How to get from Shkoder to Theth? Bus, Car, Drive, Taxi

If you are planning to travel from Shkoder to Theth, this blog post is for you. I will share how to get from Shkoder to Theth by bus, driving by car or by taxi.

How to get from Shkoder to Theth? You can get from Shkoder to Theth by bus (10 EUR), by taxi (150 EUR) or by rental car. The bus departs Shkoder once a day at 7:00 AM and can pick you up from your hotel. A private 4-wheel drive taxi costs 150 EUR for a round trip. You can drive, however, a 4-wheel drive with a local driver is safer.

In this blog post, I will give you all the details about getting from Shkoder to Theth by local bus, about hiring a local driver with a 4-wheel drive or about driving to Theth independently. I will discuss travel prices, booking and the road condition.

How to get from Shkoder to Theth by bus, by car or by taxi?

You can get from Shkoder to Theth by local bus, by rental car or by hiring a 4-wheel drive taxi. In this paragraph, I will give you a summary of your travel options, there are more details in the paragraphs below.

Getting from Skoder to Theth by bus (quick summary)

• Bus departs Shkoder once a day at 7:00 AM in the morning.
• A bus ticket costs 10 euros per person.
• You must book the bus beforehand with your guest house owner or hotel receptionist. Because the bus picks passengers up from their hotel or guest houses in Shkoder.
• The journey from Shkoder to Theth takes 2 or 2.5 hours. 
• You will be in Theth around 9 AM or 9:30 AM and you will be dropped off at your guesthouse in Theth.
• You can hike to the Blue Eye Spring or Grunas Waterfall in the afternoon on the day you arrive in Theth.

Getting from Shkoder to Theth by 4-wheel drive taxi (quick summary)

• A 4-wheel drive from Shkoder to Theth costs 150 euros for a round trip.
• The price is the same for a one-way trip as the driver still drives himself back to Shkoder.
• The 4-wheel drive can drop you off at the trailhead for the Blue Eye Spring. Saving you 3 hours of hiking from your guest house to the trailhead. So you will still have energy and time to also visit the Grunas Waterfall.
• Hiring a local driver with 4-wheel drive is a great idea. As the local driver knows the terrain, it will be safer and easier.

Driving from Shkoder to Theth by rental car independently (quick summary)

• A rental car in Albania costs at least 20-25 euros per day. In July and August, car rental prices are higher as it is the high season.
• The road from Shkoder to the guest houses in Theth was asphalted in the summer of 2022.
• A 4-wheel drive car is safest, as the road to Theth leads high into the mountains.
• The road is a single-track road, so if you meet traffic from the other direction, you must manoeuvre on the top of the cliff. Only a few safety barriers are in place.

How to get from Shkoder to Theth by bus?

You can get from Shkoder to Theth by bus at 7:00 AM in the morning. A bus ticket from Shkoder to Theth costs 10 euros per person. 

If you want to travel from Shkoder to Theth by bus, you need to book the bus beforehand. Your hotel or guesthouse in Shkoder can book you a seat on the bus beforehand. When you have been booked onto the bus from Shkoder to Theth, the bus driver will pick you up at 7 AM in the morning from your hotel or guest house in Shkoder.

The public transportation bus from Shkoder to Theth is a small 15-seat minibus. The minibus from Shkoder to Theth departs only 1 x time per day at 7 AM. So when you are planning your itinerary for your holiday to Theth, you must travel to Shkoder the day before and check into a guest house or hotel in Shkoder. So that you can get on the minibus to Theth the next morning at 7 AM. 

The bus journey from Shkoder to Theth takes 2 hours or 2.5 hours roughly. So the bus departs from Shkoder at 7 AM and you will be in Theth around 9 AM or 9:30 AM. The bus driver will drop you off at your guest house in Theth. 

Because you arrive in Theth early, you will be able to hike to the Blue Eye Spring in Theth or the Grunas Waterfall in Theth on the day you arrive.

Shkoder to Theth bus timetable

The Shkoder to Theth bus timetable is as follows. There is 1 x bus departure from Shkoder to Theth at 7:00 AM. The bus driver picks up passengers from their guest house or hotel in Shkoder. 

• Shkoder to Theth bus departs at 7:00 AM, once per day
• Theth to Shkoder bus departs at 11:00 AM, once per day

If you also plan to take the minibus back from Theth to Shkoder, this minibus departs at 11:00 AM. The minibus picks up passengers from their guest houses in Theth. 

• A bus ticket from Shkoder to Theth (or reversed) costs 10 euros per person one-way

You can book a seat on the minibus from Shkoder to Theth (or reversed) by speaking with your guest house manager or hotel receptionist. They can inform the minibus to pick you up the next day in the morning. 

A bus journey from Shkoder to Theth (or reversed) takes roughly 2 or 2.5 hours.

How to get from Shkoder to Theth by car?

You can get from Shkoder to Theth by car as well. The road from Shkoder to Theth was recently asphalted. And as of the summer of 2022, there is now an asphalted road from Shkoder to the guest houses in Theth. 

