As part of our longer Albania itinerary, we visited the whole Albanian Riviera, from Vlore and Dhermi, to Himare (which we loved), and down to Sarande and Ksamil. For us, the best place to enjoy the beaches is definitely Himare. However, for beach clubs and that kind of atmosphere, Ksamil is a much better choice.
The beach clubs in Ksamil are the best in Albania, and, from our experience, it’s really the only place in the country for this. So this is THE spot to chill at a beach bar if that’s your vibe.
The only other places with beach clubs somewhat similar to those in Ksamil are those between Vlore and Radhime, and maybe Orikum, but they simply can’t compare to Ksamil’s, as the beaches and water are nowhere near as good.
Looking for an organized trip? You can visit Ksamil on an organized day trip from Tirana (or Durres/Golem), or the 2-Day Tour from Tirana, which visits Ksamil, Gjirokaster, Sarande, and Permet.
Interested in exploring the whole country on a tour? We recommend booking this top-rated Two Week Tour of Albania, with hotels and all other costs included, and a professional tour guide to lead the way.
It follows a similar itinerary to what we did in Albania over two weeks, and in addition to Ksamil, visits all the other best spots in the country. Plus, it includes the Valbona to Theth hike, which surprised us, as standard tours usually don’t include cool stuff like that.
Things to do in Ksamil
1. Beaches and beach clubs
THE thing to do in Ksamil is to relax at one of its beaches or beach clubs. In most of Ksamil town, all the beaches are part of some beach club, so expect sun loungers and beach umbrellas in the whole beach area.
Ksamil is also famous for the different themes at some of the beach clubs. For example, there are some with a swing in the water (reminds us of Thailand), some with a Mexico/Tulum vibe, and another with a giant hand sculpture sticking out of the water, where there’s always a queue for photos.
Compared to Himare, the beaches in this area are more developed, with beach clubs and restaurants along almost the entire coast of Ksamil, and hotels/resorts next to Sarande’s beaches.
For a less developed beach, you have to go outside the main Ksamil area. On the outskirts, you can find beaches like The Last Bay, which is a 30-minute walk from the central beach area.
But arguably the best beaches in Ksamil are those farther from the town, on the way to Sarande, including Pulëbardha and Shpella e Pëllumbave (Pigeon Cave Beach), which are a 1-hour walk from Ksamil, as well as a few smaller nearby ones. Definitely go there in the morning, though, as they get packed by noon.
2. Boat tour of Ksamil Islands
To explore a different part of Ksamil, we recommend a boat tour of the Ksamil Islands to get to beautiful swimming spots in crystal-clear waters, especially at the twin islands.
While the islands are also very busy in the season, they’re still less busy than the mainland beaches.
Top travel tip: If you’re staying in Ksamil but want a better boat trip than the one to the Ksamil Islands just off the coast, check out this fantastic boat tour from Sarande, which visits some really beautiful caves and bays.
It doesn’t offer pickup from Ksamil, but you can take the local bus (1.5 EUR, departs every 30 minutes in the season) or a taxi between Ksamil and Sarande.
Albania trip
MUST-HAVE ✔
💳 Save money when changing currencies or taking out cash by bringing a backup travel card. Oh, and in case an ATM swallows your card. Yes, it happened to us. 🤦♂️
🔌 Bring a Universal Travel Adapter with fast-charging capabilities (45W and Power Delivery).
3. Butrint National Archaeological Park
Beaches are not the only thing to visit in Ksamil, since this whole area is actually part of the Butrint National Park, which is also home to a big lagoon and the Butrint National Archaeological Park.
Butrint National Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is Albania’s largest and most impressive archaeological site.
It takes about 2 hours to visit the archaeological site in Butrint, and the entrance ticket costs 10 EUR. We spent just under two hours there and can say it’s absolutely worth visiting, especially since it’s practically the only such site in Albania.
- Also read: How to visit Butrint National Park
There is another, bigger archaeological site in Albania, called Apollonia, located near Vlore. However, Butrint is much more impressive, and there’s a lot more to see. So if you’re choosing to see just one such site in Albania, let it be Butrint near Ksamil.
