How to get from Tirana to Valbona? Bus, Car, Ferry, Taxi
If you are planning to travel from Tirana to Valbona, you might be wondering what is the best way to get there. In this blog, I will describe how to get from Tirana to Valbona by bus, ferry, taxi, or by car.
How to get from Tirana to Valbona? You can get from Tirana to Valbona by bus/ferry, taxi, or car. The bus from Tirana to Lake Koman costs 10 EUR, the ferry from Koman to Fierze costs 8 EUR, and a bus from Fierze to Valbona costs 7 EUR. A taxi costs 180 EUR. You can drive via Lake Koman or Kosovo or Albania (land only).
Valbona is a remote mountain destination, so it is best to carefully plan your trip there. Of course, it is absolutely worth visiting Valbona. So let me give you all the information you need to get from Tirana to Valbona, by minibus, via the Lake Koman Ferry, by taxi, or by car. I will give you timetables, ticket prices, travel routes, and more!
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Getting from Tirana to Valbona
In the next paragraphs, I have described in detail how to get from Tirana to Valbona by bus, by taxi or by car. I will discuss these questions in detail:
-How to get from Tirana to Valbona by bus? (Via the Lake Koman Ferry)
-How to get from Tirana to Valbona by taxi? (Via the Lake Koman Ferry)
-How to drive from Tirana to Valbona? (via Lake Koman / via Kosovo / via Albania skipping Koman)
-How long does it take to get from Tirana to Valbona?
-How much does it cost to get from Tirana to Valbona?
Further down in the blog post, I have also answered some closely related questions:
-How to get from Shkoder to Valbona?
-How to get from Valbona to Shkoder?
-How to get to Komani Lake from Tirana / from Shkoder?
How to get from Tirana to Valbona by bus?
You can get from Tirana to Valbona by bus in these steps:
- Bus from Tirana to Koman
- Ferry from Koman to Fierze
- Bus from Fierze to Valbona
Step 1: Bus from Tirana to Koman
The daily bus from Tirana to Koman departs from the Gazheli Petrol Station in Tirana. You can see the location of the Gazheli Petrol station in Tirana on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/ethGMoaRLSTqxrQU7
The petrol station is close to Tirana Ring Center, which is a shopping mall next to a large roundabout. You can recognize the roundabout because it has a large silver artwork in the middle.
The bus from Tirana to Koman departs once a day at 5 AM in the morning. The bus has to leave that early because the Lake Koman Ferry departs at 9 AM. And it takes 4 hours to drive from Tirana to Koman.
Download the Albania Bus Timetable App
A bus ticket from Tirana to Koman costs 10 euros. But you can also book the total package from Tirana to Valbone for 24 euros. If you buy the total package from Tirana to Valbona, this includes the bus from Tirana to Koman, the Lake Koman Ferry, and the bus from Fierze to Valbona.
The bus from Tirana to Koman is a shared minibus, if you prefer a private transfer, then more information is below.
You can book the bus transfers and the Lake Koman ferry ticket on the website of Koman Lake Ferry here -> https://komanilakeferry.com/en/
The bus from Tirana to Koman will drop you off at the Lake Koman Ferry terminal, you can see the location on a Google Map here: https://g.page/KomaniLakeFerry?share
Step 2: Ferry from Koman to Fierze
The Lake Koman ferry departs every day at 9 AM in the morning. The Lake Koman Ferry starts from the terminal in Koman and brings you to Fierze. The boat journey lasts approximately 3 hours.
The ferry starts from the Lake Koman Ferry Terminal, which you can see on a Google Map here: https://g.page/KomaniLakeFerry?share
And at the end of the trip, the ferry boat drops you off in Fierza, which you can see on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/Z8Qv245tNKLyWSN58
The ferry boat journey from Koman to Fierze costs 8 euros per person for a one-way trip. But you can also buy the total transportation package from Tirana via the Lake Koman Ferry to Valbone, which costs 24 euros. This includes the bus from Tirana to Koman, the ferry from Koman to Fierze, and the bus from Fierze to Valbona.
The ferry trip from Koman to Fierze is an absolute highlight. This boat trip was originally intended as a way for locals to travel around the area when the area was flooded and the dam was created. However, the ferry boat trip on Koman Lake is so beautiful, that tourists from all over the world came to visit this spot.
Bradt Travel Guides describes the boat trip as “one of the World’s Greatest Boat trips”. And the Lonely Planet Guide always has the Lake Koman Ferry in their list of highlights for Albania. So making this boat trip is a long day with an early start, but very well worth it!
