Overview
Our favorite place in Albania was Berat, not only for its historic, picturesque old town and castle, but also for the fun activities we did in the area.
Berat is best visited in two full days. Spend the first full day exploring the city of Berat, and the second day visiting Osumi Canyon and Bogove Waterfall. With an extra day, you can explore other nearby nature spots like Holta Canyon.
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).
📶 Stay online by getting an eSIM. You can get our favorite eSIM at a 10% discount.
Things to do in Berat
In Berat, the main attractions are the Berat Castle and the Old Town below it, as well as the Gorica neighborhood on the other side of the river. Additionally, Berat is a fantastic place to base yourself for outdoor activities like river tubing and rafting.
1. Berat Old Town (Mangalem Quarter)
Places in Berat’s Old Town, the Mangalem Quarter, are easy to miss, and everyone always visits the bridge for photos, goes up the hill to see the castle, and then moves on.
Inside the Old Town, in addition to a short stroll through its cobblestone streets, you can see the Bachelors’ Mosque with beautiful frescoes (reminds us of the Ethem Bey Mosque in Tirana), ruins of the Ottoman Palace, and the “King Mosque” from 1480 (Xhamia Mbret).
Close by is the Bulevardi Republika (Republic Boulevard), with a nice perspective of the Mangalem Quarter and the castle above it. We got the best view closer to Sheshi Teodor Muzaka (Town Square).
Fun fact: When in Berat, you might see a big white palace or castle-looking building towards the end of Republic Boulevard. But it’s not a palace at all. It’s the Hotel Colombo! We saw it from the castle multiple times and always wondered what it was, especially since it shone so brightly at night.
2. Ura e Varur bridge (Berat Postcard Photo Spot)
Berat is split into two main parts by the Osum River, with the Mangalem Quarter (“thousand windows” buildings) on one side and the Gorica neighborhood on the other.
For the best views of Berat and a postcard photo, head to the Gorica side of the Ura e Varur bridge. Right before the bridge is a great spot to take beautiful pictures of Berat.
Just above that spot, at the start of Rruga Nikolla Buhurri street, you can get a bit higher perspective for a different angle of Berat. Plus, it’s less busy.
This is also the area where you can take the best nighttime photos of Berat.
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. Berat Castle
The 13th-century castle in Berat isn’t the best preserved, but it’s more than enough to get a glimpse of what it looked like before. It’s essentially a whole neighborhood on top of a hill that’s surrounded by castle walls.
We took a leisurely 1 hour to walk around Berat Castle, and finished off with the Berat Viewing Platform, from which you can see the river and the Gorica neighborhood.
Things to see at Berat Castle by order of visit:
- Berat Castle Gate and Viewpoint
- Colossal Head of Constantine
- St. Mary of Blachernae Church
- Onufri Iconographic Museum (Byzantine art and iconography)
- Holy Trinity Church
- Water Cistern
- Ruins of the Red Mosque
- Berat Viewing Platform
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can descend from Berat Castle by following the steep path towards St. Michael’s Church, a medieval Byzantine-era Albanian Orthodox Church.
Sadly, we didn’t have time to do this short hike, so we only saw the church from the Gorica bridge. You can also do it the other way around and go up to the castle on that path – it takes about 30 minutes from the road.
Exploring Albania by car? Most visitors park at the Berat Castle entrance, but don’t know that you can park for free inside the castle grounds.
We parked our Fiat Panda right after entering the gate, which worked out great. You can also drive farther inside, where there are additional free parking spots.
4. Gorica Neighborhood
Gorica is a historic neighborhood, also known as the Christian part of Berat, where the Orthodox Christian community of Berat traditionally lived.
We enjoyed a stroll along the riverside in Gorica and walking over the pedestrian-only Gorica bridge. Beyond that and visiting the Church of St. Spiridon, the only other thing to do in Berat’s Gorica neighborhood is to walk the cobblestone streets.
The part we liked the most was the street Rruga Stiliano Bandilli, followed by Rruga Nikolla Buhurri (a bit further uphill), from which we got great views of Berat.
5. Osumi Canyon
From Berat, a must-visit is the 26 km-long Osumi Canyon, and the Osum River, which flows through it and also passes by Berat itself.
