Hiking Valbona to Theth: A complete guide
Valbona to Theth is one of Albania’s most popular and best hikes. It can be done from either direction (or both ways if you’d like) with majority of people choosing to go from Valbona to Theth. This is mainly for 2 reasons: it’s logistically easier to go from Theth to Shkoder, and the hike is more shaded as you get closer to Theth so you spend less time hiking in the exposed sun.
We did the Valbona to Theth day hike in late August and it did not disappoint! In this blog post you will find all the information you need to plan your hike from Valbona to Theth. The information is relevant for everyone who plans on taking public transport!
If you’d like to skip to the FAQ summary, click here.
This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to use one, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
A few logistical notes you need to know
Although the hike from Valbona to Theth is a day hike, getting to Valbona itself takes 1 full day of travel from Shkoder. As such, it’s important to factor this in when you are planing your trip.
We’d recommend the following itinerary when planning your hike:
- Day 1 – Shkoder to Valbona.
- Day 2 – Hike from Valbona to Theth.
- Day 3 onwards – Hike Theth Blue Eye, stay in Theth, or return back to Shkodër.
How to get to Shkoder from Tirana
Although this is not part of the itinerary, I figured it would be good to quickly address this. We decided to take a bus from Tirana airport to Shkoder, but you can also take a bus from Tirana central.
Bus from Tirana airport to Shkoder.
The bus is operated by “Hermes Aeroport” and costs 10 euros or 1000 LEK per person. They have multiple busses that run throughout the day. You can find their timetable and contact details from their website https://hermesaeroportshkoder.com/. We were fortunate enough to walk up to the bus and get a spot, but it’s best to buy your tickets beforehand (especially during peak season) to guarantee your seat. The bus ride takes about 2 hours.
Where to stay in Shkoder
Shkoder is a large town with many offerings for accomodation, food, and public transport. We chose to stay at Friendship Dorms Hostel, a cute and welcoming hostel that opened at the start of 2025.
The hostel is run by a husband and wife couple, offering a mixture of dorms and private rooms. Julie (the wife) is also an excellent chef and will prepare dinner, breakfast, and packed lunch for you upon request. The meals are very well priced and we’d highly recommend trying the Asian Chicken if you stay there.
Another great benefit of staying at the hostel is that Julie helped to organise all our transportation for getting to Valbona. The hostels in the area are linked with the local transportation company who offer door to door pickup from your hostel which was extremely convenient.
If you don’t stay at a hostel, you can organise your own transportation to Valbona by booking in advance using the Komani Lake Ferry website. This includes both van transfers and the ferry.
How to get to Valbona from Shkoder
Getting to Valbona from Shkoder is a 6 to 7 hour trip requiring a van, a ferry, and another van. It’s a long day, so make sure that you pack enough snacks! If you have the time, buy everything you need for the hike from Shkoder because Valbona is a small town (mainly filled with guesthouses) and prices of groceries are more expensive. Let’s break down the day of travel:
Van from Shkoder to Komani Lake Ferry
The van arrived to pick us up from Friendship Dorms Hostel at 7am en route to Komani Lake. Along the way, we switched from the van to a large bus that accommodated more people. Both the van and the bus were completely full. The van from Shkoder to Komani Lake takes 2 hours.
As you approach Komani Lake, you arrive at a tunnel that the bus does not pass through. At this point you disembark from the bus and have to walk on foot through the tunnel which is about 400m long.
When you emerge from the other side, you’re greeted with a view of the lake and the multiple ferries waiting for you.
Komani Lake Ferry to Fierze
The next step is to board a ferry that takes you up the Komani lake to Fierze. Along the way, the ferry makes a few brief stops to drop off passengers and food supplies, and pick up other passengers. The ferry ride to Fierze takes 2.5 hours and is the last stop, so you can’t miss it.
There are seats on the ferry, but the number of passengers is greater than the provided seats. If you are one of the last to board, you may find yourself having to stand outside. However, if the weather is good, most people choose to stand/sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.
Van from Fierze to Valbona
This is the last step of the journey to Valbona. A van (or bus) will pick you up from Fierze and drop you off to your guesthouse. When we travelled to Valbona, the driver asked everyone where they were staying for the night so he could drop everyone off in order.
The drive from Fierze to Valbona takes 1.5 hours. We arrived at our guesthouse around 2pm after leaving Shkoder at 7am.
Where to stay in Valbona
Valbona is a small town mainly filled with guesthouses. Most guesthouses will provide you with dinner and breakfast, and they may also provide a packed lunch. You won’t go wrong picking any of them as the people are lovely.
