What to do in Tirana, Albania: 23 of the Best Things to Do in Tirana
Wondering what to do in Tirana? This post includes the city’s main attractions, insightful museums, hidden gems, and can’t-miss food finds!
Cool cafés, a burgeoning art scene, and museums with history dating back to the Byzantine Empire— Tirana is teeming with things to do, and this post aims to prove it. You could not possibly be bored in Tirana, making it a must for any Albania itinerary.
At first glance, Tirana seemed like many other Balkan capitals I’ve visited. It was artsy like Sofia, gritty like Belgrade, friendly like Sarajevo. However, two days of exploration revealed that Tirana is just another European capital. There was much more here than beautiful buildings and nice restaurants. Tirana may be built of Communist-era buildings, but it is reclaimed by the warmth of its residents, who welcome tourists with a signature geniality that will have you yearning to stay. Not to mention, Tirana is filled with things to do, including cocktail bars, cooking classes, and experimental art in the middle of the city.
how long to spend in Tirana ↴
A lot of travel blogs will tell you to whip through Tirana in a single day, but I don’t think that gives Tirana enough credit. If you’re short on time, there are definitely more scenic places in Albania to visit, and you can make the most of a day in the capital. However, museums, quirky street art, cool cafés, and a buzzing nightlife means there is plenty to see and do over 2 or 3 days in Tirana.
how to get to Tirana ↴
There are many flights from other major European cities. I bought my flight from London to Tirana for only GBP£17 on WizzAir, a very popular budget airline, operating affordable flights throughout Europe.
You can also get to Tirana overland on the Flixbus. I have used Flixbus previously on European travels, and recommend them. They are affordable and easy to book. Flixbus generally are very well connected across the European continent. Please note: Flixbus only connects Tirana to other capitals in the Balkans, but does not operate as an intercity bus within Albania. However, public buses connect the capital to other cities in Albania.
what to do in Tirana, Albania ↴
Whether you’re a history buff interested in museums or an adventurer seeking hidden gem day trips, Tirana has no shortage of things to do. I’ll share the best things to do in Tirana, fun activities to book, and what you simply can’t miss in Albania’s capital city!
free walking tour
Free walking tours are usually the first activity I book in a new city. They are a great way to gain cultural context, historical knowledge, and local insights. In Tirana, a local guide describes the tormenting history of the country, detailing Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship and Albania’s isolation from the rest of the world.
Meeting at Skanderbeg Square, Tirana Free Walking Tour departs at 10 AM and 2 PM daily and operates entirely on tips. I recommend €5 as the bare minimum. These guides share first-hand accounts of their lives under communism and local recommendations, which should always be compensated fairly.
Bunk’Art 1 + Bunk’Art 2
The Bunk’Arts are two museums housed in possibly the most unlikely venue: Cold War bunkers. You might be wondering why these bunkers even exist in the first place. The Cliff’s Notes version is that the former dictator of Albania, Enver Hoxha, suffered from severe paranoia during his nearly 50-year rule, forever haunted by “the enemy” and the threat of nuclear war.
This paranoia led Hoxha to order tens of thousands of bunkers to be built to “protect” the Albanian people from the war he claimed was imminent. The irony is, of course, that there was never a war or nuclear fallout, rendering the bunkers completely useless. Today, the bunkers have been repurposed into the Bunk’Art museums, with exhibits that share history and modern art. While both have their historical elements, Bunk’Art 1 and Bunk’Art 2 do differ.
Bunk’Art 1 | This is the original Bunk’Art museum, located outside the city center. Bunk’Art 1 is the larger, more art-focused museum.
Bunk’Art 2 | This second Bunk’Art is located right in the heart of Tirana, making it the most visited and most crowded. Its exhibits tell Albanian contemporary history from the German occupation, WWII, and the Communist regime that followed. It’s quite tight moving around this bunker, so if you’re claustrophobic, be warned. Also, please be aware that many of the exhibits within Bunk’Art 2 are quite graphic. The history detailed is confronting, so families and those especially sensitive may not want to visit.