The special thing about the canyon is that in the spring and early summer, waterfalls flow down the sides of the canyon. We saw just one or two, as most dried out before our October visit.
The easiest way to see Osumi Canyon is from one of the viewpoints above it. You can also walk down inside the canyon, but be careful, as not all paths are maintained.
Best way to see Osumi Canyon
The most fun way to see Osumi Canyon is on a river tubing tour, where you float down the river through the canyon. It was such a fun experience, which we highly recommend. 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.
When the water level is higher, you can also go river rafting instead of tubing. But our guide shared that tubing is actually a favorite of most people, just like in Pai (Thailand).
Both our guide and the driver were friendly locals of the Çorovodë village, the starting point for river tubing tours on Osumi. They helped us have a fantastic experience! We highly recommend the company we did it with.
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. 🤑
6. Bogova Waterfall
A short detour from the road towards Osumi Canyon, you can visit Bogove, a beautiful small waterfall reached by a short hike.
We visited Bogova Waterfall after finishing our river tubing tour (there’s plenty of time on the same day).
Beyond the waterfall, there’s not much to do, but it’s definitely beautiful, and on a warm day, a dip in the pool below it is a must.
While we were taking photos of the waterfall, a local shepherd came down the hill with what looked like a hundred goats.
They hung around the waterfall area for a bit before heading down the path we came from. So we had goats with us all the way back to our car. They were so cute jumping all around, but they did leave a trail of poop. 😂
Planning an active trip?
Don't risk it without travel insurance
We never travel outside our home countries before getting travel insurance. And sure, we don’t count on anything happening. But it can when you least expect it! 🤕
For example, Arijana twisted her ankle just because she took a wrong step when going down completely normal stairs. 🤦♀️
In those situations (and hopefully nothing worse), travel insurance comes in handy so you don’t have to pay the medical costs.
Plus, since it costs about 3 USD/EUR per day, it’s not a crazy expense, and definitely not something to ignore. 😷
7. Holta Canyon (Kanioni i Holtes)
One of the less-visited places near Berat is Holta Canyon, which was actually one of our favorite experiences in Albania.
Holta is a narrow canyon with a river running through it, where you sometimes have to walk (wade) through water up to your chest.
It’s a fun little experience, as it doesn’t take long to reach the end of the canyon. We managed to get to the point where you could realistically continue only by swimming through an even narrower (maybe 1m wide) slit between the rocks. We had too much stuff with us to attempt that. 😀
Top travel tip: Bring a swimsuit that you don’t feel sorry for, as it’s likely to smell a lot from the sulfur in the water. As you enter the canyon, you will smell sulfur right away (similar to a rotten egg). Also, having quick-dry water shoes is a great idea. We both wore our sports sandals, which were perfect.
How to get to Holta Canyon
It takes about 1.5 hours to drive to Holta Canyon from Berat. Make sure to set your navigation to the Restaurant, as you might end up in the wrong location otherwise.
On the way, you also pass by this cool-looking blue lake (Liqeni i Banjës).
If you’re exploring Albania by car, Holta Canyon is an ideal spot to stop on the way. Essentially, you can visit it on the way to Berat, or on the way out of Berat, especially on the way from/to Tirana. Otherwise, it can be quite out of the way.
- Read next: Two Week Albania Itinerary (detailed day-by-day)
Best Berat Tours
- 🍷🍇 Winery Tour and Tastings
- 🚶♀️📍 Walking Tour (Castle, Mangalem, and Gorica)
- 👨🍳😋 Cooking Class (veggie options available, like Fergese and stuffed eggplant)
- 🏁 ATV Quad Adventure (possibility of going to the Gorica hill for views of Berat)
Where to stay in Berat
The coolest place to stay in Berat is inside the castle grounds.
We recommend the Berati Castle Hotel, and the cheaper alternative, Hotel Kalaja, both located on the first square inside the Berat Castle – comfy rooms, and views of the walls. Also, if you’re coming by car, you can park right in front.
For families and groups, a top choice is Villa Athina, a historic three-bedroom house right at the Castle Gate – you can book the whole place for an excellent price.
