Updated October 13, 2026
Kruja (also written Kruje or Krujë) is one of the most popular day trips from Tirana. The town is about 32 km north of the capital, 45 to 55 minutes by road, and the castle and the Old Bazaar sit side by side at the top of the old town, so one visit covers both.
You can go by furgon, the shared minibus locals use, by taxi, by rental car or on a guided tour that collects you from your hotel. The prices are closer together than the effort is. Each option is below, with what it costs and how long the day takes.
How far Kruja is from Tirana
About 32 km from central Tirana, which takes 45 to 55 minutes depending on traffic leaving the city and through Fushe-Kruje. Tirana International Airport (Rinas) lies between the two, about 30 minutes from Kruja, so the trip also works on an arrival or departure day.
The last part of the drive leaves the plain and climbs the hillside in bends to the old town. Cars and furgons stop at the foot of that climb, below the Old Bazaar, and from there it is a short, steep walk up the cobbles.
The four ways to do it
Listed by how much of the day each one takes from you, since the cost difference between them is small for two or more people.
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Guided tour with pickup | Collected from your Tirana hotel, a central meeting point or the airport, driven both ways, and guided through the bazaar and the castle. The tour is EUR 20 per person; the transfer from Tirana is priced on request because it depends on group size and date. |
| Private taxi | A fixed EUR 35 each way between Tirana and Kruja, per car, about 50 minutes door to door. If you want the same driver to bring you back, agree the return time when you book. |
| Furgon (shared minibus) | Leaves from Tirana's northern bus terminal (Terminali i Veriut) and takes about an hour. It goes when it is full rather than to a timetable and stops at the foot of the hill below the Old Bazaar. By far the cheapest way. |
| Rental car | Easy if you already have one. Park below the old town; the lanes at the top are steep, narrow and cobbled. |
Going by furgon
When people talk about the bus from Tirana to Kruja, they mean the furgon. There is no train and no coach line on this route. The northern terminal is on the edge of the city rather than in the centre, so allow time, or a city taxi, to get there. Furgons for Fushe-Kruje, a different town on the plain below, park next to the Kruja ones, so check the sign or ask the driver.
Coming back works the same way: furgons leave from below the bazaar when they fill. They do not run to a fixed timetable, so if you have something booked in Tirana that evening, leave Kruja with time to spare or arrange a taxi for the return.
How long you need in Kruja
Two hours covers the bazaar and the castle grounds. Allow three to four hours if you want to go into the Skanderbeg Museum and the Ethnographic Museum and eat something. With the drive both ways, that is a half day from Tirana: our guided tour takes about 4 to 5 hours door to door.
The bazaar is the cobbled lane that leads up to the castle gate, so you walk through it on the way in. The bazaar and the castle grounds are free. The two museums each charge a small fee, in lek and in cash, and are open roughly 09:00 to 17:00. There is no ATM inside the castle walls, but there are several in the town below.
When to arrive
Between about 11:00 and 15:00 the bazaar fills with tour groups from Tirana and cruise passengers from Durres, who all arrive in the same window.
Leaving Tirana around 08:30 puts you in Kruja before 10:00, while the lane is quiet and the shops are opening their shutters. It also has you back in Tirana in the early afternoon.
Making it a full day
Above the town, the road climbs seven kilometres up Mali i Krujes to the cave shrine of Sari Salltik, on a ledge 1,150 m above sea level with views over central Albania to the Adriatic on a clear day. A steep staircase leads from the ledge down to the cave. We run it as a two-hour tour from EUR 20 per person, or together with the castle and the bazaar as a day tour for EUR 40.
Lake Bovilla, the reservoir under Mount Gamti, is the other common pairing, and some day tours from Tirana combine the two.
What the day costs
The furgon is the cheapest way there by a wide margin. A taxi is EUR 35 each way for the whole car, so two or more people split it. The guided castle and bazaar tour is EUR 20 per person, with the Tirana transfer quoted on request.
On site, the bazaar and the castle grounds cost nothing. The two museums inside the walls charge a few hundred lek each, cash only.
Just need the car?
If you would rather see Kruja on your own and only need the transfer, Tirana to Kruja is a fixed EUR 35 each way, per car, agreed before you travel.
Or book the guided half day
Our Castle and Old Bazaar tour collects you from your Tirana hotel, the city centre or the airport, drives you both ways and puts a local guide with you in the bazaar and the castle. Plan on about 4 to 5 hours door to door.
Related reading
For distances, the furgon and airport timing in both directions, see Kruja to Tirana and the airport. For how to spend the day once you are there, see One Day in Kruja. Starting from the coast instead? See the Kruja day trip from Durres. For Lake Bovilla, see the Lake Bovilla travel guide. For the full day, see the Kruja Castle, Old Bazaar and Sari Salltik Day Tour.
Kruja from Tirana: common questions
How far is Kruja from Tirana?
About 32 km, which is 45 to 55 minutes by road depending on traffic. Tirana International Airport (Rinas) is on the way, about 30 minutes from Kruja.
Can you do Kruja as a day trip from Tirana?
Yes, and it only takes half a day: under an hour each way and two to four hours on site. Add the Sari Salltik shrine above the town if you want to make a full day of it.
Is there a bus from Tirana to Kruja?
There is a furgon, a shared minibus, from Tirana's northern bus terminal (Terminali i Veriut). It takes about an hour, leaves when it is full and stops at the foot of the hill below the Old Bazaar. There is no train or coach line. Check that the sign says Krujë, not Fushë-Krujë, which is a different town.
How much is a taxi from Tirana to Kruja?
A fixed EUR 35 each way for the whole car, not per person. If you want the same driver to take you back, agree the return time when you book.
Is there a guided tour from Tirana to Kruja?
Yes. Our Castle and Old Bazaar tour picks up from Tirana hotels, the city centre and the airport. The tour is EUR 20 per person and the transfer is quoted on request, because it depends on group size and date.
How much time do you need in Kruja?
Two hours for the bazaar and the castle grounds, three to four if you go into both museums and have lunch. Door to door from Tirana, plan on a half day.
What is the best time to arrive in Kruja?
Before 10:00. Tour groups from Tirana and cruise groups from Durres fill the bazaar between about 11:00 and 15:00. Leaving Tirana around 08:30 gets you there while it is quiet.
Can I visit Kruja on the way to or from Tirana Airport?
Yes. The airport is between Kruja and Tirana, about 30 minutes from Kruja. Kruja has no left-luggage office, so plan where your bags will be while you look around.
