I’m a travel and food writer based in London. Long intrigued by all I had heard about the up-and-coming destination, Albania, my partner Dan and I planned a four-day weekend in the capital, Tirana.
Though I hadn’t done much research on the city, I was aware that the country as a whole was much cheaper than the UK, so we were looking forward to indulging ourselves with meals out, some bar hopping, and a little culture without feeling like we’d have to remortgage our (tiny) flat.
We saw decent hotels starting at around $45 – but we chose to splash out a little more on a charming independent hotel that had a bit more personality.
Pre-trip spending
Accommodation: It cost about $270 for three nights at a charming boutique hotel located in a quiet, leafy, residential neighborhood, just a 15-minute walk from the central Skanderbeg Square. Stylish rooms had vibrantly colored walls hung with Vogue-style photographic portraits of actors and singers (ours featured Boy George). The room rate included a “traditional Albanian breakfast” of eggs, sausage, sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers, served in a small but stylish, plant-filled dining area.
Total: $270
On the ground
Friday
Airport transfer: We landed at around 1:30pm and came out of the baggage hall…just in time to miss the bus into the center of town. So we hopped into a metered taxi ($28).
Aperitivo: After spending the afternoon exploring the center, we headed back to the hip Blloku district for drinks and dinner. First up, an aperitivo at a local cocktail bar with an outdoor terrace draped with foliage. Our bill (with a small tip) came to $28.
Dinner: We ended up at a restaurant with a menu of Mediterranean cuisine. A hearty slab of baked local cheese, a Greek salad, spaghetti carbonara, grilled octopus, and a couple of beers and glasses of wine came to $28.
Drinks: After a nightcap at a buzzing outdoor courtyard (two beers and two margaritas cost $24), a metered taxi back to the hotel cost us $5.
Total: $112
Saturday
Street art tour: After our Albanian breakfast, we set off on a more leisurely stroll to take in Tirana’s sights; the center is highly walkable. I’m mad about street art, and we found plenty of murals adorning tall buildings on the streets leading down to Skanderbeg Square. We admired the impressive Namazgah Mosque and the nearby modern Orthodox Resurrection Cathedral, then explored Tirana Castle, a medieval fortress that now houses a selection of restaurants and artisan stalls. I love the mix of design and architecture in the city.
Museum: To escape the heat of the afternoon, we visited Bunk’Art 2, housed in one of the over 750,000 bunkers Albania’s former Communist ruler Enver Hoxha had constructed during his regime. We bought a combined ticket for this and the original Bunk’Art for $10.50 each. Inside, the corridors were cool but slightly eerie, with exhibits about Hoxha’s secret police and his safe room.
Lunch: Still full from breakfast, we paused for a coffee at a local café, where two lattes came to $4.25.
Drinks: Dan had done some research on the perfect place for a sundowner: a bar on the 13th floor of an office tower with a panoramic view of the city. We toasted the sunset with a couple of beers (Dan) and Bellinis (me) totaling $20.
Dinner: We made our way to the lively Pazari i Ri, featuring a series of bars and restaurants clustered near a big open-air market. We took an outdoor table at a family-run taverna and enjoyed local traditional dishes, which came to $18 in total.
Total: $64
Sunday
Museum: We took the bus (tickets $.45 each) to the original Bunk’Art, which was larger, with five underground floors and unsettling areas like radiation treatment rooms.
Lunch: Not far is the Dajti Express cable-car station that takes you up to the top of Mt Djatji for $30, resulting in phenomenal views over forests and lakes. We had lunch at a chalet-style restaurant, with our bill coming to $36.
Drinks: Back in Blloku, we had a pre-dinner drink at a friendly bar, where a couple of beers and a glass of wine came to $12.
Dinner: We managed to get a table at the restaurant we initially sought, where our bill came to $36. A taxi back to the hotel cost $5.30.
Total: $120
Monday
Visit to the mosque: We start the day visiting the small Et’hem Bey Mosque, with delicately hand-painted walls and ceilings dating from the early 19th century (free entry).
Coffees: Afterward, we walked to Tirana’s Grand Park, a 715-acre green space with a man-made lake, where we stopped for a couple of iced coffees ($8.50).
Lunch: We returned to Pazari I Ri for lunch at a garden restaurant, enjoying a delightful meal that totaled $40.
Museum: We took in a last dose of Albanian culture at the National History Museum, where our entrance fee was $10.50.
Dinner and cocktails: We wrapped our trip at an upmarket restaurant, where a delicious finale set us back $133.
The final tally: $762 for two
Cost vs value
I’d say Albania offers great value for money, with food being particularly budget-friendly. I found Albanian cuisine to be delicious and enjoyed trying new things throughout our stay.
