Albania Active Circuit: Accursed Mountains, Koman Gorge & the Ionian Coast

The Valbonë–Theth trek crosses the Accursed Mountains at roughly 1,800 metres and takes six to seven hours depending on pace and conditions. There is no cable car, no tourist infrastructure at the pass, and the views from the top — the Valbonë valley dropping away to the south, the Theth valley emerging to the north — are available to anyone willing to walk for them. In Europe in 2026, that particular kind of accessible wilderness is increasingly rare. This 9-night active circuit builds the Albanian Alps as the centrepiece and places everything else around them deliberately. You arrive in Shkodër, take the Koman Lake ferry into the mountain interior — or kayak a section of the gorge if you choose the active upgrade — and spend two nights in Valbonë before the Theth crossing. Three nights in Theth follow (the most isolated, genuinely alpine overnight on this route). The circuit then drops south through a brief urban stop in Berat before finishing on the Albanian Riviera for swimming, sea kayaking and the decompression that a ten-day active trip earns. Safari Sutra selects mountain guides with professional certification from Albania's National Federation of Mountain Guides for the Valbona–Theth crossing. The route is graded moderate to strenuous — fit travellers without technical mountaineering experience complete it routinely — but we do not understate the effort involved. Suitable for travellers aged 18–65 with regular fitness; prior trekking experience is an advantage.