Southern Albania is the country's adventure heartland. Wild rivers, ancient cities, thermal springs, and mountain trails — all within a few hours of each other in one of Europe's most beautiful and undervisited regions.
Plan Your Southern Albania TripThe south of Albania is where the mountains meet the rivers and the rivers meet the coast. It is a geographically diverse region packed into a surprisingly small area. You can raft a wild mountain river in the morning, visit a UNESCO World Heritage city in the afternoon, and soak in a natural thermal spring before dinner — all without driving more than an hour between them. Very few regions in Europe offer this kind of density of experiences — click here to see how we put it all together.
The landscape changes constantly as you travel south from Tirana. The flat Myzeqe plain gives way to limestone hills, then to the deeper valleys carved by the Osum and Vjosa rivers. The towns become more traditional as you move further south — Berat with its Byzantine and Ottoman architecture stacked up the hillside, Permet with its rose-scented streets and riverside cafes, the stone-built villages of the Permet valley that look unchanged from a century ago. The adventurer and the culture-seeker both find exactly what they're looking for in southern Albania.
This is where we come in. The two rivers we run our tours on — the Vjosa near Permet and the Osumi near Corovode — are both in the southern region, and they couldn't be more different from each other.
The Vjosa is Europe's last large wild river. No dams, no reservoirs, no channelling. It flows free through the Permet valley and beyond, and rafting it gives you access to sections of the valley that you simply cannot see any other way. The national park was declared in 2022, but the infrastructure remains minimal — you raft with a guide in a small group, through a landscape that feels genuinely wild. This is the river for people who want the real thing.
The Osumi Canyon, accessible from Berat or as a day trip from Permet, is a completely different beast. Where the Vjosa is open and expansive, the Osumi is narrow and towering. The canyon walls rise up to eighty metres above the water. Hidden waterfalls emerge from the rock face. Natural swimming pools sit in the shadows of overhanging cliffs. A full-day expedition through the canyon is one of the most visually spectacular things you can do in all of Albania. Both rivers are €40 per person, all equipment and transport included. See our Vjosa rafting page and Osumi Canyon page for details.
Beyond the main rafting rivers, southern Albania has some excellent canyoning terrain. The limestone geology of the region creates natural gorges and waterfalls that are ideal for the sport — abseiling into pools, swimming through narrow passages, jumping from ledges into clear water. Our canyoning Albania page has more information on what we offer, and for more technical routes we can recommend specialist operators who know the region's more remote canyons.
The area around Permet is particularly rich for this kind of exploration. The Lengarica gorge — the canyon that leads to the Benja thermal baths — is itself beautiful to walk through even without equipment. Some of the side canyons require ropes and helmets to access properly, but the rewards are pools and waterfalls that genuinely feel like discoveries.
Southern Albania also includes the Riviera — the stretch of Ionian coast from Vlora south past Himara and Saranda. The beaches are genuinely beautiful: clear water, dramatic cliffs, small coves accessible only by boat or on foot. Saranda is the main tourist centre on the coast, a busy beach town with a large expat and tourist community, easy ferry access to Corfu, and views across to Greece.
Many travellers combine a few days on the coast with a day or two inland. The drive from Saranda up through the mountains toward Permet takes about two and a half hours through genuinely dramatic scenery. Gjirokaster — the UNESCO-listed stone city — sits roughly halfway between the coast and Permet, and it is absolutely worth a stop. The castle, the old bazaar, and the traditional tower houses are extraordinary. From Gjirokaster, you can continue north to Permet for rafting and thermal springs, making this a natural three-or-four-day southern circuit.
A well-planned four-day southern Albania adventure might look like this: arrive in Berat or Permet, raft the Vjosa on day one, explore Permet town and the Benja thermal pools on day two, do the Osumi Canyon as a full-day expedition on day three, and use day four for Berat's old town and castle before heading back to Tirana. That itinerary covers two of Albania's most spectacular rivers, a UNESCO city, natural hot springs, and enough scenery to fill several photo albums.
If you have more time, add a day in Gjirokaster — the stone city is unlike anything else in the country — and a couple of nights on the Riviera for swimming and seafood. The whole southern loop from Tirana and back can be done comfortably in a week and it covers more genuine highlights than most European destinations offer in twice the distance.
Message us on WhatsApp when you're planning your trip. We reply fast and we know the south well. We can help you sequence your itinerary, book the rafting days that fit your schedule, and point you toward the best places to stay and eat in Permet and Berat. We've been guiding in this region for years and we know all the good spots.
Rafting on the Vjosa and Osumi rivers, canyoning, river tubing, hiking in the mountains, swimming in the Benja thermal springs, and cultural exploration of Berat and Gjirokaster. The region packs an extraordinary range of experiences into a small area — you can switch between wild river adventure and UNESCO heritage sightseeing within the same day.
Excellent. The main southern circuit (Tirana → Berat → Permet → optional Gjirokaster → coast → Tirana) has good roads, dramatic scenery, and a good mix of accommodation options from family guesthouses to small hotels. Allow five to seven days for a relaxed version. We can advise on the best route based on which activities you're prioritising.
Perfectly — this is actually one of our favourite southern Albania itineraries. Raft the Vjosa near Permet, stay overnight, explore Permet town the next day, then drive to Berat for the UNESCO old town, and if time allows, a detour to Gjirokaster on the way back south. The stone city of Gjirokaster is only an hour from Permet and well worth the detour.
About 3-3.5 hours, which is long but absolutely doable for a full-day rafting trip. We operate Tirana pickup days where we collect guests early morning, do the Vjosa rafting, and return them to Tirana in the evening. It makes for a long day but an incredible one. Staying overnight in Permet is even better — the town is charming and the guesthouses are genuinely good.
Whether you're doing a quick day trip or a week-long loop, we can help make your southern Albania experience unforgettable. Message us with your dates and we'll sort the rafting — the rest of the south will take care of itself.
Book Your AdventureSee also: Rafting Permet, Rafting Berat, Osumi Canyon