Raft, Kayak and Hike in Albania

What a week. So many activities and memories shared. We packed so much in. The team was amazing that took care of us and the food and accommodation was perfect!

I booked this trip 4 days before starting date! Last minute trip indeed but its definitely worth it!! Arti, Endri and the rest of the guides were amazing! I met such amazing people from the UK, Ireland, Australia.

Of Note I am vegan the food were all tasty, perhaps for future add some vegan proteins in the meal? Tofu, beans etc.

The guides were incredible, really friendly. I’ve had an amazing six days. I’ll be going on another trip with you guys soon. For sure!

Great trip, jam packed with activities. There won't be much down time, but it's worth it.

Great trip all round, organiser were great and we loved the hikes. Personally the mountain side picnic was the best!

Take a big water bottle Or camel pack of going in the summer it can get hot.

From the first contact all the way to the last, the team were incredible, you could tell all they wanted was for us to have the best possible time while we were with them.

Everybody who we encountered on the trip was friendly and welcoming, a special shout out has to go to Hendri who went above and beyond for us the whole trip.

Would recommend to anybody.

I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect but went with a group of 5 friends and couldn’t have asked for better. The entire trip was well organised and the guides were spot on. I found the pace of the trip as a whole really relaxed with just enough activity/excitement. A great way to experience Albania. I’d recomend it to anyone.

I can honestly say it was one of the best outdoor experiences I've had, friendly people and well organised activities

The scenery was stunning, and the food was excellent, a great way to see rural Albania

A definite 5 star activity holiday with a laidback pace which I would thoroughly recommend. Be aware though you will not be on the go 100% of the time (not that this was a bad thing for me!). Why go?

• A perfect time to see rural Albania before it gets too touristy.
• Good pace of activities.
• Everyone is so friendly - both the staff at Albania Rafting and the restaurant/villa owners where we had such lovely meals (raising a glass to Villa Goliku and the Albanian dancing after lunch!)
• The food is excellent - didn't have a bad meal either at the hotel / glamping or the meals out.

Considerations if you are on the fence for booking:

• There is a lot of driving between hotel/activity sites - a couple of times in a minibus but mostly in 4x4s on what we would say in the UK are un-made roads (rather than off-roading). They bounce / you're bumping shoulders / you get a coating of dust - however you get access to areas of Albania you wouldn't see in a minibus so embrace the travel.
• If you did each activity in the UK (in 18C heat) I'd describe the physical difficulty as easy. However you are in direct sun and looking at 33 to 35C heat so happy to agree with the moderate difficulty. Take lots of sun cream and be prepared to buy water at every shop / cafe stop. Last advice - even if you only learn to say "Thank You" in Albanian and give it a go in every shop / restaurant it makes everyone's day! Faleminderit!

The trip was one of the best holidays I have ever had. The people were very friendly and the food was amazing. . and there was so. . much. . food!

The scenery was so beautiful and the activities were well organised so there was no worries. We could just take it all in and enjoy ourselves.

I highly recommend this trip!

I would like to thank everyone at MBA for a fantastic adventure in Albania. This was my first solo trip. It was so well organised from the very start and throughout. Our host was brilliant. And made everything easy. I absolutely loved all the activities, and everyone in our group was super friendly and supportive of each other. I honestly can not find anything at all to fault about my trip. Well done MBA. I will definitely be booking another adventure very soon

So well organised and value for money. Loved the canons so beautiful.

I absolutely loved Albania, the culture is wonderful and the people so friendly. The mountains were really beautiful and I loved the hikes although found them both pretty short (although very hilly). The river conditions meant we did rafting 3 times instead of kayaking or river-hiking, we had great guides who prioritised safety. There was some opportunity to explore history and culture but not so much, so those who want to explore this might like to stay a few days before or after - we found it very easy to get a hire car at the airport and explore the coast, and also loved time in Tirana. Some people would probably like to be aware that there is quite some travel-time in this trip, and the road-conditions are not super smooth.

Second trip with MBA, the first being the wild camping on the Norwegian fjords. Based on the first trip being rated as “moderate”, and both my daughter and I finding it to be actually quite challenging, we opted for another trip rated as moderate. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, even with the rivers being judged as too high to safely allow the kayaking (an extra days white water rafting being drafted in its place), the rafting was quite sedate. The 16km hike was a pretty easy stroll, albeit very scenic in places, and fell somewhat short of the 16kms promised. All of that said, Albania was very welcoming, the guides were great and, as it’s really only just catching on to tourists, there were few queues

Great trip with great people

It was my first time rafting, our guides were heaps of fun and made sure we were safe- and the scenery was spectacular! I also enjoyed the 4WD and hiking trip, and the picnic. The food was amazing, and Berat was a really beautiful city.

Really enjoyed my rafting trip to Albania. We didn’t do any kayaking due to weather conditions but enjoyed the rafting which was suitable for beginners like myself. The accommodation was good and the town Berat is beautiful. Albania is a super country and is worth visiting!

First time in Albania and both the country and tour surpassed my expectations. This really is a stunning country with a brilliantly organised tour full of activities

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Here’s your revised review with the rafting experience added naturally:

Just back from the Beret, Albania trip in May 2025 and it was an incredible experience. It was my first time in Albania and, although I’ve done a group trip before, this one really stood out. It’s perfect if you’re after a moderately active adventure with a great group of open-minded, friendly travellers—plus the bonus of having all the planning and logistics taken care of.

One of the highlights was rafting down the breathtaking Vjosa River. The scenery was just like the pictures—truly stunning—and navigating through the dramatic canyons was unforgettable. Our rafting guides were not only great fun, but also super knowledgeable, sharing fascinating insights along the way and making sure everyone felt safe and included.

