Is Tirana Worth Visiting? Pros and Cons (2025)

Most visitors end up coming through Tirana, even if it’s just in transit. But should you spend more time in Albania’s capital city? Yes! Tirana is worth visiting.

I travel in and out of Tirana frequently, and often spend time there. Here are my honest thoughts about the city.

Is Tirana Worth Visiting? Pros and Cons

I’ve been to Tirana a few times, and most recently I spent a full month there. It gave me a chance to explore and experience the city thoroughly.

Here are the reasons you may (or may not) think Tirana is worth visiting:

1. Pro: Tirana is Affordable

I had read a lot about how cheap Tirana is. To be honest it’s not THAT cheap, but it’s still one of the most budget-friendly capital cities in Europe.

Hotels, Airbnbs, restaurant meals, coffee, and taxis are reasonably priced.

I ate out a lot and paid anywhere from 500 to 2000 lek ($6 – $25 USD) for a restaurant meal depending on how much and where I ate.

A 3 star hotel can cost less than $50 USD/night. My one bedroom Airbnb for an entire month was $580 USD. It was spacious, very clean, and just a 15 minute walk from the centre.

Most of Tirana’s main attractions are free, and others have a pretty low admission fee.

The most expensive thing I found in Tirana was the taxi from the airport to the centre. It was 2200 lek ($25.00 USD); not exactly budget, but not terrible. FYI, there is an airport bus which is a lot cheaper.

2. Pro: Tirana is Safe

Tirana, and Albania in general, is very safe. I never felt uncomfortable or was harassed in the city.

Locals often leave purses, phones etc. on chairs and tables when ordering food at a counter, or using the bathroom in restaurants. I would never do that, but it’s nice to see they think it’s okay.

As a solo female traveller personal safety is something I pay attention to. Albania is one of the safest countries I have travelled around.

3. Pro: Tirana is Very Walkable

One of my favourite things about Tirana is how walkable it is.

It’s a compact and flat city. Most of the attractions are in the centre and easily reached on foot. There were days I walked 15 km and didn’t really notice.

Plus there are good sidewalks and lots of crosswalks. Drivers are courteous and always stop to let pedestrians cross.

4. Pro: The Food is Great

Albanian food is delicious! Lots of grilled meal, fresh seafood, salads and traditional dishes. There is so much good food to eat in Tirana.

Tirana has excellent restaurants and cafes. I ate out more than I ever have in one destination.

For my favourite places to eat in Tirana, click here.

5. Pro: Coffee Culture is Huge

Cafes are everywhere in Tirana. It’s impossible to walk 2 blocks without seeing one, even on the most out of the way streets.

Popular coffee chains are Mulliri and Mon Cheri (Mulliri Gourmet has one of Tiranas’ best brunches). But feel free to plop yourself down at any neighbourhood cafe. Locals in Tirana are friendly.

6. Pro: The Internet is Good

Tirana has some of the fastest internet I’ve had anywhere in Europe. I was routinely getting speeds of over 100 mbps. In fact, Tirana is excellent for digital nomads.

All my work is online and having a reliable and fast connection is vitally important to me. This is something I always check.

I had a Vodafone sim as a backup in case the Airbnb internet went down, but in general, I had great connectivity in Tirana.

7. Pro: There Aren’t Many Tourists

Tourism in Tirana is still relatively new. But it is growing, and each year the number of tourists to Albania increases by 15-20%.

Quieter streets and cafes, no line ups at attractions and being able to get a table at popular restaurants make Tirana worth visiting. But come soon, because I think Albania is about to boom.

8. Pro: There are Lots of Day Trips from Tirana

There are many possible day trips from Tirana. Tirana is in the middle of Albania, and within a few hours you can be at many popular destinations.

Places like Berat, Kruja, Durres, Shkoder and even Kosovo and North Macedonia are popular day trips.

9. Pro: It’s Easy to Travel Onward

It’s easy to travel domestically or internationally from Tirana.

There’s an international airport with many daily flights to Europe and the Middle East, and bus stations with routes to all parts of Albania and many cities in Europe.

The main domestic bus terminal is the North South terminal, not far from the airport.

Most international bus routes depart from Tirana East Gate (aka TEG or Terminali Lindor). It’s 7 km from the city centre.

10. Con: There are Limited Sites and Attractions

Personally, I think this is a pro, but you may not agree! Tirana is a small city, and it has a limited number of attractions.

After two or three days you will probably run out of things to do in Tirana. But, you can do day trips, you can explore more obscure neighbourhoods, or you can relax and just enjoy the vibe!

11. Con: The Water is Not Potable

It’s true, you can’t drink the tap water in Tirana. This was the biggest con for me, but it was manageable.

Some places have water filters, but many don’t. I ended up buying a 7 litre bottle of water every day or second day. All the grocery stores and little corner shops sell them.

I used tap water for brushing my teeth and bathing with no issues.

12. Con: Credit Cards are Not Accepted Everywhere

Albania in general is a cash economy. In Tirana bigger shops and restaurants accept credit cards, but many small establishments don’t.

Never assume you’ll be able to use your card! Keep cash on you all the time.

The good news is that ATMs are everywhere, so it’s easy to get cash. But this leads me to my next con…

13. Con: ATM fees are Expensive

Most ATM fees in Tirana were 700 or 800 lek ($8 or $9 USD). My advice: take out as much cash as you can since you’ll be charged the same ATM fee.

The lowest ATM fee I found was 500 lek at abi (American Bank of Investments) machines. There’s one across the street from Enver Hoxha’s house in Blloku.

14. Con: Tirana is Not a Very Green City

I have a dog that I walk all the time, which makes me a good judge of how much green space a city has. Tirana is not that green.

Yes, there are a few small parks in the city centre, but not many. There is one large park south of Blloku (Tirana Park), but if you’re not staying in that area it’s out of the way.

Judging from photographs I’ve seen, there used to be a lot more greenery. The construction boom has wiped much of it out.

15. Con: Tirana is Losing its Traditional Charm

There is a lot of construction in Tirana. Big, massive projects that take up whole city blocks.

While many are architecturally interesting (the building shaped like Skanderbeg’s face, or the green and blue polka dot building), they have little to do with Tirana’s culture or history.

The older, more beautiful and charming buildings are disappearing. Tirana is losing its traditional charm and nobody seems to care.

Last Words on Is Tirana Worth Visiting?

I always enjoy my visits to Tirana. It’s a very manageable city and easy to explore in a few days.

Sure there is construction everywhere and you can’t drink the tap water, but the city has so much going for it, like affordability, friendly locals and safety.

Tirana is absolutely worth visiting.