Dajti Express Cable Car (Dajti Ekspres)

The basics

It would take about 3 hours to hike up toward the upper cable-car station, but the Dajti Express takes you there in just 15 minutes. Hikers wishing to continue can reach the summit of Mt. Dajti in about two hours. The area is a popular weekend spot for locals looking to escape the city. Aside from soaking up panoramic vista, you can visit a small adventure park, or enjoy horse riding, rock climbing, paragliding, and downhill biking excursions.

Things to know before you go

• Think about bringing a sweater or a light jacket, since the weather up in the hills can be drastically colder, rainier, and windier than in Tirana.

• If trekking to the summit, have the GPS coordinates available off-line. There are some trail markers, but it’s easy to get lost. Consider hiking with a guide—solo travelers aren’t advised to hike alone.

• The lower station of the Dajti Express is around the corner from Bunk’Art 1, making this a popular combo excursion on guided tours of Tirana.

• There’s an extra charge to transport bicycles on the cable car.

• Tickets are only valid the day you buy them: Travelers planning on using the return ticket the following day must inform the ticket office of their plans in advance.

• There’s a hotel near the upper station—Dajti Tower Hotel—and overnight reservations include free rides on the cable car.

How to get there

You can reach the Dajti Express cable car by taking the blue Porcelan bus from Sahati clock tower in downtown Tirana (near Skanderbeg Square) to the last station—about a 30-minute ride. The fastest option is by taxi or rideshare, while guided tours typically include hotel transfers.

When to get there

The Dajti Express is popular in summer, when the mountain provides refuge from scorching city temperatures, and in winter once the snow falls. Arrive in the morning to avoid peak crowds. Other festive times are during Valentine’s Day, when the restaurant offers a special menu, and Albanian Independence Day, celebrated on November 28th.

Where to find Tirana’s Soviet bunker-turned-art museum

Designed in the 1970s to keep the dictator Enver Hoxha safe in the event of nuclear war, Bunk’Art 1 is a sprawling, multi-level underground bunker—and probably one of the strangest contemporary art galleries you’re likely to see. It’s a bit far from the city center—one reason it’s often visited in conjunction with the Dajti Express. For anyone who prefers to stick to downtown Tirana, there’s the smaller spinoff, Bunk’Art2.