Is Theth worth visiting?
The mountain village of Theth in the Albanian Alps is all about the mountain scenery, rivers, swimming spots, waterfalls, peaceful natural environment, and most of all, great hiking.
Theth has everything we like doing, so for that reason, we can say it’s absolutely worth visiting and is an unmissable destination in Albania. We genuinely enjoyed spending a few nights in Theth, and only wished we had more time to do even more hiking.
Visiting Theth means visiting the most picturesque and famous mountain village in Albania, as well as some of the country’s best mountain landscapes.
A thing to keep in mind, however, is that most of the Theth village itself is newer buildings, like guesthouses, hotels, restaurants, and similar – not counting the more distant areas.
As far as we know, there is no real “center” to the village either, as it was always sparsely populated. So if you’re expecting an old village with streets to walk between rows of houses, the Theth valley is not that.
Things to do in Theth
Theth, the gateway to the Albanian Alps, is not a place to tick things off a list, but more of a mountain town where the surrounding nature and mountains are the focus.
ℹ Quick Tips for visiting Theth and Albania
Stay connected: We recommend getting our favorite eSIM, which we’ve always had a great experience with (full signal and speed) – 10% off with code SHIPPEDAWAY10.
Transport: The most common and convenient way to travel in the north of Albania is by bus (and boat), but renting a car is a great idea for more flexibility and getting to off-the-beaten-path spots easier.
Tour: Top-rated 3-day Albanian Alps Tour or for a day trip, Theth & Blue Eye Day Tour with pickup from Shkoder, Tirana, or Durres.
Hotels: Guesthouse Dritan Tethorja (BEST budget option if booked in advance) and Mikpritja Theth (fantastic villas just uphill of the center)
Budget note: Hotels in Theth and the mountains of North Albania are more expensive than elsewhere in the country. In addition to being more expensive in the season, they also get fully booked out, so you might end up without a place to stay if you wait too long.
1. Catholic Church
The first on our list, and the only non-nature-related attraction in Theth, is the Catholic Church.
Theth’s Catholic Church is THE most famous photo spot in Theth. The church is built of stone in a unique architectural style. The backdrop of mountains on each side of the church makes it clear why it’s so popular.
As our hotel was nearby, we passed the church countless times and can confirm that it looks best for sunrise and just before sunset, when the golden light hits the mountains.
2. Blue Eye of Theth
There are two Blue Eyes in Albania. The most famous one is the one near Sarande in the south, but the one in Theth is superior.
While some might call it overhyped or too crowded, Blue Eye is actually a fantastic spot to visit in Theth.
The Blue Eye pool of water itself is great, but so are the 1-hour hike through beautiful nature, and the other swimming spots and places to chill along the way.
The Blue Eye is a stunning spot, and the surrounding area is perfect for relaxing by the water, taking a quick dip, and spending some peaceful time in nature.
You can reach the Blue Eye on foot from Theth, but most people either drive or take a taxi from Theth’s center (5 EUR one way). We got there with our rental car, and the road is in good condition, except for a few potholes.
- Need a detailed itinerary for the north? We wrote a complete One Week North Albania Itinerary, full of the best tips.
3. Grunas Waterfall
Right outside of the Theth village, a short hike takes you to the highest and most famous waterfall in Theth, the Grunas Waterfall.
The hike to Grunas Waterfall takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on where you start, as the Theth valley is quite long.
At the start of the hike, you descend from Theth into a beautiful area, where you also need to cross over a small river. You can choose to walk through the water or over the bridge. We would choose the water route if we brought our sports sandals (also great for dipping your feet and then just continuing the hike).
Then, you walk a bit uphill and pass a few traditional houses and farms of sorts, before entering the forest for the last part of the hike. We loved this part with traditional stone houses the most. It’s also where, in the season, you can buy a drink to refresh yourself (and maybe some local products).
Grunas Waterfall is actually on the way to the Blue Eye, so if you’re exploring the area on foot, it’s the perfect first stop. Plus, from the area of Grunas Waterfall, there are also a few other hiking trails you can follow, like the one to the field of Denelit (hoping to do that one on our return, as we didn’t have time).
Some people decide to dip themselves into the pool at Grunas Waterfall, but since it’s such a small area, it gets easily overcrowded. We were there in the off-season, and it was still about 10 of us there, all eager to get closer to the waterfall.
Instead, in the summer, we recommend other swimming spots along the river in Theth’s valley.
If you visit in the late afternoon, you might get lucky and spot some cows returning home from the pasture. We snapped this cool photo of cows and mountains in the background on the way back from the waterfall.
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).
4. Hike to Valbona Pass or over the pass to Valbona Valley
One of the most popular things to do in Albania is hiking from Theth to Valbona, or the other way around (Valbona to Theth).
On the hike, you get beautiful views of the Albanian Alps, the valley of Valbona on one side, and Theth on the other, plus, if lucky, snowcapped peaks.
The classical Theth to Valbona or Valbona to Theth hike takes 5 to 8 hours, starting in one valley and climbing to Valbona Pass at 1759 meters, then descending steeply to the other valley.
However, you can also just hike from Theth to Valbona Pass and return to Theth. We’ll detail everything in our Theth to Valbona hiking guide (coming soon).
The hike from Theth to Valbona is not too challenging, and most beginner hikers can do it without much trouble. Plus, the hiking trail is well-marked and frequented daily.
On the trail, you will also find a few small bars to stop for a drink or a light meal, or to top up your water. Since we did the hike in the offseason, there was only one bar open.
At the top of the pass, there is a short, few-minute extra hike you can do to the actual Valbona Pass Viewpoint. And it’s so worth it, because you get an unobstructed view of the mountains and valleys all around you. Don’t miss this!
Plus, there are always dogs on the trail, and if you’re lucky, you’ll also meet some of them at the top of Valbona pass. This one mountain dog we took a photo of blended perfectly with this landscape!
How we did the hike
Since snow covered the peaks and the whole Valbona Pass in early October, when we were supposed to go hiking, we only did the hike from Theth to Valbona Pass and back.
This was after postponing our visit to the north of Albania to a later date in our trip. As we then drove to Theth, we no longer had time to complete the whole hike.
That’s why, if you’re not sure if you want to hike over the mountain from one valley to another, you can visit Theth and Valbona separately. Or visit only Theth and hike up to the pass, as we did.
In this case, renting a car for the north of Albania is a great idea, since you can drive to Koman Lake yourself, then to Shkoder, and then to Theth to do the hike and visit the other places. Read our North Albania itinerary to better understand the logistics and how to best explore North Albania.
5. Go for a dip in Theth’s river
Beyond the known swimming spots at the Blue Eye and Grunas Waterfall, there are other places you can find on the river in the Theth valley that are good for a dip. For example, on the way to the Grunas Waterfall, there are spots with river bars and natural pools where you can chill.
And on the way to the Blue Eye, you also pass by other cool spots where you can dip in the refreshing/freezing water.
Looking for an organized Albania trip?
We visited Albania ourselves, but if you want to join an organized trip, with hotels and all other costs included, and a professional tour guide to lead the way, we recommend booking this top-rated Two Week Tour of Albania.
It follows a similar itinerary to ours, and also does the Valbona to Theth hike, which honestly surprised us, as standard tours usually don’t include cool stuff like that.
6. Fuel up with traditional Albanian Food
All the hiking and nature enjoyment in Theth blend perfectly with the last item on our must-do list in Theth, which is trying delicious traditional Albanian food. The dishes are actually perfect for fueling up before or after hiking.
We loved the baked potatoes in cream (so filling and delicious!), the stuffed eggplant, and the stuffed pepper. Plus, the portions were generous, at least at our favorite restaurant, Gurra Family Restaurant (vegetarian-friendly). It’s also a guesthouse and one of the best places to stay in Theth.
Keep in mind that while Theth is popular, it’s not that big and there aren’t that many restaurants to choose from. So, where possible, you should reserve a spot, especially for dinner, in advance, so you don’t end up waiting in a queue forever.
If the restaurant doesn’t accept reservations, arrive early and wait until the kitchen opens. This was the case for our favorite restaurant in Theth.
During our time there, they started taking food orders at 6 PM, when the kitchen opened. So if we wanted to get a table for food, we had to come for drinks around 5:30 PM. It worked out well. We ordered some drinks, and the friendly waiter came to get our food order just after 6 PM.
Best tours and activities
- 🌄 Theth & Blue Eye Day Tour (from Shkoder, Tirana, Durres with a local guide)
- 🥾 3-day Albanian Alps Tour with hiking (includes hotels, transport, a guide)
- ⭐ Two Week Tour of Albania (includes Valbona to Theth hike)
Where to stay in Theth
Unlike in other parts of Albania, we believe the best place to stay in Theth mostly depends on how far you want to be from the “main” part, rather than your budget or other preferences.
Most hotels in Theth are located within the Theth valley, but there are also some great hotels on the hillside, both on the east and west of the valley. That means if you stay further up, it means to get to the village, it’s a 1-hour walk each way.
That’s why if you’re planning to explore Theth on foot, we highly recommend staying closer to Theth itself, especially if you’re coming for a short stay of one or two nights.
If you’re coming to Theth for a longer stay, or by car, then staying in one of the great hotels on the hill above Theth is the best option, as there are some really good options with incredible views.
A great hotel above Theth is Mikpritja Theth, where you can stay in a fantastic villa. And the best budget option, if booked in advance, is Guesthouse Dritan Tethorja, about a 30-minute walk from the center.
In the central part of Theth, you can’t go wrong with Gurra Family Guesthouse – it’s in the perfect location for exploring Theth, and the fantastic onsite restaurant is a cherry on top.
Best time to visit Theth
June to September is the best time to visit Theth 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 hike without worry if you’re planning to do that as well.
The absolute best time for swimming in rivers and waterfalls in Theth and northern Albania is, of course, summer, specifically the months of July and August, with long, sunny days and perfect temperatures.
Read next
- 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.
- Best of Albania in Two Weeks (day-by-day itinerary)
How to get to Theth
The mountain village of Theth is a 2-hour drive north on a new road from Shkoder, and about 3.5 hours from the Tirana area.
🚌 There is a 2-hour minibus from Shkoder to Theth, which costs 16 EUR. Beyond that, a private transfer/taxi is the only way to get there if you’re not going by car.
For an organized trip to Theth, we recommend the Theth & Blue Eye Day Tour from Shkoder, Tirana, or Durres.
Although the road to Theth is new and great to drive on, it’s super narrow, so in many cases, you need to slow down to pass another vehicle or even get off the road partially to make way.
We didn’t have issues with our small Fiat Panda, but if you’re renting a car that’s a bit bigger, it’s worth noting that the road to Theth is super narrow.
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 how long to spend in Theth
In our opinion, staying for 3 nights in Theth is ideal, and also what we did. That way you have two full days to explore, with seeing the Theth area on the first day and hiking to Valbona Pass on the second.
Quick Theth itinerary:
- Take a morning to visit the Blue Eye and the beautiful area around it (yes, there’s more to it).
- Then, visit Grunas Waterfall on a short hike, before finishing off at the Church of Theth for sunset.
- The next day, hike to Valbona Pass.
- With an extra day, you can do some more hiking or relax at the riverside.
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
- 🏰 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)
