7 Stunning Day Trips From Saranda & How To Get There

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Are you looking for the best day trips from Saranda while on your Albania vacation?

I spent about a month in Albania and Sarandë (pronounced Saranda) this past May, and I learned a lot from both the locals and exploring on my own.

A bit of expectation setting… Sarandë is a beautiful and fun town, one of the prettiest in Albania, and a great home base for exploring the Albanian Riviera. I do recommend renting a car (I use Discover Cars) for most of these day trips, but I’ve included details on how to take the bus or when it makes sense to taxi it up.

I went on all these day trips on my own, and I was fine. In fact, when I got lost, the locals went out of their way to help me!

This is a complete guide to the best day trips from Sarandë, plus a few spots I think are not worth it.

I’ll also share the restaurants I loved along the way, prices to expect for the beach chairs, and how the hell to get to some of these spots on the list.

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7 Unique Day Trips From Saranda

I didn’t want to overwhelm you with all the possibilities because there are quite a few, so this is my curated list of day trips from Sarandë.

Let’s dive into the list, which is organized by proximity to Saranda as well as what I think is the prettiest day trip.

Day Trips From Sarandë

1. Ksamil Islands

Highlights: Sandy Beaches, Calm Waters, Great for Kids, Short 20-min drive from Sarandë.
Getting There: Rent a car for about €20 a day, take the bus from here for €2 and get off at Ksamil, or take a taxi (Speed Taxi App) for about €15.
Tips For Saranda to Ksamil Day Trip:
✅ Day beds with an umbrella cost about €15-20. Prices are higher in peak season.
✅ My favorite beach is Plazhi Ksamilit. I loved eating at Abiori Restaurant for lunch, Bar Restaurant Luna for dinner, and Bianco for drinks after sunset.
✅ I loved renting stand-up paddle boards and exploring the Ksamil islands. It’s about €15 an hour. You can also swim to the islands.
✅ All the restaurants in Ksmail sort of serve the same classic Albanian dishes – fish, risotto, pasta, fries, and lamb. They also have raki and local wines!
✅ No free spot on the beach for laying a towel down. All of Ksmail is managed by beach clubs. I recommend going in May or June. Avoid August, when Ksamil is packed.

This is going to be the number one spot on all the lists you check for a day trip from Saranda. Ksamil is only a 15-minute drive from Saranda and is the cutest little beach town. Plus, it has a slight boogie vibe to it, which I think is a nice change for Albania.

A day trip to Ksamil starts with making the 20-minute drive from Sarandë to Plazhi Ksamilit. The parking is free as part of posting up on the beach in front of Abiori Restaurant. Otherwise, there’s a guy on the streets collecting his €5 to help you squeeze your rental on the dirt road.

I love Ksamil because it has pretty sandy beaches compared to most Albanian pebbly beaches, the waters are calm and great for children, and there are some pretty well-managed beach clubs you can spend a whole day at.

My favorite spot for lunch is Abiori Restaurant because the music is not too loud, the food is fantastic, and there’s a little pier from which you can take all the pretty pictures. Plus, the beach in front is great, you can rent little paddle boards to go out to the islands, and there is staff to bring you drinks when you want.

➡️ Rent Stand Up Paddle-boards & Go Around Ksamil Islands ⬅️

Dinner and sunset are dreamy at Bar Restaurant Luna on the other side of Ksamil. For the apres-dinner party, the best nighttime rooftop club is Bianco.

The challenge about Ksamil is that the restaurants and beach clubs manage every piece of the beach. This means you’ll have to pay for umbrellas, and in the summertime, those chairs get quite close to each other. I paid €15 for a beach chair in May, but I know prices go up in high season.

❌ UNPOPULAR OPINION: I think Butrint National Park is just ok. While it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, and temptingly close to Ksamil and Saranda, most of the interesting archeological artifacts are housed in museums around Albania, not in the park itself. If you’re into ruins, it’s fine, but otherwise, other day trips from Saranda are way more exciting.