ADMISSION | 500 LEK for each museum (cash-only payments), or you can purchase a combined Bunk’Art ticket for 800 LEK
The House of Leaves Museum
My favorite museum in Tirana was the House of Leaves Museum. The museum is set inside a two-story house that was an obstetrics clinic before being turned into Gestapo housing during the German occupation, and then serving as the headquarters for the Sigurmi, Albania’s version of the KGB.
The museum is dedicated to the surveillance and propaganda that Albanians endured during the Communist era, which only ended in 1991. As you walk through the clinic-turned-house-turned-headquarters-turned-museum, you’ll learn how Hoxha’s dictatorship forced citizens to spy on one another, planting microphones in the concrete walls of homes, inside picture frames, and dining room tables.
The lengths people went to spy on their neighbors with such aged technology were equal parts impressive and horrifying. There are no photos or videos allowed inside the museum.
ADMISSION | 700 LEK, cash payments only
the National History Museum
Much of the history covered in the museums around Tirana is contemporary, focusing on the Communist regime and WWII. The National History Museum, however, covers Albania’s more ancient history, including the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. The museum is probably about what you’d expect: exhibits of artifacts and antiquities dating back farther than your mind can stretch.
ADMISSION | 500 LEK
Dajti Ekspres (cable car)
If scenic views are your thing, a visit to Dajti Mountain should be on the cards. Dajti Mountain is part of the Skanderbeg Mountain range, located just east of Tirana. You can get here on a bus and the journey only takes approximately 20 minutes. Once you’re at the base of the mountain, it’s getting to the top that becomes the challenge. The Dajti Ekspres is a cable car that travels nearly 5,000 meters along its line to the top. The ride takes nearly 20 minutes and gets extremely busy during the summer months. There is an instructional video on the Dajti website detailing how to get there from Skanderbeg Square.
COST | €6 return
The Cloud
The Cloud is a free, open-air art installation that’s free to the public just around the corner from Bunk’Art 2. The Cloud’s concept is very abstract, but essentially, the sculpture is meant to embody “the natural and the human” merging. The structure is quite neat to walk underneath, but I imagine it’s more exciting when lit up at night.
The Pyramid of Tirana
You might look at the opposing concrete pyramid in the middle of Tirana and wonder how the heck it got there. It’s not a structure that blends in, but then again, it wasn’t meant to. The pyramid was originally built as a museum dedicated to the former “Prime Minister” (Communist dictator) of Albania, Enver Hoxha. In 2017, Albanians voted to repurpose the building rather than tearing it down completely. Today, the pyramid has become a cultural and community-focused hub. Stairs have been added up the sides so that, in a turn of poetic justice, people can stomp on top of communism. There is also a small contemporary art museum inside that’s free to visit.
ADMISSION | free
Grand Park
Grand Park is the green space of choice for Tirana locals. The park is set around a lake with walking trails branching out from the shoreline. In the summertime, the park hosts outdoor cinema nights. If you visit in the evening time, you’re likely to catch elderly gentlemen playing chess and locals participating in the Albanian pastime xhiro, which translates literally to “walking”, but more accurately describes a time when people gather in third spaces, get outdoors, and make time for leisure.
TRY TRADITIONAL Albanian FOODS
By far and away the biggest surprise to me was how delicious Albanian food was. Influenced by Greek, Italian, and Turkish cuisine, Albanian food is a mouthwatering combination of pasta, homemade bread, grilled vegetables, and cheeses. Take time in Tirana to explore the local food. These are some of the most common Albanian dishes found on menus around the city:
japrak | Similar to Greek dolma, japrak is the Albanian version of stuffed grape leaves.
byrek | Albanian spinach pie, made with paper-thin filo pastry. The dough is filled with meat, eggs, vegetables, and cheese.
tavë kosi | A traditional Albanian dish made with baked lamb and rice covered in a mixture of yogurt and eggs.
qofte | You may see this written as kofta, but both are Albanian meatballs.
fërgësë | Made with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, ricotta or feta cheese, and garlic, Fërgësë is often used as a dip for homemade bread. It was one of my favorite Albanian dishes.
petulla | What’s better than fried dough?! This is normally eaten at breakfast time, not unlike a donut, though it’s plain and served with jams, marmalades, and butter.
kasata | Kasata is an ice cream of sorts, only much lighter. It’s a truly delicious dessert!
baklava | You may have had baklava in Türkiye, but you’ll find it everywhere in Albania. It’s a layered dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts and syrup or honey.
