10 Best Things to do in Tirana and Complete Guide
Drink and dine in Tirana’s trendiest neighbourhood, sip on cocktails from high above the city, learn about the country’s complex history, stroll around the beautiful lake in Grand Park, climb to the top of the Pyramid of Tirana, visit the largest Mosque in the Balkans, discover abandoned bunkers and so much more. Here’s our guide to the very best things to do in Tirana and everything you need to know for your visit.
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Tirana; Albania’s bustling capital city is underrated and overlooked. In honesty, I wasn’t expecting much. A lot of history, yes, but I pictured it to be rather grey with not much to do.Â
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Albania opened its doors to tourism in the late 80s but it’s only been in recent years that it’s really boomed. While some people add Tirana to their Albania itinerary, most head straight for the beaches or mountains and overlook the capital, which is a shame.
Tirana has become a developed city with a unique and fascinating vibe. Its wide tree-lined streets are vibrant and home to beautiful architecture, a thriving bar and restaurant scene, buzzing cafes and historical sights and are surrounded by dramatic mountain peaks.
Something I thought incredibly interesting about Albania is how all religions coexist peacefully and everyone is tolerant and accepting of everyone’s beliefs and faiths. Churches and mosques often sit on the same streets and interfaith marriages are widely accepted.
Albania is a beautiful country with friendly and welcoming locals eager to share their experiences and opinions with you. It’s at a really interesting place with tourism and now is the perfect time to visit Tirana.
In this guide to the best things to do in Tirana, you’ll read everything you need to know including where to stay, the best time to visit Tirana, how long we’d recommend and more. We’ll then share the best activities in Tirana and a few final bits of information. Feel free to use the contents as needed.
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Contents
Everything You Need to Know to Visit Tirana
The best time to visit Tirana
The best time to visit Tirana is either late spring or early autumn when the temperatures are pleasant, rainfall is minimal and humidity is low.
Getting around Tirana
Tirana is very walkable so within the city, you won’t need to use public transport. Bikes are also a great way of getting around Tirana.
If needed, you can get buses. They run from 6am to 11pm every day. Timetables are unreliable and the buses are slow but they’re also extremely cheap and cost around 40 LEK (around .45 cents).
Costs in Tirana
Tirana is incredibly cheap! We stayed in a triple room in a lovely mid-range hotel, Villa Noem, for around 40 USD a night. Luxury hotels aren’t much more with many 5* hotels costing around 80 USD per night.
For a meal in an inexpensive restaurant, expect to pay around 8 USD and in an upmarket restaurant around 15 USD. We had a gorgeous meal for 3 at Salt Tirana, an upmarket Japanese restaurant for 180 USD which included several courses, cocktails and a bottle of wine.
Domestic beer will set you back around 3 USD in an average bar and slightly more expensive somewhere in the tourist hotspots. International beer is also a bit more.
Where to stay in Tirana
There are plenty of great neighbourhoods and where to stay in Tirana depends on what you’d like to get out of your visit. However, wherever you stay, you’ll be within walking distance of all of the best things to do in Tirana.
- Blloku: Tirana’s most vibrant neighbourhood with great nightlife and incredible food
- Tregu Çam: right in the centre of the city and a great base for exploring
- Komuna e Parasit: near Grand Park and perfect for a stroll around the lake or on the tree-lined paths
How long would you recommend for a Tirana itinerary?
We only had one day in Tirana but I’d recommend two days for the perfect Tirana itinerary. I’d have liked to have spent more time in cafes as Albania has a huge cafe culture but we were trying to see as much as possible in one day.
There’s also an amazing foodie scene so it would have been nice to enjoy more restaurants. If you do only have one day in Tirana, you can definitely see most of the sights, especially if you do a bike tour (more on bike tours later).
Let’s dive into the best things to do in Tirana
The Best Things to Do in Tirana
Explore Skanderbeg Square
We’ll start our list of the best things to do in Tirana with exploring Skanderbeg Square.
Skanderbeg Square is the main plaza in the centre of the city and a great place to start your Tirana itinerary. It’s named after the Albanian hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu (Skanderbeg) who resisted the Ottoman invasion for almost 25 years before his death in 1468.
Today, Skanderbeg Square is home to many Tirana sights including the National History Museum, Eth’em Bey Mosque and clock tower, the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet and a statue of Skanderbeg.
It’s a popular meeting point for locals and tour groups and is a great place to come in the evening to experience local culture. Watch buskers performing, see locals meeting to stroll and chat, vendors selling their crafts, street artists and maybe even a live event.
