Day Trip to Kosovo (Prizren and Pristina) from Tirana
Stunning views of Prizren from Kalaja Fortress.
Ever wondered what it’s like to visit Kosovo? Europe’s newest country is a unique blend of culture, architecture, friendly people and world-class, UNESCO world heritage sites. Despite its sombre past, the ‘Newborn’ nation of Kosovo is now positioned to impress visitors with all that is has to offer.
The Newborn Monument in Pristina (the arrangement of the letters change around sometimes).
If you’re visiting the Albanian capital of Tirana and you’re curious to find out if visiting Kosovo on a day trip is worth it, read on. I recently embarked on this journey, visiting both the cultural cityof Prizren and bustling capital of Pristina. Despite the long day, there was a lot to see – so let’s get into it.
How to get to Kosovo from Tirana, Albania on a day trip
Scenic Prizren by the Bistrica River.
The best way to visit Kosovo on a day trip from Tirana is by a guided tour – this is what I did. While it may be possible to visit Prizren or Pristina on a day trip from Tirana by bus, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Asher enjoying the views from Prizren Fortress.
Bus schedules in the Balkans are notorious for changing around a lot in different seasons, and most of the time you won’t actually know the departure times until you get to the bus station. Therefore, you run the risk of not actually getting on a bus to return to Tirana. Moreover, it would be virtually impossible to visit both Prizren and Pristina on a day trip using public transportation.
👉 THE TOUR THAT I DID: Luckily, this 5-star tour of Prizren and Pristina (Kosovo) from Albania takes you directly from Tirana to Prizren and Pristina, before returning back to the Albanian capital. Includes hotel pick-up and drop off, as well as entrance fees to attractions.
The tour is run by local company Go as Local, who offers a plethora of other amazing tours. They have glowing, five-star reviews all across the web, so trust me – they’re legit.
What was the tour experience like?
Pick Up from Tirana and Crossing the Border into Kosovo
House of Prizren League
The tour experience of visiting Kosovo from Tirana began with a punctual early morning pick up. My guide from Go as Local, Daniel, arrived right on time and because of this, we were able to maximise sightseeing time. I visited during a cold winter day with limited sunlight (sunset was around 4pm!), so this was much appreciated.
After a couple of pit stops/bathroom breaks, it took us just over 2.5 hours to get to the border crossing between Albania and Kosovo.
Stone Bridge, Prizren
I was a bit worried at this point because you never know what can happen at border crossings, but everything went seamlessly. Since my guide runs these tours frequently, he handled everything like a pro and made us feel super safe and prioritised. In the end, we just handed our passports to our guide, who then handed it to the necessary customs officers on both sides. There were no complications whatsoever and before we knew it, we were in another country – the country of Kosovo! This was my 96th country that I visited, so I was feeling pretty chuffed.
Major shout out to the tour guide from Go as Local who helped make the border experience super chill.
Visiting Prizren
Enjoying the first stop of the day in Kosovo, Prizren.
After about another 30 minutes of driving, we arrived in the Kosovan city of Prizren. Otherwise known as the ‘Cultural Capital of Kosovo’, Prizren is a city that is equal parts beautiful, and fascinating.
Vibrant Prizren and Sinan Pasha Mosque
Located along the river of Bistrica and having the impressive Prizren Kalaja Fortress towering over it, Prizren is an absolutely intriguing mix of religions, people and culture. In fact, you will be able to find both mosques, Orthodox churches and cathedrals all within close proximity of each other here.
Sinan Pasha Mosque, Prizren
Sinan Pasha Mosque also pictured in the background.
At the House of Prizren League and Ethnographic Museum, we learnt about Prizren’s major role in Albania’s history, particularly in the 19th century. Then, we moved on to other stunning attractions such as the Sinan Pash Mosque, Stone Bridge, Traditional Bazaar and Prizren Fortress – the latter of which was my favourite place during the day trip.
Traditional bazaar in Prizren
We loved Prizren!
Visiting Pristina
Kosovo’s capital is the youthful Pristina.
Following our jam-packed morning in Prizren, I managed to squeeze in some quick souvenir shopping before we started making our way to Pristina – Kosovo’s young, thriving capital.
Pristina is about a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Prizren, but the ride feels quick as there is some pretty fascinating towns and landscapes you pass through to get there. Once you’re in Pristina, you’ll immediately notice the change in scenery. While Prizren was emanating old-world Ottoman vibes, Pristina definitely feels more like a city.
View over Mother Theresa Cathedral
A mural of pop singer Dua Lipa in Pristina (Dua’s parents are from Kosovo).
Yes, it’s grungy and its aesthetic could use more developing, but there’s more beyond the surface here. This is a city that’s gone through violence and tragedy, but still chose to rise again. Today, it’s home to an emerging, youthful population, determined to fil up the city with hope.
Inside Mother Theresa Cathedral
Monument to Mother Theresa in Pristina
You’ll be able to feel this spirit visiting attractions such as the Newborn Monument, Mother Theresa Cathedral and Skanderberg Square (not to be confused with the one in Tirana)! Our final stop of the day was the National Library of Pristina, which has gained some notoriety recently as people can’t seem to decide whether the building is objectively ugly, or beautiful. What do you guys think – a sight for sore eyes, or an eyesore?
National Library of Pristina – what do you think about its architecture?
Another look at the library and its interesting architectural styles.
Either way, we found the history behind this library to be really interesting, as the one-of-a-kind architecture has been heralded as a mix of Byzantine, Ottoman and Serbian styles.
Back to Tirana and beyond
After a fulfilling and info-packed day, it was time to go back to Tirana. However, for us, we actually planned to move onward on our journey from Pristina to Skopje, North Macedonia. I contacted Go as Local ahead of time to ask if they could drop me off at the Pristina bus station instead of my hotel in Tirana, and they kindly agreed to do so. I thought this was really good, fantastic service as not all tour companies are willing to be flexible like this.
So if you’re planning to head back to Tirana – you’re all sorted, but if you’re planning to go somewhere else – such as Skopje, Sofia, or elsewhere – I would recommend contacting the tour company and asking first, just to check.
Is a day trip to Kosovo from Tirana worth it?
Asher in front of Mother Theresa Cathedral in Pristina
I definitely think it’s worth it. While it is a bit of a long day, I considered it quite a once-in-a-lifetime experience to explore another new country and still being able to return to Tirana Kosovo is still a new, emerging country and provides a rare, unique insight into a place that not many people have explored yet. This day trip to Kosovo from Tirana was an experience I’ll never forget.
Which tour do you recommend to visit Kosovo from Tirana?
You can’t go wrong with this day trip.
I embarked on this Private Day Tour of Pristina and Prizren from Tirana and absolutely would recommend it. Not only does it offer you convenient hotel pick-up and drop-off service, but the entrance fees are included. Plus, the guide was extremely insightful and helpful throughout the day.
For more information about the tour company, Go as Local, check out their Official Website.