Overview
€110 total for your group · 7 hours · departs from Tirana or Durrës or Golem
The easiest mountain day from the capital: Bovilla is a reservoir of 4.6 km² in the Shkallë e Bovillës canyon, 14 km from Tirana, with a staircase up to a viewpoint over the whole of the water. Pickup in Tirana, Durrës or Golem, the walk to the stairs, free time, and the drive back, in seven hours.
Tour facts
Highlights
- A reservoir of 4.6 km² in the Shkallë e Bovillës canyon, 14 km from Tirana
- The dam at the mouth of the canyon: 91 m high, 130 m long, finished in 1996
- Maja e Gomtitit (1,268 m) and Mali i Bjeshit (1,239 m) on either side of the water
- The walk to the stairs and the viewpoint panorama over the reservoir
- The water that supplies most of Tirana, about 1,800 litres a second
- Free time at Bovilla, with an optional drink or meal at Restaurant Bovilla
Bovilla is the lake that supplies most of Tirana with water, about 1,800 litres a second, held back by a dam finished in 1996, 91 m high and 130 m long at the mouth of the canyon. Two peaks stand over it, Gamti Mountain at 1,268 m and Mali i Bjeshit at 1,239 m. Half of the scenic drive is off-road, through the villages above Tirana. The trip arrives by mid-morning, walks to the staircase and up to the viewpoint panorama over the reservoir, and leaves free time by the water, with an optional drink or meal at the restaurant there.
It is a short day by Albanian standards, seven hours door to door from Tirana, Durrës or Golem, in a comfortable CAR/SUV, with the ticket for the stairs and the guide included.
The route
Arrival and walk towards the stair and viewpoint panorama, optional to enjoy a drink or meal at 'Restaurant Bovilla'
Drop off and end of services
What's included
- Transport with comfortable minibus
- Entry tickets to Bovilla Stairs
- Guide
Not included
- Food and drinks
Good to know
Photos from this tour
Questions travelers ask
How hard is the walk?
Easy. From the Bovilla restaurant an optional 15-minute walk leads up to the viewpoint, then back the same way. Wear shoes with grip; the stairs are steep in places.
Can you swim in Bovilla?
No. Bovilla is Tirana's drinking-water reservoir; the day is about the canyon, the viewpoint and the free time by the water, not swimming.
What is included?
Transport in a comfortable minibus from Tirana, Durrës or Golem, the entry ticket to the Bovilla stairs, and the guide. Food and drinks at the restaurant are paid on the spot.
How far is it from Tirana?
14 km from the city, in the Shkallë e Bovillës canyon; the group is at the lake by about 10:00 and back by early afternoon.
Photo credits
- Peizazh by Armejsa Kullolli · CC BY-SA 4.0
