Seven days is enough to cover the main circuit in Albania — Tirana, the southern coast, the UNESCO cities, and enough mountain scenery to understand why this country is getting harder to overlook. This Albania road trip itinerary works best from May to October. Pick up your car in Tirana and return it to the same city, or ask your Rental Auto host about a one-way arrangement if your flight out is from a different location.
Day 1: Tirana — Arrival and Orientation
Don't over-schedule arrival day. Pick up your car at Tirana airport or city centre, check in, and spend the afternoon on foot. Skanderbeg Square, the Blloku neighbourhood, the National Museum — all walkable from the city centre. Drive your car only if you need to; Tirana's inner ring is confusing and parking is limited. Use the first evening to plan your route south and download offline maps.
Day 2: Tirana to Vlorë — 145km, ~2 Hours
Leave Tirana on the A3 motorway heading south. Stop in Fier (90km from Tirana) to see Apollonia, an ancient Greek city 12km west of the main road — allow 90 minutes. Arrive in Vlorë by midday. Walk the seafront, have lunch at one of the fish restaurants near the port, and settle in for the night. Vlorë is underrated as a base — more authentic than the Riviera towns further south.
Day 3: Vlorë to Sarandë via SH8 — 120km, ~3.5 Hours
This is the best driving day of the trip. Leave Vlorë in the morning to avoid heat and traffic, drive the Llogara Pass (stop at the viewpoint), and descend the Riviera. Stop at Dhermi for lunch or a swim. Continue through Himara and Borsh to Sarandë, arriving late afternoon. Spend the evening on Sarandë's waterfront promenade.
Day 4: Sarandë Base — Butrint and the Blue Eye
Use Sarandë as a base rather than moving on. Butrint Archaeological Park is 22km south — a World Heritage Site with Greek, Roman, Venetian, and Ottoman layers. Allow 2.5–3 hours there. The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) spring is 25km east of Sarandë on the SH99 — the colour of the water is a deep cobalt blue where the spring rises. Between these two stops you have a full day.
Day 5: Sarandë to Gjirokastër — 60km, ~1.5 Hours
Drive inland to Gjirokastër on the SH99 and SH75. The road climbs into limestone hills — good condition, no issues for a standard car. Gjirokastër's old bazaar and castle district are UNESCO-listed and one of the best-preserved Ottoman town centres in the Balkans. Stay overnight in the old town; guesthouses in the bazaar district run €40–70/night.
Day 6: Gjirokastër to Berat — 120km, ~2 Hours
Head north on the SH75 and SH7 toward Berat. The road is straightforward — secondary national road through agricultural plains. Berat is another UNESCO city. The castle district (Kalaja) sits above the Osum river gorge; the view back down over the Ottoman houses is one of the most photographed in Albania. Sleep in Berat.
Day 7: Berat to Tirana — 122km, ~2 Hours
The last day is an easy drive north on the SH7 and A2 back to Tirana. If your flight is in the afternoon, you have time for a morning in Berat before leaving. Return your car at the agreed location — city centre or airport. Total driving for the week: approximately 700–750km.
Budget Estimate
Car rental: €35–50/day × 7 = €245–350. Fuel at roughly €1.60/litre for ~800km: around €70–90. Accommodation: €40–70/night × 6 nights = €240–420. Total ground costs: approximately €550–860 for two people, before food and activities.
This circuit works best anticlockwise (Tirana–Vlorë–Sarandë–Gjirokastër–Berat–Tirana). You hit the best driving day — the SH8 coast — when you're fresh rather than at the end of the week.
To plan your car rental for this itinerary, visit /rent-a-car-albania for the country overview and pickup options, or /rent-a-car-tirana if you're starting and finishing in the capital.