Durres or Tirana - which city should you stay in for your trip to Albania?
- Jess Touhig
- Aug 26
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 27
Decisions, decisions..
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If you’re planning a trip to Albania, your first thought might be to head straight to the southern coast, which went a little viral recently, and its tourism industry absolutely exploded. Cities like Ksamil and Sarande are now incredibly popular - known for affordability and white, sandy beaches. However, we’d urge you to head more north, to the cities which have been overlooked by this tourism boom.
Both Durrës and Tirana are developing cities with more culture, way fewer tourists, even cheaper prices and a lot to offer to visitors. Here, we’ll compare the two, so you know exactly which one is the best fit for your trip.
Durres or Tirana (Albania) - city overviews:
Tirana is the capital of Albania. This constantly-changing city is full of life, and you really can’t be bored here. You’ll find cocktail bars and restaurants with a luxury feel (without the luxury price tag), but also local flea markets and street food. Architecture will range from pristine mosques to brand-new, modern offices. You'll see museums, huge shopping centres and be close to breathtaking lakeside hikes. When we say there’s something for everyone here - we’re not messing around.
However, in Durrës you’ll find ocean views, a quiet beach, a pier with seafront bars and restaurants, and a lot more peace and quiet. To say it’s the second biggest city in Albania, and only an hour’s drive from Tirana, it feels absolutely worlds away. There’s nowhere near as much to do in terms of tourist attractions, but for pretty sunsets and a perfect place to chill, you’ve picked the right spot.
Food & drinks in Tirana and Durrës:
Tirana has a lot more food variety than Durrës - with a huge amount of great quality Italian restaurants, for very affordable prices. You’ll be able to find a wide range of cuisine here, and also grab street food and local specialities for very low prices, such as Byrek (a savoury pie made with filo pastry). Try some local specialities at We also highly recommend visiting an Italian restaurant in Tirana (such as Eja) - the quality of food we had was always incredible.
Durrës has less food options, but they’re still plentiful. Restaurants and bars might be slightly more expensive as you’re often paying for the setting or the sea view, but many will feel very high-end. You’ll find Albanian, Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine here mainly - and of course a lot more fresh seafood than you’d find in Tirana, with it being a coastal city. One of our favourites was Restaurant Mema House.
Accommodation in Tirana and Durrës:
Tirana, again, will have more of a range of accommodation options. Some will be cheaper, some will be more expensive than Durrës. You’ll find that some of the places, especially Airbnbs or apartments to rent, may not look much from the outside - but the interior is beautiful and very well maintained.
Durrës has a few great options - from hotels to apartments. We stayed in this 3-bedroom sea view apartment which was stunning for only £85 per night. Split between six people, that’s pretty fantastic. You can search for accommodation in either of these cities below:
Things to do and excursions in Tirana vs Durrës:
As we mentioned previously, Tirana is absolutely packed full of things to do. Some of the best days within the city were spent exploring the local markets, snacking on street food, and heading into the huge 8-floor shopping centre to cool down in the hotter weather.
Tirana has amazing museums and tourist attractions such as the Bunk’Art museums. If you’ve looked into the history of Albania before, you’ll know that their leader from 1944-1985, Enver Hoxha, was a communist dictator. The country actually only opened for tourism in 1990! And Hoxha had around 173,000 underground bunkers built across Albania, intended as a defence against invaders.
The bunkers are used for all sorts of different things including bars and restaurants, but they also house the famous Bunk’Art museums. These museums are focussed on Albanian history, but are incredibly interesting to explore and see the different rooms of the bunkers too.
Plus, you can do a range of excursions, one of the most popular being a cable car up Dajti mountain or a trip to Bovilla lake. And of course - if you choose to stay in Tirana, you could take a day trip to the city of Durrës, so you have the best of both worlds.
In Durrës, there are less tourist attractions, but the city still has a lot to offer. There’s an amphitheatre, a mosque, an archeological museum and a small tower in the city centre. But there are also beaches, vineyards and beautiful small towns and villages nearby to explore. You can even do a guided wine tour!
These are great options to fill your time if you get sick of sitting in seafront bars (although, we’re not really sure if that’s possible). And of course - plenty of shops!
If this is all sounding like a lot to fit into your trip - and you don't even know where to start, why not check out our new travel planning service called makethemost.
We can create a personalised itinerary for your trip to Durres, or even a multi-city trip around Albania, with a customised, interactive map included, so all the places that you want to visit are saved to your phone! You can read more about our service or enquire here.
Getting around:
Albania is still developing, and lacks the public transport options that most other countries have in their major cities. There are plenty of buses between towns and cities, but no tram or train options at all.
However, both Durrës and Tirana are walkable cities. If you’re wanting to head further afield for day trips, taxis can be very affordable, or you can look at planned excursions and tours through a provider like GetYourGuide.
It’s also an option to rent a car - although the driving in Tirana can be pretty crazy (definitely wouldn’t have been an enjoyable option for us). Once you get out of the capital, the roads are a lot calmer and safer.
So - if you’re looking for our honest opinion on which city is better - it totally depends on the trip you’re looking for. Whether you visit Durres or Tirana on your Albania trip, we're sure you'll have an incredible time.
For chill days, sea views, and the odd day out, it’s Durrës all the way. For shopping, museums, and street food, it has to be Tirana. Realistically, the best option is to do a trip where you stay a few nights in each, and make it the best of both worlds!!
To help you plan your trip, we’ve put together answers to some the most commonly asked questions about travelling to Albania below. If you want a little more detail about each of these cities, we have full posts about Durrës and Tirana too.
How do I get to Tirana and Durrës?
Tirana is easy to access by air, as it houses the only international airport in Albania. There are regular flights from several cities in the UK, and they’re generally pretty affordable too. You can't get to Tirana by train, as the station was demolished in 2013 and is yet to be rebuilt. However, there are options to drive to Tirana or travel by bus around Albania. You can then get to Durrës by taxi or coach. It's a good idea to pre-book this with an agreed price beforehand.
Do I need a visa to visit Albania?
Citizens of most countries (including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and EU) do not need a visa to visit Albania for a stay of up to 90 days. But Albania is not a country within the Schengen area - it will not count towards your Schengen days. Citizens of some countries do need a visa to enter so check your national travel advice.
What's the currency in Albania?
The currency of Albania is Albanian Lek. The conversion rate is around 100 Lek = 1 Euro. You can't buy Albanian Lek in the UK, or most other countries outside of Albania.
You will need cash for taxis and some shops / bars / restaurants, so your best option is to change some money when you get there or withdraw from an ATM. Just be careful of high conversion fees from your bank or the ATM. Definitely withdraw as much as you think you'll need for the trip when you go to the ATM, as most charge a fee, rather than withdrawing in lots of small chunks.
What languages are spoken in Albania?
The official language of Albania is Albanian, but English is widely spoken across the country, especially in tourist hotspots such as Tirana and Durres. It's always polite to learn a few phrases, though!
What's the time zone in Albania?
Albania is in the Central European Time Zone, usually an hour ahead of the UK.
What are the best things to do in Albania?
We always try and give you a few great recommendations of things to do on our Sightseekr exploration posts. If you're looking to fill your itinerary, have a look for the best activities, excursions and other things to do in Albania on GetYourGuide:
