How to get from Tirana airport to Theth? Bus, Taxi, Car, Prices

If you are planning a trip from Tirana airport to Theth, this blog is for you. I will explain how you can get from Tirana airport to Theth by bus, by taxi or by car.

How to get from Tirana airport to Theth? You can get from Tirana airport to Theth by bus, by taxi or by car. Step 1: Bus from Tirana airport to Shkoder. Step 2: Sleep 1 night in Shkoder. Step 3: Bus from Shkoder to Theth at 7AM early morning. Taxi Tirana Airport to Shkoder 70-75 EUR. Taxi Shkoder to Theth 90 EUR one way. 

In this blog post, I will discuss all you need to know about travelling from Tirana airport to Theth. I will discuss airport buses to Shkoder, buses from Shkoder to Theth, including prices, how to pay and book. I will also discuss what you can expect to pay for taxi service to Theth. And driving from Tirana airport to Theth. Let’s dive in.

How do I get to Theth from Tirana airport?

You can get to Theth from Tirana airport by bus, by taxi or by car. Let me give you a quick overview of the ways to get to Theth. Of course, you will find more detailed information further down below.

Tirana Airport to Theth by bus (summary)

• Step 1: Tirana Airport to Shkoder bus. Departing at 11:15, 12:45, 17:30 and 20:10. Price: 1000 Leke (10 EUR) per person. 
• Step 2: Sleep in Shkoder for 1 night. Because the bus from Shkoder to Theth only departs once a day at 7 AM in the morning. So you will sleep overnight to catch the bus the next morning. Or you could hire a private 4 wheel drive taxi at 90-150 EUR. 
• Step 3: Shkoder to Theth bus at 7AM the next morning. You can book your bus ticket online in advance. A bus ticket from Shkoder to Theth costs 12 EUR per person. 
• Between January and May the road to Theth may be blocked by snow. Should this be the case, then Theth will be inaccessible, dependent on the weather of course.

Tirana Airport to Theth by taxi (summary)

• Step 1: Taxi from Tirana Airport to Shkoder (70-75 EUR)
• Step 2: Taxi from Shkoder to Theth (one-way 90 EUR) 
• Most importantly, it is not safe to drive over the road to Theth at night in the dark. So you can only make the journey from Tirana Airport to Theth on your arrival day, if there are enough daylight hours after your arrival. 

Tirana Airport to Theth by car (summary)

• The mountain road to Theth is asphalted. 
• However, the mountain road to Theth is a single lane road for traffic from both directions. So whenever a driver meets traffic from the other direction, they must get off the road on top of a cliff to let the other driver pass. 
• Therefore, I recommend you hire a local driver with a 4 wheel drive car or book a local bus instead. As local drivers are familiar with the terrain. 

How to get from Tirana airport to Theth by bus?

You can get from Tirana Airport to Theth by bus, but you must transfer buses in Shkoder and you must sleep one night in Shkoder. Let me explain.

There are direct buses from Tirana Airport to Shkoder. These buses depart at 11:15, 12:45, 17:30 and 20:10. However, the bus from Shkoder to Theth only departs once a day at 7:00 AM in the morning. So you will either need to stay one night in Shkoder and take the bus the next morning. Or you can hire a private 4 wheel drive from Shkoder to Theth costing 90-150 EUR, so that you can go to Theth on the same day. 

• Step 1: Tirana Airport to Shkoder bus
• Step 2: Sleep in Shkoder for 1 night
• Step 3: Shkoder to Theth bus at 7AM the next morning

Step 1: Tirana Airport to Shkoder bus

There are direct buses from Tirana Airport to Shkoder. These buses depart from Tirana Airport to Shkoder at 11:15, 12:45, 17:30 and 20:10. The bus journey to Shkoder takes 2-3 hours depending on traffic. A bus ticket from Tirana Airport to Shkoder costs 1000 Leke (10 EUR) per person. 

