- The picturesque regions of Theth and Valbone
- The 'Lock-in Tower' of Theth
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Traditional folklore evening

Walking in Albania
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- Walking in Albania
- The use of a local guide means our customers will be well informed about local traditions, and cultural and social sensitivities.
- This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally-owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food and support of other local enterprise.
- We use fairly small, family run and locally staffed establishments which ensures that we are benefiting local communities.
- Our activity also benefits the rural village of Copey, which is nestled in the highlands of the Central Mountain Range. By passing through this area, seeing how the locals live and work and having lunch in a typical home, we are encouraging cultural exchange and providing valuable avenues of income here.
- There is an option for clients to directly support local schools by packing a gift of educational supplies when we visit Copey area on this tour.
- This is a small group tour, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people.
- Our local operator is very involved in supporting community projects. On International Tourism Day in 2019 they took part in cleaning a beach at Guacalillo. They collected a total 150 Kg of waste and all the plastic lids collected were donated to the Fundación Proparques, for a project developing walkways to improve accessibility for people with mobility problems in the country's protected wild areas.
- In 2017 Exodus Travels introduced the Inspiration Project, where we’ve worked with our partners to take more than 6,000 children in 30 countries on a day of adventure and exploration. Each inspirational day out is designed to introduce young minds to the wonders of our world and their place in it. From visiting cultural heritage sites to natural wonders, each trip has been packed with firsts – their first time leaving their own village, their first time seeing the sea, their first time visiting a busy city. We continue to operate these days out to inspire children to protect and preserve the world as they grow up.
- Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels.
- By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
- Being a wildlife-based tour, we are very conscious of our effects on the environment and how we can reduce negative impact and aid conservation. We visit national and private parks, including the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the first community-managed reserves in the country. Our entrance fees also directly support conservation efforts in the areas we visit.
- Our local operator has a policy of Animal Welfare that requests suppliers to comply with the minimum conditions of animal welfare.
- Our local operator has been awarded by the Costa Rican Tourism Board for their sustainable tourism practice & dedication to improving sustainability standards. This means that efforts are made to rationally use water and electricity, provide adequate waste management, and positively impact communities, among many other actions.
- Most of the accommodation and restaurants we visit on this trip use locally sourced food such as fruit which is always sourced locally and abundant. Esquinas lodge have their own policy whereby they produce their own organic vegetables and fruit, marmalade, juices, mayonnaise, bread, chocolate and seasoning.
- Vegetarian options are available if notice is given which include a variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, and rice.
- To reduce our carbon emissions, we use a shared coach at the beginning of the tour to transport clients from San José to Tortuguero rather than an internal flight. During the trip, we travel responsibly using appropriate methods of transport; therefore, depending on group size, a minibus/coach will be used.
- Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
- We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for re-usable bottles.
- Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.
- An example of eco-friendly accommodation on this trip is the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, a model project combining conservation, environmental research and community development in a rural area. The plot is surrounded by approximately 3,000 hectares of untouched rainforest which acts as a carbon sink and the lodge itself is 100 % carbon neutral, meaning it will take action to remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they produce.
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Reviews
Add your own reviewGreat hiking!
This trip to Albania provided hikes far beyond my expectations, the best of which was crossing the pass from Theth to Valbone. We each ascended/descended at our own pace that day, as the path was very clearly marked, and regrouped every so often at the cafes along the way – the perfect opportunity to really enjoy your own tempo. Dorian was a fantastic leader, really knowledgeable and keen to share. Good food and lovely hosts everywhere we went. I’m a vegetarian and didn’t struggle to find plenty of options – Dorian made sure I was always accommodated for. Take your swimmers for an icy cold dip in the blue pool. Definitely would recommend this trip to anyone who enjoys lively culture, good food and a nice hike.
Great walks and interesting history
The trip was a good balance for me between excellent walking through stunning scenery and learning about the country’s history and visiting some historic sites.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Dorian was a great guide: very encouraging when walking, coped very well when problems arose (didn't let us know). Extensive local and national knowledge and a good sense of humour. Dorian also cared about our local well-being and needs.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Remember it can be hot and humid. Take lots of water I packed a light-weight hair dryer but didn't need it (either available or too hot!) Small head-torch is useful depending on your itinerary. I felt very safe even when on my own away from people.
Suggestions
The food was good and interesting!
Great trip
We were a group of seven people on this trip. Our tour leader’s name was Bledin (probably the wrong spelling). He was an excellent leader, very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. For some of the time we were really just sightseeing, but when we were trekking it was quite hard work. This trip is classified as moderate, but I do feel that it should be classified as moderate/ challenging, as when we were trekking in the alps, we were on shale, which is rather challenging, especially as I’d never walked on that surface before. However, with Bledin’s help I was able to successfully negotiate the three days of trekking. Our forth walk was on rocky steps which I am more familiar with.
The Albanian people are very friendly, and helpful. The wife of one of the hoteliers even leant me a pair of boots, when mine fell apart!
All in all, a very enjoyable trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
Managing to walk across the snow on the pass between Theth and Valbone'
Thoughts on Group Leader
He was excellent
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure that you can walk up mountains on shale.
Walking in Albania..................