Since it only takes 2 hours to see all of Butrint, you can easily fit it into the same day with some beach time and another attraction.
4. Blue Eye of Albania
If you plan to spend more time in Ksamil and use it as a base to explore the southernmost part of Albania, definitely consider a day trip to the Blue Eye, a captivating water spring about a 45-minute drive outside of Ksamil.
The Blue Eye is located in a beautiful area and is probably Albania’s most famous attraction. The entrance fee is minimal, only 0.50 EUR, so if you have some extra time, it’s worth a short visit.
From the parking lot, it’s a simple 20-minute walk to reach the Blue Eye. There’s also a small train you can take for 3 EUR per person, but since it’s such a short walk, we didn’t see the need.
While the area is beautiful, it’s very small, and you need perfect weather to see the striking blue color.
Otherwise, it’s really nothing to write home about, and after visiting, we can say that we enjoyed the Blue Eye in Theth much more.
While we still recommend visiting, especially since there aren’t many similar spots in Albania, we suggest setting your expectations.
Best way to explore Albania?
RENTING A CAR
We love exploring places at our own pace and on our own time, especially to avoid crowds at popular destinations we visit. Plus, watching sunrises and sunsets at epic locations is a must. ☀
That’s why renting a car for us is a no-brainer, and an unmissable part of most trips. 🚗
We love having the choice to compare prices, choose different pick-up and drop-off locations (one-way rentals), and pay for a reasonable full insurance policy without going broke. 🤑
5. Day trip to Gjirokaster, City of Stone
Another great day trip option from Ksamil, if you’re planning to stay here longer, is to Gjirokaster, the so-called “City of Stone”, famous for its castle and traditional tower houses, as well as the cobblestone streets of its old quarter.
Top tip: Since Blue Eye is only a 20-minute detour on the way to Gjirokaster, it’s perfect to combine a visit to Blue Eye with Gjirokaster in a single day.
It’s easy to do, whether you’re renting a car or not, as there are great organized day tours visiting both. We recommend this top-rated day tour, which gives you enough time to explore both locations before finishing off at Lekuresi Castle above Sarande.
Gjirokaster’s main attraction is the Castle of Gjirokastra, right above the town, which is quite well preserved. Down in the streets of the old quarter, a leisurely stroll takes you around historic houses, Mosques, and through tunnels.
- Read next: Gjirokaster Travel Guide
Best tours and activities
Some great day trips and boat tours depart from Sarande. So if you want to see the best of this area, you can take a 20 EUR taxi, or the 1.5 EUR bus, which departs every 30 minutes in the season.
- 🚤 Ksamil Islands Boat Tour
- ⛱ Combo Boat Tour (Ksamil islands plus north beaches & bays)
- 🌄 Blue Eye and Gjirokaster Tour (pick-up from Ksamil)
- 🏛 Butrint National Park Walking Tour (starts at Butrint)
- 👩🍳 Ksamil Cooking Class (make traditional Lakror and Fërgesa)
- ⛵ Mussel Tour (with food & drinks)
- From Sarande
- 🚤 Boat Tour to Bays, Beaches, and Caves (some of Albania’s best)
- 🚙 Off-Road Tour
- From Tirana (or Durres/Golem)
- ⭐ Ksamil Tour including Blue Eye
- 🚐 2-Day Tour from Tirana (Gjirokaster, Ksamil, Sarande, Permet)
How long to stay in Ksamil
Ksamil is a great place to be for a beach vacation in Albania. However, if you want to visit Ksamil for a day trip or an overnight stay, that’s more than enough time to see its highlights.
You can easily visit Ksamil, Butrint, and Blue Eye in one day, as well as end up for sunset at Lukresi Castle, a popular sunset spot on a hill above Sarande.
A day trip to Sarande and Ksamil is easy from Himare if you’ve got a car, as you can get to Sarande in just over an hour. We did this day trip from Himare as well, and it worked out well. You can easily visit all the spots if you don’t plan to chill at the beach clubs for too long.
Planning a beach vacation in Ksamil? Read this.
The important thing to know about beaches in Ksamil is that they will be extremely busy, even outside the main season.
