Hope you enjoyed the hike! 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! The distance between Shkodr and Theth is 42 km. They dropped us off right at our guesthouse in Valbone, which was an absolute dreamy cabin surrounded by the mountains. Almost everyone we encountered on our travels was doing it this way. Source? 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. $198.77. You can double-check the dates for this year here. Are you going to trek from Valbona to Theth or try the reverse route? The beds were comfy and they had hot showers, and best of all, a puppy! Im not planning to stay in Shkoder for a few weeks !! Ive had my eye on it since 2017 and finally going to do it next summer and cannot wait. Amazing! But like, Albania had Alps?!? Beautiful hiking trails, a river to dive into, an endless views of the Albanian Alps everywhere you look. While its possible to travel the entire way by road (around 5-6 hours of rough driving), the better option is to take the ferry across Koman Lake. Reserve. Explore the Best of Albanian Alps and Accursed Mountains in a 2 Days tour of Theth and Shkoder from Tirana. Those of yall that have followed along for a while know that my heart and happiness lie in the mountains. Although keep in mind that it ends up right in front of the village. The hike itself isnt too challenging. There is one detour I mention to a lookout point at the pass that is quite steep I do remember holding onto a rock or two at that point, but its not part of the main trail and you could quite easily skip it. Skanderbeg Square. Meals were also included and the price was 25 euros per night. Besides that, Theth is all nature. Just take your time and youll be okay. Thanks again and best wishes, Hi and thank you for the amazing information! Hi Abraham, great to hear that! Hi Georgia! Line bus: Rinas Airport Tirana Center. The ferry takes about three hours but it is one of the most stunning boat rides youll ever go on. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. About this activity Free cancellation Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund Reserve now & pay later Currently, they are paving a new road which will mean cars will be able to drive there in the near future, which is exciting! Well rested and reinvigorated afterwards, I ran down the mountain. This is why I recommend leaving your car in Shkoder and making use of the public transport connections to get to and from the mountains. A refillable water bottle, a light jacket and sun protection gear are all essential. Trust me. The uphill parts are gruelling for sure, but they only come in short bursts, and you do get some relief with the downhill portions. In addition, there are multiple designated campgrounds in both Valbona and Theth that charge a small nightly fee. 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. Personally, because of the remote location and risk of falling (especially in the loose rock sections), I would not feel comfortable trekking alone. Hope that helps Anita. Shkoder Hotels with Parking Shkoder Hotels with a Pool Pet Friendly Hotels in Shkoder. Only to realize about 10 minutes later that my backpack had ripped open and I was missing my camera, AirPods, clothes, and other things. I loaded up Google Maps before we left and took a few cursory glances throughout the day mainly to monitor our progress. Its really hard to say without knowing the weather conditions. Okay, lets get down, lets get down to business. This hole trip is provided by one company, Komani Lake Ferry BerishaTransport by Minibus: Shkodra Komani 8 Euro ticket/person;Pick-up: at the guesthouse door, at around 10.00 a.m.Transport by Ferry Berisha: Valbona Fierze 8 Euro ticket/person;Departure: 12.00 a.m. once a day, for a 2 hours trip on the lake.Transport by Minibus: Koman Shkodra 8 Euro ticket/person.Drop off: at the hotel door in Shkodra at around 17.00 p.m. For more info visit the link https://komanilakeferry.com/en/timetables-and-prices/, Where: Rus, Shkoder, Ura e Maxharrit square. Enjoy a day tour of Shkoder. Im just wondering assuming I come by car to either Theth or Valbona. How to get from Heathrow Airport into central London, How to get from Luton Airport into central London, Shkodr to Porto Montenegro Residences Tivat. Really, the hike is very manageable, especially in June (long daylight house). Northern Albania has pronounced seasons its not possible to trek in the Albanian Alps in winter due to heavy snowfall. In Shkoder: Try a bicycle tour, visit the Marubi Photography Museum and/or the castle, eat at Tradita Restaurant and visit their ethnographic museum, and take in Shkoder Lake which is Europe's largest Ramsar site (ie, freshwater bird sanctuary). Deals of The Week . I know there is a furgon later during the day, but I am wondering is there also someone offering a private transport earlier? You can do the hike in sneakers, but it is a lot more difficult than having boots with good traction. It is possible to go with a private guide or as part of an organised tour, but its not necessary. Anita Hendrieka is the blogger behind this website and another popular website called 'Anita Hendrieka'. It looks like a beautiful part of the world so Id hate to miss out on seeing it. They have white on green road signs such as in Italy and other countries nearby. Limited international flights leaving Albania began to resume from June 15. The motorways are primary roads with a speed limit of 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph). Thank you Rosie! There is no direct road. They had Wi-Fi, although I never connected to it so I dont actually know if it was good or not. You wont save much money for the extra effort it takes to try and organize everything on your own. We are all quite fit but since with a child you never know their moods I wanted to ask if anyone knows: would it be possible in worst case to sleep anywhere on the way e.g. Immediately after the pass, youll find yourself going downhill steeply on some pretty unstable rocks. If so, are they western style seated types? 