Down at the Mangalem Quarter, Villa Elmar is a comfortable hotel right in the old town streets, and for a budget stay, you can’t go wrong with Tomor Shehu Guesthouse (also in Mangalem).
Where we stayed
We made a fantastic choice, as our guesthouse in Berat was perfect. It was located on a hill opposite the castle. We had incredible views of the landscape around Berat and the Castle itself right from our terrace.
Because of the views, comfy room, and super kind hosts, this was a true highlight of our trip and the best place we stayed at in Albania.
Camping in Berat
We saw so many camping grounds in and around Berat for campervans and campers. So if you’re planning to camp in Albania, it’s worth noting that Berat seems to offer plenty of camping amenities.
We passed by Riverside Camping, which looked like a good spot within walking distance of the town. For a stay closer to nature, check the Caravan Camping Natyra e Qetë, which also seems a good place for tent camping.
Since we were going around by car, it wasn’t relevant to our visit, but we thought it’d be a good idea to let others know.
Best restaurants in Berat
There are many fantastic restaurants in Berat, so picking a good one for your trip won’t be a problem!
If you saw social media posts about Albania and Berat, you likely saw Homemade Food Lili mentioned countless times. It’s a restaurant in the Mangalem Quarter serving actual homemade food that’s become incredibly popular (for a reason).
Definitely reserve a spot in advance to not be let down, as they usually require reservations due to limited space and the number of guests per afternoon/evening.
Otherwise, in the castle grounds, a great restaurant choice is the family-run Restaurant Klea with top-quality food.
For a cheap bite, stop by Lundra Fast Food, where we had very affordable sandwiches and wraps, perfect for a quick bite in between exploring (veggie options available).
Looking for something sweet in Berat? Grab a bite of the delicious Tri Leche dessert in one of the bakeries/dessert shops.
The Albanian version of the Tres Leches sponge cake from Latin America is now a staple in Albanian cuisine. It’s absolutely delicious, and we had it throughout Albania.
In Berat, we got our Tri Leche fix multiple times at Dimali. It is a bit outside the tourist area, but it was convenient for us, as it was on the way to our hotel.
The food we really enjoyed
Arijana celebrated her 30th Birthday in Berat, and we chose the Te Zalua restaurant in the Berat Castle for dinner. It was a great choice, as the traditional food was fabulous – we tried their famous Eggplant Musaka, and the traditional Fergese, plus a village salad. All dishes were really good.
The restaurant also has some tables on the side of the hill with a fantastic view towards the east of Berat. Since the evening was a bit cold, we stayed in the covered part instead.
Best time to visit Berat
The absolute best time to visit Berat to experience the city at its prettiest and most fun is during the summer months.
Visiting Berat in June, July, and August, which are also the busiest months, means you’ll have great weather, long summer days to explore, and above all, warm temperatures for Osumi Canyon tubing/rafting/swimming.
Off-season travel to Berat (spring or fall) means fewer crowds, but less daylight, as the days are much shorter than in the summer. The shorter days really affected our trip to Albania, so we had to extend it by a few more days than we originally planned to see everything we wanted.
Winter in Berat can be a good time to visit, but mainly for the city attractions, and not so much for the nature around.
How to get to Berat
Berat is easy to reach on good roads in just under two hours from Tirana (100km), about 2.5 hours from Gjirokaster, and about 3 hours from Himare/Sarande. There are frequent buses connecting Berat, in case you’re not exploring Albania by car.
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.
Looking for an organized trip? You can also visit Berat on an organized day trip from Tirana (and Durres/Golem).
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 two weeks in Albania, and in addition to Berat, 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.
Final thoughts and how long to stay in Berat
To be completely honest, we’d say that Berat is to Albania what Dubrovnik is to Croatia. It’s really a place that deserves more time, as it truly is a jewel of Albania.
We genuinely enjoyed Berat, and also spent the most time there during our two weeks in Albania.
However, we understand not everyone has as much time, so depending on how much time you have in Albania, you can see most of Berat in just a half-day. That way, you can easily combine it with other things, like Osumi Canyon in the afternoon.
Have a fantastic time in Berat, and if you have any questions, leave a comment below. ♥
