Self-Guided Hiking Tour: Theth, Valbona & Koman Lake in 5 days
Overview
120 hours
Mobile ticket
This self-guided tour program is specially designed for travelers who wish to explore Albania independently however in a professionally organized way. By choosing this tour you will save money, time and enjoy the freedom of traveling on your own. Choose Balkans Team will apply its professionalism and knowhow in assisting you prior, during and after the tour. Once you book the tour our team will provide you all the details you need to know for this self-guided tour.
Additional Info
Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
All participants are responsible for having their own health/travel insurance.
Tour’s schedule or itinerary may be affected/adopted due to; weather, Acts of God, labour strikes, bank holidays, site temporary closure/renovation or other external forces outside the Company’s control.
The company reserves the right to run this tour under the same conditions with the inverse itinerary.
The accommodation is based in traditional and simple homestay/guesthouse/lodge- style or shepherd’s hut with basic bathroom amenities. Each room typically accommodates two to five travelers, and it might be necessary for male and female groups to share a room, unless you book a private room. Private rooms are possible on 35 Euros extra charge per night per person based on availability.
Mule or horse caravan, to carry heavy luggage from Valbona to Theth, is available on request with an extra charge of 100 Euros per horse/mule.
Blue eye: elevation up to 789 m, hiking 3-4 hours one way.
Grunas Waterfall: elevation up to 270m, hiking 1 hour one way.
Piramida 18: Elevation up to 1706 m, hiking 4 hours one way.
This tour requires some hiking experience and good physical condition.
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What‘s Included
Local transport for bumpy road from Valbona to Fierza
Choose Balkans Assistance
Tourist taxes
All needed instructions and coordination about this tour
Local transport for bumpy road from Komani Lake to Vau i Dejes or Shkoder
Transport provided by the company from Vau i Dejes to Tirana
Boat ticket Fierza Dam to Komani Lake
BB (Accommodation and Breakfast) for all overnights, in traditional guesthouses
Local transport provided by the company from Tirana or Shkoder to Theth
Tour Leader
Souvenirs
Personal spending
Lunches, Dinners, Drinks & Snacks
What To Expect
Tirana / Shkodra – Theth – Blue Eye – Theth
Accommodations
Overnight in a Traditional Guest House in Theth.
Tirana
This tour departs very early in the morning from Tirana or Shkodra. As you drive along the way towards Northern Albania, you will be amazed by beautiful landscapes; wild fields, rivers, Shkodra Lake and rugged untouched mountains.
Shkoder
This tour departs very early in the morning from Shkodra. You will depart towards northern Albania with a shared transportation provided by our partner
Boge
From Shkoder we will experience local transport riding at around 7:30 am. As you take the turn from the main road to Theth the area becomes more rural, with fewer cars but more wild nature and amazing landscapes. Due to its favorable position this area is famous for cultivating medicinal herbs, and if you are lucky to travel in May – June you would be amazed by the pretty and aromatic fields of lavender, making you feel like you are in Provence (France). On the way to the top, you will pass through a steep sneaky hillside reaching up to 1700 meters above sea level at Qafa e Thores. They say this is the spot with the best picture – perfect view of the Albanian Alps.
Blue Eye of Theth
Have a short break for refreshment and start your hiking journey towards the Blue Eye at around mid-day. Blue Eye was formed by the erosion of the water from the melting snow of the Albanian Alps. The hike from the village is about 3 hours one way, with a hiking distance of 18 km both ways and about 700 m of elevation. (If you choose to book local transportation from Theth Village to Nderlysaj, the hike will take around 1 hour each way. The cost for local transportation is between 5-7 euros per person). This trail is considered easy to moderate, requiring some experience in hiking. You will not be able to take your eyes off this stunning scene of nature with its bright blue and green colours, it’s like being inside a postcard. Also, fun fact, the temperature of the Blue Eye is just around 5 degrees Celsius. Hiking details (approx.): Distance: 18km Elevation gain: 700 m Technical difficulty: Moderate Time: 6h Trail type: Loop
Qender Theth
After the hike go back to the village center and visit the Old Church and the “Lock in” Tower (symbol of Theth). The stories behind these buildings take up centuries full of history.
