The research phase of any travel is some of the most enjoyable parts of the whole trip for me. As I go from one website to another, an article to the next, a book after the other, I slowly get ready to the eventual trip itself, while also hyping myself up for it. That hype is quite useful in making the trip even more enjoyable. One of the hardships of doing such research though has often to do with budgeting. No matter how much time you put into it, how many articles you read, and how many cost comparisons you make, it is an art to figure out how much a trip would actually cost beforehand.
To help out with such monetary matters, and also help give an idea of what a two-week (cultural heritage and everyday life observation oriented) trip to Albania could look like, I ended up writing the following article. I do hope that it is of some use to you in your own plans, and I am quite certain that it will be quite useful compared to knowing the “average” price of espresso or an “average” meal in the centre of Tirana because let us face it, such averages often mean nothing for the “average” traveller.
For example, though Tirana was considered to be more expensive than Istanbul according to many websites that deal with such comparisons, the reality on the ground was much different with both the accommodation and restaurant prices being much cheaper than their Turkish counterparts. I am sure that a lot goes into those comparisons and that they have their own merits and uses but let us now look at (a ton of) prices in Albania and try to figure out just how cheap or expensive it is for you.
General Itinerary Notes
- Albania may look small on the world map, but it offers a lot to its visitors. Anything from a purely beach and party holiday to a nature/trekking oriented trip, and even from a fully immersive cultural visit to a more relaxed city-hopping centric plan could be easily achieved using Albania as one’s “playground.” What that means is that one’s itinerary for it can change radically from another. For example, we met an Italian family during our travels who came up with an almost three-month plan to see almost all Albania has to offer. Would be a lie if I said that I was not at least a bit jealous! I have also met day-trippers from Montenegro and Macedonia, and plenty of others that were staying in Albania for anywhere from a day to a year. I guess you can say the same for all countries in the world but at the end of the day, to speak about a “minimum required number of days to see Albania” sounds quite dumb to me, as it really is up to the specific traveller at hand and what they wish to achieve in the country.
- Speaking of what one wants to do, what we wanted to accomplish with our own trip to Albania was simple: a short and relaxing beach holiday followed by a decent exploration of the capital and its surroundings. We never planned to “see all that Albania has to offer” as that would be nightmarishly tiring within the given time frame. It may be a small country, but minibus/furgon drivers seem to enjoy making sure that an hour-long road could take as long as possible, making it relatively slow to get around the country. Visiting all important towns and heritage sites without having a car of our own could take around two weeks alone, spent mostly in mass transit, and that is not how we like to travel. We, at least I, prefer to immerse myself for at least a week in any “big city” I go to to be able to say that I know a bit about it and its denizens. That meant that at the end of the day, we only stayed in Vlorë and Tirana, and thanks to a few daytrips we also got to see Berat and Krujë. Many other destinations like Sarandë, Durrës, Shkodër, Korça, Gjirokaster must wait for (hopefully) another trip to this beautiful country.
General Budgetary Notes
- Prices will all be in Albanian lek. It seems to be somewhat stable against the likes of USD and Euro, but we go through rather rough times and as such, in order for this article to be future proof, I will leave them in their local currencies. Admittedly, that could mean that local inflation may make the figures found in this article somewhat useless in due time as well, so do keep that in mind.
- Cash is the king in Albania so budgeting your trip is more important than ever. I have only really seen payment with card being an option in one single restaurant we have been to, and even some supermarkets do not really accept anything but cash.
- I went to Albania for a total of sixteen days if you include the days we flew in and out of the country, so, it was a proper two-week trip. We were there from 12th of June 2022 to 27th of June 2022.
- I keep saying “we” in some writings of mine on Albania as I was there with my mother. That means that the budgeting you see below will be for two people. My mother was not there in all my “exploratory activities” though so I will be noting whether each expenditure below were for one or two.
- You can only really buy ALL in Albania so try to bring some USD or Euro there. They say that Euros are the better option as at certain places you can even pay by Euros BUT that is a huge mistake. Prices in Euros are almost always far more expensive, sometimes up to 50 percent more, and so it is not worth it. Besides, foreign exchange offices work perfectly all-around Albania, with extremely welcome rates. These rates seemed to be the best in Tirana though so keep that in mind, however even in Vlorë they were quite superb.
- Tipping is expected in more “proper” restaurants where you can feel that the waiter wants to tend to all your requests, though it is never mandatory. If you like the service, tipping around 10% percent should not be an issue. Most bills written below with a total more than 1000 ALL spent often include a tip with them as well. Some cheaper ones also include a tip if I was satisfied with the service. In most cases these tips are only around 50 to 100 ALL though so even if you were to skimp on them all, it is not like you would save a lot of cash.
