Day Trips from Berat: Canyon to Apollonia

November 7, 2026

Choosing a day trip

Berat makes a good base for central Albania, but mountain roads are slow, so judge each trip by drive time rather than distance. The UK Foreign Office notes that Albanian roads can be poor and that night driving is risky, so plan to be back before dark. Times below are approximate.

Osum Canyon (full day)

The canyon near Çorovodë is about 60 km from Berat, and the drive takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. It runs for about 13 km with cliffs up to about 100 m. From February to June the river is high enough for rafting; from June to October people walk, swim and float through it instead. Albania Rafting Group runs both from Berat, at €85 for rafting with transport and lunch and €65 for river hiking with transport and lunch. Viewpoints along the canyon rim are worth stopping at even if you do not go in the water.

Bogovë Waterfall (half day)

About 35 km from Berat on the same road, roughly an hour’s drive, a forest path of 20 to 40 minutes leads to a waterfall about 20 m high and its pool. The water is very cold all year: wade in slowly and never dive. Many people combine Bogovë with the canyon on one long day.

Apollonia (half or full day)

The ruins of Apollonia, a Greek colony founded around 588 BC near Fier, are about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 minutes by car. The young Octavian, later the emperor Augustus, studied there. The official site lists these tickets and hours:

Adult 600 lek (500 lek online); students and ages 12 to 18, 180 lek; under 12, free.
May to October, daily 09:00 to 19:00; March and April, 09:00 to 17:00; November to February, Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 16:00.
Free on the last Sunday of the month from October to May.

Mount Tomorr (full day)

The mountain east of Berat, with its highest peak at about 2,416 m, is reached on off-road tracks, so go with a 4x4 tour. The Bektashi tekke and the tomb of Abbas Ali near the top are the goal of a pilgrimage every year from 20 to 25 August. Outside those days the mountain is quiet; in them, visit with respect.

Wine villages (half day)

Çobo Winery in Ura Vajgurore, Nurellari Winery in Fushë-Peshtan and Alpeta in Roshnik, about 10 km out, are all close enough for an afternoon. Book ahead and arrange a driver if you plan to taste.

Longer drives

Gjirokastër: about 2.5 to 3 hours each way. Possible as a long day, but it is better with a night there.
Durrës: about 1.5 to 2 hours, for the Roman amphitheatre and the coast.
Korça, Saranda and Ksamil take 3.5 hours or more each way. Treat them as separate stops, not day trips.

Booking

Compare guided day trips on Viator .