Theth – Grunas Waterfall – Theth
Accommodations
Overnight in a guesthouse in Theth.
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Grunasi Waterfall
After breakfast get ready to hike from Theth to Grunas Waterfall. It takes approximately an hour to get the waterfall from the center of Theth Village. The hike takes you along local villagers daily lives and Kullas (stone houses typical of the Albanian Alps). Once you reach the waterfall you will be amazed by the curtain of white water coming over the grey rocks as if it were being poured from a bucket that never empties. The water tumbles down the hillside in a series of mini-waterfalls. Grunasi waterfall was declared a natural monument since 2002. Take some time to soak in the picturesque landscape of the Albanian Alps. At around midday get back to Theth. Free afternoon to explore the National Park on your own.
Theth National Park – Valbona Pass – Valbona Valley National Park
Accommodations
Overnight in a guesthouse in Valbona
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Valbona Pass
Get ready for the highlight of this trip. Trekking from Theth to Valbona will be an intense day as the walk takes about 6 to 8 hours (about 1050m elevation) in a remote terrain, nevertheless unquestionably worthy! The Valbona pass offers a spectacular view of the Peaks of the Balkans and “Accursed Mountains”. When reaching the top of the Valbona Pass, you will experience a serious shot of adrenaline. From here you will be able to see at both sides of the valleys. This top viewpoint is perfect for a short break and the possibility to capture amazing pictures of the Albanian Alps. From Valbona Pass, star your decent to the next destination, Valbona Valley, another picturesque village surrounded by high mountains. After reaching the village, we will walk towards the traditional guesthouse.
Valbona Valley – “Piramida 18” – Valbona Valley
Accommodations
Overnight in a guesthouse in Valbone.
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
The hiking tour of the Albanian Alps gets more intense during this day, however filled with exciting challenges and breathtaking scenery. The hiking objective is "Piramida 18", offering one of the most beautiful views and is located on the Montenegrin–Albanian border. “Piramida 18” stands 2000m above sea level, with a total of 15 km hike both ways. To reach the pass takes around 4h from Vabona Valley National Park and we pass through Kukaj. The view offers a 360° spectacular panorama of the wild nature of Accursed Mountains. Enjoy a picnic lunch from this breath-taking corner of the world. Take some time to rest and recharge on the middle of the Alps before starting your descent back to Valbona Valley.
Theth – Grunas Waterfall – Theth – Tirana
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Theth
Waking up with such a magnificent view of the Albanian Alps will make you want to stay longer, however, you will get on a boat that will take us through Komani Lake offering spectacular views of the Albanian Alps, waterfalls, rural villages and wild forests. It is considered by many as an exotic experience combined with the unmatched hospitality of the locals. Once arriving in the Komani dam you will experience local transport over bumpy roads, however offering spectacular views of Vau i Dejes Lake.
Shkoder
Returning back to the modern and dynamic city of Shkoder or Tirana after an unforgettable experience marks the end of this self-guided tour. You will return home full of the wonders of Albania, with a new sense of self-excitement to share with those around you.
Tirana
Returning back to the modern and dynamic city of Shkoder or Tirana after an unforgettable experience marks the end of this self-guided tour. You will return home full of the wonders of Albania, with a new sense of self-excitement to share with those around you.
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Self-Guided Hiking Tour: Theth, Valbona & Koman Lake in 5 days
Reviews
23 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Stunning mountains, friendly hosts, well organised!
ericamH1928NL,
Sep 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Brilliant trip, can’t recommend it enough. The hikes are beautiful with stunning mountain landscapes. Blue eye was a great swim! The hike over the pass is a trip highlight! Also the last day hike in Valbona as there were very few people on the trail compared with the first 3 days. The homestays were lovely and the hosts so friendly and kind. The food they prepared was delicious and filling! Brikena organised everything so well we always knew what we needed to do and kept in touch with us. We felt well looked after. Thank you!