Day Trips From Sarandë

2. Pulëbardhës Beach [LOCAL GEM]

Highlights: Local beach, undiscovered by Instagram & tourism, WOW!
Getting There: Rent a car for about €20 a day, or take a taxi (Speed Taxi App) for about €15.
Tips For Saranda to Pulëbardhës Day Trip:
✅ Bring water shoes; the beach is pebbly
✅ Day beds with an umbrella cost about €15-20, but they reduce the price if you eat at one of the restaurants. I recommend renting a bed.
✅ You can lay your towel out for free a bit further down the beach, which is a nice option.
✅ Both restaurants are excellent for lunch, and you can use their bathrooms – they are both CASH ONLY restaurants.
✅ It’s a rough, dirt road all the way to the bottom parking lot. Go early to catch a spot. Be brave! Your rental car can make it – mine did!

Pulëbardhës Beach is a 15-minute drive from Saranda on the way to Ksamil. Compared to the other spots on this list, this will feel like a little hidden cove outside the hustle of the other Albanian hot spots.

I found out about this beach from a few Albanian locals and a fellow Brazilian traveler – so it is on its way to being discovered.

I recommend packing a beach day bag (including water shoes) and spending lunch and late into the afternoon on this beach. It’s calm, there’s no crazy music, and the food at both restaurants is amazing.

In the afternoon, I would clean up and head to Ksamil for dinner and the sunset.

This would probably constitute the perfect day trip from Saranda for me because you get a little local, you get a little trendy, and all in all, you see the most beautiful bits of the Albanian Riviera.

Day Trips From Sarandë

3. Kakome & Koreza Boat Trip

Highlights: Beautiful beaches, not as many people, added stops in grottos you can swim, plus it’s a BOAT TRIP!
Getting There: Only accessible by boat! There are little kiosks along the seafront promenade reserving seats on speed boats to these beaches. The trip costs about €25 a person, and it goes from 9 am to about 3 pm.
Tips For Saranda to Kakome & Koreza Day Trip:
✅ Bring water shoes, the beach is pebbly
✅ Day beds with an umbrella cost about €15-20, but you can lay your towel out for free a bit further down the beach.
✅ All the restaurants are CASH ONLY.
✅ If you get seasick, take a Dramamine with you. The boat ride out to the beaches takes 1 hour, with a few stops along the way.

As you walk around the Saranda beachfront, you’ll notice a bunch of local boat companies advertising more or less the same tours – it’s to Kakome & Korenza beaches. Now, because these beaches are only accessible by boat, they have fewer tourists, and it feels like a proper adventure.

The beaches themselves have some of the prettiest clear blue waters I’ve seen, and along the 1 hour boat ride from Saranda to Kakome, there are a few stops where you can swim in beautiful coves. It’s super pretty!

The tours usually start around 9 am and finish after lunch around 3pm. The cost is about €25 for a person, and it’s absolutely worth it.

I paired a boat trip to Kakome and Koreza beaches with an afternoon and night out in Saranda. My favorite spot for happy hour drinks on the beachfront of Saranda is Jericho, followed by a traditional Albanian dinner at Haxhi, and then club it out at Orange Club Saranda.

Day Trips From Sarandë

4. Gjirokastër Old Town

Highlights: Little old Albanian town, UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Castle
Getting There: Rent a car for about €20 a day. There are also regular bus routes from Saranda city center here for about €3 that take about 1.5 hours. Another great way is to take a guided history & nature tour.
Tips For Saranda to Gjirokaster Day Trip:
✅ Leave early to grab a parking spot here. The town is small, so these spots fill up quickly.
✅ Wear good walking shoes for the uphill cobblestone streets.
✅ Spend the whole day in the town, and grab lunch and dinner here. If you can stay overnight at one of the guesthouses, I highly recommend it.
✅ Most restaurants are cash only, as most things in Albania are, so have some LEK on you.

Gjirokastër’s Old Town is like stepping into a time machine, and it absolutely deserves its spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list. With Ottoman-era architecture and the stunning Drino Valley serving as a backdrop, this little town is incredibly charming.

