Location: Tirana
Top Things to do in Tirana
Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Tirana, Tirana County
Tirana, the Republic of Albania's largest city, is blessed with a mild Mediterranean climate, a plethora of beautiful churches and lush parks. Founded in 1614, some striking Mussolini-era architecture dots the city center. Walk between sights such as Skanderbeg Square's 1789 Et'hem Bey Mosque, the 1830 Sahat-Kulla (Clock Tower) and the Puppet Theater, once home to King Zog's puppet parliament. Visit the Peace Bell, built with old cartridge shells, a reminder of Tirana's stormy past.
Restaurants in Tirana
1. Tirana Free Walking Tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 629 reviews
Welcome to Tirana! Every day - 2 times a day - 10AM, 6PM .No reservation required. Just show up! Meeting point: At the steps in front of Opera House! Duration - around 2.5 hours. Join this free walking tour for the best introduction of Tirana. This tour covers all the must see places in Tirana.
2. Albanian Trip
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 117 reviews
We're so lucky to be in this business and have Albania and the Balkans as our offices. The settings are always beautiful (in the worst case) and even breathtaking in so many cases. And then we show all this amount of beauty and special realities (historical and recent ones)to the cream of visitors from all over the World. Earning life in such a setting and surrounding is just pure luck and a huge luxury so all we can do is be very happy, excited and conscious of our position. We love it and we'll continue working to get better and better and try to offer more and more special and unique points of view to our country Albania and our region, the Balkans. We're pretty good at identifying your wishes and building up specially tailored tours. In our CV we have the Lepidopterist Tour of Albania, the Albanian Gangster Tour, the Botanical Tour of Albania, the Bunkers & Beaches, the Ancients & Ottomans, the Albanian Undertaker Tour, the Cool'inary Tour & ownership of a Memorabilia Collection.
3. Grand Park (Parku i Madh)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 321 reviews
Reviewed By kiwibuddy1 - Grand Bend, Canada
The 230 h Grand Park is located in the southern end of Tirana. it is a beautiful place to walk, stroll, bike, jog or run, depending on one's energy level! Regardless of your chosen activity, the park is a pleasant escape from the crowded city centre and a chance to enjoy fresh air, nature and tranquility.
4. Dajti Ekspres “Cable Car”
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,051 reviews
Located just 15 mins from the centre of Tirana, “Dajti Ekspres” provides it’s visitors with an unforgettable experience. Take the 15 minute trip up Dajti Mountain on the longest cableway in the Balkans and enjoy the breathtaking views of the city. At the summit, relax and enjoy the surroundings, take a stroll and enjoy the view! Enjoy a hot or cold drink in our rotating bar/cafe, located on the 7th floor of the Dajti Tower Hotel. A 45 minute stay at the bar will ensure you get a full 360 degrees view of the beautiful surroundings, including the Dajti national park. Fancy a bite to eat? Head over to our on-site restaurant perched on the edge of the mountain! Serving both traditional & International cuisine, we're told that the food is great (we are currently rated 10th on Trip Advisor out of 300 restaurants in Tirana) but even we must admit, it's the panoramic view that is the main attraction, simply breathtaking! We look forward to welcoming you soon.
Reviewed By usakomodo - Charlotte, United States
This 14 minute ride will provide you with wonderful views (given that you have a clear, sunny day!) of the city and surrounding wooded national park. We alighted ta the top, 3,445' above sea level. Leave enough time for lunch.
5. Bunk'Art 1
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 969 reviews
After the inaguration, in June 1978 by the dictator Enver Hoxha, opened to the public the anti-nuclear bunker built by the communist government. A 5 floor palace underground, with 106 rooms and an assembly hall, now turned into an historical and art center called "BUNK'ART". The passageways, the areas provided for the meetings of the General Staff of the Army in case of war, the rooms where was thought would sleep the communist exdictator Enver Hoxha and the former Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu in case of a nuclear attack, the gigantic hall dedicated to the meetings of the political Bureau which contains also an albanian tipical Buffe are transformed into a video museum exhibition and into art. Starting from April 2016, BUNK'ART is now made permanent, turning into a unique attraction site for tourists in the region, showing the albanian life during the 45 years of communism.
Reviewed By DaveyRG
Visiting this location will allow you not only to understand the history of communist Albania (1944-1991), but gain an understanding of the country from when it became an independent nation. Located in Enver Hoxha’s personal bunker on the outskirts of Tirana, this amazing complex is made up of countless corridors and rooms and also gives an insight into how ordinary Albanian’s, who didn’t conform to the communist ideal, were persecuted.
