Albania,at walking pace.
I'm Arjes. I show travellers the Albania I grew up with — from an afternoon on foot through Tirana to a fortnight across the country. Small groups. No clipboards. Time to sit down.
Born in Tirana.At home everywhere between the Ionian and the Alps.
I've been guiding full-time for over ten years — long enough to know which bakery in Gjirokastër opens before six, which shepherd in Theth makes the best raki, and which road into the Albanian Alps closes first when the weather turns.
Most of my clients come for a week or two. Some come for an afternoon, just to walk through Tirana with someone who can tell them what they're actually looking at. Both are welcome.
— A.
- Licensed
- National Tourism Guide, Republic of Albania
- Languages
- English · German · Türkçe · Shqip
- Working since
- 2013 — over a decade in the field
- Based in
- Tirana. On the road most of the season.
From an afternoon to a fortnight.
Every trip is private — just you, your people, and me. No fixed departures, no coach groups. Below are the trips I'm asked for most; everything is adjustable.
Most bookedTirana, on foot
The capital as it actually lives — from the Old Bazaar through Blloku, with stops for byrek, a communist-era bunker and the best coffee in the city.
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The South in a long weekend
Gjirokastër, Butrint, and a slow drive down the Ionian coast. For travellers with limited time who want the three things Albania does best.
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FlagshipCoast & Riviera
Saranda to Vlorë along the old road — swimming at Gjipe and Jale, dinner in a village that still doesn't take cards, a night in Berat on the way home.
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The Accursed Mountains
Tirana up through Shkodër, the ferry across Koman, and three days on foot between Valbonë and Theth. For travellers who want the hard version.
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SignatureAlbania, end to end
North to south, mountains to sea. The trip I take my own friends on. Fifteen places, six guesthouses, one long table.
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Something else entirely
Weddings, food-led trips, photography assignments, cross-border into Kosovo or North Macedonia. Write to me and we'll design it together.
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Four steps. No middleman.
- 01
Write to me
One sentence or three paragraphs — both fine. Tell me dates, group size, what you’re curious about. I answer within 24 hours.
- 02
We sketch it together
A short video call or long email thread. I send a rough day-by-day, photos of the places, honest trade-offs. We iterate until it feels right.
- 03
Soft hold, then confirm
I soft-hold guesthouses and drivers while you decide. A 20% deposit confirms; the rest is due four weeks out. No hidden fees, ever.
- 04
I meet you at the airport
From the moment you land, I’m your single point of contact. Driver, guesthouses, restaurant tables, emergencies at 2am — all me.
Arjes changed how we travel. She knows the country the way you know your own neighbourhood, and she introduced us to it like a friend would.
We’ve done private guides in nine countries. This was the most personal, least packaged trip we’ve ever taken. Albania was almost beside the point.
Booked an afternoon in Tirana, stayed in touch for two years, came back for a fortnight. There’s a reason.
A small country, many journeys.
Albania is roughly the size of Maryland — you can drive its length in a day. But the difference between the Alps in the north and the Greek border in the south is the difference between two countries. Places I return to, again and again:
- Shkodër
- Theth
- Valbonë
- Tirana
- Durrës
- Krujë
- Berat
- Apollonia
- Vjosa
- Gjirokastër
- Sarandë
- Butrint
- Ohrid
- Voskopojë
- Korçë
The things people ask first.
- For high summer (June–September), three to six months is comfortable. For the shoulder seasons (April–May, October), six weeks is usually enough. Last-minute trips sometimes work — write to me and I’ll tell you honestly.
- It means the only other people on the trip are the people you bring with you. No strangers, no shared transfers, no fixed group sizes. Whether you’re solo or a group of twelve, the itinerary is yours.
- My guiding, private driver and vehicle, all accommodation (in the guesthouses and small hotels I’ve vetted personally), breakfasts, and a handful of signature dinners. Flights, visas, travel insurance, and lunches on the road are not included.
- Yes. That’s half the point. If you fall in love with a village and want another night, or the weather turns and we need to flip two days around, we do. Everything I book has flexibility built in.
- Regularly. Cross-border trips into Kosovo, North Macedonia, and occasionally Montenegro are popular — especially Prizren, Ohrid, and the Accursed Mountains, which straddle the border.
- Safe: yes, genuinely. Easy: easier than you’d think, harder than Italy. Comfortable: the guesthouses I use are all en-suite, most with a view; the roads to the north are slow and winding. I won’t sugarcoat anything — ask me directly.
Tell me what you're curious about.
I answer every message myself, usually within a day. No forms longer than this one.