There isn’t too much to do in the small town of Kruja (also spelled Krujë), but it is a perfect little day trip from Tirana. It feels like a town straight out of Game of Thrones, with its imposing castle and dramatic backdrop of rugged mountains. Albania is filled with these stunning historic villages, and Kruja is one of my favorites. It’s well worth a visit if you want to explore some medieval scenery or stretch out your hiking legs. Here’s everything to know about visiting Kruja.

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Table of Contents

• Is Kruja Worth Visiting?
• How To Get to Kruja
• How Long To Spend in Kruja
• The Best Things To Do in Kruja
• More on Albania

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Is Kruja Worth Visiting?

All in all, I would absolutely visit Kruja as a day trip, but I wouldn’t prioritize it on a fast-paced Albania itinerary. I only visited Kruja on my second trip to Albania, and much preferred the towns of Berat and Gjirokaster for village vibes. Kruja is beautiful though, and fairly easy to visit as a day trip from Tirana. If you’ve got a day to spare, I’d say a day spent in Kruja is much better than a day spent in Tirana.

How To Get To Kruja from Tirana

My favorite thing about Albania is the simplicity of getting around. Timetables do not apply here. From Tirana, take a taxi or the local bus towards the makeshift bus station where all the buses and minivans hang out. Look for the one that says Kruje in the window and wait for it to fill up. I paid 400 lek for the roundtrip journey, which is pretty inexpensive as Kruja is about an hour away from Tirana.

Once the van fills up, you’ll be on your way and arrive to Kruja in about an hour. The van doesn’t stop in the historic part of Kruja and will drop you off somewhere along the main highway. It’s a short walk from there to get to the historic city center. Keep in mind where the van dropped you off, as you’ll need to go back there to catch a ride back to Tirana.

It’s also possible to visit Kruja on a guided day trip from Tirana.

How Long Should You Spend in Kruja?

It doesn’t take long to visit Kruja, and all of the main attractions can be visited in half a day. If you’re short on time, head to Kruja in the morning and head back in the late afternoon. It is a charming little town, though, so some travelers might be tempted to stay a night or two as a change of pace from the city of Tirana. There are also hiking opportunities in the area, with a popular one being to a shrine in the mountains. If you plan on doing this hike, you might want to consider arriving in Kruja early, or spending the night. There are a few reasonably-priced hotels in town.

Things To Do in Kruja

Kruja is a small town. While it is very photogenic, there isn’t too much to do here. There are three main highlights to the town, and aside from the trail to Sari Salltik’s shrine, they’re all conveniently right next to each other. It makes Kruja a great day trip destination without being too exhausting.

Visit Kruja Castle

This majestic hilltop castle is the highlight of Kruja. It felt like almost every town in Albania had a castle on a hill, but Kruja’s was among my favorites, right up there with the castles of Gjirokaster and Berat, and Rozafa Castle in Shkoder. The castle grounds are free to enter, and it’s a nice place to wander and check out the panoramic viewpoints of Kruja town and the Albanian countryside.

The Skander Beg Museum

Kruja is famous for being the hometown of Skander Beg, Albania’s national hero. After browsing through the castle’s museum, I really want them to make a movie about this guy. Everything about him just seems incredibly badass, and even all the statues and artworks depicting him make him seem like a larger-than-life figure. Like I said, Kruja often feels like something out of Game of Thrones, and if that were the case, Skander Beg would be Khal Drogo.

While the castle is free to enter, you do have to pay to enter the Skander Beg Museum. It’s not much, and it was honestly a pretty entertaining museum, so I think it’s worth the visit. Lots of swords and depictions of war, which I very much am intrigued by, so I had a good time.

Wander Through the Bazaar

I mean, you’ll be doing this whether you like it or not, as you have to pass through Kruja’s Old Bazaar on the way to the castle. The bazaar mostly caters to tourists now, and you’ll find the typical Albanian souvenirs and knickknacks for sale. It is a great place to take some photos, though. It truly has that feel that you’ve been transported back to the medieval periods.

The Shrine of Sari Salltik

There are two options for getting to Sari Salltik’s Shrine. One can take a taxi to the top and skip the effort and get all the views, or one can put their legs to the test and go for a little hike. The start of the trail can be found here. The hike takes about two hours but it is steep, y’all. I think the elevation gain is around 700 meters, so it’s pretty nonstop climbing for those two hours. However, the views are stunning.

There isn’t really much else to do in Kruja. Have lunch at one of the restaurants if you have time to kill, but they cater towards tourists so the food is a little overpriced and not too memorable. There’s a George W. Bush Bakery and Gelateria somewhere in town, which gave me a good giggle when I stumbled upon it. He was the first U.S. president to visit Albania, so they really love him here. You’ll stumble into all sorts of businesses with George W. Bush as their namesake.

So cap off your day with a good ol’ Dubya gelato stop, and make your way back to Tirana in time for its lively nightlife scene. That’s all for Kruja, y’all. It’s definitely worth seeing and worth a few hours of your time, but don’t expect too much.

And hey, if this post helps you out, show some love and support for the blog and help keep my adventures going by buying me a beer! My adventures are entirely self-funded, so any show of support is greatly appreciated. It allows me to keep providing free travel guides and creating travel content to help you all travel the world.

More on Albania

• Crash Course Guide To Backpacking Albania
• Shkoder Travel Guide
• Saranda Travel Guide
• Guide to Hiking From Valbona to Theth
• Berat Travel Guide
• Gjirokaster Travel Guide
• Two-Week Albania Backpacking Itinerary