Tirana food tour
Rather than trying Albanian cuisine on your own, why not take a locally-led food tour of Tirana? There are several food tours and plenty that are highly rated. Your guide will impart historical and cultural insights while leading you around the city to try traditional Albanian breakfast, snacks, lunch, coffee, and raki.
Take a cooking class
If you prefer to make the food you eat, a cooking class is a great way to spend an afternoon. The cooking class I took in Berat was one of the most memorable afternoons of my Albania trip. Cooking classes are a great way for travelers to learn about local cuisine and its cultural ties. I love noting the recipes so I can make the food when I return home. Speaking as someone with a reputation for being an average cook at the best of times, I found the simplicity of Albanian food and its ingredients completely manageable.
BOOK | Cooking Classes and Traditional food tasting in Tirana
street art spotting
Tirana has a burgeoning art scene, beautifully reflected in colorful murals along its streets. Tirana even hosts an art festival for muralists called MuralFest. For four years, the capital has hosted artists to create larger-than-life works of art. If you’re visiting outside of the festival dates, you can still spot the city’s street art by strolling around. The most art-laden streets I encountered in Tirana were in the Komuna E Parisit neighborhood, west of Blloku.
experience the nightlife
Tirana has a reputation for its buzzing nightlife. Whether you’re looking for a dancefloor or cocktails made with generous pours, Tirana delivers.
Radio Bar | Nearly anyone you ask will say Radio Bar is the place to go for cocktails in Tirana. The bar is entirely unassuming from the outside, but its interiors are brimming with funky, vintage furnishing and retro memorabilia.
Komiteti Kafe Muzeum | Known for being one of the most atmospheric bars in Tirana, Komiteti Kafé is similar to Radio Bar in that it is filled with quirky vintage items. They specialize in raki cocktails, so come ready for a lethal drink.
Murat Toptani Street
I can think of few places more suited for xhiro than tree-lined Toptani Street. The street is named after the Toptani family, one of the noble families of Albania during the Ottoman era. Located between Parliament House and the National Art Gallery, Toptani Street is most notable thanks to its benches shaped like music notes. If you pay careful attention, you may also notice the pavement features small treble clefs. Wander down the road and try to spot them if you can!
café hop
I love bopping around a new city, tasting its coffee, and there are few better places for affordable, potent coffee than the Balkans region. Tirana maintains the Albanian tradition of strong coffee, but some fantastic modern cafés serve specialty coffee.
Read more | 8 Best Coffee + Cafés in Tirana
Skanderbeg Square
Tirana’s main plaza is Skanderbeg Square, named after the country’s national hero. Skanderbeg was an Ottoman Empire commander who famously deserted his army to lead the Albanians in a rebellion. This act of defiance made him a legend, and thus the namesake of many important buildings and museums. There is a large statue of Skanderbeg on horseback in the square, and many of the city’s main museums and attractions are dotted around the perimeter. The square in Tirana is massive, which made it the perfect spot to host a fan zone during the kick-off game of the Euros while I was visiting.
Katedralja Katolike
Dubbed the Mother Teresa Cathedral, Katedralja Katolike is one of the most prominent Catholic churches in the capital. The building features artwork that explains the story of Mother Teresa and her significant role in Albanian history.
The Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral
An estimated 20% of Albanians are Orthodox, making the Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral a significant religious landmark in the city. It’s widely regarded as one of the largest Orthodox churches in the Balkans. The interiors of the church are ornate; delicately decorated with gold and intricate murals painted on its 32-meter dome.
