27 Awesome things to do in Tirana for Solo Female Travel

Albania is one of my all time favorite countries in the whole world. If you are planning a trip to the capital city, you are at the right palce.

This Albania blog will give you some of the best ideas on what to do during your first visit.

So many people still think of Albania as an ex-Yugoslavia territory but the war ended a long time ago and Tirana is now a thriving metropolis.

Hit the lovely cafes

This was such a pleasant surprise.

I’ll be honest and say that I was not expecting this vibe at all. There is a very unique atmosphere in Tirana.

You can feel that people are all about embracing and living every day to the fullest.

It is not surprise that I love traveling to this area so much.

There is something about the whole Easter Europe region that is so full of life.

Dive in some Soviet History

Soviet history lovers rejoice!

If you love to partake is soviet tourism, there is a lot for you to cover in Tirana.

From the many bunkers to dedicated communists tours, you will find plenty of options to fill up your schedule.

Visit the museum of secret surveillance “House of Leaves”

There are so many museums to check out in Tirana but this one deserves a special mention.

It is unique and shows you more of a behind the scenes of what went into running a 24/7 surveillance state during the communist regime.

I want to warn you it is very sad, just as you would already expect.

But if you are a history lover like myself, this is a good use of your time.

At the end, make sure to check out the super eerie bunker in the garden. That place is guaranteed to give you the chills.

Take a day trip to the fabolous Bovilla lake

If you are going to take one day trip outside of Tirana, let it be a trip to the Bovilla Lake.

This is one of the best sight in Albania and is totally worth you visiting

Have Brunch at the terrace of The Crown hotel

I really loved my French toast.

Plus this hotel offers a nice little cozy terrace for a great unpretentious city view.

Do take a free walking tour

This is a bit of a tradition at this point as a solo female traveler.

I always make sure to start my visit at any new city with a free walking tour.

It is a great way for me to get accustom to my new host city.

It ‘s a win-win to me and I can also do this while getting a history crash course.

I also made a full podcast episode giving you tips on how to connect with people as a solo female traveler. I think this will be very useful for your next trip.

Do a cooking class

I can only recommend where I went.

The owner Sarah often gives the classes and she is such an outstanding hostess.

Watch a movie under the stars at the beautiful park

Yes this is a vey unique thing to do in the city.

For my girlies traveling alone, just make sure you grab a fellow traveler with you if you plan to attend a late night session.

Otherwise, go earlier.

My local guide did confirm to me that the park where this is hosted can get a bit shady at night.

As I always say, safety first.

That said, it does seem like a very unique and cool activity to do in Tirana.

Pazari I Ri market

Whatever you do, don’t skip this market.

I absolutely love this place.

There is so much life. you can watch the locals going on about their days and selling their best products.

Wander the street for amazing street photography and architecture

Who else loves street photography?

Take your phone or camera with you and just get lost in the streets of Tirana.

I saw some absolutely jaw dropping murals in those lovely streets.

Tirana MMA Center

A 10/10 recommend for my fellow Brazilian Jiu jitsu practitioners.

You will find world class trainings and won’t be disappointed.

Try something new and attend a fitness class

I love to work out when I travel.

I am always hunting down pole fitness, Brazilian Jiu jitsu, hiking or whatever else is trending in the area.

Eat your weight in Birek, Ice cream & other Albanian delicacies

Please don’t travel to Tirana if you are on a diet. 🙂

Half the fun is enjoying the local delicacies.

And you will quickly notice how much of a staple bread and cheese are in the local diet.

Hit all the classics (the opera house, museums)

Just go to the main Tirana square and this is where you will find all the classic things to do, such as the beautiful opera, a few museums and lots of other interesting things.

Take a food tour to explore Albanian food culture

I am totally obsessed with food tours and I do recommend that you do one in Tirana.

We ended up spending a whole evening, walking around, eating our way through the city with a history lesson.

Then at night, we went for dinners where we had an amazing time eating local food and enjoying Albanian wine.

Hunt for some of the best Turkish Coffee

I will be honest here

I am not a big Turkish coffee fan.

That said, I did have one at a coffee shop in Tirana and OMG, it was the most delicious thing.

So if you’re a coffee fan, do explore a bit around the city.

As if you needed another reason to laze around at coffee shops. 🙂

Go shop for handicrafts, jewelry, soaps & unique souvenirs

If you are like me and love to pick up locally made items. Get excited because there are quite a lot of gems to hunt down in Tirana.

Stop by the beautiful unfinished Mosque

Albania has a very interesting relation with religion.

According to my guide, there is a lot of secularism but in general people are extremely tolerant and many groups live quite peacefully amongst one another.

Kalaja market / Tirana Castle

An old city castle turned market.

Nestled In the middle of the city, it is such a lovely place to go shopping, dine and have a wonderful time.

I ended up buying a few locally made rings and soaps.

Taste Some Albanian Olive Oil

Albania is a major olive producer. You can shop for various products such as olive oil, olive based soaps.

These make for awesome gifts ideas and souvenirs to take back home with you.

The pyramid

The pyramid is such a massive international symbol of Tirana.

Recently it did undergo a massive renovation.

It no longer looks like that run down soviet edifice, a relic from the past.

It was now totally renovated and is a big white new structure that houses a massive cultural centre complex.

Stop by the Berlin wall

There is a piece of the Berlin Wall in Tirana. I actually had no idea and stumbled upon it by surprise.

The president’s house

Make a quick stop by Albania’s past dictator’s home Enver Hoxha in Blloku.

You can’t go inside but you can have a good glance at the barricaded gate.

Socialize at the trendy Blloku neighbourhood

The interesting part about Blloku is that the neighbourhood used to be off limit before.

It was the home of affluent people and the rich and famous.

Today, this is where you will find expensive accommodations, the trendiest cafes, restaurants and party scenes.

The first KFC in Albania

This was kind of a big deal when it first opened in Tirana.

Our tour guide told us how people would line up to go there. Moreover, it was a very popular spot for first dates and whatnot.

I think it has to do with the fact it was one of the first American company to open up in Tirana after the fall of the communist regime.

So perhaps a bit of novelty factor.

Regardless, it’s interesting to hear the stories and nostalgia related to that place.

Please bear in mind that I do not recommend eating there. I kept hearing very poor reviews about the actual food.

So proceed at your own risk 🙂

Do check out the resto scene after sunset

I already loved Tirana during the day but oh my goodness!

The city livens up in the evening.

People are out walking, enjoying time with their fiends and families. The restaurants and lounges are bustling.

Do Try Albanian wine

Where are my other wine girlies?

I absolutely love traveling to wine producing countries. Places like Georgia & Armenia are also refreshing destination wit ha heavy wine culture.

In Albania, I do recommend that you taste Albanian wine.

You don’t even have to do a dedicated wine tour, just exploring their wine when you go dine in at various restaurants will elevate your trip.

Wrap up

I really hope you found this Tirana Travel blog helpful. I love traveling solo to Albania. That said, I also love to travel with a group of like minded girlies.

Get in touch for my upcoming women travel group. I also have a dance retreat in Minorca where we dive into our goddess energy and have the most fun.

Get on my list to stay up to date and don’t forget to join me on Instagram @stefbarti

Stay awesome girlies 🙂