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Voykit pocket guide · Albania
Gjirokastër
Give Gjirokastër 2 nights: one full day for the castle and stone houses, one half-day for the bazaar, then move on by furgon.
Gjirokastër is a UNESCO-listed stone town on a steep hill in southeastern Albania, split between the old town on the ridge and the new town in the valley. Two nights covers the castle, the Ottoman tower houses and the bazaar without rushing, and it works as a base for the Greek border or a stop between Berat and Sarandë. Cobbles are slippery, the climb is real, and buses leave from a roadside shoulder rather than a terminal.
- Country
- Albania
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, dry, crowded), Dec–Feb (cold, some sites on short hours)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- ALL
- Money
- Currency is the Albanian lek (ALL). Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants in Tirana and resorts; guesthouses, furgons, markets and small cafés are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget 2,500–4,000 lek excl. bed · Mid 4,000–7,000 lek excl. bed · High 7,000+ lek excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone and One sell tourist SIMs at the airport and in shops; passport required.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Police 129 · Ambulance 127 · Fire 128
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin.
- Tipping
- Café: Round up.; Restaurant: About 10%.; Guide: 1,000–2,000 lek per person for a day.
- Water
- Tap water is not reliably drinkable in all towns; bottled water is cheap and standard.
- Toilets
- Cafés for customers; ruins and beaches have basic facilities.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a bazaar café | 100–200 lek |
| Byrek (savoury pastry) | 80–150 lek |
| Qifqi (rice and egg bake), plate | 400–700 lek |
| Main course in an old-town restaurant | 700–1,500 lek |
| Local raki, glass | 150–300 lek |
| Taxi, centre to national-road bus stop | About 200 lek |
| Internet café, per hour | 50–100 lek |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TIA · Tirana International Airport (Nënë Tereza)
- No airport at Gjirokastër; most arrivals fly into Tirana, then 4–5 h by bus or car south. Corfu (CFU) in Greece is an alternative for the Sarandë ferry route.
Typical fares
- Gjirokastër → Tirana, bus
- about 1,000 lek, hourly from about 07:00 to 13:00about 1,000 lek, hourly from about 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- Gjirokastër → Sarandë, bus
- about 300 lek, hourly until early afternoon
- Gjirokastër → Ioannina, international bus
- about €5, 07:00 departureabout €5, 7:00 AM departure
- Gjirokastër → Athens, international bus
- about €20, 20:30 departureabout €20, 8:30 PM departure
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The old town is walkable but steep and cobbled; the new town is flat. A local bus circuit links the two for about 30 lek, and taxis are cheap (about 200 lek from the centre to the bus stop on the national road). From the central roundabout to the regional bus stop is a flat 10-minute walk along the boulevard.
See and do
Known for
- Gjirokastër Castle and its armaments museum
- Ottoman stone tower houses (Zekate, Skenduli)
- Ethnographic Museum in Enver Hoxha's birth house
- Old Bazaar and Qifqi rice bake
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Antigone (ancient Illyrian city) | Drive or taxi to Asim Zeneli village, then a 3-hour round-trip hike | About 5–6 h |
| Libohovë village | Furgon or taxi southeast, about 20 km (12 mi)Furgon or taxi southeast, about 12 mi (20 km) | About 1 h each way |
| Sofratikë archaeological site | Drive southeast about 14 km (8.7 mi)Drive southeast about 8.7 mi (14 km) | About 1 h each way |
| Përmet | Bus or furgon northeast via Këlcyrë, about 60 km (37 mi)Bus or furgon northeast via Këlcyrë, about 37 mi (60 km) | About 1.5 h |
| Ioannina, Greece | International bus from the private agency offices near the junction, 07:00 departureInternational bus from the private agency offices near the junction, 7:00 AM departure | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Old Town / Bazaar (Pazar i Vjetër)
- Stone guesthouses and hostels within walking distance of the castle and bazaar; steep lanes, few cars, best for a short stay.
- Palorto quarter
- Quietest old-town quarter, home to the big tower houses such as Zekate; uphill from everything, so pack light.
- New town (valley)
- Cheaper hotels, flat streets, easy walk to the bus stop on the national road; 10–15 min uphill to the old town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Përshëndetjeper-shen-DET-yeh |
| Thank you | Faleminderitfa-le-min-DEH-rit |
| How much is it? | Sa kushton?sa koosh-TON |
| Can I pay by card? | Mund të paguaj me kartë?moond tuh pa-GOO-ai meh KAR-tuh |
| Where is the castle? | Ku është kalaja?koo USH-tuh ka-LA-ya |
| The bill, please | Faturën, ju lutemfa-TOO-run, yoo LOO-tem |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'tungjatjeta'; avoid: Ignoring elders at a gathering
- Gestures: Confirm yes/no in words; avoid: Assuming a nod means yes
- Hospitality: Accept coffee or raki; eat what is offered; avoid: Refusing everything
- Besa: Keep your word and appointments; avoid: Promising what you cannot do
- Conversation: Ask about family, food, the diaspora; avoid: Jokes about the communist era or 'mafia' clichés
Scams and watch-outs
- Cobbles are polished and slick after rain: grippy shoes, and take the stairs slowly.
- Buses and furgons leave from a shoulder on the national road, not a station; ask locally which point serves your destination.
- Many guesthouses take cash only, in lek or euros; carry enough before you arrive.
- Some houses and the Kadare House are under restoration and may be closed: check locally before walking up.
Gjirokastër is a small, low-crime town and generally safe for tourists; the real risks are the steep, slick cobbles, summer heat on the climb, and unmarked roadside bus stops. Keep to lit lanes at night and carry cash for guesthouses.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gjirokastër yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Gjirokastër Castle and its armaments museum
- Ottoman stone tower houses (Zekate, Skenduli)
- Ethnographic Museum in Enver Hoxha's birth house
- Old Bazaar and Qifqi rice bake
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bashkia Gjirokastër (municipality): bashkiagjirokaster.gov.al/
- Wikivoyage: Gjirokastër, revision 5285949 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5285949
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Gjirokastër
Në këtë adresë, ju lutem
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Gjirokastër; Greece has a consulate on Sheshi i Çerçizit (check hours). Most other countries: embassies in Tirana.
Carry small lek notes for buses, museums and cafés; many guesthouses take cash only.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gjirokaster). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.