Tours to Albania from Kyiv — Last-Minute Deals

Few Mediterranean destinations can be reached from Kyiv without changing, and Albania is one of them: the ALF tour operator's coach runs through Romania, Serbia and Podgorica in Montenegro, dropping passengers in Tirana, Durres and Vlora some 36–40 hours later. If that is too long on the road, fly to Tirana from Poland (Warsaw, Katowice or Rzeszow) or from Chisinau. The north has the warm Adriatic and long sandy beaches, the south the clear Ionian Sea, and prices sit well below Italian levels. No visa is required for Ukrainians.

A tour to Albania from Kyiv covers the journey (a coach seat or flights), a hotel room with breakfast, half board or all-inclusive, and medical insurance. On the coach route to Vlora, the transfer from the coach stop to the hotel is booked separately, while flight packages leave travel to the departure airport to you. Our tour search collects hotels that still have availability, and our managers can help you weigh coach against plane.

Getting to Albania from Ukraine

The coach leaves Kyiv at 17:00 from the Dachna bus station, passes Lviv around midnight, clears the Diakovo checkpoint early next morning, drives through Timisoara by day and Belgrade in the evening, and on the morning of the third day stops in Tirana, Durres and Vlora. Journey time varies with border queues, above all at the Romanian border, where EES checks take place.

Group transfers booked with the tour take passengers from the stops to their hotels: from Plepa bus station in Durres to Durres, Golem, Spille and Shengjin, and from the Vlora stop around the town and on to Orikum. Saranda and Ksamil are another three hours or so by car from Vlora, so the south is worth it only for a stay of 10–12 nights or more.

Resorts and Which Stop to Choose

Resorts and the coach route are easy to find on the map of Albania on our blog.

Excursions from the Resorts

• The Albanian Riviera in a day. The Llogara Pass, where deer are fed, Porto Palermo castle, Borsh waterfall, lunch in Saranda and Gjirokastra in the evening, on a trip from Vlora hotels.
• Berat. The white houses of the Mangalem and Gorica quarters above the Osum river, the 16th-century Lead Mosque and the citadel with the Onufri icon museum.
• Karaburun and Sazan. A boat trip along the country's largest peninsula, past Sazan Island and its former military base, to the Haxhi Ali pirate cave, with a stop for a swim.
• Zvernec and Apollonia. A monastery on an islet in a pine grove, reached by a long wooden footbridge, and the remains of Apollonia, founded in the 6th century BC.
• Durres. The Roman amphitheatre, remains of the city walls and a wine and brandy tasting at the Skenderbeu winery, in business since 1933.
• Jeep safari. Off-road driving in Qafe Shtama National Park and Kruja castle, on a trip from Durres hotels that does not suit pregnant women or children under three.

When to Go

• Late May – June. Regular coach services start, the water warms to +22…+23 °C and the resorts are not yet crowded.
• July – August. The warmest sea, up to +26 °C, but also the most expensive weeks: hotels in the south sell out months ahead.
• September. Water around +24 °C and the heat easing, a good time to mix beach days with trips to Berat and Gjirokastra.
• October – April. In autumn the coach runs on Saturdays, and some Durres hotels operate year-round, so off-season sightseeing trips are possible.

Coach Tours to Albania: What to Know

• Luggage. Each passenger may take one piece up to 25 kg and no larger than 75×50×25 cm, plus a soft carry-on up to 5 kg; even a small suitcase goes in the hold for an extra fee.
• Seats. Rows 2 to 11 can be reserved in advance for a surcharge, and a child of any age needs their own full-price ticket.
• On the road. The 50–60-seat coaches have Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a toilet, with comfort stops roughly every four hours.
• Pets. A cat or dog up to 10 kg travels in a carrier on prior request, with veterinary documents.
• Insurance comes with package tours; if you buy only a coach ticket, you need your own policy.

Prices, Taxes and Payment

The cost of a tour to Albania depends on the transport, resort, hotel and month: trips in June and September and tours booked well ahead come out cheapest. A tourist tax of €1–3 per person per night is usually included in the package, but since 2023 some hotels collect it at reception. Several hotels have special payment terms, with non-refundable prepayments from 30% up to the full price, so ask about them before you book. Albania's currency is the lek; euros are widely accepted at the resorts, but small purchases are easier in lek.

Documents and Exit Rules

• No visa needed. A passport valid for more than 180 days from the date of entry is enough.
• Biometric passports only for coach travel, children included: the route passes the border controls of three more countries.
• Children. Bring the birth certificate, and if a child travels without their parents, consent to travel from both of them.
• EES. Coach passengers register at the Romanian border, those flying from Poland at the Polish one, and departures from Chisinau involve no EES at all.
• Leaving Ukraine. Restrictions for men eligible for mobilisation change, so confirm the rules in force before you buy.

Prefer to fly from Moldova? Flights and resorts are covered in tours to Albania from Chisinau, while tours to Montenegro from Kyiv take the same road through Romania and Serbia to the neighbouring coast.