- We do not really like having a “proper” breakfast as we wake up too early and eat something before 7am at home, often with some tea. Then we usually opt for a somewhat early lunch. Therefore you will see “groceries” being bought almost daily, to let us enjoy some cookies, biscuits, bread, cheese, ham etc. in the morning. You can sort of think of them as our way of having breakfast, alongside with irregular visits to the nearest byrektore.
- It is not recommended to drink the tap water in Albania, and that meant that up to 2000 ALL we spent on groceries was actually spent on water, so do keep that in mind during your travels.
My Albanian Trip
12.06.2022 Sunday
Flew into Tirana International Airport.
Took the Hermes Shuttle Bus to Vlorë. Fare for two – 2400 ALL
Settled into our Airbnb.
Got a SIM card from Vodafone with a 7GB/Month plan – 1200 ALL
Had a gyro dinner with some dhalle to drink on the side for two at Angelos – 520 ALL
Short walk around the coastal centre of Vlorë.
Bought seven Albanian beers to try them out – 1040 ALL
Groceries – 420 ALL
Total – 5580 ALL
13.06.2022 Monday
We walked to the EU-funded and relatively new promenade along Plazhi i Ri.
Bought two byreks to enjoy at the beach – 140 ALL
Swam a bit around noon before heading back to rest a bit at home.
I went out to have a decent Hawaiian Pizza at Ciao Italia Pizza Hallal and brought my mother some pastries for her own lunch – 770 ALL (700 for the pizza.)
We went on a fifteen kilometer walking tour around Vlorë, seeing the centre, majority of its landmarks, walking up the hill to Kuzum Baba etc.
Had two Turkish coffees at the café next to Kuzum Baba – 200 ALL
Had dinner at Novus Traditional Food Restaurant for two – 1000 ALL
Groceries – 550 ALL
Total – 2660 ALL
Read more about Vlorë and what to do there HERE!
14.06.2022 Tuesday
Today was a “dead” day, meaning that we spent the majority of it indoors, trying to recover from a serious case of sunstroke “thanks” to the Monday’s some twenty-five kilometres (in total) walk under the sun. Sometimes, a bit of moderation goes a long way… Dividing those attractions into two separate days would circumvent this problem, and we could still be able to see it all before departing for Tirana.
Still, we went to a nearby beach for a quick swim.
We ordered a burger and a wrap from KFC – 1000 ALL
After gaining some strength, we enjoyed two perfect pizzas at LaNonna – 1600 ALL
Groceries – 90 ALL
Total – 2690 ALL
15.06.2022 Wednesday
Likely the best day of our entire trip, when we took a boat tour to Sazan Island and Karaburun Peninsula!
Tickets for two – 5000 ALL
Byrek and pizza slices for lunch (to be eaten during the tour, aboard the boat) – 280 ALL
Another gyro dinner for two, with dhalle on the side at SUFLLAQE – 580 ALL
Pastries – 360 ALL
Grocery – 70 ALL
Enjoyed some Albanian baklava at home, with a couple of Albanian beers accompanying it.
Total – 6290 ALL
Read more about this boat tour HERE!
16.06.2022 Thursday
This was our second “dead” day. We wanted to rest from Wednesday’s wonderful but tiring boat tour and save up some energy for tomorrow’s lovely yet long walk to Zvërnec Island.
We had a gyro, a skepasti, and two dhalle for lunch at 3 Fiori – 730 ALL
A packet of cigarillo and a lighter for my mother – 450 ALL
Groceries – 180 ALL
Seafood feast at Restorant Tradicional Zgara for two – 1700 ALL
Byreks and sweets for tomorrow’s breakfast – 330 ALL
Total – 3390 ALL
17.06.2022 Friday
Early morning walk to Zvërnec Island and the lovely monastery on it.
Had to hitchhike a ride back home – 450 ALL (It is quite normal for locals here to act as “private taxis,” charging people for hitchhikes so make sure that they understand you want to hitch a ride for free if that is what you want to do.)
We swam for a while before noon.
Groceries – 70 ALL
Dinner for two at Taverna Te LILO – 1380 ALL
Byreks for tomorrow’s breakfast – 260 ALL
Total – 2160 ALL
Read more about this walk and more HERE!
18.06.2022 Saturday
A quick early morning swimming session before leaving our Airbnb.
Bus ride to Tirana from Vlorë for two – 1200 ALL
Light lunch with a slice of pizza for each – 240 ALL
Short walk around the centre of Tirana to get acquainted with where we were staying.
Grilled meat feast at Tek Zgara Tirones for two – 1800 ALL
Groceries – 1700 ALL (Included cheese, bread, drinks, raki, snacks, chips, cookies etc.)
