I’ve listed my MUST tries!
But here’s a Google Maps List of all our favorite spots in Tirana :)
Coffee
Mulliri i Vjeter They’re all over the city! It’s Albania’s local version of Starbucks. Freddo cappuccino’s and their chocolate croissants are our go-tos! Mark loves to explore the bookshelves 😂
HANA Corner Cafe Trendy spot, but rightfully so. Great espresso drinks, matcha, and pastries! Turns into a bar in the evening.
Albania has a big cafe culture so you’ll walk by so many on a stroll through the city! Most of them will have Turkish Coffee and a standard espresso drinks.
Eats
Kapelet Restaurant Outside of Tirana but worth the taxi ride. My favorite restaurant! It’s a fixed menu, you just select the type of meat you’d like. Multi-course tour of Albanian food.
Restaurant Piceri Era One of my favorite stops for traditional Albanian food.
Ceren Ismet Shehu They have 2 locations — one inside Tirana, walkable from the Hotel, and one outside of Tirana. But again, worth the taxi ride to explore their restaurant/museum in the hills of the city. Similar to Kapelet, it’s a fixed menu, you just select the type of meat you’d like. Multi-course tour of Albanian food.
Artigiano Really good pizza + pasta!
Pastiçeri Nefeli Something sweet!
Bars
Nouvelle Vague Great cocktails!
Radio Bar Vibey spot with great drinks and aesthetic, cozy inside!
Komiteti Bar You can try the Raki flight!
Activities
Skanderberg Square The heart of Tirana! Great for people watching.
Liqeni Artificial / Tirana Lake Park The most relaxing part of the city. Lots of trails. Really close to the Tirana Marriott so it’s a great spot for a morning stroll.
Pyramid of Tirana Climb to the top for great views of the city! Great spot for sunset.
Bunk’Art 2 Former Cold War-era nuclear bunker under the Ministry of the Interior right in the city. Set up as a museum.
House of Leaves Museum Also known as the Museum of Secret Surveillance. A museum in the former HQ of communist spy operations.
Dajti Express Cable car that takes you from Tirana up to the top of Dajti Mountain. It’s typically much cooler temp wise up there so if you need reprieve from the heat, this may be a good option! There’s cafes, restaurants, and activities up there. You can take a taxi to the base of the cable car.
Roadtrip to Kruje Highly recommend a half-day trip to Kruje if you have the time! Historic city about 30 minutes away. Taxi will take ya!