You cannot book your bus ticket in advance online. The bus drivers from Tirana Airport to Shkoder only take cash for bus tickets on the spot. So the only way to secure a seat is waiting for the bus once you are at Tirana Airport in person and paying cash to the driver when you board the bus. 

Because there are only 4 bus departure times a day, this may not connect with your flight. The alternatives are taking a taxi from Tirana Airport to Shkoder, which costs 70-75 EUR. Or taking a taxi from Tirana Airport to the North and South Bus Terminal in Tirana, which costs 22-28 EUR and then taking a bus from the bus terminal to Shkoder. Buses depart between 5 AM and 18:00, a bus ticket costs 400 LEK (4 EUR). 

Step 2: Sleep in Shkoder for 1 night

Now that you have arrived in Shkoder, you must take a bus or taxi from Shkoder to Theth. However, buses from Shkoder to Theth only depart once a day at 7:00 AM in the morning. So if you were planning to take a bus from Shkoder to Theth, you must sleep 1 x night in Theth and then take the bus from Shkoder to Theth at 7:00 AM the next morning. The alternative is paying for a 4 wheel drive taxi to bring you to Theth, which of course is more expensive.

• Option 1: Sleep 1 night in Shkoder and take the bus from Shkoder to Theth at 7AM the next morning
• Option 2: Hire a private 4 wheel drive from Shkoder to Theth

The bus from Shkoder to Theth only departs once a day at 7:00 AM. Buses from Shkoder to Theth depart from Rozafa Hotel in Shkoder. The bus journey from Shkoder to Theth takes roughly 2 hours and you will be in Theth around 9:00 AM or 9:30 AM. A bus ticket from Shkoder to Theth costs 12 euros per person. You must book a bus ticket for the bus from Shkoder to Theth online on the website of Komani Lake Ferry Berisha, that is the bus operator. 

Bear in mind, that the road from Shkoder to Theth can be closed due to show between January and May. The period of time that the road is closed depends on the weather each year and the amount of snowfall. However, if the road from Shkoder to Theth is blocked by snow, there is no way to reach Theth, as there is no alternative transportation. And there is no ski-lift at all. 

The alternative to taking the bus to Theth, is hiring a 4 wheel drive taxi from Shkoder to Theth. 4 Wheel drive taxis from Shkoder to Theth charge between 90-150 euros. The advantage is that you can also leave later in the day, so you won’t have to wait for the 7:00 AM bus the next morning. 

That being said, you still have to consider the timing. Because driving over the mountain road to Theth is only safe in daylight. Due to the limited street lighting, the road being a one-lane road for both directions of traffic and the high mountain cliffs, it is not smart to make this journey in the evening or night. 

Step 3: Shkoder to Theth bus at 7AM the next morning

After you have slept for 1 night in Shkoder, you can take a bus from Shkoder to Theth at 7:00 AM the next morning. 

Buses from Shkoder to Theth depart from Rozafa Hotel in Shkoder. The bus journey from Shkoder to Theth takes roughly 2 hours and you will be in Theth around 9:00 AM or 9:30 AM. A bus ticket from Shkoder to Theth costs 12 euros per person. You must book a bus ticket for the bus from Shkoder to Theth online on the website of Komani Lake Ferry Berisha, that is the bus operator. 

There is a clear advantage to taking the 7:00 AM bus to Theth, which is that you have time to go hiking on the day of your arrival. You can leave your bags at the guest house in Theth and go for a hike to the Blue Eye spring, the Grunas Waterfall and  explore the Theth village, including the Lock-in Tower. 

It is worth considering hiring a taxi from your guest house in Theth to the trailhead for the Blue Eye spring. Because by taxi you may be there in only 30 minutes, after which you will have a 1 hour hike to the Blue Eye spring one-way, 30 minutes of enjoying the spring and then a 1 hour drive back. The advantage is that you will still have time and energy to also visit the Grunas Waterfall on the same day.

If you do not hire a 4 wheel drive to the trailhead, then you must first hike approximately 3 hours to get to the trailhead for the Blue Eye spring. 

