Peaks of the Balkans Trail (Long)

Begin your first hiking day with an early scenic drive through the Drin Gorges to Komani Lake. The fjord-like reservoir winds between steep rock walls, and the unusual ferry makes several stops for locals from remote villages before reaching Fierze. From here, you continue by car into Valbona National Park, stopping for a light lunch in Bajram Curri. By early afternoon, you arrive in the Valbona Valley with its stone tower houses. A warm-up walk follows a crystal-clear stream through beech forests, with options for a refreshing dip in the cold river or a quiet pond. The jagged peaks above hint at tomorrow’s hike. In the evening, enjoy a hearty dinner and a well-earned rest.

Distance: 7 km
Climb: 250 meters
Overnight: Valbona

You start the day with the trek’s first and longest ascent, winding up the mountainside with views of the high peaks of the Albanian Alps. After passing the pastures, the route leads into a treeless alpine valley and onward to the Persllopi Pass (2,039 m), today’s highest point. Continuing past a wind cave and through a karst section requiring sure-footedness, you return into Albania and descend toward the isolated village of Cerem. With no phone signal or electricity, it marks the last outpost before the wilderness, but the hot meal, warm shower, and hospitality make for a comfortable end to the day. If weather blocks the pass, a shorter alternative route through the Mt. Kollata Canyon leads to the simple guesthouse.

Distance: 14 km
Climb: 1200 meters
Overnight: Cerem

The hike to the high border triangle leads across flower-filled meadows and briefly into former Yugoslavia territory. You enjoy forest fruits, alpine plants and views of Mt. Kolata. Reaching the rim of a deep river canyon, the route continues through conifer forest, showing the contrast between the Western and Eastern Alps. Passing alpine pastures, you can rest and meet herdsmen over coffee and raki. In the glacial valley of Doberdol, animals roam freely and time feels still. You stay in simple shepherds’ huts, enjoy warm hospitality and learn about the seasonal life of the local families by the bonfire.

Distance: 16 km
Climb: 1100 meters
Overnight: Doberdol

You leave the hosts and climb out of the valley toward Mt. Tromedja/Trekufiri (2,366 m), watching the huts of Doberdol shrink below. At the top, where the borders of three countries meet, you take in wide views of the borderlands — Montenegro’s Babino Polje and Kosovo’s highest peak, Mt. Gjeravica (2,656 m). Following the long caravan path along the border ridge below the 2,500 m peaks of Mt. Marijash and Mt. Rops, you enjoy panoramic views into both Kosovo and Montenegro. After crossing the Roshkodoli Pass, you descend to Milishevc, a remote summer village in a quiet pine forest, where simple wooden huts offer hot meals and a well-deserved rest.

Distance: 18 km
Climb: 825 meters
Overnight: Milishevc

Ride to the northern part of the “Bjeshket e Namuna” National Park on a morning 1,5 hour transfer. The trail starts in Reka e Allages, an alpine village at the country’s edge. You ascend through meadows and a dense pine forest to the base of Mt. Hajla (2,403 m). Several steep and partly trail-less routes lead to the border peak, offering wide views into Montenegro and the city of Rozaje. This area also offers some of the best chances to spot rare plants, including Edelweiss and the endemic Albanian Lily. The ascent is optional if you prefer to keep the day short. From the base, the route continues along a high-altitude unused road to Pepaj, the highest of the thirteen Rugova villages. After walking through a rocky gully surrounded by tall pines, you catch glimpses of the scenic hamlet of Drelaj before reaching your accommodation for the night.

Distance: 10 km
Climb: 525 meters
Overnight: Drelaj

After a 30-minute transfer to the trailhead, the route climbs through a pine forest to the emerald Liqenat Lake (1,850 m). A second lake appears shortly before you begin the long ascent to Jelenka Pass (2,272 m), the highest point of the official Peaks of the Balkans route. From the pass, you enjoy wide views of the surrounding mountains before continuing across open terrain toward Ravno Brdo Pass (2,178 m). This final pass offers a striking panorama of the rugged peaks and the green valley of Babino Polje. Descending through grassy slopes and passing a few huts, you reach the scattered settlement of Babino Polje, where simple but welcoming mountain huts host you for the night.

Distance: 15 km
Climb: 1150 meters
Overnight: Babino Polje

The day begins with a morning transfer into the dramatic Grbaja Valley, a narrow corridor framed by the towering karst peaks of Karanfili (2,461 m), one of the most rugged summits in the Prokletije. A shaded ascent through a fairy-tale beech forest leads to an alpine meadow surrounded by sharp ridgelines. Following the connected ridge trail, you enjoy a succession of panoramic viewpoints, culminating at the peaks of Popadija and Taljanka (2,056 m), with expansive views across the border into Albania’s Kelmend region. From the ridge, a steep descent brings you back into the forest and down to the valley floor, where a cold drink in one of the beer gardens awaits. A transfer then takes you to your family-run guesthouse in Vusanje, where the veranda offers beautiful views of the Accursed Mountains. Nearby, the Grla Waterfall invites an evening stroll.

Distance: 12 km
Climb: 950 meters
Overnight: Vusanje

Leaving Vusanje, you walk up the glacier-shaped Ropojana Valley. At the pupil-shaped karst spring of Oko Skakavice, an ice-cold river emerges from melting snow high in the mountains. Passing Gjeshtare Lake, a weathered border stone is the only reminder of the once tightly sealed borders of former Communist Albania. After the forest, the views open into a mountain-framed corridor and a large alpine meadow dotted with shepherd shacks and an abandoned military post. Near the highest point of the route, you see a small lake below and the Peja Pass (1,711 m) across, named after a city in Kosovo. From here, a steep caravan path descends in serpentines into Theth, the valley at the heart of the Albanian Alps.

Distance: 15 km
Climb: 675 meters
Overnight: Theth

A stroll through Theth and its vibrant green fields reveals the village in all its charm. Explore the iconic church and the lock-in tower, where the history of the “Kanun” comes to life. This “kulla” once protected those involved in the Blood Feud and provides the perfect introduction to the former highland law code; it also marks the start of the trail to Nderlysaj. Following the water channels, the path climbs toward the Grunas Waterfall, then descends to a cliff overlooking the 50 m deep Grunas Canyon. From here, a well-trodden bridle path follows the river downstream to Nderlysaj. On arrival, the pond below and glacial mills above invite a refreshing swim in the midday heat. Around 1–2 pm, a scenic transfer takes you across the Thorja Pass (1,630 m) into the Valley of Boge and along Lake Shkodra. Vehicles are changed and luggage collected for the final 2.5-hour transfer to Tirana. In the capital, enjoy dinner and a drink in the stylish “Blloku” district, reflecting on a memorable week spent exploring the Albanian Alps.

Distance: 8 km
Climb: 150 meters
Overnight: Tirana

The last day in Tirana offers a chance to explore the city’s streets and landmarks if time permits. Pause for an espresso in a quaint café, watch the lively morning activity, and pick up edible souvenirs at the bustling “New Bazaar.” To learn about Albania’s communist history, visit “Bunkart 2” and “The House of Leaves,” both just a five-minute walk from Skanderbeg Square. Your Albanian adventure concludes with a 30-minute transfer to the airport.