Things to do in Tirana (Albania) for Backpackers

Things to do in the vibrant city of Tirana, Albania, plus getting there and away tips.

This is a backstory from Tirana, which I visited in September 2019 and again in 2020, during the Covid lockdown. I had to be somewhere, and since going back to England wasn’t an option, Albania was a cheap place to hide.

I have checked and updated stuff where applicable for 2026 and put the top sights on this very convenient map:

Quick Recent History of Albania

• Albania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire on November 28, 1912.
• The country experienced a brief monarchy, a republic, and foreign occupations by Italy and Germany during World War II.
• After 1944, Albania was under a hardline communist regime led by Enver Hoxha, which lasted for nearly 50 years.
• Following the fall of communism in 1991, Albania transitioned into a parliamentary democracy.
• Albania joined NATO in 2009 and is looking to join the European Union.

And before all that, there were the Roman and Byzantine Empires, then the Ottomans, and the Skanderbeg period.

Albania awaits you. Here are some of the top sights in Tirana.

1. The Pyramid

The Pyramid was built in the late ’80s as a mausoleum for the former dictator, Enver Hoxha.

After the fall of the communists, the Pyramid, which opened in 1988, became a cultural centre, named after Pjotr Arbëri, an Albanian Gulag survivor. It was also Tirana’s most famous nightclub.

During the 1999 conflict in Kosovo, NATO set up a humanitarian headquarters inside the building and in 2001, Albanian television station Top Channel moved in.

In 2011, former prime minister Sali Berisha wanted to demolish the building to make way for a new parliament.

The local population fiercely opposed the move. While other countries tore down former communist monuments, the fact that the pyramid had been built relatively recently meant that the majority of people associated the building with Tirana as a city rather than with the communist regime or with Enver Hoxha.

It was basically derelict when I last visited, but it has since been completely restored. The Pyramid of Tirana reopened to the public in October 2023, so make sure you go and check it out.

2. The Kombinat Stalin Textile Factory

Thanks to Visit Tirana for the tip, I walked out to the Kombinat district some ways southwest of town. Kombinat is at the end of the L.15 Kombinat – Kinostudio bus route.

​The Kombinat Stalin Textile Factory once employed up to 2000 workers and could produce up to 2,0000,000 square meters of cotton cloth a year.

It’s hardly a riveting place but you can take a coffee at the cafe next to the factory arch or a Birra Stela at the cafe bar on the corner and take in the nostalgia.

I took the bus back.

3. The House of Leaves

One of the more popular ‘things you must see in Tirana’ is House Of Leaves: Museum of Secret Surveillance.

This is right up my street. And as the name suggests, it details the government surveillance network that was part of everyday life in Albania. You never knew who was listening. Enver Hoxha was basically a paranoid lunatic.

Sadly, photos were not allowed inside when I was there. Unsure if this has changed.

According to the website, the entrance fee is still 700 LEK, paid in cash.

4. Mother Albania & National Martyrs’ Cemetery

Just over 3 km from the centre, it’s well worth the walk out to see the Mother Albania monument and visit the National Martyrs’ Cemetery.

5. #Tirana100

The #Tirana100 sign sits in front of the National Theatre of Opera, Ballet and Folk Ensemble in Skanderbeg Square. It has since been replaced by an I Love T sign.

Tirana 100 marked the centenary of Tirana becoming the capital city of Albania in February 1920.

6. Skanderbeg Square

Skanderbeg (Gjergj Kastrioti) was an Albanian nobleman and military leader who led the League of Lezhë, successfully holding off the Ottomans in the Ottoman-Albanian Wars until he died in 1468.

He is considered the Hero of Albania and is found in many places, sitting astride a horse, such as in the photo below in Skanderbeg Square and even in the city of Prishtina.

The National Historical Museum, which is reported to be temporarily closed, is situated on the north side of Skanderbeg Square:

7. Independence Monument

Located in Rinia Park, the Independence Monument was inaugurated on November 28, 2012, marking the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

8. The Peace Bell

The Peace Bell is a memorial to those who perished during the civil unrest and the dictatorship. It was built using 20,000 spent gun cartridges, collected by children in Shkodra in 1997.

9. Bunk’Art 1 & 2

The “BUNK’ART” project began in November 2014, with the opening to the public of BUNK’ART 1, the video museum exhibition set up inside the atomic bunker of dictator Enver Hoxha beneath Mount Dajti, on the outskirts of Tirana.

It is dedicated to the history of the Albanian communist army and the daily life of Albanians during the years of the regime.

BUNK’ART 2 opened on November 19, 2016 in the center of the city.

It reconstructs the history of the Ministry of Interior in Albania from 1912 to 1991 and reveals the secrets of the Sigurimi, the political police that was a harsh weapon of persecution used by the Enver Hoxha regime.

Bunk’Art 2 entrance in the centre of Tirana:

Bunk’Art 1 is open from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm and Bunk’Art 2 from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm, 7 days a week.

Both cost 900 LEK (€9.80) each to enter, but you can get a combo ticket for 1300 LEK, which saves you quite a bit. Cash only!

10. Hike Mount Dajti

If the weather is good, why not combine Bunk’Art 1 with a hike on Mount Dajti?

There is an abandoned 90s Socialist Era Villa, some bunkers and some viewpoints, so plan for better weather than I experienced.

As well as hiking, there is an adventure park with a zipline and mini golf.

There is even the Dajti Tower Belvedere Hotel on top.

At 4.7 km, it is the longest cable car in the Balkans. It takes around 15 minutes to reach the top.

Check locally for ticket prices and operating times.

11. Post Block Memorial

The Post Block Memorial commemorates the country’s political prisoners who suffered under the Hoxha regime.

Situated on the main boulevard opposite the government building, it features a 2.6-ton graffiti-covered slab fragment of the wall from Potsdamer Platz, which was donated by the city of Berlin, a small concrete mushroom-shaped defensive bunker, which litter the country, and pillars from notorious Spaç labour camp where thousands of political prisoners suffered between 1968 and 1990.

The memorial is the work of the writer and former political dissident Fatos Lubonja and the painter Ardian Isufi.

Tirana – getting there and away

Buses to all parts of the country leave from this bus station. It’s about an hour’s walk from the centre (that’s why I always travel light):

The Tirana to Durres Railway hasn’t been running since 2022 +/-. I rode the line from Durrës to Kashar back in 2020.

The railway is currently undergoing major reconstruction as part of the Durrës–Tirana Public Transport Terminal (PTT) railway project and is hopefully going to be finished sometime in 2027, but don’t hold your breath.

Getting to and from Tirana International Airport (Aeroporti Ndërkombëtar i Tiranës “Nënë Tereza”):

Luna Travel run shuttle buses which departs from:

According to the Luna Travel website, the bus goes hourly, 24/7 and costs €3 (275 LEK) from the airport and €4 (360 LEK) to the airport, prices as of 2026.

You can pay with card or cash in LEK and Euros, directly on the bus. There is no need to make a reservation.

Journey times vary depending on the traffic, but it’s best to allow an hour.

Apologies for the lack of photos. I wasn’t a good content creator back then.