Check out our 10 day itinerary in Albania with kids for your next European family holiday. Albania has fast become a top family holiday choice due to its stunning beaches, rugged countryside and let’s be honest – budget prices! Albanians understand how beautiful their country is and the Albanian Riviera can get booked up quickly. Book well in advance if you are planning to travel during peak summer months.
Are you looking to visit the Albanian Riviera? Or take an Albanian family holiday? Read on for our 10 day itinerary in Albania with kids.
Why go to Albania?
Albania was off the tourist trail until fairly recent years due to Communist power, economic collapse and unrest with neighbouring countries. However, today Albania is in a stronger economic position and welcomes tourists worldwide. It is a safe country and we had no problems when travelling with our kids.
The Albanian Riviera is stunning, a true selling point of the country and should not be missed during a 10 day itinerary in Albania with kids. The countryside and towns like Gjirokaster with old traditions, markets, food and beautiful buildings should also be included in an Albania holiday. The Mediterranean climate and food also make choosing Albania for a family holiday a great idea!
As well as the beauty of the country another huge plus point is the cost. Albania is a very cheap country to visit and you can eat out like a king on a small budget.
How to get to Albania
Tirana is the capital of Albania and where the airport is. If you are flying from the UAE you will find flights to Tirana with Emirates but also with Fly Dubai and Wizz Air from Abu Dhabi. If coming from the UK or other European destinations, major airports will fly to Tirana. We always recommend checking Skyscanner for the best deals.
The other option, which is what we did, is to fly into Corfu and take the 30 minute ferry ride to Saranda in Albania. This option means that you start your visit on the south coast on the Albanian Riviera which was perfect for us beach lovers!
How to travel around Albania
Unfortunately public transport in Albania is not the best! If you are travelling to Albania with kids we would definitely recommend hiring a car. You can easily pick up a rental car in Tirana airport.
However, if you opt to fly into Corfu and get the ferry across with Finikas Ferries then there are many car rental options in Saranda also. We used Saranda Rent a Car who were the cheapest we found.
Driving around Albania is easy, we did it in a little Fiat for 10 days and managed fine! Just beware of the speed limits as there are a lot of police on the road.
Read here for our post and information on an Albanian road trip around the Albanian Riviera.
How many days in Albania?
You could easily go to Albania for a week or less and have your typical beach resort family holiday. However, if you want to explore the country and experience some of the other sides of Albania we recommend 7-10 days. Changing hotels around 3 times so that you can travel around. For our itinerary below you will need to travel around and can not stay in one place. It is best to be arriving to Albania from Corfu to follow this itinerary.
Where to go in Albania in 10 days
This itinerary is perfect if you want to optimise beach time and see a bit of what Albania has to offer. There is A LOT more to Albania than what we saw during our 10 days in Albania. However, we were travelling with young kids and wanted to relax as well as adventure during our time. So if you fancy a relaxing holiday with a bit of adventure chucked in then this 10 day itinerary in Albania with kids is for you!
Days 1-2 – Saranda
Arriving on the ferry from Corfu into Saranda. The ferry is a fast 30 minute service and you can buy tickets in advance with Finikas Ferry. From Corfu airport it is just a 10 minute taxi to the ferry terminal, there is a small cafe if you have any waiting time.
When arriving in Saranda there will be a queue of taxis waiting to pick you up. Make sure to arrange a price before you get in, if you are staying in Saranda for the first few nights then a taxi should be no more than 10 Euros. Ask for a meter, but they will probably say it doesn’t work. Or better still, pre-arrange a pick up with your hotel.
Saranda is the port town but it has a nice sandy beach, lots of large hotels and beach clubs and many restaurants and bars. It is lively in the evenings but not rowdy at all.
Some popular Saranda hotels are:
- Demi Hotel – a nice 4* Hotel in a good location
- Hotel Butrinti and Spa – a beachfront 5* hotel
- Hotel Dodona – a good 4* hotel on the beach
- Hotel Sole – another good beachfrom 4* hotel
As well as these there are many cheaper, apartments available. We stayed at a lovely place called Villa Skenderi which was a little out of the centre of Saranda. We had a little sea view villa/apartment, private beach and many restaurants and shops in walking distance. It was a perfect, quiet escape!
Booking.comWhilst you are in Saranda check out:
- Lekursi Castle – a favourite tourist spot in Saranda which offers amazing views over the town and has a cafe/restaurant.
- 40 Saints Monastery – it is ruins but offers great views over the city.
- Butrint – an ancient city in a National Park that has a lot of wildlife too.
- Haxhi Restaurant – traditional Albanian food and decor
- Saranda Terrace – a Grecian looking restaurant with wonderful sunset views
Choose whether to base yourself in Saranda or Ksamil during your few days in this area. It is about a 10-15 minute drive between the two beach towns.
For more information check out our post Saranda with kids.
Day 3-4 – Ksamil
You can choose to stay at the same hotel in Saranda or Ksamil for 3/4 nights and travel between the two. There is a local bus that runs along the road between the two although we never worked out how to use it. Alternatively you can get a taxi for around 15 Euros.
Read our list of Finding the Best Beaches in Ksamil to Visit for all the information on where to go during your time in Ksamil.
