If you’ve decided to visit Theth in Albania, it’s probably because you have seen a photo of the stunning peaks and valleys that make up Theth and Valbona Valley National Parks. The 18.5km hike from Theth to Valbona Peak (and back) walks you through this stunning landscape and ends at the top of the mountain pass between Theth and Valbona, giving you unparalleled views over both valleys.
We started our hike in the town of Theth. Staying on the Theth side of the river, you need to walk about 1km north from the visitor centre before seeing the first sign that will direct you toward Valbona. From there, follow the red and white markers for approximately 45 minutes as you continue to follow the road that leads up to Gjelaj Guest House.
At this point the road ends and is replaced by a narrow hiking trail. We felt that this part of the hike was the most difficult, as it was up a steep, unshaded rocky path carved into the mountain side. The hike soon takes a turn for the better as it continues through forest along a mostly shaded path. After about 1 hour you will reach a beautiful meadow.
The hike through the meadow is short and after about 10 minutes you will find yourself back in the forest again. From there it’s a 30-minute hike to the café and guesthouse, which is run by locals.
At the guesthouse you can also fill up your water bottle with chilled stream water. The last part of the hike takes about 55 minutes and is mostly unshaded.
Overall, we spent just over 8 hours hiking from the centre of Theth to Valbona Peak and back again, including stops for food and photos on the way up. It took us 2 hours and 20 minutes to get back down the mountain without stops. We would rate the hike as moderate difficulty.
We had a Vodaphone SIM card and had 3G connection the whole way up to the peak. Although the path from Theth to Gjelaj Guest House is visible on Google Maps, the trail from Gjelaj to Valbona Peak is not marked on Google Maps.
Lastly, as we mentioned in our post about Hiking to the Blue Eye of Theth, you should consider bringing hiking snacks from Shkodër. We visited the only mini-market in Theth just before our hike and found that there was no fresh food available apart from some mouldy peaches. Most B&Bs will make you a packed lunch if you ask.
Read more on How to Get to Theth National Park and 5 Things to Know Before you Visit Albania
Did you know?
In order to combat climate change, we must reduce our individual carbon footprint to 2 tonnes of CO2 per year by 2050.
A return economy class transatlantic flight generates 1.8 tonnes of CO2 per person.
