Albania is one of the most rewarding countries in Europe to drive. The distances are manageable, the roads have improved significantly in recent years, and the range of landscapes you pass through — alpine valleys, Ottoman hill towns, a mountain pass at 1,000 metres, and one of the clearest coastlines on the Ionian Sea — is genuinely hard to match anywhere else on the continent for the same amount of driving. This 7-day itinerary covers the main southern circuit: Tirana, Berat, the Albanian Riviera, Saranda, and Gjirokastër, returning to Tirana for the flight home. Total distance is around 700 km.
The 7-Day Itinerary
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Day 1 — Tirana: Arrive & Explore Pick up your car at Tirana International Airport (TIA) and check in to your hotel. The afternoon is enough time for the core of the city: Skanderbeg Square is the obvious starting point — the main square, the National History Museum with its monumental mosaic facade, and the Et'hem Bey Mosque. The Blloku district (once the Communist-era inner sanctum, now the city's best bar and café strip) is a 10-minute walk south and worth an evening on foot. Tirana is more interesting and more youthful than most first-time visitors expect.
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Day 2 — Tirana → Berat (120 km, ~2h) Leave Tirana south on the SH4 toward Elbasan, then cut west to Berat. The drive takes about 2 hours. Berat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — the "city of a thousand windows" — built on a hillside above the Osum river, with rows of white Ottoman houses stacked up the slope to the castle at the top. The old Mangalem quarter on the west bank and Gorica on the east are both walkable in an afternoon. Spend one night in Berat; the castle and the view over the white facades at dusk are worth staying for.
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Day 3 — Berat → Vlorë (90 km, ~1h 15m) Head southwest from Berat on the SH72 toward Fier, then south on the SH4 to Vlorë. A worthwhile detour on this section is the Apollonia archaeological site, 12 km west of Fier — Greek and Roman ruins set in a quiet olive grove with a good small museum. Budget an hour. Vlorë itself is a working port city rather than a resort; it's a functional base. The bay and the peninsula of Karaburun to the west form the start of what becomes the Albanian Riviera heading south. Walk the seafront promenade in the evening.
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Day 4 — Vlorë → Himara (90 km, ~2h) This is the best driving day of the trip. From Vlorë the SH8 climbs steeply onto the Llogara Pass at 1,027 metres — a UNESCO-protected national park — with a wide panorama over the Ionian Sea from the top. The descent from the pass marks the beginning of the Albanian Riviera proper. Palasa beach, Drymades, and Gjipe canyon are all on this stretch. Himara, at the end of the day's drive, sits above its own small beach and has a good selection of guesthouses and restaurants. The pace changes completely from Vlorë — this is where the trip shifts into coastal holiday mode.
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Day 5 — Himara → Saranda (55 km, ~1h) A short drive but a full day. Porto Palermo Castle is 20 minutes south of Himara — an Ottoman fortress on a small peninsula, free to enter and largely unrestored. The beaches at Borsh (Albania's longest, at 7 km) and Qeparo are both on this stretch; stop at whichever appeals. Saranda is a busy resort town at the southern tip of the Riviera, facing Corfu across 3 km of water. Ksamil, 15 minutes south of Saranda, has the best swimming on this section of coast — turquoise water and several small islands you can reach by boat.
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Day 6 — Saranda: Gjirokastër Day Trip (55 km each way) Drive inland from Saranda on the SH99 to Gjirokastër — 55 km, about 1 hour. Gjirokastër is a second UNESCO World Heritage Site on this itinerary: an Ottoman hill town built of grey stone that climbs a steep ridge above the Drino valley. The fortress at the top is enormous and houses a weapons museum. Ali Pasha's house in the bazaar district below is one of the finest Ottoman domestic buildings in the Balkans. The old bazaar itself is still functional — not a tourist reconstruction. Budget a full day here; it rewards slow exploration. Alternatively, take the morning ferry from Saranda to Corfu (30 minutes, fast catamaran) for a day on the Greek island — but note that rental cars cannot board the ferry.
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Day 7 — Saranda → Tirana (280 km, ~4h) The longest driving day of the trip. Leave Saranda early on the SH8 north, then pick up the SH4 at Vlorë and continue on the SH1 to Tirana. Allow 4 hours of actual driving time plus stops. Return the car at Tirana Airport. If your flight is in the afternoon or evening, the drive is comfortable with an 8 am departure from Saranda. If you have an early morning flight, consider an overnight in Fier or Lushnjë on Day 6 after the Gjirokastër visit to break the return journey.
Distance Summary
What Car Do You Need?
A standard compact or hatchback handles this entire itinerary without any issues. The main roads — SH1, SH4, SH8 — are all fully paved and in good condition. The Llogara Pass section of the SH8 is narrow with hairpin bends but entirely paved; a normal hatchback takes it fine, just slowly.
A 4×4 or SUV becomes relevant only if you're adding mountain detours — Theth and Valbona in the Albanian Alps, or the remote interior villages off the main coastal road. For the southern circuit described here, additional ground clearance adds nothing. A compact car also makes parking considerably easier in the tight lanes of Berat and Gjirokastër old towns.
If you plan to continue from Tirana or Shkodër into Montenegro at the end of the trip, you'll need a Green Card insurance certificate (from €38) and a cross-border permit from M.A.C.K. Arrange these at the time of booking — not on the day of departure.
Practical Tips
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Pick up and return at Tirana Airport M.A.C.K. has a desk at Tirana International Airport (TIA). Pick up on Day 1 arrival and return on Day 7 before your flight. The airport is 17 km northwest of the city centre — allow 25 minutes to the city in normal traffic.
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Fuel up before the Llogara Pass Fill the tank in Vlorë before heading south on the SH8. The next reliable station is in Himara, on the other side of the pass. The pass itself has no fuel. Don't leave Vlorë with less than half a tank.
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Book Berat and Saranda accommodation in advance Both fill quickly in summer (July–August). Saranda in particular has limited mid-range options that book out weeks ahead in peak season. Gjirokastër is easier — fewer tourists stay overnight.
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Carry Albanian lek in cash Card acceptance is solid in Tirana and Saranda but patchy elsewhere. Smaller restaurants, roadside cafés, and fuel stations on the coastal road are often cash-only. Withdraw lek in Tirana or Vlorë — ATMs are sparse on the SH8.
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Best season: late May–June and September The sea is warm, roads are uncongested, and accommodation costs noticeably less than July–August. September is excellent — the light on the coast is softer and crowds thin out quickly after the first week of the month.