That being said, you must consider the following:

• The road from Shkoder to Theth leads high into the mountains, so for your safety, a 4-wheel drive car is best.
• The road from Shkoder to Theth is a one-lane asphalted road. So when you meet a car from the other direction, you need to manoeuvre on the side of the road, whilst you might be on top of a cliff.
• The road from Shkoder to Theth does not have many safety barriers alongside the road.
• The asphalted road in Theth leads to the guest houses. Other roads in Theth from the guest houses to sightseeing locations are often still dirt tracks with big rocks on the surface.

All these things considered, I still highly recommend taking the minibus or hiring a local driver with 4-wheel drive. Because a local driver knows the terrain and drives this road regularly can get you to your destination in Theth more safely.

Should you hire a rental car in Albania, then car rental prices start from 20-25 euros per day for a cheap rental car. In July and August, car rental is more expensive usually, since it is the peak of the high season and many cars are already rented. Reach out to several car rental companies before you travel, to get an acceptable deal and price.

Can you drive from Shkoder to Theth?

You can drive from Shkoder to Theth in the summer months or autumn months. In the winter months, usually from December until May, the road to Theth is not always open. Because in the winter high snow on the road to Theth can make the road inaccessible. 

So if you would like to travel to Theth in the winter or spring season, you must check on the snow and weather conditions beforehand with a local person or guest house. Perhaps the road is snow-free. But if the road is covered in snow, you may need to adjust your travel itinerary. So it is worth considering, checking and making a plan B.

As of the summer of 2022, the road from Shkoder to Theth is asphalted. Before that, the road was a dirt track, but this is no longer the case. The road leads from Shkoder to the guest houses in Theth. Any roads leading away from the guest houses in Theth to other destinations are still dirt tracks with rocks on the surface. 

How to get from Shkoder to Theth by taxi?

You can get from Shkoder to Theth by 4-wheel drive taxi. A 4-wheel drive taxi with a local driver costs 150 euros for a round trip from Shkoder to Theth and back. If you want to only hire the driver from Shkoder to Theth for a one-way trip, you will still pay 150 euros, because the driver still needs to drive himself back to Shkoder. 

I highly recommend hiring a 4-wheel drive car with a local driver. Because I know the value of having an experienced driver who knows the area and roads around Theth well. The road from Shkoder to Theth leads high into the mountains, where there are cliffs and high passes. So a 4-wheel drive with a local driver will make this journey safer. 

Another advantage of hiring a 4-wheel drive with a local driver is that you can visit more sightseeing spots in a shorter amount of time. 

The 4-wheel drive can drop you off at the trailhead for the Blue Eye of Theth. So instead of hiking 3 hours from your guest house in Theth to the trailhead, you can be dropped off by the 4-wheel drive driver. So now you only hike 1 hour to the Blue Eye of Theth and 1 hour back. 

Therefore, you will still have time and energy left, to also visit the Grunas Waterfall. Again, the local driver can drop you off at the trailhead, so instead of hiking from the village to the trailhead, you immediately start on the hiking trail. 

Shkoder to Theth day trip

Although, you can go on a 1-day trip from Shkoder to Theth and back, it will be a short visit. I always recommend staying at least 1 night in Theth, if you have the time and your itinerary allows it. 

The only way to go on a 1-day trip from Shkoder to Theth is to hire a local driver with a 4-wheel drive. A local driver with a 4-wheel drive costs 150 euros for a round trip from Shkoder to Theth and back.

Because you have limited time, you can hike to the Blue Eye spring and have some lunch in Theth. Then the local driver will drive back to Shkoder in the afternoon. 

A day trip from Shkoder to Theth is a long day with an early start around 7 AM. To ensure you have enough time to hike, have lunch and drive back before the sun goes down.

How many days do you need to stay in Theth?

I recommend you stay at least 1 night in Theth, of course, 2 nights will be enjoyable too if your itinerary allows it.

Theth is a remote mountain village surrounded by high mountains. Staying in one of the guest houses and sitting outside at night to take in the quiet mountains is an experience in itself. You eat at the restaurant in the guest house and you really feel far away from the stresses and pressures of your everyday life. Going to Theth is a bit like going back in time, for a few days!

If you stay in Theth for 1 night, you can visit the Blue Eye Spring on your arrival day in the afternoon. In the late afternoon, you can walk to the Lock-in Tower and Church in the village. And the next morning, you can hike to the Grunas Waterfall. 

Then from Theth, you can either take a bus or taxi back to Shkoder. Or you can hike across the Valbona Pass (summer and autumn only) to stay another night in Valbona in the mountains. And go back to Shkoder via Lake Koman the following day. 

Related Questions

How much is a taxi from Tirana to Shkoder? A taxi from Tirana to Shkoder costs 55-72 euros depending on your exact destination in Shkoder and the individual taxi company.

Can you get from Tirana to Shkoder by train? You cannot get from Tirana to Shkoder by train. Tirana’s railway station was demolished in 2013 and it is currently 2023, and the railway station has not been replaced. You cannot take any trains from Tirana. Sometimes a once-per-week train between Shkoder and Lac is in operation.

How to get from Tirana to Theth? You can get from Tirana to Theth by bus, by car or with a local driver/guide. By bus, first take a bus from Tirana to Shkoder (1 h 45 min, 3.30 euro). Stay overnight in Shkoder. At 7 AM the next morning, take a bus from Shkoder to Theth (2.5 hours, 10 euros). A taxi from Tirana to Shkoder costs 55-72 EUR and a taxi from Shkoder to Theth costs 150 EUR.

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