Simply put, there aren’t enough beaches for the number of people visiting Albania’s beaches, which is definitely true for Ksamil. This is a big contrast to Croatia, where even in the peak season, you might still be able to find your own piece of paradise.
Albania’s Riviera, the stretch from Vlore to Ksamil with the clearest water and prettiest beaches, is quite short, only 120km. In comparison, the distance from Split to Dubrovnik is already over 200km, and that’s only a small part of Croatia’s coastline.
Ksamil’s beaches are also very small and much narrower, with much less surface area. That’s why, in our honest opinion, if you want to enjoy more time at the beach that’s not overcrowded (but still busy), choose Himare or Dhermi over Ksamil.
There, beaches will, of course, still have lots of umbrellas and sunloungers, but it’s nowhere near as disturbing as in Ksamil. So you can still find spots to lay down your towel and enjoy the beach for free if you don’t want to spend too much money every beach day.
Where to stay in Ksamil
The best area to stay in Ksamil is definitely close to the beach, but not right on it. Why? Because the beach clubs that are chill by day turn into nightclubs at night. So it’s going to be a noisy place to stay.
We recommend staying at the cozy Hotel NEBO, a perfect 100m from the beach, with delicious food at the onsite restaurant, and parking right in front if you’re coming by car.
For a stay with a pool, check out The Blue Eye Hotel, also just a 5-minute walk from the beach, and for a bit more luxury, you can’t go wrong with Hotel Colosseum, one of the best hotels in Ksamil.
Best time to visit Ksamil
Ksamil is best visited from June to September, when the weather is at its best, with warm to hot days and plenty of sunshine.
However, visiting Ksamil before the season, like in April and May, or after in October, means you’re there without the crowds, and with much lower hotel prices. But not every restaurant will be open, so that’s a tradeoff.
We visited Ksamil in the offseason in October, and most beaches were completely empty, with only a few people in the water. Although it was a very windy day, which played a major part.
How to get to Ksamil
From Tirana, you can get to Ksamil in just under 4 hours by car or about 6 hours total by bus (first a bus from Tirana to Sarande and then a local bus to Ksamil).
Getting to Ksamil from Sarande takes about 30 minutes (13km), from Vlore, 2.5 hours, from Himare, 1.5 hours, and from Gjirokaster, just over an hour.
On our first trip to Albania, we rented a car in Tirana, and drove down to Vlore, Himare, Sarande & Ksamil, Gjirokaster, and, lastly, to Berat, before returning to Tirana. It’s the most optimized way to explore Albania – we wrote all about it in our Two Week Albania Itinerary.
Our favorite Albania eSIM
Fast Speed and Reliable Signal
Ever since we got phones that support eSIMs, we have been hooked and never looked back. 📶
We always get the best value-for-money eSIM we can, based on reliable signal, fast internet speeds, and coverage across the country. 🌐
Now that eSIM plan prices are more than reasonable compared to regular phone plans (which are more of a hassle to get), we really see no reason not to get one for each trip.
Final thoughts
While we enjoyed our visit to Ksamil, for us, a proper beach vacation in Albania means visiting Himare, Dhermi, or any of the towns in that area. The beaches are bigger, and there are many of them.
But for a day trip to see its main highlights, it worked out well, and we’re happy we visited.
Continue your Albania trip planning
- ⭐ Tirana Attractions & Activities (travel guide to the capital)
- ⭐ What Not To Miss in Berat (best places and experiences)
- ⭐ Shkoder Travel Guide
- ⭐ Gjirokaster, the Stone City
- 🥾 Theth, Albanian Alps (best mountain town)
- 🏰 How to visit Kruje Historical Town
- 🌞 Best Attractions and Beaches in Himare
- 🌊 Osumi Canyon River Tubing (one of the best things we did in Albania!)
- 🌄 Bovilla Lake (stunning lake viewpoint)
- 💃 Albanian Night (fantastic show with traditional dancing and singing)
- 🛌 Riverside Komani (fantastic riverside hotel for visiting the Shala River)
Must-read - 🇦🇱 Best of Albania in Two Weeks (day-by-day itinerary)
- 🌄 North Albania in One Week (rivers, lakes, hikes, swimming spots)
