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Valbona Valley Day Hike from Shkodra

Want to walk from Valbona to Theth rather than turn back? See the 3-day trek over the pass →

5.063 Google reviewsDay trip from Shkodra

Valbona is the other side of the Albanian Alps from Theth, and the two valleys feel nothing alike. Theth is enclosed and green. Valbona is wide and pale, with a braided river running over a bed of white stone half a kilometre across and peaks over 2,500 metres standing straight up on both sides.

Itinerary

For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.

  1. 06:00

    Pickup in Shkodra

    Collected from your accommodation and east to the Komani dam.

  2. 08:00

    The Komani ferry

    Two and a half hours up the flooded canyon to Fierza. Top deck if you can get a seat.

  3. 11:00

    Up the Valbona valley

    By road from Fierza to Valbona village, about an hour, with the valley opening out as you go.

  4. 12:00

    Guided walk towards the pass

    Three hours on the Theth trail: beech woods, then open scree, then back. Turn-around at the foot of the real climb.

  5. 15:00

    Lunch in Rrogam

    At a guesthouse at the head of the valley. Mountain food, and a terrace facing the peaks.

  6. 16:00

    Ferry and the drive back

    Return down the valley and the lake. Back in Shkodra around 18:30 to 19:00.

Experience & Highlights

  • The Komani ferry through the gorge, both ways
  • The white braided riverbed of the Valbona
  • A guided walk on the Valbona to Theth trail
  • Peaks over 2,500 metres on both sides of the valley
  • Guesthouse lunch in Rrogam

Full Description

Getting there is half the day and worth it: the Komani ferry up the flooded Drin gorge to Fierza, then an hour up the valley by road. That ferry ride is the best two and a half hours of boat travel in Albania and you do it in both directions.

In the valley we walk the first stretch of the Valbona to Theth trail, up towards the pass through beech woods and out onto the open scree, then turn back at the point where the real climb starts. Three hours on foot, all of it with the peaks in front of you. Lunch at a guesthouse in Rrogam.

What's included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Shkodra
  • Komani ferry tickets both ways
  • Transport in the valley
  • English-speaking mountain guide
  • Guesthouse lunch and bottled water

Not included

  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Hiking poles (available to rent, €3)

Good to know

  • About three hours of walking with 300 metres of ascent, on rough stone and scree. Boots or trail shoes, not trainers.
  • The ferry keeps a fixed timetable and does not wait, which is why pickup is firm at 06:00.
  • Runs May through October. The valley road and the trail are snowbound outside that.
  • Bring a layer and a waterproof. Weather in the Alps turns fast even in July.

Good questions, honest answers

How do you get to Valbona from Shkodra?

By the Komani ferry to Fierza, then an hour by road up the valley. There is a longer all-road route through Kukës but it takes about five hours and misses the gorge, which is one of the best things in the country. We use the ferry.

Is Valbona better than Theth?

They are different. Valbona is wide, pale and open, with a huge braided riverbed and the higher peaks. Theth is enclosed, green, and has the village, the church and the lock-in tower. If you can only do one and you want mountains, Valbona. If you want people and history too, Theth.

How hard is the walk in Valbona?

The section we do is about three hours return with 300 metres of ascent on rough ground. It is a walk rather than a climb and most reasonably fit people manage it comfortably. Going the whole way over the pass to Theth is a different proposition and takes six to eight hours.

Plan the rest of your trip

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