UNESCO & Inland

Gjirokastër Travel Guide

The Stone City. Slate-roofed Ottoman mansions, a massive castle and a steep bazaar, an hour from Sarandë on the way to the coast.

Stopover between Tirana and the coast
History
Blue Eye day trip

Updated 1 September 2026

Time needed: 1 night
From Sarandë: 1 to 1.5 h
From Tirana: 3.5 to 4 h
Must see: Castle, Skenduli House, bazaar

Gjirokastër is grey stone where Berat is white plaster: heavy slate roofs, fortified houses and a castle so big it has an aircraft inside. The old bazaar is steep, cobbled and full of small restaurants serving qifqi, the local rice balls.

It sits right on the main road between Tirana and Sarandë, which makes it the natural overnight stop on the classic loop.

What to do

The castle takes an hour or two and has the best views. Skenduli House and Zekate House show what the fortified mansions looked like inside. The Blue Eye spring is 30 minutes towards Sarandë.

Costs, safety & planning

Travel Planning

Albania Itinerary: 5, 7, 10 and 14 Days (With and Without a Car)

The most common question we get is some version of 'I have X days, does this plan work?'. Here are four plans that do, each with a car and a bus version, plus the rules for building your own.

Updated 4 September 20267 min read

Gjirokastër: common questions

Is one night enough in Gjirokastër?

Yes. Arrive in the afternoon, walk the bazaar and eat, do the castle and one of the Ottoman houses the next morning, and carry on to the coast.

Keep exploring

Other destinations

All destinations

UNESCO & Inland

Berat

The Town of a Thousand Windows. Ottoman houses stacked up a hillside, a lived-in castle and the easiest UNESCO stop from Tirana.

Tirana & Central

Tirana

Albania's loud, colourful, fast-changing capital. Most trips start here, and it deserves more than a transit night.

Albanian Riviera

Sarandë

The busy hub of the southern coast. Ferries from Corfu, a long seafront promenade and the best base for Ksamil, Butrint and the Blue Eye.

Albanian Riviera

Ksamil

Albania's most famous beaches. Caribbean-coloured water, tiny islands you can swim to, and crowds to match in high season.