Dubrovnik / Dubrovnik Airport – Tirana

Private transfer Dubrovnik / Dubrovnik Airport to Tirana  OR  Tirana to Dubrovnik / Dubrovnik Airport

Distance 272 km

Duration 6h 5min –  could be more as routes involves border crossing, and depending on the traffic condition

You can arrange your private transfer to Tirana, Albania quickly and easily to any address in Tirana, and of course also to other destinations. One of our English-speaking drivers will be at your disposal.

Today Tirana is  a very pleasant little city, and the cultural, entertainment and political centre of Albania.

Here are  reasons to make a beeline for the Albanian capital.

To enjoy Albanian hospitality Being invited for a coffee or a rakija (a plum brandy) is a local custom and you’ll find Albanians friendly towards foreign visitors. Having been isolated from the rest of the world for the latter half of the twentieth century, many are curious about the influx of travellers.

For the local colour As it’s a small city, you can easily cover Tirana’s central area in a day. But as well as a leisurely exploration of the handful of museums, monuments, historic buildings and parks, make some time to marvel at the city’s concrete housing estates. Yes, really. Painted in rainbow colours, they add brightness to what was once a rather monochrome cityscape.

For the café culture Albania might not be famed for its cuisine, but that’s no reason not to make food a focus. Look out for the excellent coffee and beer (Islam is the predominant religion but it is practised in a very tolerant way), as well as decent pastries and good gelato. Cafés are the perfect place for people-watching, too, set to a soundtrack of Albanian and Euro pop.

For a history lesson in Skanderbeg Square Tirana’s centre is Skanderbeg Square, named after the national hero who briefly ensured Albania was independent of the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth century. There is a large bronze statue of Skanderbeg on horseback (imagine Alexander The Great meets Thor) in the middle of the square, and the Et’hem Bey Mosque, one of the nation’s most treasured buildings that dates back to the late eighteenth century, sits in the southeast corner. Also situated here are the nation’s major museums, including The National Historic Museum adorned with a huge socialist mural of victorious partisans.

To see a not-so-ancient pyramid You’ll find Tirana’s concrete pyramid, Piramida, a short walk from Skanderbeg Square. Built in 1987 by the daughter of Albania’s dictator Enver Hoxha (who tyrannically ruled Albania from 1944–85) as a museum to her father, it now sits derelict, stripped of the tiles that once covered it and splattered with graffiti. There is talk of demolishing it, but some argue that it should be kept intact as an apt monument to Stalinism’s ugly spirit.

To observe Albania’s elite at play Blloku, The Block, is where Enver Hoxha lived and was once off limits to all but the Communist party’s inner circle. Now it’s the epicentre for Tirana’s beautiful people. Today you’ll find expensive hotels, designer cafés, restaurants and shops. Take in the contemporary glitz from Sky Club, a rotating bar high in the air offering 360-degree views across the city.

To relax in Parku i Madh (Grand Park) This large, wooded park is where many of Tirana’s citizens head for a bit of time out, whether it’s fishing in the artificial lake, picnicking on the lawns or kicking-back in one of the many café-bars. Considering how oppressive Tirana’s traffic can get, this park allows the city’s Mediterranean ambience to shine

To visit Mount Dajti National Park If you want a break from the city centre, head to Mount Dajti National Park, popular with Tirana’s residents for fresh air and countryside walks.