National History Museum
The National History Museum slots in next on the list of the best things to do in Tirana as it’s on Skanderbeg Square.
The National History Museum is probably the most important museum in Albania as it shares the complex story of Albania’s history. Visit seven pavilions from Antiquity, which display objects from the Late Palaeolithic to Early Middle Ages, and end with Communist Terror, which displays documents, photographs, and objects belonging to the period of the one-party system in Albania between 1945 and 1990.Â
The museum aims to provide knowledge and appreciation of Albania’s history and also to encourage citizens to chat about the country’s past, present and future.
You’ll quickly notice the National History Museum on Skanderbeg Square by its large mural mosaic titled “The Albanians”. It represents supposed ancient to modern figures throughout Albania’s history.Â
Drink and Dine in Blloku; top things to do in Tirana at night
As I’ve already mentioned briefly, Tirana has a thriving food and drink scene and Blloku is the neighbourhood where that’s most prominent.
During the day, stroll the tree-lined roads, sit in a charming cafe drinking espressos or enjoy a glass of wine on a large sun-soaked terrace. In the evening, follow the sounds of music spilling out onto the streets from swanky restaurants and lively bars.
If you enjoy a cocktail, one of the best cocktail bars in Tirana is the Colonial Cocktail Academy. This unique cocktail bar makes you feel instantly at home and together with the staff you create your own drink.
A restaurant I’d recommend visiting is Era. This is a charming restaurant with a large menu serving traditional Albanian cooking. There are many vegetarian options as well as meat (more on Albania for vegetarians and vegans later).
If you’re craving some fine-dining sushi, head to Salt Tirana. This stylish restaurant serves delicious sushi, Mediterranean cuisine, and seafood with Asian flavours. It also has a lovely upstairs terrace with great views of the city at night.
Drinking and dining your way around Blloku is definitely one of the best things to do in Tirana at night.Â
Discover the Bunkers
As you explore Tirana, you’ll notice bunkers scattered around the city in seemingly random places.Â
Around 750,000 bunkers were built around Albania to protect it from various real and imaginary enemy attacks. They were built by the communist dictator Enver Hoxha who ruled from 1945 until his death in 1985. The bunkers were never used for their intended purpose.
The bunkers were abandoned following the dissolution of communism in 1991. Most have been destroyed by various local governments although around 200,000 remain. Many are repurposed for various reasons including cafes, storehouses, animal and homeless shelters and residential accommodation.
One of the best things to do in Tirana is to visit the two bunkers open to visitors; Bunk’Art 1 and Bunk’Art 2. They’re history and art museums showcasing Albanian life during communism.
Tickets for both museums cost 500 LEK, 700 LEK for the audio tour (cash only). Bunk’Art 1 is open from 9:30am to 6pm every day and Bunk’Art 2 is open from 9:30am to 6pm Sunday – Thursday and until 8pm on Friday and Saturday.
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Visit Kometeti Bar; the best bars in Tirana
One of the bars in Tirana has to be Kometeti Bar.
This fascinating bar-cafe-museum is stacked full to the brim with around 17,000 objects dating from 1700-1990 all made in Albania. Objects are mainly from the communist era and cover every possible surface and wall around the bar.
Kometeti is divided into small dimly-lit rooms containing objects such as TVs, clothes, paintings, soldier’s uniforms, cushions, decor, radios, furniture, bikes, sewing machines and so much more. Out the back is a large colourful courtyard; a complete contrast to the interior.
The staff are dressed in communist-era uniforms and are more than happy to ask any questions you have about any of the objects.Â
Our top tip: this is the only place in Tirana where you’ll find 18 different types of “raki”; the famous alcoholic drink in Albania.
Bike Tour; best things to do in Tirana
Without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Tirana is a bike tour.
Tirana is jam-packed full of history, historical sights and culture and you can’t visit Tirana without learning about some of Albania’s history. There are plenty of walking tours, however, you can visit a lot more places and get further on a bike.
A bike tour with a local is invaluable. Especially with a history as complex as Albania’s. You’ll visit many of the top Tirana sights including Skanderbeg Square, Mother Teresa Square, the Pyramid of Tirana, a section of the Berlin Wall, the Grand Park of Tirana and much more.Â
Tirana is very well geared up for cycling. There are cycle paths next to pavements so you don’t need to cycle on the road too much or get in the way of pedestrians.Â
A bike tour was one of my favourite things to do in Tirana. I couldn’t wait to learn about the history. Denis, our local guide was incredibly knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions about Albania’s past, where the country is now, where he thinks the country will go and how he feels about everything.
Climb the Pyramid of Tirana; top Tirana sights
The Pyramid of Tirana is probably the most iconic of Tirana sights.