Such a beautiful, currently unspoiled, country full of diversity and dramatic scenery
Most Inspirational Moment
Reaching the top of the mountain ranges and looking out across the wonderful landscapes ......and......the boat trip on Komani Lake - magical!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very pleasant and accommodating
Advice for Potential Travellers
You need to have some Hill walking experience in order to enjoy this trip. The duration of the ascents is more of a challenge than the gradient
Suggestions
I think this is a well thought out balanced trip giving a good taster of this beautiful country. Definitely one of the best Treks I have done
Hot and hilly
Dramatic hills and lovely Albanians
Most Inspirational Moment
The road trip to theth
Thoughts on Group Leader
A little in experienced but relaxed at the end
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you struggle with heat avoid August
Walking in Albania
The guide was excellent. Think it should be rated Level 4. Food generally not great
Most Inspirational Moment
Haven’t got one.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent
Advice for Potential Travellers
The walking was hard. All the walks had constant ascents and descents on difficult terrain.
Exodus Tailormade Southern Albania
I felt we spent too much time in the bus and not enough time walking and exploring. Sometimes we didn’t know where we were going because our guide had only told the people at the front of the group. It would help if the guide said where we were and whether we would need walking boots or swimsuits etc. Otherwise it was an excellent trip – we saw a lot of southern Albania.
Most Inspirational Moment
I enjoyed the walk up from Permeti to Leuse church. The views were great and the beautiful church was so unexpected. We enjoyed seeing the little old village of Leuse too. Butrint was wonderful.
Thoughts on Group Leader
She was very nice but did not ensure that the whole group could hear and understand her. It would have helped if she had explained where we were going and what we would need at the beginning of each day and again as we arrived at some place.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Read Robert Carver's book - The Accursed Mountains Read The Man Who was Greenmantle by Margaret Fitzherbert Read Albanian Assignment by David Smiley Read any book by Ismail Kadares
Suggestions
I would have liked better notes from Exodus.
Excellent Week Trip
My advice is to visit Albania soon before everyone else catches on! At the moment it feels relatively tourist free and undiscovered to those who like an adventure.
Most Inspirational Moment
The North has wonderful unspoilt mountains for walking in. I am glad I went on all the scheduled walks and didn't take the shorter option on the White Circle as the views were amazing for little more effort. The cultural highlight for me was seeing the painted frescoes in some of the churches in Berat castle. I was not expecting the detail or amount still surviving.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Dorien Malaj, was very helpful and friendly. He coped well with all the demands that a group of 16 different adults with varying walking abilities and interests presented. His contacts with locals felt like a big part of the ability to experience many aspects of Albania that other visitors might not have.
Advice for Potential Travellers
My tip if I did it again would be to remember to bug spray legs if wearing shorts as I came away with quite a few itchy swelling bites.
Amazing Albania!
This trip is a perfect introduction to the beauty and culture of Albania combining the cultural highlights of Tirana and Berat as well as the walking in the Albanian Alps.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking through the wild flower meadows around Valbone and seeing the wide array of colours as well as bufferflies, wild orchids and reaching the snow level!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ed was brilliant! He was clearly passionate about his country and wanted to impart the history, culture, food and drink and all other aspects of Albanian life on us.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be open-minded. Albania felt incredibly safe, it's people friendly and countryside delightful. Try the local Raki. Each area produces it's own variety but beware it's very strong!
walking in albania
This is a really great trip combining some really challenging walking in wonderful, completely unspoilt mountainous terrain for the first half of the trip and a short exploration of Albanian culture for the second half.
The accommodation in the mountains in very friendly, family run guest houses was beyond my expectations and always very clean – a great experience. The food, particularly at Valbone, was excellent and plentiful.
It was a great pleasure to visit a country/region where tourism has not yet arrived!
Most Inspirational Moment
Difficult to pin down any particular moment - walking in the completely unspoilt, non touristy (difficult to find these days!) Albanian mountains was certainly inspirational.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Arvil was an extremely pleasant and well informed leader who spoke English fluently. However there are 2 points I would like to raise regarding his decisions 1. For reasons which were never made clear the already scheduled long drive from Valbona (Day 6) to Berat was extended to go via Dourros on the coast (his home town I believe). There appeared no good reason for this. This made it an extremely tiring day of almost 12 hours arriving at Berat at 1900 where we were, after checking into our hotel, taken off for a guided tour of 2 of the oldest mosques in the country (on the itinerary for the following day). Most of the group including myself were too tired to either challenge this or declined this tour. 2. On Day 5 the option to do the full length of the White Circle was not given. Although I was perfectly happy to walk only as far as the ridge and back down the valley, I know that at least 2 of the group was very disappointed not be able to be given this choice. Again no reason for this was presented by Arvil.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you are not fit and a seasoned walker this trip will find you out!!! The Exodus rating of 3 Moderate is a little understated I would say. The mountain walking in this programme is really wonderful but if you are not already a regular walker and unfit think twice about this. Having said all of the above I would highly recommend this programme if you like unspoilt untouristy places - go now before its too late!
Suggestions
I hesitated to give the programme the "excellent" rating which in many ways it deserves - the wonderful walking, excellent food and accommodation, and good guiding (despite my above comments on Arvil's handling of the programme in a couple of instances - mainly because the cultural part of the programme, in my view, could be improved greatly by adding an extra night at Berat (which everybody loved) instead of just the one night. In that way participants would have time to really appreciate this really fascinating city and recover from the long trip from the mountains. Most of the group were of the same opinion.
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