Band-Aids – 60 ALL
Total – 4940 ALL
To find out more about how to travel around Albania do not forget to read THIS!
19.06.2022 Sunday
After injuring her feet during our long walk on Friday, my mother would opt to rest for the next two days.
Pharmacy run for my mother’s feet – 570 ALL
A kilogram of cherries – 100 ALL
It was a sleepy Sunday in Tirana, a great time for walking around.
National History Museum – 500 ALL
Meatball sandwich with six meatballs at Qofte Tradita Met Kodra – 225 ALL
Dhalle to go with the sandwich from a nearby kiosk – 60 ALL
Groceries – 1260 ALL (As we were going to settle into this Airbnb for a while, it seemed logical to “invest” in even more snacks for the time being, especially since my mother needed them as she binged Netflix while her feet were recovering.)
We did not want to order food or eat out tonight. Cooking is, after all, a hobby of mine so I ended up cooking a simple pasta with what was available at our Airbnb.
Total – 2705 ALL
To read more about museums of Tirana refer to this article HERE!
20.06.2022 Monday
As my mom’s recovery went on, I took a long morning walk to Bunk’Art1.
Enjoyed what the museum had to offer for around two hours.
Walked back to try the local Burger King branch in the city centre – 1180 ALL
Bought two tomato purees to bring back to Turkey for more variety in our kitchen – 600 ALL
Enjoyed Bunk’Art2 in the city centre, the perfect spot to escape the sun too!
Combined ticket for both Bunk’Art museums – 800 ALL (They cost 500 ALL individually.)
Got two sandwiches (calamari and shrimp) from Fish ‘N Chips – 650 ALL
Groceries – 225 ALL
Total – 3455 ALL
21.06.2022 Tuesday
With my mom’s full recovery, it was time to re-explore the city together, and to do that we ended up walking all around the city centre and more! Exploring the parts around the old castle’s new “mall” was the pinnacle of our journey, though it was sad to see that such an old fort was in fact turned into what one may only describe as a mall.
Two qofte sandwiches from Qofte Tradita Met Kodra with two dhalle on the side – 570 ALL
Simple but superb Albanian feast at Restorant Tymi with meatballs, fries, grilled veggies, and chicken breast quenched in wine – 900 ALL
Two cocktails at Hemingway Bar as we listened to some local performers – 1400 ALL
Total – 2870 ALL
22.06.2022 Wednesday
Today was the Berat Day!
Bus ride to the North and South Albania Bus Terminal and back for two – 160 ALL (40 ALL per person, one way)
Bus ride to Berat and back for two – 2000 ALL (500 ALL per person, one way)
Using the toilet at the castle – 50 ALL
Buying two bottles of water at an expensive/touristic kiosk – 200 ALL
One ticket for Onufri Iconographic Museum – 400 ALL
A perfect Albanian feast at Apsus including some appetizers, bread, two oven-baked dishes, a lemonade, and two bottles of water – 1430 ALL
One beef Iskender for me at Capitol Meat & Chicken – 1300 ALL
Now that I look back to this expenditure, if my curiosity did not get the best of me, I would just pay 220 ALL for one of their much better tasting and quite fulfilling sufllaqe instead. Alas, (somewhat) being in the city of Iskender Bey (Turkish word for Skanderbeg), eating Iskender and paying for it using Iskender (Albanian lek’s etymology has to do with Alexander the Great, yet another Iskender in Turkish) sounded amusing to me at the time.
Total – 5540 ALL
To find out all about Berat and how to spend a day trip there do click HERE!
23.06.2022 Thursday
This was our third and last proper “dead” day. We just had to recover from the extremely tiring daytrip to Berat, and I personally had to channel all my energy into mentally and physically preparing myself for the challenging trekking route I would go for in Krujë the next day.
After a long walk circling the city centre, and failing to get into the Military Museum housed within the Ministry of Defence (if you want do not want to repeat my own mistakes, refer to THIS article of mine to find out how you can get into it), I ended up enjoying two perfectly prepared burgers at Delibros – 900 ALL (I was alone but ate for two…)
House of Leaves – 700 ALL
Superb dinner at Birrari Ke Tori, consisting of French fries, chicken wings covered in mustard sauce, two types of sausages, and two mugs of 50cl beer – 1240 ALL
Groceries – 1500 ALL
I feel like I need to keep explaining these groceries costing more than 1000 ALL quite regularly. We were snacking far more than usual and wanted to try a decent selection of Albanian soft drinks when we were there, meaning that we were going through many brands every day to figure out if we could buy something extra to bring back home or not. You can very easily stay below these figures if you opt for a “healthier” lifestyle, or find cheaper markets etc. It should also be obvious that whenever I eat alone, my mom would be back at home enjoying what we got for her from the market so when that is calculated in, the cash spent on groceries is not high at all, it just looks “big” on paper.
