Raft, Kayak and Hike in Albania
Dive into spectacular natural scenery on an active adventure through untamed rivers, mythical mountains and epic canyons
What's Included?
Activities & Certified Guides
All itinerary activities with expert, local, English-speaking guidesHotel
4 nights in hotels, 1 night in a guesthouseMeals
5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinnersTransfers
To and from the airport and everything in betweenEquipment
Everything you need for kayaking, rafting and river hike (seasonal)Small Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 14 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
…
What's it like?
Kayak and raft along the mighty Vjosa, the last truly wild river in Europe – a unique and richly biodiverse ecosystem
Venture deep into the sacred Tomorr Mountains on remote trails, featuring incredible vistas and welcoming villages
Explore the verdant natural wonder that is Osumi Canyon, swimming in natural pools and waterfalls along the way
Want to round off your adventure with some coastal hikes to pristine beaches? See our Canyons to Coast Adventure in Albania, which finishes up on the Albanian Riviera
Key Information
Day 1
Welcome to Albania!
Driving
Your host will pick you up either at Tirana Airport or in central Tirana, then drive south for about an hour and a half to reach the ancient, fortified city of Berat – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the old castle here and get to know your travel companions this evening over a traditional Albanian meal.
Day 2
Explore the sacred Tomorr Mountains
Hiking
Driving
Head out in off-road vehicles to explore the remote mountains of Albania. At the heart of Albanian folklore, they have deep spiritual significance in the country. Hike through one of the last wild wolf and bear sanctuaries left in Europe, stopping for lunch in a small village. Enjoy the views of Mount Tomori, one of the country’s most magnificent mountains, then unwind with wine tasting in a local winery.
Day 3
Osumi Canyon
Hiking
Driving
Enter Osumi Canyon – one of the most spectacular natural attractions in Europe. You’ll either river hike or raft along the River Osum (this depends on the time of year and corresponding water level; please read the FAQ below for more information). There will be plenty of chances to wild swim whilst surrounded by the canyon’s unique ecosystem, which stays lush and green all year round. After lunch in Corovoda, you’ll drive back to Berat.
Day 4
Kayaking the Vjosa River
Kayaking
Driving
Take another scenic road journey through the remote interior of Albania to Këlcyrë Gorge, for a truly memorable kayaking adventure on Europe’s last wild river. Have lunch in Tepelena before paddling a beautiful and calm stretch of the Vjosa's turquoise waters. Hop back into the minibus to head to the town of Permet to check in to your hotel, and then relax at the mineral baths in Benja.
Day 5
Rafting the Vjosa River
Rafting
Driving
Experience more of the incredible Vjosa River today, newly established as a protected National Park, on a morning rafting adventure – you'll tackle Class 3 rapids through spectacular mountain scenery. You'll head back to Berat for your final evening.
Day 6
The Cave of Pellumbas
Hiking
Driving
Depart beautiful Berat, and begin the journey back to Tirana. En route, you'll stop off to hike a short, steep and scenic trail which will lead you to the mysterious cave of Pellumbas, filled with huge stalagmites and dripping stalactites (be sure to watch out for low-flying bats!). After lunch in one of the local villages, you’ll return to Tirana for your journey home.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Tirana International Airport (TIA)
Arrive any time on Day 1
Ends
Tirana International Airport (TIA)
17:30 on Day 6
Transfers
Arrive at any time on Day 1 and your host will arrange a transfer from Tirana Airport to the hotel in Berat. The transfer time is approx 1.5 hours and if travellers are on flights arriving at similar times, then there may be a short wait in order to group the transfers together.
Pickups can also be made from a location in central Tirana for anyone who has arrived earlier and is staying in the capital - this is usually the Dinamo Stadium near the Grand Park of Tirana. Your host will confirm the pickup time and location with you in advance.
On Day 6 you'll be dropped off at the airport in time to catch any flight leaving after 19:00.
If you are arriving or departing outside those days your host can arrange private airport transfers for an extra cost. See Optional Extras for details.
Travel options
There are regular flights to Tirana from major airports across the UK and Europe.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4 – Day 5
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Albanian food consists of hearty and healthy dishes of meat and vegetables, much of which is seasonal and sourced locally. Popular dishes include turkey, lamb or goat pershesh, served with a local bread known as kulac, a meat and leek pie made with thin pastry called byrek and freshly caught fish served in a Mediterranean style. Fish dishes are often flavoured with white vinegar and olive oil grown in Southern Albania, and many dishes are served with wine from one of the local vineyards.