We stayed at Idajeti Guesthouse, a group of 3 newly built cabins hosted by a lovely family. The owners did not speak much English, but her young sons helped to bridge the language barrier.
The stay was very pleasant with the host offering us dinner, breakfast, and a packed lunch. The breakfast and packed lunch were included in the cost of the stay.
We played a game of football in the yard with one of her sons to pass time in the afternoon.
Valbona to Theth quick summary
Distance:
17.5km (~10.5miles) if you start from Valbona town or 13.5km (8.4miles) if you start from the trailhead.
Total Elevation Gain:
922m
Duration:
6-9 hours including breaks.
Difficulty:
Moderate.
Hiking Valbona to Theth
The trailhead begins about 4km from the centre of Valbona. To reach this you can either take a van or walk – we chose to do the latter. If you hike from the town centre, the hike to Theth is 17.5km (~10.5miles), but if you start from the trailhead it is about 13km (8.4miles).
We started our hike at 8am to give ourselves enough time to enjoy the views and have a break for lunch. Since we began from the town centre, the first 4kms was a mix of walking on the main road before hitting a long stretch of rocky path.
We finally made it to the trailhead where the path changed to dirt as we ascended through the forest.
The trail continues up a steady incline until you reach the open valley floor and begin the steep climb around the side of Maja Valbones (though you don’t summit it).
This section of the hike is quite exposed and there is little to no shade – so be prepared!
At the top of the hill you will see a signpost with an Albanian flag. This is also the perfect area to stop for lunch.
When you reach this point there is also a small trail that goes up to your left. This takes you up to the top of a viewpoint with some epic views.
From this point onwards it’s all downhill towards Theth, the initial downhill is exposed and steep. If you have trekking poles, I would recommend bringing them (though I’m a big fan of poles for all occasions).
As you near Theth the steepness reduces and the trail enters a forest which is shaded almost the entire way.
We reached our accomodation in Theth around 3pm and were very happy to put up our feet and have a rest after the day of hiking.
There are also 3-4 cafes along the hike that sell refreshments if you are feeling peckish or thirsty. As far as I am concerned they only accept cash, so be sure to bring some LEK or euro.
In terms of water refill points, you can refill your water at one of these cafes or there are natural water streams along the way. The water is supposedly safe to drink, but I would recommend treating the water first to be safe as there are local animals in the area.
Where to stay in Theth
Theth (like Valbona) is another small town that has a mixture of guesthouses, restaurants, and small grocery shops.
It’s actually smaller than Valbona but there are more hikes/outdoor activities to do around the Theth area.
When we did the Valbona to Theth hike we stayed at Mikpritja Theth, a family owned business run by 3 brothers. The accomodation is located just before the main town of Theth, and an easy turn off from the hiking trail. These villas were amazing, and the food they served at their restaurant was divine.
If you want to read more about this accomodation, I’ve written a short blog about it here (because it was seriously that good).
Mikpritja Theth is about a 10-15minute walk from the main town of Theth, so it’s not too far if you need to get supplies.
Valbona to Theth packing list
Although Valbona to Theth is a day hike, you’ll want to pack for an overnight trip as you’ll likely stay at least one more night in Theth. We used our Osprey Talon/Osprey Tempest 33L packs for the hike, though you could easily do it with a 22-25L.
Here’s a quick packing list. You can also read our post on how to pack for a day hike.
- Hiking shirt
- Hiking shorts
- Underwear x2
- Pyjamas
- Hiking boots and socks
- Trekking poles
- Bathers
- Travel towel
- Birkenstocks
- Water bottle or camelback (1-2L)
- Sprayjacket
- Snacks (muesli bars, lollies, nuts)
- Camera
How to get to Shkoder from Theth
Returning back to Shkoder from Theth is easy. There is a bus from Theth directly to Shkoder which takes 2.5 hours. We took the “AlbanianBus” from Theth and pre-booked the tickets the day before. There are multiple busses that run throughout the day, also from various companies.
If you get stuck or are unable to book the tickets online, you can visit the Tourist Information Centre in Theth and the worker there will be able to book the tickets for you.
FAQ Summary: Hiking Valbona to Theth
Hiking Valbona to Theth Final Thoughts
If you have the time to spare in Albania, I would highly recommend hiking from Valbona to Theth. It’s an enjoyable hike and has some incredible views. I hope that this post has helped you with planning your trip (or given you some inspiration).
If you have any questions about the hike, feel free to leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Happy travels and be sure to read our other blog posts for other great hiking/travel tips.
