How to get from Theth to Shkoder? Bus, Taxi, 4 Wheel Drive, Prices

If you are looking for a way to travel from Theth to Shkoder, I will outline the options in this blog post. I will describe getting from Theth to Shkoder by bus and by 4-wheel drive taxi. 

How to get from Theth to Shkoder? You can get from Theth to Shkoder by bus (10 EUR) or private 4-wheel drive taxi (150 EUR). The bus departs Theth once a day at 11:00 AM and will arrive in Shkoder around 13:00 PM. A private 4-wheel drive taxi can drop you at the trailhead for Blue Eye or Grunas Waterfall beforehand.

In this blog post, I will outline how you can get from Theth to Shkoder by bus or by 4-wheel drive, including prices, travel duration and booking beforehand. I will also share bus timetables and bus stations for your convenience.

How do I get from Theth to Shkoder?

You can get from Theth to Shkoder by shared minibus or private 4-wheel drive taxi. A rental car would only make sense if you were to go on a round trip from Shkoder to Theth for 1-2 nights.

There is 1 x bus per day from Theth to Shkoder. The minibus departs at 11:00 AM in the morning from Theth. From Theth, it takes roughly 2-2.5 hours by bus to drive to Shkoder. So the minibus arrives in Shkoder between 13:00-13:30 PM. A bus ticket from Theth to Shkoder costs 10 euros per person for a one-way journey. 

You might be wondering if there are other buses, but I am sorry to inform you that there is only 1 x bus between Theth and Shkoder (and reversed) per day. The daily bus leaves Shkoder at 7:00 AM and drives to Theth. Then it drops off passengers in Theth. And at 11:00 AM, new passengers board the bus from Theth back to Shkoder. 

You can book a seat on the minibus from Theth to Shkoder with your guest house in Theth. The minibus will pick you up from your guest house in Theth. Your host at the guest house in Theth will call the bus driver and request for you to be picked up.

The alternative is hiring a private 4-wheel drive taxi from Theth to Shkoder. There are many drivers with 4-wheel drives whom you can hire in Shkoder for a round trip to Theth. A round trip from Shkoder to Theth and back costs 150 euros. Should you only take a one-way journey, you will likely be charged 150 euros as well since the driver must still drive Shkoder to Theth and Theth back to Shkoder, so the same distance.

The advantage of hiring a private 4-wheel drive taxi is the added flexibility. You can ask the driver to bring you to the trailhead for the Blue Eye or the trailhead of the Grunas Waterfall, thereby shortening the amount of hiking and time required to visit these destinations. Moreover, you can depart Theth in the afternoon, instead of having to catch the minibus at 11:00 AM, so you will have more time to explore and relax.

Of course, you could rent a car in Tirana or Shkoder and drive independently to Theth. However, this would only make sense if you are on a 1-2 day round trip from Shkoder to Theth and back to Shkoder. A rental car in Tirana or Shkoder will cost you at least 20-25 euros per day. You can expect to pay more in July and August for a rental car, as this is the high season. There are no car rental agencies in Theth, as it is a remote mountain village.

Many hikers in the summer season are on a round trip across the Valbona Pass, in this case bringing a rental car does not make sense. A 3-day hiking trip from Shkoder via Lake Koman to Valbona (day 1), a hike across the Valbona Pass from Valbona to Theth (day 2) and travelling back from Theth to Shkoder (day 3). However, as there is no road between Valbona and Theth, only a hiking trail, you cannot bring a rental car on this route.

How to get from Theth to Shkoder by bus?

You can get from Theth to Shkoder by bus 1 x time per day. There is a daily minibus from Theth to Shkoder, which departs from Theth at 11:00 AM. And a bus ticket costs 10 euros per person for a one-way journey.

Theth to Shkoder by bus (summary)

• A bus ticket from Theth to Shkoder costs 10 euros per person for a one-way trip.
• The bus from Theth to Shkoder departs at 11:00 AM in the morning. 
• The bus journey from Theth to Shkoder takes 2-2.5 hours. 
• You will arrive in Shkoder around 13:00 – 13:30 PM. 
• There is only 1 x bus per day from Theth to Shkoder. If you want to travel at a different time, you must hire a private 4-wheel drive (150 euros round trip Shkoder-Theth-Shkoder).
• Book a seat on the bus with the host of your guest house in Theth.
• Buses from Theth to Shkoder only operate in the summer and autumn months daily. Between January and May, there may be high snow on the road between Theth and Shkoder. If the road is covered by snow, Theth is isolated. No bus or car will be able to reach Theth. But it depends on the weather and snowfall.
• There is no ski lift to Theth, so if the road is closed due to snowfall, Theth is isolated and unreachable.

Theth to Shkoder bus timetable

The bus timetable from Theth to Shkoder is as follows. The bus departs from Theth to Shkoder 1 x time per day at 11:00 AM in the morning. 

