Berat is an incredible city with so much beauty. It is affectionately called “the city of 1000 windows”. The whole city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We visited numerous wineries in this area, stayed in a beautiful family run hotel, had incredible experiences with the local people, and overall just loved the vibe of this place! This guide will give you more than enough to do for 48 hours in Berat and additional things to do if you spend more time!

Important Things to Know Before Traveling in Albania

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Albania is essentially a cash only country.  There are very few places where you can use credit card to pay for things and very few things are paid in advance here.  While we did pay for a few hotels and tours with credit card (sometimes for a small % fee), cash is KING here and you must have it. 

The currency in Albania is called the LEK and the best way to get it is by exchanging USD or Euros for LEK in exchange shops all over the country.  You can also take cash out of the ATM but can be charged a fee.  Some places will also accept Euros as payment.  There is one bank that is known to have no fee and that bank is called “Credins”.  There were no Credins banks to be found anywhere in the South though so that is something to keep in mind.  

Roads

People might tell you or you may have read the the roads are crazy in Albania.  Like most things when traveling this is a matter of perspective.  We live in Philadelphia which is a busy city in the US and we didn’t find Albanian driving especially challenging.  As long as you take your time and focus well you shouldn’t have any trouble on the roads.  One thing to note though is that you do have to be very alert at all times.  Roads are shared in Albania by cars, trucks, farmers, goats, donkeys, etc and people walk along a lot of the roads as well.  You will also encounter roads that seem too small to be two way streets but they almost always are.  Again, if you have patience and trust in your driving skills you will be just fine.  

The people

We found the Albanian people to be some of the kindest and most welcoming we’ve ever encountered while traveling.  People constantly went out of their way to help us, show us around, teach us things, or accommodate us.  Everywhere we went we found the same thoughtful, open, and inviting people.  I literally can not say enough about the kindness we experienced here.  I hope that this will be the experience of everyone who travels to this beautiful country.  

Visa requirements  

It’s important to always check the visa requirements where you are traveling from. I would check the Albanian government website as well as the website of the country in which you live.  From the United States you just need to grab your passport and go!  

Safety

Albania can sometimes still be looked at with concern due to their history and wars and the countries political situation.  All of this is in the past and Albania is such a welcoming place.  Many different religions and types of people coexist here quite well and safety was a non issue for us on our trip.  

You should use the same level of caution in Albania that you would use anywhere else you travel.  We never encountered any unsafe situations or anything that even made us feel mildly uncomfortable.  

We didn’t feel nervous walking around at any time of day or night in any of the places we visited.  

*It is important to note that we don’t involve ourselves in nightlife or party very much so we can’t report on what a late night scene would be like in any of these places.  

As a female I felt safe walking around without my husband, running in the mornings, shopping in stores, and walking around anywhere we were.  

Weather/Time to Visit

We visited in the summer and this was a great time to visit all of the locations we checked out.  Hiking in Theth is best between late May and early September.  You may experience snow or adverse conditions prior to about mid June though so you definitely want to be aware of that before planning the Valbona Hike.  

The beach towns and Berat/Tirana would all be beautiful basically from April through October.  it is also important to be aware that some of the Riviera towns may be a LOT quieter after September.  These towns are all likely the most beautiful and least crowded during May and September.  

Pharmacy

Just like pretty much anywhere else you might travel in Europe Albania is full of pharmacies.  There was one in almost every town and they can help with basic issues you might have.  Stomach issues, ears, eyes, throat, etc.  You can just walk right in and tell them what’s going on and get the help you need.  

Where to stay in Berat

Hotel Vila Aleksander: We loved our stay here and were so happy we picked Hotel Vila Aleksander. The couple that ran our hotel was so kind and welcoming. They took time to show us around and tell us about the history of the hotel and the remodel. Breakfast on the terrace each morning was so beautiful and perfect and our room was so comfortable and well air conditioned! We felt like we were staying with friends and I would highly recommend this place!  

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If they are full or you are looking for other options, two other places I thought looked pretty great were:

Tradita e Beratit: The food looked incredible here and it’s the one spot I wish we didn’t miss. It also looks like an adorable place to stay! I have been seeing it a LOT on instagram and it seems they’re putting a lot of time and effort into creating great experiences for their guests! It would definitely be my next choice if we were to go back!

Pupa Winery and Guesthouse: If this guesthouse is anything like our experience at the winery and lunch then it will be INCREDIBLE. If i was returning I’d love to try staying here! We had a wine tasting and lunch here and the property is insanely beautiful! It would be such a relaxing place to spend a night, drink wine, enjoy the views, and just relax!

Things to Do in Berat

Our first day in Berat we spent a lot of time walking around and checking out the streets. We had a lunch but it wasn’t honestly memorable. A place we wanted to eat but didn’t get to is where I would suggest you try to grab lunch, Tradita e Beratit. This place was just beautiful and looked like a great place to stay and eat!

