etc.

1. Stop 1

   Shkodër

   Listed as a next stop from Tirana. Check the regional train or bus the night before.

2. Stop 2

   Montenegro

   Listed as a next stop from Tirana. Check the regional train or bus the night before.

3. Stop 3

   Albanian Alps

   Listed as a next stop from Tirana. Check the regional train or bus the night before.

Eat · Pack snacks from town. Do not count on a full menu at a small station.

1. Stop 1

   Murat Toptani Street

   Murat Toptani Street is a pedestrian-only street east of Rinia Park constructed with stone near the Tirana Castle walls. Traditional houses, cafes, and a local park are found here.

2. Stop 2

   Sheshi Skënderbej

   Tirana's city centre. A statue of Albanian hero Skanderbeg stands in the square with the Albanian flag on the side. Renovations have made the square pedestrians and public transportation friendly. Government buildings featuring Italian architecture and some structures outlined below are all right off this square.

3. Stop 3

   Stroll along Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit

   A panoramic boulevard built by the Italians in the 1930s similar to the Champs de Elysee extending south from Skanderberg Square. The boulevard features Fascist, Communist, and modern architecture of government buildings, business centres and hotels. Many local parks are found here. This street runs from the south end of Skenderbeg Square, across the Lana River, to Mother Teresa Square. The sidewalks and crosswalks on this street are wider and more walkable than most in the city.

4. Stop 4

   Taiwan Complex

   This beautiful place in the heart of downtown Tirana. It includes restaurants, casinos, bars, a club, etc. It is surrounded by a huge lit water fountain with a glowing bridge that reaches to the restaurant, and is an ideal place for all ages. Children enjoy gourmet ice cream and iced European soft drinks, whilst adults and teens can enjoy fun casinos. This is an excellent tourist attraction, and many Albanian celebrities can be found in the area.

Eat · Go back to a place that already worked.