Things to do in Shkoder
Shkoder is North Albania’s cultural capital and the starting point for most travelers exploring the country’s northern mountains, lakes, and rivers. Shkoder is only a 1.5-hour drive north of Tirana, the capital.
While you don’t need more than one day to see the highlights in Shkoder, it’s a great base in the summer, with nearby river swimming spots, and it’s right on Lake Shkoder, where there are also swimming areas.
- Must-read: One Week North Albania Itinerary – plan your visit to Shkodër, Lake Koman, the Shala River, Valbona Valley, Theth Mountain Village, and, most of all, complete the Valbona to Theth hike.
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).
1. Rozafa Castle
The best place to visit in Shkoder is Rozafa Castle, and the best time to visit is at sunset, when it offers fantastic views of the surrounding area.
At the castle, make sure to do a full circle around the walls and visit all the viewpoints. The views are truly spectacular, and from one side, you will see Shkoder itself, the northern mountains behind it, and the Shkoder lake to the left.
From the other side of the castle, you will get views of the confluence of the Kiri, Drin, and Buna rivers before the Buna river makes its way to the sea. We loved this part the most!
Unlike in Berat and Gjirokaster, there aren’t as many buildings left at Shkoder’s Rozafa Castle, as it’s mostly in ruins. But you can visit the museum housed in a fortress-like building to learn more about the thousands of years of history behind the castle and the area.
Additionally, parts of the mosque of Sultan Mehmet Fatih still stand, as do a few tower structures along the castle walls, and the Barbican, the outer defense stronghold and gateway to the castle.
How to get to Rozafa Castle
You can get to Rozafa Castle on foot in 1 hour from Shkoder’s center, or rent a bike and cycle there, which is super common.
If you’re renting a car in Albania, you can drive to the castle and park nearby. There are free spots just before the entrance, but the access road is steep. There are also paid parking lots (2 euros) just before the road that goes all the way up.
If you’re visiting at a busy time (spring, summer), we don’t recommend driving up to the free parking lot, as you’re more than likely to find no spots, and then you’ll have to awkwardly back down the hill.
On our visit, we arrived just before sunset, and the free spots were mostly empty. That was just pure luck, as a few more cars arrived after us.
2. Mesi Bridge
Rozafa Castle is the only place that’s so close to the city, as other places worth visiting are mostly located on the outskirts.
One of the places is the Mesi Bridge, a historical Ottoman bridge about 8km outside Shkoder, where in the summer you can swim and relax by the river below. The river here is crystal-clear, forming pools that are perfect for swimming.
There are also bars and restaurants nearby for drinks or lunch. You can get to Mesi Bridge by taxi, or rent a bike or a scooter. If you’re coming by car, there is free parking nearby.
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.
3. Kiri River and Prekal Canyon swimming spots
Further up the river from Mesi Bridge, there are more amazing spots along the water at Kanioni Ura e Shtrenjtë, where you can go swimming in the summer, plus there are bars to chill at.
Like at Mesi Bridge, the Kiri River near Prekal canyon forms beautiful pools of crystal-clear water, perfect for jumping in and swimming. It reminds us a bit of the gorges of the Soča Valley in Slovenia.
For this place, we highly recommend spending more than one day in Shkoder, as it takes a bit of time to get there and back, and it’s hard to fit it all into a single day unless you have a scooter or rent a car.
The Kiri River swimming spots are on the way to Theth if you’re taking the off-road “tough” route through Prekal, which is only possible with 4x4s and motorbikes.
4. Old Town and Kole Idromeno Street
We recommend doing everything outside of Shkoder’s center during the day, and leaving the Old Town for the evening. Or if you want to do a short stroll in the morning before going out to explore.
In Shkoder’s small Old Town, there’s really not much more to do than to stroll along the pedestrian Kole Idromeno Street. Nearby, you can also visit the grand Ebu Beker Mosque.
A must-do on Shkoder’s Kole Idromeno Street is to visit Pastiçeri Oraldi Pedonale for some delicious Tri Leche and MANY other desserts. We absolutely loved their cakes and tried three different ones, all of which were fantastic.
Other places worth visiting in Shkoder’s city center include the Site of Witness and Memory, a museum that describes life under communist rule, and “Marubi”, the National Museum of Photography.
5. Shkoder Lake
As we mentioned earlier, Shkoder city is right next to Lake Shkoder (obviously!).
Shkoder Lake has beaches, but the best ones are a bit farther away in the village of Zogaj, about a 40-minute drive from the city.
Shkoder is also super close to the border with Montenegro, and from Rozafa Castle, you will have views across Shkoder Lake and see parts of the neighboring country.
