How to get from Shkoder to Theth, Albania (Thethi)

Last Updated on July 27, 2021

Theth (or Thethi in Albanian) is possibly the most beautiful place in Albania. After living in Albania for two years and exploring nearly all the country, I finally made it to Theth and wow, it took my breath away. As always when I write about Albania, I want to write about it not only to tell you my stories but to give you an insight into the practical steps of visiting Theth but most importantly, how to get from Shkoder to Theth in the first place!

Note: Theth is very isolated and there are no ATMs in the village or Valbona. Please take enough cash with you for the time you are staying there.

Chances are you will share your seat with some homemade bread – the true Balkan way!

Getting to Theth from Shkoder by van

The most popular way to get to Theth is from Shkoder, which is a city in the north of Albania, and a very beautiful one at that! You should absolutely spend a couple of nights in Shkoder if you can.

There is a van that leaves from Shkoder at 7 am and costs €10 per person. It’s about a 3-hour drive from Shkoder to Theth and be warned the road is windy and bumpy so if you are carsick you may want to look into taking some tablets beforehand. The first hour is tarmac and the remaining hours is a gravel road.

Your accommodation supplier should be able to arrange it for you if not the number of the shuttle is +355682473011. You will need to book the night before as a furgon will pick you up from your hotel or hostel. It will then take you to a van just outside the city which will take you all the way to Theth.

Getting to Theth by 4×4

You MUST have a 4×4 to visit Theth, a normal car will not do. The roads are extremely bumpy and there’s a lot of steep and slippery parts to the road. I visited in October when there was some rain and the road in places was mud.

If you do have a 4×4 make sure you drive it when the road is open. Currently, they are paving a new road which will mean cars will be able to drive there in the near future, which is exciting! Times are above.

For a 4×4 the road is great fun! Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of places to pull over and take pictures but it’s a beautiful drive even if you cannot stop.

Getting to Theth by taxi or tour

It is also possible to hire a 4×4 private taxi if you don’t fancy catching the shuttle bus. The price can vary from €50 to €100 per person. There’s a great tour that you can do from Shkoder that takes you to the village of Theth and tour of the church, blood tower, the canyon and Waterfall of Grunasi. They also have the option to see the blue eye (which is an extra charge). The tour is around €65 per person.

Getting to Theth from Valbona – The Valbona to Theth hike

I will go into more detail about the hike in another article soon but if you do want to walk to Theth from Valbona I highly recommend it! The hike is one of the best things I have done, and I’m not even a hiker. The journey can take form 6 – 8 hours depending on your fitness levels and how long you stop at the top on the way. It took us 8 hours, maybe a little over because we stopped to take a hundred photos as well as flying the drone and stopping to take a break.

I would recommend leaving at the latest 8 am, otherwise if you do take a lot of breaks you may be walking to Valbona in the dark which can be a little scary. There are a few cafes on the way where you can buy a drink and freshen up along the way.

You do not need a guide to do this hike. The path is relatively easy to follow. There were about 3 times where there were 2 paths but luckily, I had maps.me downloaded on my phone to tell me which way was right. I highly recommend you download that before the hike because it gives you offline maps and the correct paths for the hike. I did meet one person who said they got lost and took an hour detour which wouldn’t be nice to do on an already long hike!

Usually, you can leave a bag with your accommodation supplier in Shkoder before doing the hike, so you don’t have to hike with all your stuff. There is also the option to hire a mule to take it over to the other side for you.

Once you arrive into Theth and your accommodation supplier (check out the best hotels in Theth here), then make sure you organise a shuttle to pick you up the next day. However, I do recommend that you stay a couple of nights in Theth as there are some great things to do in the area. We stayed a total of 2 nights, but I could have happily stayed longer as there are a few different walks you can do. I highly recommend hiking to the blue eye (3 hours one way) and the Theth waterfall which is around 45mins-1 hour walk from Theth.

There are the top ways to get to Theth, whether you’re an adventure lover or not there are options for everyone. If you’re not a huge hiker, it is possible to still enjoy Theth. The area is beautiful and although there isn’t a lot to do other than walk and hike, it’s still the perfect place to relax and take in the surroundings.

If you have any questions relating to getting to Theth make sure you leave them below and I will do my best to answer them for you.

Other articles you will love:

• How to get from Shkoder to Theth, Albania (Thethi)
• Theth Valbona Hike: 27 Things You Need to Know!
• The Best Places to visit in Albania

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