Step 3: Bus from Fierze to Valbona
The Lake Koman Ferry departed from 9:00 AM in Koman and around 11:30 AM, you will arrive in Fierze.
In Fierze, there is a small coffee house, and a toilet and there are a few busses waiting to bring passengers from Fierze to Valbona.
The bus from Fierze to Valbone costs 7 euros per person. But you can also buy the total transportation package from Tirana via Lake Koman to Valbona, this costs 24 euros per person.
The bus from Fierze to Valbone is a shared mini-bus, if you prefer a private transfer, then you can find more information below.
You can make a reservation for the Lake Koman Ferry and the bus journey together on the website of Koman Lake Ferry here: https://komanilakeferry.com/en/
The bus from Fierze to Valbone will drop you off at the Hotel Rilindja in Valbone. So it makes sense to make a reservation at Hotel Rilindja to make your trip very easy and convenient. You can see the location of Hotel Rilindja in Valbona on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/Hc1RBp3PbKW9P9mf8
Download the Albania Bus Timetable App
- Search bus timetables for Albania.
- Find direct and indirect bus routes.
- Find bus terminals on Google Maps.
- Ticket prices, departure times and bus operators.
How much does a taxi from Tirana to Valbona cost?
A taxi from Tirana to Valbona costs 180 euros per car. Let me take you through the details.
Instead of taking the shared mini-bus from Tirana to Koman, you can also book a private taxi. The taxi from Tirana to Koman costs 120 euros per car. The taxi will pick you up from Tirana at 5 AM because the drive from Tirana to Koman takes 4 hours. And the ferry departs every day at 9 AM. So even if you book a taxi, you must wake up early.
Then from Koman, you take the ferry to Fierze, which costs 8 euros per person for a one-way trip. Of course, the ferry is a shared boat. Actually, the Lake Koman Ferry is very popular so it is usually busy, especially in the summer months.
Then once you arrive in Fierze, you can book another private taxi from Fierze to Valbona, which costs 60 euros per car. You will arrive in Valbona in the early afternoon around 1 PM or 1:30 PM.
So in total, the taxi from Tirana to Valbona will cost 180 euros per car. Plus 8 euros per person for the Lake Koman Ferry.
Can I drive from Tirana to Valbona?
You can drive from Tirana to Valbona, and there are 3 x different routes to choose from:
- Option 1: Drive to Koman, take the car on the ferry, then drive from Fierze to Valbona
- Option 2: Drive from Tirana to Valbone via Kosovo (skipping the Komani Lake Ferry)
- Option 3: Drive from Tirana to Valbone via Albania (skipping the Komani Lake Ferry)
Before discussing how you drive from Tirana to Valbone, it is worth considering if you need a car when you get to Valbone? If you plan to hike from Valbone to Theth for instance, your car will be left behind in Valbone, because there is only a hiking trail connecting the two villages, no road. So you will need to take the car back from Valbone to Tirana, the way you came.
There is a reason why the bus and boat trips are so popular! Many hikers want to hike onward from Valbone, so leaving a car behind in Valbone does not make sense for their trip.
Moreover, driving from Tirana to Valbone is a long and tiring journey. The mountain roads are dirt tracks, so it might make you feel car sick. Overall it won’t be a very enjoyable route to drive.
Option 1: Drive to Koman, take the car on the ferry, then drive from Fierze to Valbona
If you want to drive from Tirana to Valbona, you can choose to take your car onboard the Lake Koman Ferry.
The costs of taking your car onboard the Lake Koman Ferry depend on how large the car is. A regular car maybe 1.5 meters in width and 3.2 meters in length. The total surface is 4.8 m2. And this costs 4.8m2 x 6 Euro/m2 = 28.8 Euro.
You can book a spot for your car on the website of Komani Lake Ferry here -> https://komanilakeferry.com/en/buy-a-ticket/
Note: The road from Shkoder to Lake Koman is a stony dirt track. And the road from Fierze to Valbone is a dirt track too. So your car will come back dirty and it won’t be a very comfortable car ride.
Option 2: Drive from Tirana to Valbone via Kosovo
If you don’t want to take the Lake Koman Ferry, you can also drive from Tirana to Valbone via Kosovo.
The route you will drive is from Tirana to Milot. Then at Milot, you get on the highway to Kukes. From Kukes, you drive across the border to Kosovo. In Kosovo, you drive via Prizren and Gjakova to a border pass called Qafa e Morines. At Qafa e Morines, you enter Albania again, you drive to Bajram Curri and from there to Valbona.