Initially built as a museum in 1988, it opened as the Enver Hoxha Museum about the legacy of Enver Hoxha, the long-time ruler of Communist Albania. When built, it’s thought that this was the most expensive structure ever constructed in Albania.
Between the collapse of Communism in 1991 and today, the Pyramid has served a number of functions including a conference centre, a NATO base and a broadcast centre.
Today, the Pyramid of Tirana has been dramatically transformed into a vibrant and colourful cultural hub in the centre of a park. You’ll also find several colourful boxes around the pyramid housing cafes, studios, workshops and offices where Albanian youth will learn various technology subjects for free.
Steps have also been added to the sloping sides so you can walk up and admire the views around Tirana and out to the surrounding mountains.
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Visit Namazgah Mosque
The Namazgah Mosque is currently being built in Tirana and once completed, it will be the largest mosque in the Balkans.
Enver Hoxha proclaimed Albania atheist and under his rule, mosques across the country were either destroyed, abandoned or converted into museums.Â
Following the fall of Communism, many of the mosques reopened, however, it wasn’t enough. Muslim Albanians complained about being discriminated against. While two cathedrals were built, as of 2016, Muslims in Albania still had no central mosque and had to pray in the streets.
The construction of Namazgah Mosque is considered necessary as there are only eight mosques in Tirana, down from 28 in 1967. During Islamic holidays, Skanderbeg Square is filled with Muslims because Et’hem Bey Mosque, currently Tirana’s principal mosque, only has capacity for 60 people.
Namazgah Mosque, when completed, will have the capacity for up to 4,500 to pray at one time and will also include a cultural centre and other facilities.
Construction for the mosque began in 2010 and was due to open in 2019. It still isn’t open and I don’t believe there is a date yet set for it to open.
Sky Club; a must on a Tirana itinerary
Located in The Sky Hotel near Blloku is Sky Club; one of the best bars in Tirana and a must-visit for some of the best views across the city!
The Sky Club is the only 360-degree rotating bar in the Balkans. It offers visitors incredible panoramic views from the 19th floor of the Sky Tower Hotel across the city and out to the surrounding mountains.
Enjoy a delicious cocktail as you sit back and relax and watch the view of the city change as you rotate 360 degrees in 2 hours. The bar also offers a variety of food including tapas and artisanal cheese platters.
Stroll Around the Grand Park of Tirana
To round off our list of the best things to do in Tirana is strolling around the Grand Park.
Grand Park is just south of Blloku and is perfect if you fancy a break from the bustling urban streets or if you just fancy some time in nature.
It’s 289 hectares and home to a large artificial lake, beautiful tree-lined pathways, Botanical Gardens, an amphitheatre host to various cultural activities and events and numerous landmarks including the Presidential Palace, the Saint Procopius Church and several tombs of Albanian national heroes.
The path around the lake is between 5 and 6 kilometres so if you want to go round the whole thing, we’d recommend doing so on a bike.
Spending a relaxing afternoon in the Grand Park is definitely one of the best things to do in Tirana.
That completes our list of the best things to do in Tirana. Continue reading for our final few bits of information to know before you visit Tirana.
Final Bits You Need to Know Before You Visit Tirana
Eating in Albania as a vegetarian/vegan
I travelled with two girls, one was pescatarian and the other vegetarian. In Tirana, as there’s a fantastic and diverse foodie scene, they were fine and had plenty of options and there were also plenty of vegan options.
However, out of the city in the mountains particularly the vegetarian struggled to find much that wasn’t pizza/bread/cheese. Vegan would be very difficult as cheese is in most food, however, it is doable with limited rather bland options. If you’re vegan and heading for the mountains, I’d recommend bringing some of your favourite snacks from home.
Smoking inside
Everything I’ve read online says that smoking isn’t allowed inside in Albania, however, this wasn’t what we found. People were smoking in pubs and restaurants had specific areas where you could smoke. Just something to bear in mind.
Currency
Albania uses the Albanian Lek. At the time of writing, 1 USD is 90.25 LEK. The Euro is also widely accepted, and even when paying in Lek, you may receive change in Euros. The exchange rate isn’t great though so try and pay in Lek as much as you can.
You’ll have to pay in cash in most places. Large hotels and restaurants may accept card but most places will only accept cash. I always travel with a Monzo and Revolut card with no transaction fees and the exchange rate is always as it actually is. You can also withdraw £200 a month at ATMs free of charge, which is why I travel with each.
Plug
Albania uses plug types C and F. C has two round pins and F has two round pins with two earth clips on the side.
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