Where to stay in Gjirokastër

You sleep either in stone beside the bazaar or in the new town beside the bus station, and the difference is a taxi fare and a lot of steps. Gjirokastër rewards the first choice for its evenings and punishes it with a suitcase, so the question is really how much you carry and how late you arrive.

The old town and the bazaar

The old quarter is the one that UNESCO listed in 2005, so a bed here puts you inside the sights. It is made of stone houses on steep, narrow streets, and everything in it is reached on foot, luggage included. Dinner in the bazaar and the walk home under the lit castle stay within easy reach. Hotel Argjiro Traditional stands beside the bazaar, and Rose Garden Hotel and Hotel Bar Restaurant Kodra are also in the old town. The bazaar itself is the address of Furra Restaurant & Rooms, a restaurant that lets rooms as well.

Inn Cloud sits on Rruga Partizani. The choice among these comes down to how much you want to climb at the end of a day. If you arrive by bus with a bag, take a taxi from the station up to the door rather than the cobbles. If you arrive by car, remember that parking is in the lower part of town and in a paid car park beside the bazaar, and the spaces under the castle fill early in summer. One night is the sensible length of stay, since the main sights fit into a day and the evening bazaar under the lit castle is the reason to sleep here.

Hostels

Friends Hostel and Beds Hostel start from from €10 (dorm bed). Hostel Cico, Bora Hostel and Stone City Hostel come next. Those are from-prices, listed without a night, so a real bed on a real date can cost more.

Hostels are the cheapest way to sleep and a good choice for solo travellers. A shared room without heating is a poor substitute for a guesthouse, and dorm beds are a summer idea, and a hostel is also the easiest way to meet other travellers in a town this small. Between November and March many places close or cut their season, so do not count on a bed in a shared room at that time. Whatever the month, pay in cash, in lek, and carry a few larger notes and some small change.

The new town and the hill

The new town lies below the old one, and the bus station is on the SH4 road. It suits an early bus, because you step off or on without climbing, but the climb to the old town is the first chore of the stay.

Resort Kërculla is a four-star hotel with a pool, set on the hill above the old town, and it is at its best in July. The bazaar is a taxi ride away, so this is a summer base, a hotel to return to rather than a place to wander out from in the evening.

In winter and when to book

From November to March many guesthouses close or cut their hours, so ask about heating before you book. November is also the wettest month, with 299 mm of rain, and a cold stone house is a poor place to wait out the weather. In May and June and in high summer the good rooms in the old town go early, and booking ahead is the safer plan.

Getting aroundHow to reach the station and climb to the old town.Getting around Gjirokastër →

2 daysTwo days that start and end in the stone quarter.Gjirokastër in 2 days →

When to goWhich months suit the stone and the heat.The best time to visit Gjirokastër →

FoodWhere to eat near the bazaar.What to eat in Gjirokastër →

Day tripsDay trips for the second day.Day trips from Gjirokastër →