Our Experience of the Osumi Canyon River Tubing Tour

The easiest way to see Osumi Canyon, a must-visit location near Berat, is from one of the viewpoints above it, BUT the most fun way is on a river tubing tour, where you float down the river through the canyon.

Being right inside the canyon was so cool. We got to experience both calm tubing and going over some rapids (so fun!), stand right under a waterfall, and do some cliff jumping at one spot.

River tubing is done on the Osum River, which flows through the 26 km-long Osumi Canyon and later the city of Berat.

How to get there

Before coming to the area, we thought the Osumi Canyon river tubing tour started somewhere in Berat. However, the tour actually begins in the Çorovodë village, about 1.5 hours south along the river.

It’s an easy drive on a good road from Berat. Plus, many bad parts were recently repaired during our visit – there were big chunks of missing asphalt being filled in.

Çorovodë also has hotels where you can stay, so that you can explore the area more easily – Canyon’s house is a good option with comfy rooms and good amenities.

Our experience

After booking the tour the day before, we started our morning with a drive from our Berat guesthouse towards Osumi Canyon.

At the meeting point in Çorovodë, we met our friendly guide and got dressed in neoprene suits with life vests on top before setting off towards the starting point. The suits are essentially the ones you also use while canyoning (like we did on our Madeira Canyoning).

Neoprene suits are super important, as we later realized the water in Osumi Canyon never really gets warm. That’s why it’s a perfect activity to refresh yourself on a hot day!

Additionally, a special feature of the canyon is that in spring and early summer, many waterfalls flow down its sides. We saw just one or two, as most dried out before our October visit. But those that we saw were cool!

Viewpoints on the way

Once we were all ready, we got in the car with our guide and a driver (both friendly locals from Çorovodë), and set off to see some of the viewpoints of Osumi Canyon.

This was actually great, since it meant we didn’t have to come back later with our car. Stopping at the viewpoints to see the canyon from above and to understand where we would be just minutes later was a fun addition.

There is more than one viewpoint, and after the last one, it was just a short drive to the trail where we descended into the canyon, each with our own tube.

Let the tubing begin!

Our guide explained how to operate the tube on the river, with the most important part being to keep your butt high so you don’t hit rocks below you, and to know how to bounce off walls without using your hands, letting the tube do the work.

After that, it was time for the river tubing! We started with some easy, slow parts, followed by a few rapids that were SUPER FUN.

Cliff jumping

Not long after, we stopped for a bit of cliff jumping from this big rock in the middle of the canyon. Even though we were there in late October when the water level was much lower than in summer, the water was still high enough for safe jumping.

Narrow passages

After the stop at the big rock, we descended further down on our tubes and also passed some narrow parts of the canyon, which was exciting. Throughout the activity, our guide took fantastic photos that he sent to us afterward (we highly recommend this exact tour).

Waterfalls

Finally, it was time to get to the most famous part of Osumi Canyon, the waterfalls! We made a few stops whenever we saw a waterfall and even refreshed ourselves in some of them.

The waterfalls were definitely the highlight, but not far from there, there are also some cool rock formations you can see as you pass by. We were so happy that we decided to book this tour instead of just seeing the canyon from the viewpoints. The photos speak for themselves!

Finishing the tour

A few rapids later, it was time to finish the activity and hike back up the canyon. You exit the canyon at different parts throughout the year, as sometimes you can go much further.

From where we stopped our river tubing, it was about a 15-minute hike up to the road. It’s not a challenging hike, but in the heat, doing a stop or two on the way is a good idea.

Our guide suggested stopping at another viewpoint on the trail up, and it was perfect, as we got views we couldn’t get easily from the road. The ideal end to a fun experience.

Once back at Çorovodë, we also got a sandwich each 🥪, which came in handy as we didn’t eat in the morning before coming here.

Best time to do the tour

Same as with Berat, Osumi Canyon is best experienced in the summer. It’s, of course, also the busiest time, but you’ll have great weather and warm temperatures. But the tour does run year-round – we were there in late October.

When the water level is higher (February to June), these tours do river rafting instead of tubing. But our guide shared that tubing is actually a favorite of most people, just like in Pai (Thailand). We believe it’s because you can be in a tube by yourself and do the work yourself. It really was a fun thing to do!

Keep in mind that the water is never really warm, even in the height of summer! That’s why it’s a perfect activity to refresh yourself.

In summer, the water in Osumi canyon is also much clearer and less muddy than on our October visit! But that doesn’t affect the experience in any real way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe?

Our trained guide was a local to Çorovodë village, who has been doing this for years and knows his stuff, so river tubing with them is absolutely safe. They helped us have a fantastic experience, so we highly recommend the company we did it with.

In addition to being a responsible company, they also make sure to follow the safest route down the river. That way, they make sure you avoid hitting rocks – although you mostly bounce off of them, so nothing really happens.

Is river tubing hard?

We wouldn’t say river tubing at Osumi Canyon is an extremely hard physical activity, but we definitely got tired towards the end. You do have to use both of your hands to paddle in the right direction, especially at the rapids parts, so that you can avoid rocks.

Realistically, we’d say almost anyone can go river tubing, unless you have back problems.

How long does the tour last?

The river tubing tour through Osumi Canyon lasts about 2 hours, with about one more hour spent on preparation and transportation. Taking the neoprene suits off after the tour is super fun, as you have to pull hard since they’re wet and stuck to you. 😁

What do you need to bring with you?

The most important thing to bring on your river tubing tour is a swimsuit to wear under the neoprene suit. In addition, we recommend bringing water shoes (like the ones you use for rocky/pebbly beaches) or sports sandals like we had (perfect footwear for this activity).

Your guide will have a waterproof bag with him for your phone or wallet during the tour, but you can also bring your own dry bag (a smaller one is a good idea).

While you’re river tubing, it’s not that easy to take photos and videos, but if you want to (like us), definitely bring an action camera. We strapped ours to ourselves in case we fell into water – Matej did flip over once. 😂