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Vjosa River Rafting in Përmet

Closer to Berat, or want a canyon rather than a gorge? See the Osumi Canyon run →

5.063 Google reviewsDay trip from Përmet or Gjirokastër

The Vjosa runs 270 kilometres from the Pindus mountains to the Adriatic without a single dam, which makes it the last large wild river in Europe and, since 2023, a national park. What that means on the water is that it still behaves like a river: braided channels, gravel bars that move every winter, and a current that changes character every few hundred metres.

Itinerary

For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.

  1. 09:00

    Meet at the base in Përmet

    Wetsuits, helmets and buoyancy aids fitted. Pickup from Gjirokastër accommodation is available and leaves an hour earlier.

  2. 10:00

    Safety briefing on the bank

    Paddle commands, what to do if you go in, and a practice on the flat water before the first rapid.

  3. 10:30

    Into the Këlcyrë gorge

    The main run. Two and a half hours on the water, with the walls closing in and a couple of places to jump off a rock if you want to.

  4. 13:00

    Lunch on the gravel

    Pulled out on a bar mid-river. Bread, cheese, tomatoes, grilled meat and fruit.

  5. 14:30

    Benjë thermal baths

    Downstream to the hot springs beside the Ottoman bridge. Sulphur pools at about 26 degrees, and the cold Vjosa a step away.

  6. 16:00

    Back to Përmet

    Changed, dry, and dropped in town or back to Gjirokastër.

Experience & Highlights

  • Rafting the last undammed river in Europe
  • The Këlcyrë gorge, grade 2 to 3
  • The Ottoman bridge and thermal pools at Benjë
  • No experience needed, guides in every boat
  • Lunch by the river included

Full Description

The standard run goes through the Këlcyrë gorge, where the valley narrows and the walls go up. It is grade 2 to 3 depending on the season, which is fun and not frightening. No experience needed, and the guides put a first-timer in a boat every day of the summer.

We finish downstream at Benjë, where hot sulphur springs come out of the ground beside an Ottoman packhorse bridge and pool up at about 26 degrees. Sitting in them after four hours of cold river water is the best part of the day and nobody argues about it.

What's included

  • Raft, paddle, helmet, buoyancy aid and wetsuit
  • Qualified river guide in every boat
  • Safety briefing and practice session
  • Lunch on the river
  • Transfer to Benjë thermal baths

Not included

  • Gjirokastër pickup (available, €10 per person)
  • Accommodation in Përmet
  • Photos from the guides (€10 for the set)
  • Towels and swimwear

Good to know

  • You need to be able to swim. Everything else is taught on the day.
  • Water levels are highest and fastest in April and May, and lowest in August, when the run is gentler and better for families.
  • Minimum age 8 in summer, 12 in spring when the flow is up.
  • Bring a swimsuit, a towel and a full change of clothes. Everything you wear in the boat will get wet.

Good questions, honest answers

Do I need rafting experience for the Vjosa?

No. The Këlcyrë run is grade 2 to 3, there is a qualified guide in every boat giving the paddle commands, and the briefing covers everything you need. You do need to be able to swim, because the one thing we cannot teach on the bank is what to do in moving water if you end up in it.

What makes the Vjosa special?

It is the last large river in Europe with no dam anywhere along its 270-kilometre course, and it was made a national park in 2023 partly to keep it that way. Undammed means it still braids and moves gravel, which is what rivers used to do everywhere and now almost nowhere.

What are the Benjë thermal baths?

Hot sulphur springs that surface beside a 17th-century Ottoman packhorse bridge on the Lengarica, a Vjosa tributary. They pool at around 26 degrees in stone basins. After four hours in cold river water they are the reason people remember this day.

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