There are no alternative buses. So if you want to depart Theth earlier or later in the day, you must hire a private 4-wheel drive or bring a rental car to Theth yourself.

Private transport from Theth to Shkoder

You can book a private 4-wheel drive from Theth to Shkoder. A 4-wheel drive with a local driver costs 150 EUR from Theth to Shkoder.

If you are considering booking a private 4-wheel drive, you can book a round trip from Shkoder to Theth and back to Shkoder. This round trip will also cost 150 EUR because the 4-wheel drivers are based in Shkoder. 

If you book a round trip from Shkoder to Theth and back to Shkoder, you can do this as a 1-day trip or as a 2-day trip. I would only suggest visiting Theth for 1 day if your itinerary is very tight and you really do not have any extra days. Because Theth is best as a 2-day trip with a 1-night stay in a guest house in Theth. This will give you time to explore the Blue Eye Spring, the Grunas Waterfall, the Lock-in Tower, the Church of Theth and the village.

How much does it cost to get from Theth to Shkoder?

It costs 10 euros per person to get from Theth to Shkoder by bus OR 150 Euros if you hire a private 4-wheel drive from Theth to Shkoder.

The advantage of hiring a private 4-wheel drive is that the driver can drop you off at the trailhead for the Blue Eye and the trailhead for the Grunas Waterfall. 

If you hike only from the trailhead to the Blue Eye, it takes 1 hour to the Blue Eye and 1 hour back. Whereas if you are dropped off by the bus at the guest house in Theth, you need to first hike 3 hours to the trailhead, then 1 hour to the Blue Eye on the trail, 1 hour back to the trailhead and then 3 hours back to your guest house. So this makes a big difference in how much you will be able to see and how tired you are.

How long does it take to get from Theth to Shkoder?

It takes roughly 2 hours – 2.5 hours to get from Theth to Shkoder by bus, by rental car or by taxi.

Where can I book transportation from Theth to Shkoder?

You can book transportation from Theth to Shkoder with the owner or receptionist of your guest house in Theth. You can also book a 1-day, 2-day or 3-day trip to Theth or the Albanian Alps online before you travel.

Shkoder to Theth bus timetable

The bus from Shkoder to Theth departs once a day at 7 AM in the morning. The bus journey from Shkoder to Theth takes roughly 2-2.5 hours, so you will arrive in Theth around 9 AM or 9:30 AM.

The bus driver will pick you up from your hotel in Shkoder. Therefore, it is important to book the bus at least 1 day beforehand, so that the driver knows where to pick you up.

The bus driver will drop you off at your guest house in Theth. Theth is a small mountain village, so all the guest houses are located within a 5-10 minute drive of each other.

A bus ticket from Shkoder to Theth costs 10 euros per person for a one-way trip.

Shkoder bus station to Theth

The bus from Shkoder to Theth picks passengers up from their individual hotels in Shkoder. So you must book the bus from Shkoder to Theth with the owner or receptionist of your hotel in Shkoder. So that the bus driver knows to pick you up at 7 AM the next morning.

Shkoder to Theth day trip

You can go on a 1-day trip from Shkoder to Theth, however, I would only recommend doing so if your itinerary is very tight and you have very limited time. 

The only way you can visit Theth as a 1-day trip is by hiring a private 4-wheel drive. A private 4-wheel drive from Shkoder to Theth and back will cost you 150 euros. 

You must leave Shkoder in the early morning around 7 AM. The drive to Theth will take roughly 2-2.5 hours. Then upon arrival in Theth, you can ask the drive to bring you to the trailhead for the Blue Eye. It will take you 1 hour of hiking, 1 hour of sightseeing and 1 hour of hiking back. Then upon your return you can have some lunch at one of the guest houses in Theth. Take a short walk through the Theth village. And then ask the 4-wheel driver to drive you back to Shkoder. 

However, I highly recommend you visit Theth for 2 days and 1 night. Because Theth is such a beautiful and remote mountain village. It really is something special to stay overnight in the mountains and experience dinner and breakfast at a local guest house. 

You will also have more time to explore Theth in a calm and relaxed pace. Theth is a place where you get away from all the stress and rush of your busy life. So take your time to visit Theth, don’t rush it!

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.

How to transfer from Tirana to Shkoder? You can transfer from Tirana to Shkoder by taxi, by bus or by rental car. A taxi from Tirana to Shkoder costs 55-72 euros per taxi. A bus ticket costs 400 Leke (3.44 euros). Buses depart every 30 min between 7 AM and 17 PM. A rental car costs at least 20-25 euros per day, more in July and August, due to the high season.

Bus to Shkoder from Tirana – The bus to Shkoder from Tirana costs 400 Leke (3.44 euros) per person. Buses depart every 30 min between 7 AM and 17 PM. The bus to Shkoder from Tirana departs from the Regional Bus Terminal North and South Albania in the Kamez neighbourhood outside the city centre of Tirana.

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