Our guide, Arti, was fantastic—his local knowledge and connections made for a truly authentic experience. Whether you’re new to group travel or a bit hesitant, this trip is really well run and flexible—you can get involved as much or as little as you like. It’s a brilliant way to experience the real, off-the-beaten-track Albania, with a sense of freedom and adventure in a stunning landscape.

Accommodation and food were consistently high quality—plenty of delicious meals, often with Greek and Albanian influences, freshly made by local businesses with real care.

If you come with an open mind and a willingness to push your comfort zone, even just a little, you’ll get so much out of it. I found it more enjoyable than travelling solo as I often do, but here you can have shared moments, unexpected connections and new perspectives as everyone is from different backgrounds. I definitely got some ideas for next adventures having heard about those of my fellow travellers.

The tour was beautiful, and we saw a lot of the country. Unfortunately, the kayaking tour wasn't possible. We went rafting three times; the scenery was beautiful, there was lots of food, and we had some wonderful memories. It's a great idea to do this with other solo travelers. However, the tour is more suitable for people who want to do some easy hiking or paddling, and is more suitable for beginners.

This trip was such a great experience. I'd totally recommend it if you're after a mix of adventure, good food, and stunning scenery.

There was so much packed into the trip—rafting, hiking, castle tours, wine tasting. . . never a dull moment, but it never felt rushed either. I really liked the variety, and each day felt different in the best way.

The accommodation was lovely. Castle Park had unreal views, and the new glamping site was a fun little switch-up. Food was consistently great, with loads of variety, and the wine was very affordable, which was a bonus!

Alma and Ali, were brilliant—super friendly, full of knowledge, and really added to the whole vibe of the trip.

I know some people worry about travel time on trips like this, but I found it totally reasonable. It didn’t feel excessive at all—just part of the journey—there were plenty of stops along the way and, honestly, the views from the road made it worth it for me.

Albania is such a beautiful country and I’m super grateful I got to experience it on this trip!

A totally brilliant adventure run by a fantastic team of people. Really enjoyed the things we did.

I had a wonderful time on this trip.

The hike on day one had beautiful views (I was a little disappointed that it was much shorter than advertised, only 10km) the lunch stop was stunning and the food served was excellent.

The rafting was very well organised and safe. It was 2/10 for adrenaline and 10/10 for location, especially in the canyon, I loved it.

Our kayak trip was cancelled due to water conditions so it was changed to more rafting, I would have liked more hiking option as three days rafting in a row for me was a bit much, even though they were all in beautiful locations.

The accommodation was great at the hotel and at the glamping pods. All meals provided were tasty and plentiful. No chance you would go hungry on this trip! We were visiting early in the season so some of the service was a bit slow or missing items as some staff were just learning the ropes. No major problems though.

The drivers were excellent. Careful drivers and punctual.

Ali our guide was brilliant. He was approachable and caring, he had really good English and communicated each days plans to us well.

Alma in Berat was extremely professional and also very kind. She was a wonderful host.

I had a great time and would highly recommend this trip.

Just note if you are looking for thrilling rafting this is not it (at least not in April) but it is loads of fun and in Beautiful locations.

An addition to the itinerary for me would have been another bit of hiking and a longer hike on day one.

My recent hiking and rafting holiday to Albania was an absolutely brilliant experience! From start to finish, the trip was packed with incredible activities that truly showcased the stunning natural beauty of the country. A huge highlight was the exceptional hospitality of our hosts, Alma and Ali. They were both so welcoming, knowledgeable, and genuinely cared about ensuring everyone had a fantastic time. We enjoyed a diverse range of activities, from rewarding hikes through breathtaking landscapes, 4x4 off roading, wine tasting to exhilarating rafting adventures on the rivers. While some activities had to be adjusted during the trip, this was clearly done with the safety and well-being of the entire group in mind, taking everyone's abilities into consideration. This thoughtful approach was much appreciated and demonstrated the professionalism and care of Alma and Ali. Despite the minor changes, there was never a dull moment, and the alternative arrangements were just as enjoyable. I left Albania with incredible memories, a real appreciation for its stunning scenery, and a huge thank you to Alma and Ali for making it such a memorable adventure. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for an active and rewarding holiday!

Albania is beautiful and this is a great way to experience it. The activities however weren’t quite as described. The 16km hike wasn’t even 10km. We couldn’t kayak due to water levels so did 3 days rafting which was fine, but we only rafted for 1. 5hours, so it’s a lot of travelling (2-3 hours) for such little activity. The rafting was also very tame, I would have liked more excitement. The hike to the cave felt like it was just there to fill a gap before the airport drop off.

The trip was good, the guides were lovely, I just think the trip description needs to be changed.

Thank you to Arti and Alma for creating a wonderful trip for us. We had no idea how beautiful Albania would be. Lush mountains covered by snow, hidden bunkers with missing gold, rafting through deep canyons, and some of the best 4x4 driving I have experienced! The best part was, as it was December, we had Albania looking it's best and all to ourselves, which enhanced our chances to speak with local people.

It is one of the best trips I have done. Brilliant experience overall,. although we could not do kayaking due to the time of the year and the swell in the river.

The offloading, hiking, rafting was well worth it. The castle and cavea were good too. The thermal bath was the best! The food and the hospitality was next to none.

I booked this trip pretty last minute and went in with no expectations. Albania turned out to be incredibly beautiful. We were treated to 6 days of sunshine and stunning sunsets every night. Arti was an excellent guide and all the activities were really fun. I was a little worried as a veggie about the food, but I was pleasantly surprised, we had loads of great veggie-friendly options.

Had a great trip But would have liked a bit more free time in berat ( we had none ) And a bit less time travelling to the activities,though I appreciate this may be difficult