Perfect tour
mm7680,
Sep 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had great experience with Choose Balkans for this tour. From the beginning when we've booked it till the final moment. The team was always available, everything was perfectly arranged. Special and great thanks to Brikena that made our tour even better. We'll definitely get back
Wonderful trekking
guyr2018,
Sep 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The trekking was very well organised. Beautiful hikes, good accommodation and close contact with the travel agency. Brikena did very well!
Self-guided 5 day tour
V6894LImatthewf,
Aug 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I had an amazing hiking experience with Choose Balkans. My contact Brikena was very helpful and responsive to any questions I had. I would highly recommend this self-guided tour.
Amazing hikes & authentic accomodation with the sweetest hosts
867gustavr,
Jul 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Gifted my sister this trip for her 30th birthday. She had never hiked before, but loved it! The scenes were amazing and the hikes were definitely worth the effort, despite some days having +1,000m of altitude gain. We stayed with the sweetest hosts in both Theth and Valbona. Food was good (and authentic) and drinks were super cheap. Would definitely recommend this to anyone, regardless of hiking experience! Choose Balkans (specifically Brikena) also did a great job organising. Everything was seamless and they were super helpful in organising a private transfer early on the day of the departure, so we could make our flight. Provided a very useful itinerary, and tips along the way and were always responsive (even checked in when we had our private shuttle at 4:50am to make sure we had found our driver).
Very helpful throughout trip
300neerajv,
Jul 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Would strongly recommend Brikena and Choose Balkans. Everything was organised for us and Brikena was very responsive throughout our trip whenever we had any enquiries. Overall hiking in this region was absolutely stunning. The guesthouses were really nice too, a very authentic way to spend our time in Albania.
Memorable experience and stress free - highly recommend
khushaalv,
Jul 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Highly recommend. Brikena and the Choose Balkans team were extremely responsive and helpful both before booking and throughout the journey. It was very handy having the itinerary, accomodation, luggage transportation between theth and valbona sorted. It was also really helpful having Brikena just a phone a call away in case we needed any help or assistance. She also went out of her way to try and recover some gear we had accidentally left behind on a minibus. The hikes themselves are stunning and will definitely be a memorable trip.
Recommended turglade people!
920kirstif,
Jul 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Beautiful nature, nice paths. Cosy guesthouse with good and enough food.The only one we have to postpone is the driver of Theth, who was driving aggressively and fast while he was talking on the phone. Package list from the company should also come earlier than just a few days before.
Beautiful surroundings, seamless experience, highly recommend
leriw2023,
Jun 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Beautiful hike and surroundings. Everything very organised, we just had to show up. Brikena was super friendly and great at communicating and checking in every day. Made our group feel really valued and safe. Thank you Brikena! Highly recommend this trip family, friends and couples.
A wonderful experience from start to finish
mayaj832,
Jan 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour was beautiful in views, you get to visit some amazing hidden treasures on this hike. I did a self-guided hike and felt safe and confident about my journey thanks to the organisers. I was invited to meet with Brikena at the Choose Balkans office before I set off on my trek, to go through what to expect and to clear up any questions I might have - I thought this was a wonderful touch as I have not experienced this with other solo treks I have done so I was grateful that the team were so organised and clear about everything. Brikena also sent me a daily message to check if everything was okay and to warn me of any weather problems that I might run into, which made me feel really looked after while alone in the Alps! The accomodations provided were really comfortable and spacious (I was fortunate enough to have my own room the whole time as not many people were hiking at the time). Valbona pass was the highlight of the trip for me as you pass from one village to another. The other days were more like day trips where you end up at the same location at the end of the day - still beautiful scenery and a great experience but not an ongoing trek like other multi-day hikes - but the bonus of this style of trek was not having to carry my whole pack with me every day! Definitely recommend the trek and grateful for Brikena and the Choose Balkans team for making it a seamless and unforgettable experience!
From €487.18
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