Please let us know of any dietary requirements in advance by requesting this on your passenger info form.
What is the accommodation like?
Berat
You'll spend four nights in Berat, staying in twin-share rooms at Hotel Castle Park. Set in a scenic area of woodland, it's located around 1.5 kilometres from the centre of Berat town.
Permet
You'll spend one night in a hotel in the small southern town of Permet, next to the banks of the Vjosa river. Rooms will be on a twin-share basis.
This trip has been rated as Moderate
No previous experience is needed, however a moderate level of fitness is required along with the ability to swim.
The best months for hiking in Albania are February to June, and September to November, when the weather is warm and sunny, reaching temperatures of around 30 degrees. July and August can be hotter, however, this is usually broken up by cool coastal breezes.
Had a good time
Had nice and fun time even if the weather was rainy on some days. Getting out of comfort zone and not having social media just fun in nature was very welcomed especially when coming from a big and busy capital. Will book other trip in the future and recommend it to others
raft,kayak and hike in Albania
We had a wonderful holiday, the guides and all the team on the ground (Albanian rafting) were superb. Beautiful scenery with fun activities
The ideal mix
What a great trip. My first with MBA and certainly won’t be the last. Our group had a great dynamic and made the week fly by. Our guides, especially Arti, were fantastic organising everything from food to sorting out any issues we had. They are great at taking photos throughout the activities so you don’t need to risk your phones then sharing them all each day in an iCloud folder.
Albania adventure
We would like to thank Much Better Adventures for a great trip to Albania, it was amazing and we managed to see some great areas of beauty, thanks to the great guides. Activities were challenging, but we would not hae changed athing. Our group was of 15 people - made up of differing personalities, but we felt we all gelled and had a great time. Having been on smaller groups in the pst , we could have not hoped for a better experience. Thank you to our group and Much Better Adventures. Maggie and Tracey x
Cannon Family Mania in Albania: 5 Star Review
If you like:
Castles and canyons, mountain safaris in jeeps, White water rafting with death defying leaps
Hot thermal baths and freezing cold springs, And a blood red flag adorned with a black eagle’s wings
THEN come to Albania but make sure you come fast, Because there’s always a chance the magic won’t last
We had a blast!! Great adventure in just a few days
Incredible trip, packed with great activities. The guides were excellent and fun, the food and accomodation were amazing and the group dynamic incredible. What a fabulous adventure. Highly recommended.
Stop looking for adventure and book this !!!!
This was from start to finish an absolute amazing experience, every part of this was amazing, the hotel you are in is literally a castle with amazing rooms, comfy beds and awesome views, the rafting, kayaking and canyon are amazing, beautiful and so natural, make sure if you like jumps you ask about then, there is some epic ones on here The guides Arti and Renato did everything to make the adventure and week one to remember, they wasn't just guide but one of the crew 😀 they are amazing The lads who did the kayaking and rafting was so experienced and you always felt safe with them plus they knew how to have fun 😀 The hotel staff especially fabjan and meshi was young but nothing was to much trouble, they helped ladies with their bags and made sure we was always happy The driver was an absolute boss, didn't get flustered once no matter what happened, I'm a professional driver and that lad is cool as ice and such an amazing driver This adventure is by far one of best things I've done and I have been to 40 odd countries and have an extensive bucket list complete
If you looking for something to do then look no further. 😀
Amazing time in Albania!
Great activities with amazing tour guides - Arti and Renato were so good, really knowledgeable and helpful. Our activity leaders were great at taking pictures and videos so you'll get plenty of memories to look back on. The hotels were really comfortable, fully air conditioned and very clean, with super accommodating staff on hand to help out. The only thing I would change is making the water-based activities longer as these were only about 3 hours each. My tip for this trip is to buy snacks - the meals are huge but with long gaps between them. Also if you're a vegetarian then the food, whilst really tasty, can be quite repetitive.
A truly great holiday ,
A truly great holiday , it’s well organised with plenty to do each day, the guides are great , Arti and Renato made the trip so much fun. Thoroughly recommend
A deep dive into the
A deep dive into the past and present of an amazing country.
Fantastic trip
Super trip with like minded people. Really enjoyed how packed it was using all available time to make the most of it. Albania is spectacular and I’ll be coming back!