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. So yeah, to be fair, everything was kind of a surprise. Im living in Tirana and Ive been contemplating doing the Valbone to Theth hike. Are they the eastern style trough in the floor types? Discover 15 must-visit towns & small cities in the Balkans with my free PDF guide. The night before we left Valbona, our hosts gave us the option of skipping breakfast and taking a packed lunch instead. We only took one wrong turn, right at the beginning of the hike as we were leaving a small village near the Valbona trailhead. Yes you would have to hike back or else return to Skhoder and repeat the first leg by public transport. Technically theres no reason you couldnt do the trek solo provided youre an experienced hiker with the correct gear. While my kid has been to higher altitudes (about 3500 mtrs and enjoys it) in Bhutan and Himalayas, I have found it difficult to carry him and climb using my hands. Just wondering. Our accommodation, for example, was a full 9km from the start of the trail thats almost the same distance as the hike itself! If its going to be a bad storm, it could be quite unpleasant. There's a lot more to do in this village compared to Valbone. Thank you for your inspiring and very useful post. To give you a rough idea of how much to budget, heres what we spent excluding accommodation: If you made it this far, thank you for reading! It is also possible to hire a 44 private taxi if you dont fancy catching the shuttle bus. If you leave Valbona early, you likely wont encounter many other people for the first half of the trek. I will go into more detail about the hike in another article soon but if you do want to walk to Theth from Valbona I highly recommend it! Im not sure what your odds are of finding cheap public transportation to Valbone. Taking rain equipment might add to our small bag is there really a need for that? This hole trip is provided by one company, Komani Lake Berisha.Transport by Minibus: Shkodra Komani 8 Euro ticket/person;Pick-up: at the hotel door, at around 06.30 a.m.Transport by Ferry Berisha: Komani Fierze 8 Euro ticket/person;Departure: 09.00 a.m. once a day, for a 2 hours trip on the lake.Transport by Minibus: Fierze Valbona 8 Euro ticket/person.Drop off: at the guesthouse door in Valbona at around 13.30 p.m. https://komanilakeferry.com/en/timetables-and-prices/. Dont underestimate the value of having the trail to yourself. Its a stunning panorama where you get vistas of the entire Valbona Valley and Theth Valley. After asking and reading around, we figured it could take anywhere between 5 and 10 hours to complete the 9.5 km hike from Rroga to Theth village. Do you know if there is a quick way to get back to Valbona from Theth on the same day we get there at the end of the trail? Its truly one of the most underrated and beautiful day hikes in Europe. Gazheli Petrol in Tirana,to Koman at 05:00. She has been named the top travel blogger in New Zealand and has been to over 50 countries in the world. Shkoder Koplik Dedaj Shkreli Boge Field Okolit Qafe tThore Valley of Shale -Theth. It's a long drive. Sunscreen is also essential. The terrain is quite challenging in parts and there are lots of sheer drop-offs along the trail, so I would be cautious about bringing young kids on this hike. I hope you have a wonderful time there. This post may contain affiliate links. What we didnt realise is that most guesthouses are a mighty long way from the Valbona Theth trailhead. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Stay overnight in Shkoder. Thanks for the really detailed overview of the hike. You MUST have a 44 to visit Theth, a normal car will not do. We started our hike just before 7 AM which we felt was perfect. It cost 16 euros for all of that. First, you take a minivan from your accommodation in Shkoder to the ferry terminal at Koman. I havent heard of anyone doing that before, but I think its a great idea. A good place to camp is near the cafe above Theth. In summer especially, its a good idea to book your transfers at least a few weeks in advance. But the more I read, the more anxious and intimidated I felt. Your email address will not be published. From Shkodra to Thethi, the route indications are: 72 km, Driving time 3 hours. Like I mentioned earlier, the hostel I stayed at also organized pretty much everything for me. Eventually, the incline begins. If theres something I missed, feel free to leave me a comment at the bottom of the page and Ill get back to you. There were plenty of hiking trails that you could connect to straight from the guesthouse. Learn more. I think the pass would still be manageable, but I would recommend getting in touch with someone on the ground to confirm. You can lower the cost by carpooling with other travellers. There are the top ways to get to Theth, whether youre an adventure lover or not there are options for everyone. Almost at the finish line, though! Follow my adventures through the Caucasus, the Balkans, Southeast Asia and beyond as I inspire you to fill your own travels with colour, culture and creativity. The views here were nothing short of breathtaking. Enjoy! From Shokder, youll need to take a bus to Lake Komani, then take the ferry, and then get transportation to Valbona. Now, based in the Balkans she gives you the best advice on the region through this website. Some people at our guesthouse were carrying poles, boots and other fancy trekking paraphernalia, none of which I had with me. Thank you, But your biggest concern should be covering up to protect your skin from the sun. Are you planning to do the trek? Ive only been sunburnt once in my life, but I never want to feel that pain ever again. 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