• 3 hour hike from Theth village to the Trailhead for the Blue Eye
• 1 hour hike to the Blue Eye
• 30 minutes of enjoying the Blue Eye spring
• 1 hour hike back to the parking/trailhead
• 3 hours hike back to the guest house in the Theth village

So you won’t have time or energy left to also visit the Grunas Waterfall on the same day.

How much is a taxi from Tirana Airport to Theth?

A taxi from Tirana airport to Theth will be split up into 70-75 euros from Tirana Airport to Shkoder and then 90 euros from Shkoder to Theth. 

Taxi drivers from Tirana or Tirana Airport do not offer a journey to Theth. Because Theth is a remote mountain village. So if you want to travel from Tirana airport to Theth by taxi, that will be in two steps:

• Step 1: Taxi from Tirana Airport to Shkoder (70-75 EUR)
• Step 2: Taxi from Shkoder to Theth (one-way 90 EUR) 

That being said, you can only make the journey from Tirana Airport to Theth in one-way, if your flight arrives early. Because the road from Shkoder to Theth is not safe to drive at night.

The journey from Tirana Airport to Shkoder will take 2-3 hours depending on traffic. The journey from Shkoder to Theth takes 2-3 hours depending on traffic. Of course, traffic can be heavy on the road in the summer months, like July and August, so that will slow your journey down. 

The road from Shkoder to Theth is not safe to drive at night. There is limited street lighting, the road is a single lane for traffic from both directions and it drives over some high mountain cliffs. So you can only safely make this journey if you are able to do so during the daylight. If your flight arrives too late at Tirana Airport, then you must stay 1 night in Shkoder and continue onwards to Theth on the next day. Safety comes first.

How to get from Tirana airport to Theth by car?

You can drive from Tirana airport to Theth by car. The road leading over the mountains to Theth was asphalted two years ago.

That being said, my recommendation is still to hire a private driver with 4 wheel drive or to take a bus to Theth. The main reason is that the road leading to Theth in the mountains is a single lane road for both directions of traffic. Which means that if a driver meets traffic from the other direction, you will need to get off the road on the top of a cliff to let another driver pass. Having a local driver who knows the terrain is the safest way to get to Theth.

Moreover, you must only drive on the road to Theth during daylight hours. There is limited street lighting on the road to Theth and driving at night in the dark would be dangerous. 

If you do decide to drive to Theth independently, I recommend you hire a 4 wheel drive rental car. Which will make your journey to Theth safer. You can find a helpful list of car rental companies on the website of Tirana Airport. 

Between January and May, there may be snow on the road to Theth. Should this be the case then Theth will be inaccessible. I have seen snow of more than 1-metre high on this road, so do not underestimate recent advice from local people when it comes to snow.

What is the closest airport to Theth?

The closest airport to Theth is Podgorica airport in Montenegro. The distance from Podgorica airport to Theth is 91 kilometres. Of course, you would need to cross the Montenegrin-Albanian border. 

Tirana airport in Albania is further away from Theth at a distance of 157 kilometres from Theth. 

What is the distance from Tirana to Theth?

The distance from Tirana to Theth is 175 kilometres. It will take you approximately 4-5 hours to drive from Tirana to Theth depending on traffic. Google Maps states that it takes 3.5 hours to get from Tirana to Theth, however, that is not realistic. It will take at least 4 hours, and may take longer if you face a lot of traffic on the road.

How do you get from Tirana to Theth?

You can get from Tirana to Theth by bus, by taxi or by car. There are no direct taxis from Tirana to Theth. You will need to take a taxi from Tirana to Shkoder, which costs around 70-80 EUR. And then you must book a 4 wheel drive taxi from Shkoder to Theth which costs 90-150 EUR. 

