On this Via Dinarica tour you will have the chance to explore the best of the alpine, wild nature of the Albanian North and some parts of Montenegro and Kosovo. At the same time, this tour is part of the mega Balkanic Dinaric trail with a total length of 200 km. This trail is one of the least explored trails in the Balkans and at the same time, it has been listed as one of the Best Trips for 2017 by National Geographic.
The Via Dinarica has been considered one of the most scenic and epic hiking tours in the Balkans and Europe. The itinerary of the Via Dinarica tour will take you to the North of Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo. Hiking the Three Borders point, you will be stunned by the highest peak of Kosovo and Montenegro. Part of the Tour are also the National Parks of Theth and Valbona. The rest continues through alpine villages where we will be welcomed by locals and shepherds to share the very simple guesthouses and meals.
We will be walking and exploring parts of the Accursed Mountains. In Albanian Folk, this was the place where the fairies could be found. By the end of the tour, we will also have the chance to visit the city of Prizren. It is one of the most important cities of Kosovo and furthermore known as the Cultural Capital of Kosovo.
On request this Via Dinarica tour may start from Pristina or Prizren
05:30
During this seven-day Hiking Via Danirica Tour we will stay closer to the rural life by staying at local guesthouses and Shepherd summer huts. The Tour is based on Shared Rooms for Triple or Quadruple Occupancy.
For Private Rooms Please Contact Us.
All the meals are provided. The food is simple and homemade at the guesthouse with fresh products from the garden and the area.
Leaving Tirana we will head toward the North of Albania with the village of Theth as our final destination. After a comfortable 2 hours drive we will reach the city of Shkodra. With more than 2000 years of history, Shkodra is the largest city in Northern Albania. Called also the capital of North Albania, it has been a cultural, economic, and political center for centuries.
Here we’ll change our vehicle. We will jump to a more suitable public transport van to share this driving experience with some locals.
Driving through the Valley of Boga, a course scenery will open in front of us. Driving on a windy road, the view gets even better. At the end of this bumpy ride, we will find Theth. It will amaze us with its unique nature, history, and traditions including the village’s symbol, the Lock-In Tower. After lunch at the Guesthouse, our next destination will be the Grunasi waterfall not far from the center of the village.
The last station will be “The Lock-in Tower”, the most iconic building of Theth. Mentioned also in the journal of the traveler Edith Durham, it is the symbol of the blood feuds in Albania. Short Presentation of a symbolic process where 2 families were agreeing on peace. We will spend the first night in Theth.
Theth is indeed one of the best examples of an alpine village in Albania. The second day is planned to be organized as a full-day round trip to explore the area and the Blue Eye.
Situated around 10 km from the center of Theth, this natural water pool is the main destination of the second day. With a depth of 5 m and icy waters (5°C), the Blue Eye is formed by the erosion of rock by the water that descends from the mountains. Picnic lunch at the Blue Eye and return tothe guesthouse in Theth by the afternoon.
In addition, the second night will be spent in Theth.
We now set off on the thrilling hike from Theth to Valbona following the ancient path that the locals have been using for years. Back in the day, it was only possible to travel from Valbona to Shkoder by foot taking two full days of walking! Walking on this path we will pass through the oldest part of the village where people are still living in their more than 100-year-old stone houses that are remarkable remnants of the past.
The 20-km trek offers spectacular views of long rocky valleys and lush green forests. We stop for lunch at one of the traditional cafés along the way but do stock up on snacks just in case.
Dinner and Overnight in Valbona.
Hiking Trail: 19 Km
Elevation gain: 1043 m
Elevation Loss: 764 m
The day starts early, to continue further on the Via Dinarica. We leave the Valbona Valley to head toward a more remote village, hidden in between the mountains. Cerem is well known among the accursed mountains for its blackberries.
The trail meanders along with the pine forests in a very remote area. In a few hours of hike we will reach the highest peak of the trail at 2030m. Could there be a better place for a picnic lunch?
We continue our trip by entering the Montenegrian border and hiking for a few kilometers on the sides of Zla Kolata, the highest peak of Montenegro. Re-entering the Albanian border and through the Bori Pass, we will reach the village of Cerem where we will spend the night.
Hiking Trail: 13 Km
Elevation gain: 1089 m
Elevation Loss: 870 m
Located in-between high peaks Doberdol has been for centuries a Sheppard summer camp.
Today’s hike is relatively easy, mainly through forests. We leave the rocky massif of Kollata and make our way through the forest for a few hours. We are briefly crossing the border to Montenegro, to return again to the Albanian side, walking next to a former military base. Picnic lunch and coffee break in a remote Cafe.
On the next kilometers to Doberdol, the terrain is mainly flat and leads us through beech forest.
Dinner and Overnight in a basic guesthouse in Doberdol.
Hiking Trail: 15 Km
Elevation gain: 890m
Elevation Loss: 440m
We leave the stunning Doberdol to head toward the Three Borders Peak. The trail is amazingly scenic and symbolic. Part of our range will be the Peak of Gjeravica, the highest peak in Kosovo. The second one is the Zla Kolata, which we passed by a few days ago. In addition, on the horizon, we’ll see the massif of rocky Jezerca the second highest peak of Albania.
An additional walk will lead us toward the Three Borders Peak.
The end of our journey will be soon, after passing the Kosovo border, walking into a forest. From there we will take a transfer toward the historical city of Prizren.
Dinner and Overnight in Prizren.
Hiking Trail: 6 Km
Elevation gain: 630 m
Elevation Loss: 840 m
Famous for its unique style and culture, Prizren is one of the most important cities in the history of Kosovo. It is the city where ancient history gets fused with Medieval times, Ottoman invasion, and plenty of Balkans wars.
Situated on both sides of the Lumbardhi River (White River) and above the castle of Prizren, this noble city is the place where different ethnicities and religions have been living in harmony with each other for centuries. Prizren is the city that everyone falls in love with!
City tour of Prizren and visit at “League of Prizren”.
After the tour of Prizren, our tour ends with a return to Tirana or a transfer to Pristina.
We highly recommend packing only the most necessary items on a backpack that you will need to carry and leaving the rest of the bags either with us or at the Hotel. We can safely store it for you and deliver it back in Tirana. Please inform us ahead if you will need to leave bags with us.
Located in the center of Valbona this complex of wooden cabins provides one of the most comfortable stays in Valbona. In addition, a restaurant on-site, specializing in Traditional Cuisine will make your stay unforgettable.
What started with the Old house of the family is now one of the best guesthouses in Theth. In addition, comfortable, clean rooms and delicious, local food cooked by the family will be the best combination with the epicness of the village.