Namazgjah Mosque Tiranë
After the Communist regime ended in 1991, Albanian Muslims were tired of praying in Tirana’s streets. By 2016, there were two cathedrals in the city but still no central mosque. Thus, the government laid the groundwork for the construction of a large mosque in the city center. Often referred to as the Great Mosque of Tirana, Namazgjah is hard to miss due to its sheer size. While it’s still not finished, upon completion it will be the largest mosque in the entire Balkans region. You can wander around the gigantic mosque, but it isn’t open to the public as of yet.
Enver Hoxha’s house
Albania’s history can be seen all over the city. The concrete architecture of Tirana doesn’t quite match its progression towards a more colorful modernity, but it is an important reflection of its history. An obvious example is the late dictator Enver Hoxha’s house, which sits in Tirana’s bustling Blloku neighborhood. While visitors can’t visit the plain house, you can take a peek at its grounds. I wouldn’t add it as a “can’t-miss” stop on your Tirana itinerary, but it is something to make note of during your visit.
Climb Tirana Clock tower
It was far too hot when I visited Tirana to climb the clock tower, and I had already exhausted myself climbing the pyramid. However, if you’re up for it, Tirana’s clock tower climbers are rewarded with views of the entire city. when the clock tower was first built, there was no clock face. Residents counted the chimes to determine the time of day!
ADMISSION | 200 LEK
Tirana Castle complex
Temper your expectations with this because Tirana Castle isn’t like the other castles in Albania. Instead, expect souvenir shops and sit-down restaurants. Still, there is a unique atmosphere thanks to the Byzantine wall ruins surrounding the “castle” grounds.
where to stay in Tirana ↴
Tirana was surprisingly easy to get around on foot, but there were reasonably priced taxis in case you’d rather save your legs. Still, I think where you stay in Tirana can affect your time exploring.
best neighborhoods in tirana
Blloku | Blloku was once an area reserved for members of the Communist Party. Today, most of Tirana’s third-wave coffee shops and modern, aesthetic cafés are in Blloku. It’s the creative and gastronomical hub of Tirana. It’s where my friends and I stayed during our time in Tirana. This is a great area for social travelers to stay in.
Tregu Çam | Also known as the city center, Tregu Çam is Found in the city center, this neighborhood is home to almost all famous museums and landmarks – the National Historical Museum in Skanderbeg Square, BunkArt2, House of Leaves, Mosque Et’Hem Bey, and the Orthodox Cathedral of Tirana. It is one of the best places in Tirana for those looking to dig into the culture.
best hotels in tirana
Vanilla Sky Boutique Hostel | Budget travelers can find comfort at Vanilla Skye Boutique, a hostel with homey touches and quirky interiors
The Plaza | New to the city, 190 modern rooms set in Tirana’s shopping district
Hilton Garden Inn Tirana | Standard Hilton hotel rooms and amenities, close to Skanderbeg Square and less than10 miles from the airport
Arté Boutique Hotel | Artsy design rooms in the heart of Tirana
Central Chic Apartments | Contemporary apartment hotel rooms for as little as USD $70 per night
We love using Booking.com to book the best places to stay around the world.
where to eat in Tirana ↴
I’ve shouted from the rooftops about how unexpectedly good the food in Albania is. With Greek, Italian, and Turkish influences, you can expect homemade pasta, fresh salads, lots of lamb cooked in yogurt, and Albanian dishes that are entirely their own.
Restaurant Piceri Era | Rated one of the best restaurants in Tirana, specifically for trying Albanian cuisine. This eatery, located in Blloku is a great introduction to classic dishes like qofta (also written kofta), tavë kosi, and imam bayldi.
Hana Corner Café | For fantastic café vibes, Hana is the place to go to sip an iced coffee alfresco in Tirana during the summer. Their blueberry cheesecake was also superb.
Antigua Specialty Coffee | The best barista-style coffee in Tirana can be found inside this cozy café.
map ↴
Find the best things to do in Tirana on the map below.
