Gjirokaster Fortress
A massive stone fortress on a ridge above the old town, with long views along the Drino valley. Inside are displays of weapons and a captured aircraft, and visitors can walk its walls and tunnels.
Gjirokastër
Stone-roofed Ottoman houses cover this UNESCO-listed hillside town, which is topped by a large castle with views of the mountains.
Attractive locations
Old Town of Gjirokaster
Steep cobbled lanes lined with grey stone Ottoman-era houses with slate roofs climb the hillside. Its distinctive tower houses earned UNESCO recognition, and the quarter rewards slow wandering.
Zekate House
A grand Ottoman-era tower house with two towers, wide windows and carved wooden ceilings, showing how wealthy local families once lived. The upper floors have views across the town.
Gjirokaster Ethnographic Museum
Housed in a reconstructed family home in the old town, it shows everyday objects, costumes and tools from traditional Albanian life, laid out over several floors.
Gjirokaster Bazaar Mosque
A mosque in the old bazaar quarter, reflecting the town's long Ottoman history. It is a working place of worship, so visitors should dress modestly and keep quiet.
Airports
Tirana International Airport Mother Teresa TIA
It is about 153 km in a straight line from Gjirokastër.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Albania page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan6.5 °C119 mm
- Feb7.2 °C104 mm
- Mar9.8 °C91 mm
- Apr13.1 °C58 mm
- May17.7 °C50 mm
- Jun22.8 °C28 mm
- Jul26.1 °C16 mm
- Aug26.2 °C24 mm
- Sep21.3 °C84 mm
- Oct16.7 °C110 mm
- Nov12.3 °C140 mm
- Dec8.0 °C150 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Jan, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 46% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
112. Police 129. Ambulance 127. Fire 128.
local government
State Police (Policia e Shtetit)
Helps with: Albania's national police. Its website lists 129 and 112 as the numbers to call, and an email address. The pages found show no separate tourist police unit.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Albania who needs the police, including visitors.
Phone: 129
Email: policiaeshtetit@asp.gov.al
local government
National Tourism Agency (AKT)
Helps with: Albania's national tourism agency, based in Tirana. Contact it by email or at its office for tourism information. Its contact page shows no usable phone number.
Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Albania or planning a trip there.
Email: info@akt.gov.al
Address: Gjergj Fishta Boulevard, Shallvaret Palace A12, 1010 Tirana
ngo
Albanian Red Cross (Kryqi i Kuq Shqiptar)
Helps with: Albania's national Red Cross society. Its programmes include disaster response, first aid training, psychosocial support, blood donation and help for vulnerable people. Contact its Tirana headquarters.
Who qualifies: People in Albania who need its disaster, first aid, social or health support.
Phone: +355 4 22 22 037
Email: info@kksh.org.al
Address: Rruga Pjeter Budi, Building 19, Entrance 10, Tirana
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Albania
Helps with: The UN migration agency. Its Albania office works on migration management, crisis response and migration policy, and has worked in the country since 1992.
Who qualifies: Migrants and authorities working on migration in Albania. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Email: infotirana@iom.int
Address: Rr. Brigada VIII, P. LID, Kati III, Ap. 303, Tirana
embassy
Foreign embassies in Albania (official diplomatic list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The Albanian foreign ministry's State Protocol diplomatic list (January 2026) lists the missions in Tirana with contact details.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.
local government
National Civil Protection Agency (AKMC)
Helps with: Albania's civil defence agency, which leads disaster risk reduction and emergency response. Its page gives 112 as the emergency number, plus an office address and email in Tirana.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Albania affected by an emergency or disaster.
Phone: 112
Email: info@akmc.gov.al
Address: Ministria e Mbrojtjes, Rruga e Dibres, Garnizoni Skenderbej, Building 36, Tirana