I highly recommend this Gjirokastra Castle & The Blue Eye 6-Hour Tour from Sarandë!

It’s about a 1-hour drive from Saranda to Gjirokastër, and I recommend leaving early to get a full day to explore the town. Another good reason to get to town early is to snag parking – the best place is here.

My favorite thing to do was stroll through the bazaar, where Mediterranean and Ottoman vibes mix in the best possible ways. It’s the perfect town to snag a unique Albanian souvenir and then treat yourself to some delicious local food at one of the cozy traditional spots – my favorite was Restaurant Tradicional Odaja.

In the afternoon, to burn off the lamb I had at lunch, I hiked up the steep path to the 12th-century Gjirokastër Castle. The views up there? Beyond epic. There are little placards along the way to inform you of the history of the place, and I was shocked to see WW2 planes, throwbacks to kings and queens of the Middle Ages, and a stunning clocktower from where you can see the entire valley.

My last little recommendation is Bukowksi Bar – it’s a bit of a hidden gem in town, and I just loved chilling out with a glass of wine, enjoying the old-school desert and the live music.

Day Trips From Sarandë

5. Corfu Day Trip [NEED PASSPORT]

Highlights: Beautiful Greek old town, good shopping, change of pace from Albania
Getting There: It’s a 1.5-hour ferry ride from Saranda to Corfu, costing about €20-35 on Ferry Hopper.
Tips For Saranda to Corfu Day Trip:
✅ You will need your passport to cross over from Albania to Corfu, Greece.
✅ Even though you can see the island of Corfu from Albania, the Greeks are in a different time zone. Corfu is 1 hour ahead of Albania. You will need to be careful with the ferry schedule.
✅ Make sure to include Paleokastritsa Beach and Corfu Old Town on your day trip tour!

Greece and Albania are neighbors, and from Saranda, you can literally see the island of Corfu!

To get from Saranda to Corfu is pretty easy – just a 1.5 hour ferry across the narrow channel that separates the two countries. I like to use Ferry Hopper to book tickets – just make sure you pack your passport because you are technically hopping countries.

I’ve made this day trip a couple of times, especially when I needed a little change from the Albanian ways. I loved just walking around the old town of Corfu – it is super cute, and there are a ton more restaurants and shopping options than in Saranda.

➡️ I recommend this Private Custom Day Tour of Corfu if you want to maximize your time! ⬅️

If you really want to maximize your sightseeing, I would swing for a Private Day Tour of Corfu, which you can customize from 4-7 hours. This way, they pick you up from the port, show you the highlights of the island, the logistics and transportation are taken care of, and you can end it whenever you want for some free time in the old town before heading back to Saranda for the night.

PRO TIP: Make sure to include Paleokastritsa Beach and Corfu Old Town on your day trip!

Day Trips From Sarandë

6. Himarë & Gjipe Bay

Highlights: Beautiful drive up the Albanian Riviera, further away from tourist Albania, close to Gjipe Bay (iconic)
Getting There: It’s a 1.5 drive from Sarandë, and I recommend renting a car. There’s no good bus route here, and taxis are more expensive than renting.
Tips For Saranda to Himarë Day Trip:
✅ Get an early start if you want to see all the goodies of the Albanian Riviera in one day. 
✅ A great stop on the way back to Sarandë would be Borsh Beach for a sunset & beach club experience.
✅ Parking in Himarë is a clusterfuck, be careful of the local parking lots where some random guy pretends he works there and charges you €20 for the day. Park here.

I heard about Himarë from my die-hard nomad friends and stayed a few days on my Albanian road trip to really get a sense of the town.

Himarë is an up-and-coming popular town, but because it’s 2 hours from Tirana and a 1.5-hour drive from Sarandë, you’ll see fewer tourists making the journey. And the ones that do are the Germans and Italians, so the town has not become Instagramm’ed yet.

