Welcome to Journey to Valbona . . . and Beyond!,

since 2010 the best (and sometimes only) source of information for travel to the ‘wild’ (but very civilized) North of Albania.  Over the past 13 years we have helped 1,000s of travellers and new friends get to where they want to go.  The ‘… and Beyond’ bit means that we now talk more for the whole region of Tropoja, without focussing solely on Valbona.  Furthermore, we think that Reality is more fun than the Anthropocene/Virtual world (I mean, that’s why you’re willing to physically come here, right?) . . . so we made a SHOP!  Please do stop by and see us in person.  We are located in Bajram Curri (so you pretty much have to pass by if you’re in the region), opposite the museum and statue of Bajram Curri (big guy with a big gun), and we come up on Google maps if you search the name.

Here on the website we try to answer questions and help get you to where you want to go.  In the shop we can also do all this – which is actually a lot easier when we’re in the same place talking face-to-face! as well as help you connect with people who don’t speak English – BUT we also sell stuff : local raki, jams, honey, handicrafts, POSTCARDS!, hiking maps, dried herbs, teas and medicinal plants, handmade carpets, handspun wool – basically if someone here makes it, we give them a place to sell it! PLUS we are now focussing on getting people AWAY from the obvious places – where you might now meet more tourists than local people and can’t see the stars at night anymore, which is fine if you like that sort of thing, but isn’t what we think makes Tropoja magical. So we promote the less-frequented destinations and rarer adventures (ie, we can get you kayaking, fishing, horse-hugging, cow-milking, wool-spinning, doily making, byrek-cooking, swimming, otter-spotting, mushroom hunting, cave-exploring . . . . ). And if you want to adopt a dog? Please let us help!

We love talking about Tropoja and take a sincere interest in other people’s holidays!  If you can’t stop by the shop, your best bet these days is to write a message on our facebook page, or send a whatsapp message (not calls, please!  we get too many weird calls so usually don’t answer numbers we don’t recognize) to +355 (0)68 36 05 795 or +355 (0)67 30 14 638.

Get Inspired

Kayaking on Valbona River
Valbona

€55,00

8 hours
The Valbona Guesthouse Tour
Valbona, Kukaj, Maskollata, Dragobi, Livadhet e Gjarperit, Rrogam, Gjelaj i Rrogamit, Çerem, Theth

€150,00

5 days, 6 nights
The 8 Day* “Peaks of Valbona (N)” Tour
Valbona, Quku i Valbonës, Kukaj, Accursed Mountains, Dragobi, Rrogam, Çerem

€200,00

8 days, 8 nights max

Shop

Latest from the Journal

Travel Info and Help
What the Heck do we Mean by Tropojan Culture, and Why is it Important?

“I was trying to explain to my father, but couldn’t.  All I could say was ‘Everything just feels more REAL there.’”  — paraphrased from 2023 conversation with young friend who was returning for her 3rd year to visit Tropoja. I know I (Catherine) am always banging on about culture, but what do I mean, and […]

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Travel Info and Help
An Idea for a Low-Cost Way to Stay

Okay!  So, to continue with our ongoing “How not to do normal ‘tourism’” theme, I have had Another Thought.  (Whee!). So – because we truly, truly aren’t even a little bit elitist, I was thinking – how can people without much money still come here and have a great experience, without gypping their host?  WELL.  […]

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Travel Info and Help
The Challenge, Conundrum and (particularly pointy horns of the) Dilemma facing JourneytoValbona

NB: You are about to read the following brief statement of our ethical and philosophical crisis (which led to us letting our website shut down for most of 2022), because I’ve spent great chunks of the past month TORTURING myself with trying to write it out – volumes and screeds have been written (I mean, […]

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