We stopped in a ton of shops to cool off and check things out and really enjoyed exploring the area.  We bought some souvenirs and enjoyed ducking in and out of the air conditioning!

Luani Winery: We also took a walk to Luani Winery.  This was a bit off the beaten path of the main area of Berat but it was only about a 30 minute walk!  We did a wine tasting here and really enjoyed it!  We had 3 different wines and raki (Albanian liquor) and a charcuterie & cheese board to accompany everything. The guide who took us through the tasting was so kind and knew so much about the wine and Albania. It was so nice to get to talk to him and learn more about the country and the wine.  The value was amazing it was 15 USD per person for all of that!  A great stop! Don’t be fooled this winery is hidden underneath a hotel! When you walk in just ask about the wine tasting!

Berat Castle: After the winery we made the walk up to the Castle!  It was about a 25 minute walk. The Berat Castle is one of the coolest things we visited on our trip.  If you go up after 6pm there is no entrance fee, although I believe it is only 1-3USD during regular hours.  Going after 6 is great though, especially in the summertime as it is cooler and you can stay for sunset.  We actually ended up doing this both evenings of our time in Berat because we enjoyed it so much.  There is an incredible amount to see up here.  People still live within the Castle and there are stunning views of the entire surrounding area.  

Berat City Tours: We hired Berat City Tours to take us around to check out some wineries! We were super happy with this experience. Even though we had a car we take not drinking and driving very seriously. We didn’t want to have to drive to new places while also wine tasting so we hired this company to arrange and drive us to the wineries surrounding Berat. This company was super helpful from planning to execution of our day. They were easy to contact through email, they helped us arrange a beautiful day, they drove us to each place and made sure we had a great experience.

Pupa Winery: The first winery of the day was Pupa Winery. This place was just amazing. We really felt like we were in a winery in Napa or Tuscany. The place was beautifully decorated and modern with an Albanian feel. The wine was excellent and we especially loved the rosé. The best part was the lunch we had here. It was ENDLESS! They served us such an incredible amount of food that we weren’t hungry for dinner. We loved absolutely everything and would highly recommend lunch or dinner here as well as wine tasting.

Cobo Winery: Our second stop of the day was Cobo Winery. This winery is family run and has been in Berat for about a century. Many locals in Berat seemed to think this was a great choice when we told them we were going. We got to sit outside here in their beautiful garden area and do a tasting. The wines were great and the scenery was so pleasant. We’d highly recommend making a stop here as well! We got to sit in their outdoor area and relax under the trees while tasting which was such a nice experience.

Where to Eat

Homemade Food Lili: The best part of Berat… dinner. I had read a ton of blog posts and small reviews about this place “Lili Home Made Food” and I knew we had to do it! I communicated with Lili leading up to our trip on whats app. You must make a reservation to eat here as there are only about 4-5 tables and 2 seatings per night. This is a rustic experience as you’re essentially just eating in Lilis backyard, so if that is not your vibe skip this. But I REALLY encourage you not to skip this. Lili’s wife cooks the most incredible Albanian food and Lili serves and entertains you! The man speaks MULTIPLE languages and engages so happily with everyone. I highly recommend the second seating as you will be able to spend more quality time hanging out with Lili and the other guests. The food is incredible and the vibe Lili creates is just amazing! The prices can’t be beat either!

Mbrica Restaurant: We spotted this place at our first night up at Berat Castle and knew we had to come back for the view. We sent them a whatsapp and made a reso for dinner and timed it to be right as the sun was setting. It was perfect. It was a very simple, traditional place and we really enjoyed the food. The view could not be beat so even if you don’t want to eat up here coming for a sunset drink would be perfect as well!

If we had more time

There were a few places we didn’t make it to on this trip but I know we’d go to or try if we had more time.

Vinos Wine Bar: This place looked so adorable. It was right on the promenade where everyone was strolling in the evening. It looked like such a perfect place to grab a glass of wine and people watch the night away.

Osumi Canyon: If we had spent another day in Berat I likely would have used one of the tour companies to take a tour/day trip to Osumi Canyon.  I would have used Berat City Tours or 1001 Albanian Adventures.  We worked with each of these companies during our time in Albania and found both to be professional, kind, and worth the price for service.  The canyon and surrounding area look like a really incredible nature adventure which is definitely our vibe. Knowing what I know now, I would have skipped Ksamil altogether and spent an extra day doing this.

Ethnographic Museum: It would have been nice to learn more about the history of Berat and if we went back I’d make time for this one as well.

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Visiting Berat Albania | Things to do in Berat Albania | Where to stay in Berat Albania | Travel to Berat | Unesco World Heritage Site | Visit Albania| Albania Guide