Ksamil is the highlight of the Albanian Riviera with beaches straight out of a travel brochure. To spend the day on the beach you will need to rent a sunbed from one of the restaurants. It is a beach destination where you can kick back and relax for your time on your Albanian family holiday. Be aware that it does get busy especially in peak summer months. Our advice, as always, is arrive early for the best sunbeds.
Boat hire is available to explore the uninhabited 3 islands which offer even more beaches but can get pretty busy.
Eat lunch at Guvat Bar, a beachfront restaurant offering elevated views of Ksamil. The mussels and feta were incredible!
Booking.comFor more information about Saranda and Ksamil check out our post Saranda with kids.
Days 5-7 – Gjirokaster
Continuing on your 10 day itinerary in Albania with kids, next up is Gjirokaster. It is about a 1.5 hour drive to Gjirokaster through the beautiful Albanian countryside.
Gjirokaster is like something straight out of a fairytale. It is known as ‘The Stone City’ and is a UNESCO Heritage Town. With cobbled streets, hilltop castles and bustling markets you will feel yourself stepping back in time. Be aware that Gjirokaster is steep and hilly with many cobbled streets so pushing a pram could be difficult. It would also not be a good option for anyone with mobility issues. The streets of the old town are narrow and many pedestrianised so taxis are not an option.
We stayed in the lovely Hotel Gjirokaster which has an amazing location in the old town. It is also budget friendly, charming and run by lovely people. They also give a great breakfast!
Check out this blog on 11 Best Things to Do in Gjirokaster for more information on Gjirokaster.
Blue Eye Albania
Either on the way from Saranda to Gjirokaster or from Gjirokaster to Dhermi make sure to visit the Blue Eye Albania. I cannot stress enough – GET THERE EARLY!
We arrived around 9.30am and managed to park OK but by the time we left around 11.30am it was completely packed. There were cars blocking each other in and all sorts of beeping and tooting of horns going on.
Be prepared to walk a good 30-40 minutes from the car to the actual Blue Eye pool. It is on a well made path along some stunning views but in the middle of the summer it can be hot! There is an option to rent electric scooters which would be a good idea.
When you arrive at the Blue Eye the water is incredible, colours I have never seen naturally before. However, you cannot swim in the water. So don’t bother dragging towels and swimming stuff with you. There is a view-point and we did sneak in and paddle in one part – the water is freezing!
It is worth stopping off for a look, a little walk around and a coffee or ice cream to break up the drive. We were glad we did it on the way from Gjirokaster to Dhermi as it is quite a long drive (3.5 hours) so it broke it up a bit. There’s a little gift shop, a cafe and some toilets there. Make sure to have cash as there’s a small nominal fee of 50 lek or 100 lek if you have a car as you walk in.
Days 8-10 – Dhermi
The final part of your 10 day itinerary in Albania with kids will be spent on Dhermi Beach. Dhermi is on the South East coast so to access it from Gjirokaster you have to pass back through Saranda. Take your time and enjoy the stunning, winding roads along the coast. We pulled in at a few little villages along the way to admire the beautiful coastline.
Dhermi has one of the longest stretches of beach along the coast. Although pebbly, it is designed for beachgoers with boardwalks to aid walking along the way. These help you to get through the sunbeds and back onto the promenade.
We loved Dhermi for the long promenade littered with restaurants, small shops and bars. We happily spent 3 days simply on the beach relaxing, eating and drinking after a busy few days in Gjirokaster. The sea is the clearest we have ever seen on our travels and were perfectly happy to while away our days here.
We stayed in a budget hotel just off the beach called Aphrodite Hotel as we booked quite late. Summer accommodation in this small town gets booked up quickly. There are some stunning hotels on the beachfront that are worth checking out like the Ionian Pearl Hotel and Hildon Eco Hotel as well as the Splendor Hotel & Spa.
For more information on Dhermi Beach check out our post.
Day 10 – Leave Albania
On your final day in Albania you will need to make your way back to the ferry terminal in Saranda. It is around a 2 hour drive from Dhermi Beach to Saranda with multiple ferries leaving for Corfu throughout the day.
We left Albania and went on to spend a few days in Corfu before flying back to the UK to see family. Check out our post on Corfu Town – is it worth visiting? here to see if you want to include some time in Corfu as part of your trip.
Last say on a 10 day Itinerary in Albania with kids
Albania is an up-and-coming holiday destination. As it becomes more popular the prices will hike and the tourist spots will become more and more popular. Get over there as soon as you can before it gets overrun with tourists and spoilt! A perfect, budget-friendly family holiday with a great mix of things to do.
More links for your 10 day itinerary in Albania with kids
- Skyscanner for flights
- Booking.com for hotels
- Finikas Ferry
- Saranda Holiday Car Rental
- Guide to Albania for information on food, weather, currency etc.
Other Albania Inspiration
- Guide to Albania
- 5 Reasons why you need to travel to Albania
- 10 day Itinerary in Albania
- Albanian Road Trip in the Albanian Riviera
- Corfu to Albania Ferry
- Saranda with kids
- Best things to do in Gjirokaster
- Blue Eye Albania
- Dhermi Beach Albania
- Best Restaurant Albania
- Are the Beaches in Ksamil Worth Visiting?
- Finding the Best Beaches in Ksamil to Visit
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