6. BunkArt 2
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 539 reviews
Bunk'art 2 reconstructs the history of the Albanian Ministry of Internal Affairs from 1912 to 1991 and reveals the secrets of “Sigurimi”, the political police that was the harsh persecution weapon used by the regime of Enver Hoxha. Bunk'art 2 is the first major video museum exhibition dedicated to the victims of communist terror.
Reviewed By Jisagod2u - London, United Kingdom
I haven't been to every museum in Albania, but we wanted to go to one museum - given it's central Tirana and the tourguide thoroughly recommended, and highest reviews and most reviews on tripadvisor, we went for this one, and wow it did not disappoint. = My girlfriend and I have done probably 100+ museums to the point where to be honest they got boring, but wow was this one good. Very graphic, in details accounts of people from 1914 to present day, and a very vivid walkthrough of the life of Albanians, their viewpoints, recent history, and helps you to understand their ways of thinking and feeling towards certain topics. There are so many interesting facets to the museum and don't want to give much away - just go and read things and take it in and enjoy it. Wear a t-shirt as it's warm underground and maybe a bit of deodorant :) it's ventilated and cooler than outside but still a bit warm so bring water too.
7. House of Leaves
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Reviewed By Y1255ATtomp - Great Malvern, United Kingdom
In a city with several good museums telling the bleak story of life under the communist regime, this is probably the best. This building was the main intelligence centre for a vast surveillance network that kept the population in fear and under tight control. The level of sophistication used to bug homes is both scary and impressive. If only the Hoxha regime had put as much effort into the welfare of the population... The building is actually an old maternity hospital. The irony that a place meant to bring life into the world was used as a way to end it adds to the tragedy. Now it faces the orthodox cathedral, which feels like a fitting response from the city, as if it is asking for forgiveness.
8. Skanderbeg Square
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,367 reviews
Reviewed By Abeckydeen - Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Loved this square and although, we weren't able to stay until the Christmas market was fully built, it would have been so good! (From what was built) Points of interests are easy to find from this historic square.
9. Muzeu Historik Kombetar
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 996 reviews
Reviewed By Trek-Always - Alpharetta, United States
This is a nice way to learn about how Albania has evolved. Good signage in English. Impressive displays. Need 2-3 hours to really see it all and take in what it means. If this review is helpful then please indicate so below.
10. Kapllan Pasha’s Tomb
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By experiencetirana - Tirana, Albania
Kapllan Pasha’s Tomb is located in the centre of Tirana. This is a very interesting history in that time. In front of Kapllan Pasha tomb has been located the first mosque (old Tirana City Center) built by Sulejman Pasha the first ruler of Tirana. Tirana was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini Pasha, a local ruler from Mullet who constructed a mosque, a bakery and a hamam in the old city center of Tirana. Built in 1614, it was the oldest mosque of the city of Tirana and was one of the oldest mosques in Albania. The mosque was destroyed in the Second World War,its remains and its minaret which still stood were destroyed in 1967 by the new Communist dictatorship under Enver Hoxha. The monument of the "Unknown Soldier" (Albanian: Ushtari i panjohur) was constructed on its site instead. The reason why Kapllan Pasha tomb is in the middle of the town relates with the help that he gave to Bargjini Family. Sulejman Bargjini was killed in Bagdad. It was his son Ahmed died because of an illness, he left four daughters in young age. Their relatives sought protection with Kapllan Pasha of Kruja, offering him to marry his sons to the four orphaned daughters of the Bargjini clan. Kapllan Pasha, accepted the offer, since the Bargjini daughters were wealthy and owned lands around Tirana. Kapllan’s sons moved to Tirana and all the family used Toptani as their last name. In Turkish Toptan means together. The legend has it that when the family moved to Tirana, Kapllan Pasha said: Now they are all together. Hence the name Toptan. Kapllan Pasha Tomb It formed part of a monumental cemetery complex of the first Tirana mosque, which was destroyed during the Second World War. The complex at that time included six other similar monumental graves, of varying dimensions. Dating from 1817, this eight-columned tomb is a reminder of the city’s Ottoman period. It has an octagonal shape and is four metres in height. Kapllan Pasha’s remains were later exhumed and reburied in Istanbul. The tomb is empty but the structure remains a cultural monument, a remnant of the first Tirana mosque. The monument has recently been restored.