Now you might be wondering, what about driving via Albania? Why should I go via Kosovo? Let’s discuss that option below.
Option 3: Drive from Tirana to Valbone via Albania
If you don’t want to drive to Valbona via Kosovo, you can also take the Albanian road to Valbona.
The beginning of the route is the same. You drive from Tirana to Milot, where you get on the highway to Kukes. But then at Kukes, you take the road that leads by the Has village towards Bajram Curri. And from there to Valbone.
Attention! Although this route may look “shorter” on the map, it is actually longer. Because this road is a smaller road, in a worse condition and it has many turns and twists.
How long does it take to get from Tirana to Valbona?
It takes 8 hours to get from Tirana to Valbona, if you are traveling via the Lake Koman Ferry. Here is the timetable you will follow:
- 5 AM Depart from Tirana by bus or taxi
- 9 AM Arrive at the Lake Koman Ferry terminal and board the Lake Koman Ferry
- 11:30 AM Arrive at the Fierze ferry terminal, get off the ferry, and onto the bus or taxi
- 1 PM Arrive in Valbona
Although your day starts early, you do have the advantage of then arriving in Valbone in the early afternoon. So that you have time to explore the Valbona Valley!
How much does it cost to get from Tirana to Valbona?
It costs 24 euros per person to get from Tirana to Valbona by bus. By taxi, it costs 180 euros per car and 8 euros for the ferry ticket per person to get from Tirana to Valbona.
How to get from Shkoder to Valbona?
You can get from Shkoder to Valbone by the shared minibus and by ferry. Or you can hire a private driver instead of taking the shared minibus.
The advantage of starting from Shkoder is that you don’t have to wake up as early. Because when you start from Tirana, you must get on the bus at 5 AM to catch the 9 AM ferry. However, Shkoder city is closer, so you can get on the bus at 6:30 AM. Obviously, that will mean you would have traveled from Tirana to Shkoder the previous day and stayed overnight in Shkoder.
The bus trip from Shkoder via the Lake Koman Ferry to Valbone costs 21 euros per person. This package includes the shared minibus from Shkoder to Koman, the Lake Koman Ferry from Koman to Fierze, and the shared minibus from Fierze to Valbone.
You can book the bus and ferry package from Shkoder to Valbona on the website of Komani Lake Ferry. You must write down the name of your hotel in Shkoder so that the minibus can pick you up from your hotel.
Alternatively, you can also go to the bus station in Shkoder, where the bus from Shkoder to Koman departs. You can see the location of the bus station in Shkoder for Koman on a Google Map here -> https://goo.gl/maps/vN73MH7o4nz4nUgU8
You can book the minibus and ferry package from Shkoder to Valbone on the website of Komani Lake Ferry here: https://komanilakeferry.com/en/
If you would like to travel with a private taxi to the ferry terminal and from the ferry terminal to your hotel, you can also choose this option. A private taxi from Shkoder to Koman costs 70 euros per car. And a private taxi from Fierze to Valbona costs 60 euros.
How to get from Valbona to Shkoder by bus?
You can get from Valbona to Shkoder via a combination of the shared minibus and the Lake Koman Ferry. Or if you don’t want to take the shared minibus, you can book a private taxi.
The bus and ferry transfer from Valbona to Shkoder costs 21 euros per person. This package includes the bus from Valbone to Fierze, the ferry from Fierze to Koman, and the bus from Koman to Shkoder.
The bus from Valbona to Fierze departs at 10:30 AM from Hotel Rilindja in Valbone. You can see the location of the bus station next to Hotel Rilindja on a Google Map here -> https://goo.gl/maps/AS4r8d9eD4YVKhbZA
But the minibusses also offer hotel pick-up in Valbone, so if you write down the name of your hotel in Valbone when you book a ferry boat ticket, the bus will pick you up from your guesthouse/hotel.
The bus from Valbona drops you off at the ferry boat terminal in Fierze. The ferry arrives in Fierze around noon and it departs from Fierze in the direction of Koman at 13:00 PM.
The ferry boat journey from Fierze to Koman lasts 2.5 hours, so you will arrive in Koman around 15:30 PM.
Once again, there will be shared minibusses waiting for the ferry passengers at the ferry terminal in Koman. The drive from Koman to Shkoder takes approximately 2 hours. So you will be in Shkoder around 17:30 PM or 18:00 PM.
You can book the minibus and ferry boat ticket via the website of Lake Koman here -> https://komanilakeferry.com/en/
If you prefer to take a private taxi instead of the shared minibus, you can also book that on the above website. A taxi from Valbona to Fierze costs 60 euros, the ferry from Fierze to Koman costs 8 euros per person, and a taxi from Koman to Shkoder costs 70 euros.
