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Best time to visit Albania

The best time to go to Albania is spring, early summer and early autumn, when you can avoid seasonal extremes and make the most of walking and cycling trails. However, head to the mountains in winter and you’ll be greeted with Christmas card scenes, and the opportunity to snow shoe between remote villages for a real glimpse of rural Albanian life.

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Best time to visit Albania

Albania has three main climate zones: the warm Mediterranean coast, the continental extremes of the interior and the cooler mountains of the northeast.

April-June and Sep-Oct are the best time to go to Albania – you’ll avoid scorching coastal summer heat and bitter winter mountain cold, making these ideal for walking, cycling, sightseeing, watersports and flopping on the beach. If you're tied to travelling in the summer holidays, don’t fret; many beaches get a fraction of the visitors of their Mediterranean neighbours, despite being possibly even more beautiful. The crisp winter in the mountains is ideal for snowshoeing – though the rest of the country is cold and damp.

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Albania, month by month

December, January and February are very cold inland and in the mountains – and heavy rain can lead to flooding and disruption. Obviously, the higher you go in January and February the colder it’s going to get, but the main mountain passes in the south, Llogara and Barmash, generally remain open despite the threat of snow. If you’re after powder, though, this is the time to come – snowshoeing holidays take place from late January to mid-March in the Albanian Alps. April, May and early June are some of the best months to go to Albania, with great weather for walking and cycling. In May, meltwater rivers and waterfalls are at the peak of their powers, whilst mountain meadows are starting to sing with wildflowers, including lilies, orchids and geraniums. Prices will be lower (avoiding Easter), the main attractions will be quieter, and the rural areas just as peaceful as always. June is definitely heating up, especially on the coast and in the valleys – but you can still make the most of the Mediterranean beaches. Late June into July and August is fiendishly hot along the coast and inland. These peak holiday months will also see the popular coastal hub of Saranda packed with Albanians escaping Tirana, and tourists heading over on daytrips from Corfu. Outside of Saranda, Albania is actually a great summer Med getaway, as it receives just a fraction of the tourists of nearby Croatia, Greece, Italy or even Montenegro. The mountains will be much cooler – and walking holidays here run right through the summer until September. Late September through to mid-October is another good season. September can be fairly hot, but seasonal showers and constant sea breezes can cool things down a tad. Don’t forget your waterproofs – especially towards the end of the month and into October. Autumn is an extremely industrious time of year for Albanians living off the land in the mountainous agricultural regions of the south. Olive and grape harvests coincide with steaming bowls of bean and butternut broth to provide a warm welcome after a day’s exploring. Darkness and damp descends in November and December, so it’s not the best time of year to go, although tailor made tours still run and some accommodation is open and extremely affordable.

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Berat Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

135

FEB

122

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

116

NOV

173

DEC

166

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Mark Huggins, from our supplier Undiscovered Destinations, shares his favourite time to visit Albania: “My favourite time in Albania is May-June and September-October. It’s best to avoid high summer as it can be excruciatingly hot.”

Olly Pemberton, from our leading Albania supplier Exodus:
“I would say May is a fantastic time to go, because it is not baking hot and the locals from the city are not on their holidays so they beach towns are all but deserted. Plus when you are in the mountains there will still be snow on the peaks so it creates a very impressive backdrop.”

ALBANIA FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Spring Day

Spring Day, on 14th March, is a national holiday. This pagan festival is celebrated across the country – with a particularly large following in the central region of Elbasan, and in Tirana, where the park fills with musicians, acrobats and other performances. From 1st March you’ll see young people wearing braided red and white bracelets, which are hung on trees for good luck following the celebrations. Don’t miss the traditional “ballokume” corn flour cakes.