You decide. On our self-guided tours there is no guide nor other guests. It’s up to you how fast to walk, where to stop and for how long to stay.
How does that work? With our detailed road book, maps and a GPS with prerecorded waypoints and tracks, you confidently navigate trails by yourself.
Convenience. Accommodation, transfers and luggage transport are all taken care of by us. In rural areas full-board is included, where there are multiple restaurant options we provide you with recommendations on where to eat. Only
When can I start? Pick your preferred date and start any time of the week. We meet you to hand over materials, walk you through the entire trip and answer your questions. Got more, we’re there for you on the phone.
The pioneer of self-guided hiking tours in Albania
Individual adventures since 2015
| Trip | Days | Where? | When? | What? | Hikes | Hosts | Rooms |
| Alps Explorer | 8 | Albanian Alps: Shkodra, Koman Lake, Valbona, Theth, Tirana | Late May till early Oct | Two national parks, the fjord-like lake and two vibrant cities | Moderate treks, one mandatory hike, options to shorten/ extend | Experienced, English-speaking hosts | Private ensuite rooms through the trip |
| Hidden Valley Trek | 8 | Zagoria Valley, Permet, Gjirokaster, Tirana | Apr to mid Jun, Sep-Nov | Zagoria and Vjosa Valley, stone village and UNESCO sight | Moderate trek, one longer crossing, swimming opportunities | Moderately experienced, limited English | Three homestay overnights with shared bath |
| High Scardus Trail | 8 | Eastern Albania from Kukes via Mt. Korab to Peshkopi | Jun to Sep | Vast, sparsely visited wilderness of the Korab-Koritnik NP | Challenging trek including the highest peaks of Albania | Limited experience, no or basic English | Shepherd hut overnight without power and shower |
| Coastal Trail | 8 | Albanian Riviera, Ionian Sea, Llogara National Park | Apr to mid-Jun, Sep-Nov | Combination of mountains and the sea from two bases | Shorter and moderate day walks, swimming opportunities | Experienced with leisure, not hikers, English-speaking | Private ensuite rooms at hotels throughout |
| Peaks of the Balkans | 8/11 | Accursed Mountains in Albania, Kosovo & Montenegro | Jun to Sep | Hiking beyond borders through the best mountainscapes of three countries | Moderate shorter and challenging longer treks, no phone signal | Moderately experienced, mostly English speaking | Mix of hotels, guesthouses & huts, private / shared rooms |
The Albanian Alps are Northern Albania’s prime mountain destination. Valbona and Theth aren’t new or undiscovered but still stunningly beautiful destinations. Here you will find better infrastructure and accommodation, but also more people around. It’s a great option if you enjoy the comfort of an ensuite private room and flexibility to shorten and extend your hikes. More Alps Explorer samples
The Zagoria Valley is one of Albania’s best kept secret and our favorite trekking spot in the South. The views aren’t all as dramatic alpine, but the stone village of Limar, river swimming spots and lovely homestays make more than up for that. If the Albanian Alps where Nepal, the Hidden Valley Trek would be Bhutan.
Our limited English-speaking local guide can add to your experience. While local guides are no professional tour leaders, they’re less trained and only work in one specific region, they know their home inside out and will enrich your journey with insights into nature and culture, local contacts and hidden spots.
Like to have company or crave more information? Join our guided small group tours on the Hidden Valley Trek. The 7-day trip runs with three and is capped at eight persons. We start/end in Tirana but you can take off from Gjirokaster to continue to the Albanian Riviera.
As a new trail in the early stages, it’s a great choice for an off-the-beaten-path adventure. As such it provides authentic insights but also gets more basic than our other trips. Previous trekking and GPS navigation experience is recommended. Note that not every overnight has phone signal.
Not sure about doing this by yourself? An optional English/German-speaking (limited availability) local guide is an affordable for a private trek. Local guides are no professional tour leaders, they’re less trained and only work in their specific home region. That one place they know inside out and can enrich your journey with insights into nature and culture, local contacts and hidden spots.
Like to have company or prefer a professional guide? Consider our guided small group tours on the Hidden Valley Trek. They follow the same itinerary and run with three to eight persons. These trips only cover a part of the entire High Scardus Trail, ask us if you’re interested in a longer trekking.
Without doubt the Albanian Riviera and Ionian Sea feature the best beaches of the country. They’re packed and it’s way too hot for hiking in July and August. Come in spring or autumn to avoid the crowds, enjoy green landscapes or warm waters.
Arguably the region’s most famous long distance path, the Peaks of the Balkans Trail includes the highlights of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Border crossing permits, complex logistics and multiple days without phone signal make this trip more complicated than others. Beyond being a premium trip, we highly recommend previous trekking and GPS navigation experience as well a certain degree of self-sufficiency for an individual trip.
You like to have company, it’s your first time trekking or perhaps it sounds better to be in good hands? Then join our guided 8 and 12-day group tours. Groups run from three guests, above eight we add second assistant guide and cap at a maximum of 12 persons. Read our TripAdvisor reviews and you will quickly see that this is a not to be missed experience and one of our most popular tours.
Did you know that Zbulo helped create most of these paths and that many of them are our exclusive signature trails?
(Ok, we admit that the Albanian Alps have been there before us)
In the meantime you can get inspired by checking out our guided tours.