How do I get to Komani Lake Albania?
You can get to Komani Lake in Albania by bus or by taxi from either Tirana or Shkoder.
Koman is a small village in a remote area. The closest city to Koman is Shkoder. Although the distance between Shkoder and Koman is not far. It does take 2 hours to drive from Shkoder city to Koman because the road is a dirt track that turns and twists alongside the river.
If you start from Tirana, it takes 4 hours to get to Koman. Because Tirana is further to the South of Shkoder, and thus further from the Koman village.
Below I have outlined, how to get to Komani Lake from either Tirana or from Shkoder.
How to get from Tirana to Komani Lake?
If you start your journey from Tirana, you must leave Tirana at 5 AM. For the first two hours you will drive to Shkoder city, where you will be around 7 AM. And from there you drive to Koman to catch the 9 AM Komani Lake Ferry.
You can book a seat on a shared minibus from Tirana to Komani Lake. The shared minibus departs from Tirana at 5 AM from the Gazheli Petrol station in Tirana. You can see the location on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/ethGMoaRLSTqxrQU7
A bus ticket from Tirana to Komani Lake costs 10 euros per person. Or a private taxi from Tirana to Komani Lake costs 120 euros per car. You can book a bus or taxi on the website of the Komani Lake Ferry.
How to get from Shkoder to Komani Lake?
To get from Shkoder to Komani Lake, you can book a seat on a shared minibus or a private taxi. The shared minibus from Shkoder to Komani Lake departs at 6:30 AM from Shkoder.
You can book a seat on the shared minibus on the website of the Komani Lake Ferry. You can write down the name of your hotel in Shkoder and the minibus will come to your hotel to pick you up.
Or alternatively, you can go to the bus station in Shkoder. You can see the location of the bus station on a Google Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/hyhNR4rpVrLrtEqE6
A seat on the shared minibus from Shkoder to Koman costs 7 euros per person. A taxi from Shkoder to Koman costs 70 euros.
Are you only going to Lake Koman for a day?
After you take the Lake Koman Ferry, you can either travel onwards to Valbona or you can travel back to Shkoder at the end of the day.
Valbona is mostly a hiking destination. It is a small and remote village in the Albanian Alps, that is completely surrounded by high mountain peaks.
However, perhaps you have limited time or your travel party does not want to hike. In that case, you might consider just going for the boat trip on Lake Koman only. Simply enjoy the boat trip and go then go back to Shkoder at the end of the day.
If you are only going to Lake Koman for a 1 x day boat trip and you want to return to Shkoder or Tirana at the end of the day. I recommend you take the boat to the Shala River instead.
From the boat terminal in Koman, there are two types of boats that depart. The first is the ferry that sails from Koman to Fierze in the morning. And back from Fierze to Koman in the afternoon. This ferry boat does not make any stops, it is merely a way of transportation from Koman to Fierze and back.
The second option is the smaller river boat that starts from Lake Koman and goes to the remote Shala River. In the middle of the day, it drops passengers at Shala beach. Where you can go for a swim, eat at a restaurant and enjoy yourself. Basically, you will have 3-4 hours off at the Shala River to relax and enjoy the beauty of the Shala River.
Related Questions
How to get from Tirana to Shkoder by bus? You can get from Tirana to Shkoder by bus at 6:30 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:15 AM, 7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 9:18 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 12:30 PM, 13:00 PM, 13:30 PM, 14:00 PM, 14:30 PM, 15:00 PM, 15:30 PM, 16:00 PM, 16:30 PM and 17:00 PM. The bus departs from the Regional Bus Terminal North and South Albania. A ticket costs 400 Leke (3.40 euros) per person.
How to get from Koman to Shkoder by bus? You can get from Koman to Shkoder with a shared minibus. A seat on the shared minibus costs 7 euros. You can reserve a spot on the minibus on the website of the Komani Lake Ferry.
How to get from Koman to Tirana by bus? You can get from Koman to Tirana by a shared minibus. A seat on the shared minibus costs 10 euros. You can reserve a seat on the website of the Komani Lake Ferry.
About me
I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania. I arrange your transportation and I am your English speaking guide. So that, you get to experience the most beautiful places in Albania!
Kind regards, Manon
Welcome to Albania!
I am a Tour Guide in Albania
I am an Albania Tour Guide, who organizes 1-day, 2-day or multiple day private tours in Albania.