Walking in the Accursed Mountains
Walking in the Accursed Mountains
Walking in the Accursed Mountains
6 Days Starting and ending in 42.069299,19.503256
Visiting: Shkodër, Koman, Kukaj, Theth, Tirana
Tour operator:
Tour code:
47
Group Type:
Independent
Recommended For:
Guide Type:
Self Guided
Age range:
12-99
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Tour Overview
The Albanian Alps Short Break is a 6 days (5 nights) tour for intrepid travellers who are eager to explore the highlights of the Albanian Alps on their own but have limited time. For those who would like to experience the Albanian Alps in full, we recommend the 8 days (7 nights) version of this itinerary. The Albanian Alps & Accursed Mountains hikes include rugged mountain terrain but also take you through beautiful mountain valleys, alpine meadows, and remote villages surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Albanian Alps
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival In Albania/Shkodra
Location: Shkodër
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Overnight at Shkoder boutique hotel (Hotel Tradita)
Your driver will welcome you at the airport in Tirana or Podgorica. During the transfer to the hotel close to Shkodra’s centre, you can gather first impressions. If the weather allows it, you have the choice to swim at the Balkans’ biggest lake or visit the Rozafa Castle.
Learn about its legend and enjoy fabulous views which excite your curiosity for the days of travel through the Albanian Alps. In the city, the cafés burst with people who flock for a stroll on the pedestrian area. Lined with bourgeoisie townhouses, a reminder of the city’s rich past, it has a certain Italian atmosphere. Immerse in the bazaar’s buzz, at the Marubi photo library in Albania’s past, visit the museum, or enjoy an espresso with the locals.
When daylight fades, you can choose between restaurants that offer carefully crafted traditional meals. On the next day, you are heading off to the Albanian Alps!
Complimentary transfer from Tirana or Podgorica airport to Shkodra (90min)
Check-in at a boutique hotel in Ottoman Villa, bicycles available free of charge
City tour with notes and maps
Day 2 : Koman Lake / Into The Accursed Mountains
Location: Koman
Accommodation Name: Overnight at Valbone Hotel / private ensuite (Vila Dini or Guesthouse Kol Gjoni)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You rise early for the transfer through a scenic gorge to the Koman Lake (55km/1h 30min). The picturesque reservoir loops similar to a Norwegian fjord through sheer rock walls and is considered a highlight of the Alps. The custom-made ferry stops at several points to pick up locals from remote villages before arriving at Fierze (46km/3h). After lunch, you travel by minibus past traditional villages, composed of wooden shingle-covered stone houses, into the highlands and the Valbona National Park (35km/1h 15min). On a first warm-up walk, you continue on foot along the crystal-clear stream and quiet berry-lined trails through the forest to the secluded Xhemes Lake for a swimming break. The walk ends at your cosy accommodation in a small hamlet. You will have itchy feet when you see the jagged peaks from the terrace; the next day will be “the day”.
Walking for the day: 7km, 3h, ↑250m ↓5 m
Transfer by public minibus (6:30 am pickup time) or private car to ferry port Koman (90min)
Boat ride through the canyons of the Koman Lake (3h)
Transfer from Fierze via Bajram Curri (optional lunch stop) to the trailhead in Valbona (75min)
Luggage transport by car
Warm-up walk with swimming opportunity (3h)
Day 3 : Valbona – Queen Of The Mountains
Location: Kukaj
Accommodation Name: Overnight at guesthouse Rragram** (private ensuite)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You start your hike to Kukaj, an isolated hamlet where only two families reside, below bunkers that once protected the border and are now scattered in the riverbed. The windy path takes you over lush meadows ablaze with the colours of various spring flowers to a shepherd hut at 1,650 m. In the communist period, this was a no-go area and the building used as a military barrack. Admire the wild and romantic jagged mountain scenery, sample fresh milk products should the shepherd be present, or climb higher to an old crossing at the Montenegrin border.
At 2,040m a weathered border pyramid is a reminder of the isolation Albania once endured, from here views reach to the most dramatic parts of Montenegrin Prokletije. Catching the last glimpse at the Alps highest mountain Jezerca (2,694m) you descend on a different path to another guesthouse. When daylight fades, you can watch the alpine glow over dinner in the idyllic garden.
Walking for the day: 12km, 5-6h, ↑750m ↓700m
Hike to hamlet Kukaj and over flower-rich meadows to shepherd hut on 1,650m, return on another trail to the guesthouse in Rragam – extension to Montenegrin border (+2h)
Luggage transport by car
Day 4 : The Grand Crossing: Valbona To Theth
Location: Theth
Accommodation Name: Overnight at Guesthouse Theth / private ensuite (Bujtina Polia)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accompanied by a local and a mule that carries your load you set out for the transfer hike across Valbona Pass (1,811m) – another highlight and the highest point of your journey. After passing the village Rragam few steep segments need to be tackled. You can pause regularly near springs and on colourful meadows to enjoy the splendid views. Reaching the pass, the surrounding peaks appear on par, and sweeping views of both valleys fascinate even the seasoned traveller. Enjoy the picturesque landscape during a lunch break ahead of the descent to Theth. The fairy-tale beech forest provides cover from the sun in the afternoon for you. By the time the woods thin out Mt. Arapi (2,217m) is visible and soon the village houses are reached. Spread below are the different hamlets. On a broad path, you enter another charming guesthouse in the centre of the village.
Walking for the day: 15km, 6-7h, ↑750m ↓1,125m
Short transfer by car to the trailhead
Hike on a caravan route accompanied by horsemen across the Valbona Pass to Theth
Luggage transport on a horse
Day 5 : The Blue Eye. Tirana Or Shkodra
Location: Tirana
Accommodation Name: Overnight at Shkoder boutique hotel or Tirana – depending on your flights (Hotel Tradita or Vila 60)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
The hike through the canyon leads to a karst spring called “Blue Eye”. The bravest can take a dip in the icy waters while butterflies swirl around you – truly a hidden oasis to relax at. Without mobile phone coverage, electricity, and road access, busy everyday life seems completely forgotten. After a meal at the guesthouse the minibus takes you to the Edith Durham Memorial, over a scenic pass road to the Boga Valley and Shkodra (3h).
Depending on the time of your flights (and the selected airport) you can choose to spend the last evening of your trip in either Shkoder or Tirana.
If you’d like to spend the evening in Tirana:
You change cars in Shkodra and continue for another 90 minutes. In the capital, you can visit museums, admire historic buildings and explore the “blloku” district. Once the living quarters of politburo élite it turned now into a chic upmarket neighbourhood packed with boutique shops and cafes. Tirana stands in stark contrast to the rural areas of Albania you explored in the Accursed Mountains. Your day concludes with a dinner, you recall the past week of travel and celebrate a successful and memorable journey through Albania.
Walking for the day: 9km, 3-4h, ↑275m ↓275m
Return hike along the river to a karst spring
Transfer by public minibus (1-2 pm departure) over the Thoria Pass (1,645m) to Shkodra and eventually to Tirana
City tour with notes and maps.
Day 6 : Departure
Location: Tirana International Airport
Meals Included: Breakfast
Depending on departure time possibility to further explore the capital. Complimentary transfer to Tirana or Podgorica airport (1.5 h – 2 h).
What's Included
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Detailed pre-departure holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions and road notes; maps with daily routes and optional hikes marked
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Accommodation for 5 nights in hand-picked 2 to 4-star hotels or family-run guesthouses in Albania as listed in itinerary
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All ground transfers and baggage transfers as listed in itinerary
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Daily luggage transport to next hotel of 1 bag of up to 15 kg per person
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24/7 assistance by phone
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All breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners
What's Not Included
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Flights
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Lunches and dinners on Days 1 and 5, drinks & snacks on all days
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Travel insurance
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Personal expenses such as phone calls, extra transfers, tips, etc.
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Any items not explicitly mentioned in the program
Optional Extras
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Solo traveller supplement (mandatory if travelling alone)
This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms wherever possible)
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Single room
A room for 1 person. Due to limited availability in the mountains, single room accommodation on this tour is possible only on the first and the last nights of the tour.
Check out our Q&As
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Are vaccinations required for this tour?
No vaccinations required.
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
The Natural Adventure was founded by people who love hiking and cycling in wild and wonderful places. Places that we want to keep that way. Responsible tourism has, therefore, been at the heart of what we do since the get go.
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Am I contributing to any charity by booking the tour?
In April 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 crisis, we launched the Support Local Communities Initiative. We have enabled an option when booking a tour for customers to make a donation to support our local partners. 100% of the donations go directly to our local suppliers.
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
Whether you’re travelling on your own, as a couple, a group of friends, or a family, our self-guided holidays allow you the freedom to choose your own holiday companions.
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Our self guided walking and cycling holidays typically include: Accommodation, Breakfasts, Luggage transfers, Detailed holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps, 24/7 phone assistance by our local representative and/or our central office
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
We are part of the 'Safe Travels' initiative.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
Yes, as long as you can reach the next location.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Accommodations in double or twin rooms (solo travellers are usually accommodated in single rooms at an extra cost; we never mix and match)
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If possible, and entirely at the discretion of the Tour Operator, a change of the dates may be possible without charging an amendment fee, provided that it is requested at least 30 days before the departure date. In some cases, we will still have to pass to you any non-refundable charges imposed by our suppliers. In all other cases, change of dates will normally be treated as a cancellation.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
All places have been carefully checked by us and their quality is regularly monitored. We have selected accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
The Natural Adventure was founded in the UK in 2009, by Peter Duncan, former UK Chief Scout and BBC Blue Peter presenter, and Alex Pazderski, an avid hiker and acclaimed expedition kayaker. Both natural adventurers and keen explorers of wild places and trails, remote communities and responsible tourism partners, Peter and Alex founded our company inspired by the responsible travel values t
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Low Deposit
The Natural Adventure requires a minimum deposit of 20% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 42 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of the natural adventure charges.
Up to 42 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.