Total – 4340 ALL
24.06.2022 Friday
Today was the Krujë Day! Well, it was for me, while my mom stayed back to rest a bit more.
Bus ride to the North and South Albania Bus Terminal and back for one – 80 ALL
Bus ride to and back from Krujë for one – 400 ALL (200 ALL per person, one way)
Hiking trip to Sari Salltik, the route and the shrine atop are both free to roam around.
Pizza and beer for lunch at Fabiani Snack Bar & Pizzeri – 800 ALL
Skanderbeg Museum – 500 ALL
A beer and a bottle of water at a local pub as I waited for my bus to depart – 200 ALL
Got two sandwiches (calamari and fish) from Fish ‘N Chips – 550 ALL
Total – 2530 ALL
To read all about my day in Krujë refer to this article HERE!
25.06.2022 Saturday
Today we explored the huge and quite beautiful Grand Park of Tirana, with its artificial lake.
We were then surprised to find out that there was a drifting event at the central street of Tirana, which would start that night.
Two pastas with a big bottle of water at Pastaria Tirana – 1070 ALL
Four slices of pizza at Laguna Pizza & Ice Cream – 480 ALL
Watched the drifting event at night, after which we visited the park once again to see its beauty after the sunset, only to realize that locals would flood it at that time, for a very good reason as it was much better than in the morning.
Total – 1550 ALL
26.06.2022 Sunday
This was our last proper day in Albania, and as such, it was mostly spent on seeing the sights briefly one last time, having a proper walk around the town, and doing some shopping to bring something nice back home, like a ton of booze!
Bus ride to and back from TEG for one – 80 ALL
Absinthe and two butter biscuits – 2500 ALL
Fried chicken meal with four pieces, fries, drink, and a missing salad at TFC – 640 ALL
Meatball sandwich with four meatballs in it from Qofte Tradita Met Kodra – 155 ALL
Two sufllaqe and ayran/dhalle at Capitol Meat & Chicken – 600 ALL
Two scoops of ice cream at Laguna Pizza & Ice Cream – 200 ALL
Raki – 600 ALL
Total – 4775 ALL
27.06.2022 Monday
We woke up at 5am to leave Albania.
Shuttle to airport from the city centre for two – 800 ALL
Two small chocolate bars at the airport – 200 ALL
Flew back to Turkey early in the morning.
Total – 1000 ALL
Summary of Expenses
Though we have been through all the single payments that we have ever made throughout this journey, you may wonder what it all came up to at the end of the day. You may also think that one type of payment or the other may not be what you will end up spending your cash on, for example, if you want to hitchhike around for free then you may think that you will not be paying for transportation during your own trip. To help you better estimate what you will end up paying for a trip in Albania, let me try to categorize the aforementioned spendings a bit.
On Eating Out (rounded up, including tips) – 26000 ALL
On Museums and Tours (all museums I visited + Teuta Boat Tour for two) – 7900 ALL
On Transportation (including even the shortest rides) – 7500 ALL
On Groceries (excluding goods to bring back home) – 6000 ALL
What is left out?
SIM card, small miscellaneous payments all of which are mentioned in the list found above, alcohol and gifts like chocolate that we brought back home, money shared with beggars etc. None is a game changer on its own and hardly changes one’s budgetary concerns. The “big four” can be seen above, and any changes made to them would be your main way of significantly reducing or increasing your budget for the trip.
Grand Total: 500 USD
Yep, USD, not ALL. I exchanged that exact amount, and only had a few Albanian coins left with me at the end of the trip, perhaps around 400 ALL combined. Remember that this is for two people so I would argue that 250 USD would be plenty for just one. Skimping on museums and some more expensive options we ate in could easily bring that down to 200 USD. Always opting for budget meals and not drinking booze at all could mean that you may end up spending as low as 150 USD. I am sure that there are ways to cheapen that further, perhaps by relying on byrektores and supermarkets for most of your dietary needs, and spending nothing on transportation etc. but I guess this much “cheapening” is already quite enough for most travellers out there.
At the end of the day, it would not be a mistake to call Albania as a cheap country. It may not be the cheapest out there, but for the quality that you get for your cash, it most certainly is a “bang for your buck” sort of destination. You should not fear much about travelling to Albania if you are short on cash, and in all honesty, airfare will be the biggest of your worries if you do not have access to a leisure (cheap) airline from your city. In our case, we paid more for our airfare and accommodation combined than all the spending we ever did in Albania, and for shorter trips I am afraid that this ratio could get even worse… In short, if you have the time for it, Albania is a perfect destination to go for a medium to long period of time, especially if you can stay in a cheap accommodation like a hostel.