There is no direct bus from Tirana to Theth. So if you plan on travelling from Tirana to Theth by bus, you must take three steps:

• Step 1: Tirana to Shkoder bus
• Step 2: Sleep in Shkoder for 1 night
• Step 3: Shkoder to Theth bus early the next morning

Step 1: Tirana to Shkoder bus

To travel from Tirana to Theth by bus, you must first take a bus from Tirana to Shkoder. Buses from Tirana to Shkoder depart at 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 6:30 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 12:30, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, 16:30, 17:00, 17:30 and 18:00. 

A bus ticket from Tirana to Shkoder costs 400 Leke (4 euros) per person. The bus from Tirana to Shkoder departs from the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania. This bus terminal is located outside the city centre of Tirana, so you will need to take a city bus or short taxi ride to get to this bus terminal. 

Step 2: Sleep in Shkoder for 1 night

Next, you will need to book accommodation and sleep in Shkoder for 1 night. The main reason is that buses from Shkoder to Theth only depart once a day at 7:00 AM in the morning. So if you arrive in Shkoder during day time hours, you will have missed the early morning bus to Shkoder. Therefore, you need to sleep in Shkoder for 1 night and take the early morning bus to Theth the next morning.

Of course, you get to Theth more quickly if you were to book a private four wheel drive taxi from Shkoder to Theth, which costs 90-150 EUR. A private four wheel drive can take you during the morning or early afternoon to Theth on the same day.

Step 3: Shkoder to Theth bus early the next morning

The next morning, you can take the early morning bus from Shkoder to Theth. The bus from Shkoder to Theth departs once a day at 7:00 AM. The bus departs from Rozafa Hotel in Shkoder. The bus journey will take approximately 2-2.5 hours, so you will be in Theth around 9:00 AM or 9:30 AM. 

A bus ticket from Shkoder to Theth costs 12 euros per person. And you can book your bus ticket online on the website of Komani Lake Ferry Berisha. Buses do not operate if snow blocks the road, which could happen in the months between January and May sometimes.

Tirana to Theth taxi

There are no direct taxis from Tirana to Theth. You will need to take a taxi from Tirana to Shkoder, which costs around 70-80 EUR. And then you must book a 4 wheel drive taxi from Shkoder to Theth which costs 90-150 EUR. 

Bear in mind that you do need to make your journey from Tirana to Theth in daylight hours. Because it is not safe to drive over the mountain road from Shkoder to Theth in the night time, due to the fact that it is a high mountain road, with limited street lighting that offers only one lane for traffic from both directions. 

Tirana to Theth by car

You can drive from Tirana to Theth by car, but consider these points below:

• The mountain road to Theth is asphalted.
• The mountain road to Theth is a single lane road for both directions of traffic. So should a driver meet traffic from the other direction, you would have to get off the road on the top of a cliff to let the other driver pass you by.
• Therefore, my recommendation is that you hire a local driver in Shkoder with 4 wheel drive or book a local bus instead. Local drivers know the terrain and can manoeuvre it better. 
• If you do decide to drive, it is better to hire a 4 wheel drive rental car for safety in the mountains. 
• Between January and May, there may be snow on the road to Theth. Should this be the case then Theth will be inaccessible. I have seen snow of more than 1-metre high on this road, so do not underestimate recent advice from local people when it comes to snow.

How many days do you need to stay in Theth?

You will need at least 2 days and 1 night to stay in Theth. Although it is possible to hire a 4 wheel drive in Shkoder and make a 1 day trip to Theth to hike to the Blue Eye spring and go back to Shkoder on the same day, it is rushed. Therefore, I recommend you spend at least 1 night in Theth, so you can enjoy the beauty of Theth. 

If you take a bus or taxi from Shkoder or Tirana in the early morning. You can hike to the Blue Eye Spring and/or the Grunas Waterfall in the afternoon on the day you arrive in Theth. You will also be able to walk through the Theth village, visit the Lock-in Tower of Theth and have a traditional meal in Theth. 

The beauty of Theth is the nature, the impressive mountain peaks that surround the village and the quietness of nature. If you only go to Theth for 1 day, I think you will regret it and wish you had more time. So 2 days and 1 night is the best option. 