ITINERARY PRO TIP: I would drive the 2 hours from Sarandë directly past HImarë to Gjipe Bay (parking lot here) and spend the afternoon on this beautiful little beach gem. I recommend parking and walking 30 minutes to the beach on the path. There is no parking further, and the dirt road beyond is not made for cars.

We ended up bringing our lunch and towels, but you can rent chairs for about €15 – remember to bring cash; this is Albania, after all.

After lunch and more lazy afternoon beach’ing, we caught the sunset at Potami Beach with a cocktail in hand and then posted up for dinner on the beachfront of Himarë at UMI Sushi. It’s worth staying after dark in Himarë because the town comes alive with locals walking around, getting gelato, and selling hand-crafted goods.

Day Trips From Sarandë

7. The Blue Eye

Highlights: Beautiful natural pool away from beaches of Albania, one of the more iconic day trips from Sarandä.
Getting There: It’s a 35-minute drive from Sarandë, and I recommend renting a car – the mountain drive is pretty. You can also maximize your time with a Gjirokastër and Blue Eye Day Trip and let them take care of the logistics.
Tips For Saranda to Blue Eye Day Trip:
✅ Visiting the Blue Eye from Sarandä is a half-day adventure, including driving back and forth and exploring.
✅ The Blue Eye is open from 8am – 8pm every day, and parking is about 200 LEK (€2).
✅ From the parking lot, it’s a 30-minute walk to the Blue Eye itself, so bring comfy walking shoes. If you want to swim, I cannot stress this enough – the water is FREEZING.

The Blue Eye in Albania makes it to the bottom of my list simply because I’ve visited quite a few natural pool phenomena like this in Europe, and I wanted to spend more time on the beautiful Albanian Riviera.

That said, this is a half-day adventure super close to Srandä, so you might as well go for it!

The Blue Eye is actually a natural spring called Syri i Kaltër. It’s also near Gjirokastër, so if it’s part of a day trip, you could combine the Blue Eye in the morning and Gjirokastër in the afternoon.

➡️ I recommend this Gjirokastër and Blue Eye Day Trip – they manage all the transportation & logistics! ⬅️

On your way back to Saranda from the Blue Eye, I suggest stopping at the Monastery of St. Nicholas – it’s a super well-preserved 11th-century church in a pretty forest setting.

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Renting A Car For Your Sarandë Day Trips

While there are buses and taxis in Saranda that will take you on some of these day trips, rental cars are pretty cheap in Albania and worth the expense and flexibility you get for a day or two.

Renting a car in Saranda will cost anywhere between 25 – 35 euros for one day, and while the vehicles themselves are a bit busted, they should have plenty of automatic sedans.

➡️ I rented from Discover Cars in Albania – specifically with SurPrice in Sarandä, and it was a good experience. ⬅️

Be careful to rent with a highly rated company (7 or above), some local rental car companies are shit and scammy.

👉 Driving at Night in Albania: Driving in Albania is safe and normal both day and night. There are actually a ton of people driving at night from town to town, and while the coastal road doesn’t always have lights above the road, people drive pretty decent, I didn’t notice any drunk driving, and I had no issues getting back home at night to Sarandä.

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Where To Stay In Sarandë

There are tons of hotel options in Sarandë. It’s a very walkable town, so don’t be scared to stay a bit further away from the beachfront or town center.

📍 Luxury: Hotel Butrinti & SPA – Best 5-Star hotel and location in town, hands down!
📍 Mid-Range: AMI MAR Hotel – This is the best bang for your buck. It’s a bit quieter on this section of the road, but still within close walking distance of the main hubbub of the town. Splurge for the sea view! I stayed here on one of my trips.

