Tungjatjeta
toon-jah-TYEH-tah
Hello
A warm greeting at any time of day
Travel guide
Learn Albania before you go
A small, mountainous land on the Adriatic and Ionian seas, with Ottoman stone towns, Roman ruins, a wild coast and a language unlike any other.
CapitalTirana
CurrencyAlbanian lek (ALL)
Official languageAlbanian
Drives on theRight
Calling code+355
10 phrases to learn
In Albanian. Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.
Mirëmëngjes
meer-muhn-JESS
Good morning
Greeting someone in the morning
Mirëdita
meer-DEE-tah
Good day, hello
The polite greeting for most of the day, in shops and with strangers
Mirëmbrëma
meer-MBRUH-mah
Good evening
Greeting someone in the evening
Natën e mirë
NAH-tuhn eh MEER
Good night
Saying goodbye late at night or before bed
Mirupafshim
mee-roo-PAHF-sheem
Goodbye
Leaving a shop, a restaurant or people you don't know well
Si jeni?
see YEH-nee
How are you? (polite)
Asking an older person or a stranger how they are
Jam mirë, faleminderit
yahm MEER, fah-leh-meen-DEH-reet
I'm fine, thank you
Answering 'How are you?'
Më vjen mirë
muh VYEN MEER
Nice to meet you
Meeting someone for the first time
S'ka përse
skah pur-SEH
You're welcome
Answering when someone thanks you
At the table
- Guests are treated with great honour, and visitors are often invited to eat and drink with a family. The old saying offers guests 'bread, salt and heart' (bukë, kripë e zemër).
- Bread is on the table at every meal. The Albanian way of saying 'to go and eat a meal' is literally 'to go and eat bread'.
- When glasses are raised, people say 'Gëzuar!' (cheers).
- Lunch is traditionally the biggest meal of the day. A fresh salad dressed with olive oil, salt and vinegar or lemon comes with almost every lunch and dinner.
- Café life is a big part of the day: friends meet over coffee, and business is often done in cafés, especially in Tirana.
Local tips
Lek, cash and 'old' prices
Albania uses the lek. Cards work in supermarkets and many hotels, but many cafés, small shops and stalls take cash only, so carry some notes. Many people still count in 'old lek', ten times the real price: '2,000 lek' may mean 200 lek. If unsure, ask to see the price written down.
Tipping is not expected
Tipping is not a firm custom in Albania. In restaurants in Tirana, rounding up the bill is a kind gesture, but large tips are not expected.
Yes, no and nodding
In parts of southern Albania, a shake of the head can mean yes and a nod can mean no. To avoid mix-ups, listen for the words: po means yes and jo means no.
Buses and furgons, not trains
As of 2026, passenger trains are largely suspended, so buses and furgons (minibuses) are the way to travel between towns. Southbound buses to places like Gjirokastër and Sarandë often leave early in the morning.
Drive with great care
Albania drives on the right. The UK government warns that driving can be aggressive and erratic and that rural roads are often poor and unlit. Pedestrians, horses or donkeys may also be on the road. If you have any accident, wait at the scene for the police.
Emergency number: 112
Call 112 for the police and in any emergency. For an ambulance call 127, and for the fire service 128.
Visiting mosques and churches
Albania is a very mixed country of Muslims, Orthodox and Catholic Christians and people of no religion. At Tirana's Et'hem Bey Mosque, for example, visitors are shown around daily outside prayer times and must take off their shoes before entering the inner room.
In the mountains and the countryside
Stay on marked paths when hiking: a few remote areas near the northern border with Kosovo may still have old landmines. Wildfires are common from April to October, so never light fires outside marked places. Drink bottled water rather than tap water.
Dishes to try
- Baked lamb with yogurt (tavë kosi): Pieces of lamb and a little rice baked under a thick layer of yogurt beaten with eggs, butter and flour, which sets into a golden, slightly tangy crust. It is seen as one of Albania's national dishes.
- Fërgesë (fërgesë): A thick, creamy bake of peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic cooked in olive oil with gjizë, a salted Albanian curd cheese. It is eaten hot with bread, as a main dish or on the side of grilled meat.
- Rice balls with mint (qifqi): Small round patties of cooked rice, egg and dried mint, fried until golden and crisp. They are served warm with white cheese or yogurt, as a starter or light meal.
- Byrek (filo pie) (byrek): A pie of thin layers of pastry filled with spinach, cheese, meat, onion or tomato. There is the large home-made byrek baked in a round tray, and the triangle byrek sold as street food, often eaten with a glass of yogurt.
- Flija (flija or fli): A savoury dish of many thin, crêpe-like layers of batter, each brushed with cream and baked one after another under a hot metal lid. It is served with sour cream, honey, cheese or pickles.
- Lakror (lakror): A thin-layered pie baked on embers under a metal lid, with fillings such as leek and curd cheese, tomato and onion, or greens. Korçë is especially proud of its lakror.
- Meatballs (qofte): Small meatballs or patties of minced meat with herbs and spices, fried or grilled and often served with tomato sauce, beans or salad.
- Ohrid trout (koran): A trout native only to Lake Ohrid and the rivers that flow in and out of it. It has become rare from overfishing. Like other fresh fish in Albania, it is usually grilled or fried whole and served simply with a squeeze of lemon.
Cities to see
- Tirana (capital): Skanderbeg Square, The Et'hem Bey Mosque, The Pyramid of Tirana.
- Durrës: The Roman amphitheatre, Its busy port, The start of the Via Egnatia.
- Vlorë: The 1912 Declaration of Independence, The Albanian Riviera to the south, Ferries to Italy.
- Shkodër: Rozafa Castle, Lake Shkodër, The gateway to the Albanian Alps.
- Elbasan: Tavë kosi, Summer Day on 14 March, The Ottoman fortress.
- Korçë: The Old Bazaar, Birra Korça beer, Lakror pies.