Then on the second day, you can either travel back to Shkoder by bus/taxi. Or you can hike over the 1800 metre high Valbona Pass to Valbona. 

Note! You do need good weather to visit Theth. The best months to visit are June, July and August. From January until May, there could be snow on the road to Theth sometimes, and if so that would make the village of Theth inaccessible. From September until December, it can be cold and rainy sometimes, which can make hiking less enjoyable in the bad weather. Of course, this is all dependent on the weather when you actually visit.

How to get from Theth to Tirana by bus?

You can get from Theth to Tirana by bus, but you would need to transfer buses in Shkoder. There is no direct bus from Theth to Tirana. So you must first take a bus from Theth to Shkoder. And then another bus from Shkoder to Tirana.

• Step 1: Theth to Shkoder bus
• Step 2: Shkoder to Tirana bus

Step 1: Theth to Shkoder bus

There is one bus per day from Theth to Shkoder. The bus from Theth to Shkoder departs from Theth at 11:00 AM. Buses depart from Mini Market Jezerca in Theth, sometimes buses also pick-up passengers from guest houses in Theth.

A bus ticket from Theth to Shkoder costs 12 euros per person. You can reserve your bus ticket in advance on the website of Komani Lake Ferry Berisha. The bus will depart from Theth at 11:00, the bus journey will last approximately 2-2.5 hours. So you will be in Shkoder around 13:30. And the bus driver will drop you off at Rozafa Hotel in the centre of Shkoder. 

Step 2: Shkoder to Tirana bus

Once you are in Shkoder, you can transfer onto a bus from Shkoder to Tirana. Buses from Shkoder to Tirana depart at 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:45 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:45 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00. 

A bus ticket from Shkoder to Tirana will cost you 400 Leke (4 euros) per person. You are expected to pay cash in person to the bus driver when you board the bus. 

Buses from Shkoder to Tirana depart from the Shkoder Bus Station. The Shkoder Bus Station is on Bulevardi Bujar Bishanaku, which is near Hotel Rozafa where the Theth bus drops off passengers.

The bus from Shkoder to Tirana will drop you off at the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South Albania. This bus terminal is located outside the city centre of Tirana, so you must take a taxi or city bus to get to the city centre of Tirana. 

Related Questions

How do I get from Tirana airport to downtown? You can get from Tirana airport to downtown Tirana by bus, by taxi or by rental car. A taxi from Tirana Airport to Tirana costs 22-28 euros. There is a direct bus from Tirana airport to the city centre of Tirana, buses depart every hour on the hour, 24 hours a day/7 days a week. A bus ticket costs 400 LEK (4 EUR). 

How do I get back from Valbona to Theth? You can only get from Valbona to Theth via the Valbona Pass hiking trail that leads over the 1800 metre high pass. There is no road connecting Valbona and Theth, only a hiking trail, so it is not possible by car only by foot/donkey. You can travel from Valbona via Lake Koman back to Shkoder. And go from Shkoder by car/bus to Theth.

How do I get from Theth to Podgorica? You can get from Theth to Podgorica via Shkoder. Take a bus from Theth to Shkoder (11 AM, 12 EUR) or a taxi from Theth to Shkoder (90 EUR). Then from Shkoder you can take a bus (10-12 EUR) or taxi to Podgorica.

How to get from Tirana Airport to Shkoder? You can get from Tirana airport to Shkoder by bus, by taxi or by rental car. A taxi from Tirana Airport to Shkoder costs 70-75 EUR. There are direct buses from Tirana airport to Shkoder at 11:15, 12:45, 17:30 and 20:10, a bus ticket costs 1000 LEK (10 EUR).

How to get from Tirana to Shkoder? You can get from Tirana to Shkoder by bus, by taxi or by rental car. A taxi from Tirana to Shkoder will cost you around 8000 LEK (80 EUR). Buses from Tirana to Shkoder depart from the North and South Bus Terminal, you must take a taxi or city bus to get to the bus terminal.

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