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Packing List For Your Day Trips From Sarandë

For most of my recommended day trips from Saranda, Albania, especially in the summer when it’s warm and sunny, you’ll want to pack light – but be prepared. Here’s a practical packing list that covers the essentials and what I usually had on me:

• Beach towel – A quick-dry towel will come in handy after swimming.
• Water shoes – Many beaches around Saranda have pebbles, so water shoes are a must.
• Sunscreen – Opt for high SPF to protect your skin from the intense summer sun.
• Sunglasses & sun hat – Polarized lenses will help reduce glare, and a wide-brim hat is great on the beach if you don’t rent the umbrellas.
• Swimsuit – Always, always, always have one on you in Albania.
• Change of clothes – Lightweight summer clothes are ideal for when you’re done swimming, especially as most of my day trips include a bit of water activity and then dinner.
• Light jacket – Evenings can cool down, especially if you’re staying out for sunset.
• Cash – Many beach bars and some restaurants will not accept cards.
• Portable phone charger – Keep your phone charged, especially if you’re using it for navigation.
• Snacks and water – Stock up on snacks and drinks, especially if you plan to visit remote beaches with fewer services. At a minimum, have your water bottle on you!
• Lightweight beach mat or chair – For comfort on rocky or pebbly beaches.
• Reusable shopping bag – Handy for storing wet clothes or collecting trash. BIG HACK of mine to keep things clean.
• PASSPORT FOR CORFU ONLY – otherwise, just carry a picture of your passport and ID.

This should cover everything you’ll need to have fun, be comfortable, and stay safe from the sun on most of the day’s adventures. With the rental car, you’ve got plenty of room to pack it all in, so in case you’re wondering – should I? shouldn’t I? DO IT.

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Best Travel Health Insurance For Albania

I use SafetyWing Nomad Insurance when I travel in Europe. It’s pretty affordable and easy to get in touch when you need someone to guide you to a local doctor.

“Is Albania safe?” is a question I got from my mom both times I visited. The answer is yes, Albania is safe, and as a testament to that, it’s becoming an increasingly popular destination for adventurous travelers.

I personally think this outdated perception of fear & safety is mostly based on Albania’s historical isolation and due to its communist past. From my experience, these concerns are not reflective of the country today. Far from it, I found the locals friendly, helpful, and kind – day and night, in local villages, and in the cities.

That said, there are other things that can bite you in the ass in Albania:

• Food poisoning
• A fun little rash on your foot from diving into the water and cutting yourself on a sharp rock
• A common cold because you kissed a hot Albanian in the club and didn’t notice him sneezing 5 minutes before.

Because of these reasons, and many more, I get and recommend travel medical insurance. It’s gotten me out of some pretty nasty situations in Europe, and I also recommend it in Albania. I always use SafetyWing Nomad Insurance. They’ve always treated me well, and the prices are pretty affordable, unlike a few others I looked into.

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Do They Speak English In Albania?

Yes, people speak English in Albania, especially in tourist areas.

In coastal cities like Saranda, I found that many locals, especially those in restaurants, hotels, and shops, speak English well. Younger Albanians, particularly those who work in tourism, tend to speak English because it’s taught in schools and many learn it through social media, all the American music they listen to, and TV.

In more rural or remote regions, English will be less common, but I got along just fine with my Google Translate app. The locals want to help you and are super friendly, so I always found a way to communicate my needs.

Overall, if you stick to the main tourist hubs, especially along the coast or in major cities, you’ll have no trouble getting around with English.

Is It Worth Visiting Sarandë?

I loved staying and visiting Sarandë. In fact, while I loved doing my road trip of the country, every time I go back to Albania, I’ll likely home base myself in Saranda again for vacation. Not only is it a fun city with a bunch of things to do, places to eat and party, but there are a lot of great day trips from Sarandä that are worth it.

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Conclusion: What Is the Best Day Trip From Sarandë?

The intent with my curated list of day trips from Sarandë is to get you out there exploring the prettiest Albanian beaches, deep dive into the Albanian culture and food scene, and have you swim in some pretty insane blue waters I’ve only otherwise seen in places like Sardinia or Mallorca.

With that in mind, I think the best day trips from Saranda, in order of my favorite and proximity, are:

1. Pulebardha Beach & Ksamil Sunsets
2. Himarë & Gjipe Beach
3. Corfu, Greece.

Now it’s your turn – time to step outside the comfort zone of Sarandë and get out there.