We were actually on the other side of the lake in Montenegro, looking out towards Albania, a few years prior. We also saw lots of boat tours on the lake while in Montenegro, something that we personally haven’t seen on Albania’s side, not sure why.
6. Day trip to Theth in the Albanian Alps
With only a two-hour drive north of Shkoder, you can visit Theth, the most famous and picturesque mountain village in Albania, and the gateway to exploring the Albanian Alps.
On a day trip, you can easily visit Theth’s main attractions like the Blue Eye, a beautiful blue pool of water for swimming, and the 1-hour hike through beautiful nature to get there, then a short hike to the tall Grunas Waterfall, and lastly, a short stop at the stone Catholic Church.
How to get there: By bus or on an organized day tour.
Hot travel tip for doing more in fewer days: In the summer, if you leave Shkoder super early in the morning, you can also squeeze in the hike from Theth to Valbona Pass on the same day.
But this is only possible if you rent a car in Albania, as tours don’t do that (yet), and buses arrive too late in Theth and leave too early.
Best tours, activities, and trips from Shkoder
- 🚲 Bike Tour
- 👩🍳 Cooking Class
- 🌄 Theth National Park & Blue Eye (day tour with a local guide)
- ⭐ Theth Overnight Tour (with hotel included)
- 🚤 Shala River Boat Tour & Komani Lake (with transport)
Where to stay in Shkoder
In Shkoder, we recommend staying at The Rooftop Hostel, a chill place, right in the center, with a rooftop. We had a simple room, but it was clean and even had a table and a fridge.
For more comfort, check out SaEl Apartments, fully-equipped, affordable apartments in the center, and Mon Ami Boutique Hotel in one of the pedestrian streets close to Kole Idromeno.
If you plan to stay at the popular The Wanderers Hostel in Shkoder, you can book a bus from Tirana that drops you off right at the hostel.
Best restaurants in Shkoder
- Traditional food (yes, that’s the actual name – we had tasty traditional Albanian food here)
- Genti (fantastic breakfast spot, and traditional restaurant – vegan & vegetarian-friendly)
- Shkodra Lake Restaurant (pizza & seafood, right on Shkodra Lake in Shiroka village)
- Pasta te Zenga (best Italian food in town with lots of veggie options)
Best time to visit Shkoder
June to September is the best time to visit Shkoder and the north of Albania, which corresponds to the end of Spring, the entire summer, and the beginning of Autumn.
That’s also when there is no snow on the Valbona pass, so that you can complete the Valbona to Theth hike without worry if you’re planning to do that as well.
The absolute best time for swimming in lakes, rivers, and waterfalls in Shkoder and northern Albania is, of course, summer, specifically the months of July and August, with long, sunny days and perfect temperatures.
How to get to Shkoder
The closest airport to Shkoder is actually Podgorica Airport in Montenegro, the neighboring country, about 65 kilometers north (1.5 hours drive by bus).
However, Tirana Airport is only 80 kilometers from Shkoder and doesn’t involve a border crossing, so if you can, choose a flight into Tirana.
There is a 10 EUR direct airport shuttle from Tirana Airport to Shkodër running throughout the day. From Tirana city, you can also book a private transfer with hotel pickup.
There are frequent buses to Shkoder from Montenegro (Podgorica, Ulcinj, Budva, Kotor), Kosovo (Pristina, Prizren), North Macedonia (Skopje, Ohrid Lake), Greece, and Dubrovnik (Croatia). Most are direct buses, while some require a transfer in Tirana, like the route from North Macedonia.
Getting to Shkoder by bus from other parts of Albania usually means you’ll first need to get to Tirana and then take another bus to Shkoder. Though there are some direct ones, like from Vlore.
From Tirana’s South and North Terminal, you can take a regular bus for 2 EUR, which departs to Shkoder every 30 minutes (7 AM – 5 PM) and takes 2 hours, arriving at Shkoder Bus Station.
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. 🤑
Final thoughts and where to next after Shkoder
Shkoder is the perfect starting point for a trip around North Albania – you can read all about doing this trip in our North Albania Itinerary.
If your next destination is Lake Koman or the Shala River, make sure to read our Riverside Komani Hotel Review – the best place to stay for visiting the beautiful Shala River, while staying in a peaceful area.
Continue your Albania trip planning
- ⭐ Tirana Attractions & Activities (travel guide to the capital)
- ⭐ What Not To Miss in Berat (best places and experiences)
- ⭐ Guide to Theth in Albanian Alps
- 🏰 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)
