Shkoder to Kruja: Bus to the Highway, Taxi Up the Hill

Written by Ermal, Lead Historian & Tour Guide — born and raised in Kruja

Updated October 24, 2026

Shkoder (Shkodër, Shkodra) and Kruja are about 90 km apart, and plenty of travellers go from one to the other on their way down Albania. No bus runs between the two towns. Kruja sits on a hillside 12 km off the main highway, and the buses from Shkoder all stay on the highway towards Tirana.

The easy way is to take the Tirana bus, get off at the Fushe-Kruje junction on the highway and ride the last stretch up the hill in our taxi. It takes about two hours and costs around €20 in total. Here is how to do it.

The route at a glance

The trip has two legs: the bus south along the SH1 highway, then a short taxi ride from the highway up to Kruja.

Step 1: Take the Tirana bus from Shkoder

Buses and minibuses to Tirana leave from the intercity bus station on Bulevardi Bujar Bishanaku, roughly every 30 minutes from about 5:30 in the morning until the early evening. Ask your hotel or hostel to confirm the stop, and leave by mid-afternoon to be in Kruja before dark.

You do not need to book. Get on any bus with Tirana on the sign and pay the conductor on board, around 400 to 500 lek. When you pay, tell the driver or the conductor that you are getting off at Fushe-Kruje, at the junction for Kruja. If they do not speak English, show them the map pin below.

The bus runs south on the SH1 past Lezhe, Lac and Mamurras. Fushe-Kruje comes next, about an hour and a half from Shkoder.

Step 2: Get off at the highway junction in Fushe-Kruje

The bus drops you at the highway junction in Fushe-Kruje, on the SH1 itself. Kruja is up on the mountain to the east, and you can usually see the town on the hillside from the roadside.

Do not ride on to Tirana. Going into the capital and coming back out to Kruja adds an hour or more.

Open the drop-off point in Google Maps →

Step 3: Our taxi up to Kruja, €15

From the junction, we drive you up to Kruja for €15. The price is for the whole car, not per person, and it is agreed before you travel. It is about 12 km and 20 minutes up the hill, and we drop you at your hotel or at the foot of the Old Bazaar.

Book on WhatsApp before you leave Shkoder. Send us the time your bus leaves and how many of you there are, and message us again if you leave later than planned, so the driver is at the junction when you get off. Rides between 8:30 PM and 5:30 AM cost 40% more.

Bus and taxi, or a private taxi all the way?

On your own or as a couple, the bus and our €15 taxi is the cheapest way, at about €20 for one person and €25 for two.

With three or four people, heavy luggage, or an early or late start, a private taxi from Shkoder to Kruja is simpler. It is a fixed €65 for the car and about 2 hours, and we collect you at your accommodation in Shkoder.

Stopping in Kruja on the way from Shkoder to Tirana

Kruja is almost exactly on the way from Shkoder to Tirana, so many people stop for half a day rather than going straight to the capital. You could get off the bus at the junction in the morning, spend a few hours at Kruja Castle and in the Old Bazaar, and carry on to Tirana in the afternoon.

When you are done, we drive you on to Tirana for €35 or to Tirana Airport for €25. Kruja has no luggage office, but there are ways to leave your bags while you look around.

Book your €15 taxi from the junction

Message us on WhatsApp with the time your bus leaves Shkoder and how many of you there are. The driver meets you at the Fushe-Kruje junction and drives you up to Kruja for €15 per car, agreed before you travel.

Plan your time in Kruja

For a plan of the day once you are up the hill, see One Day in Kruja. If you are stopping on the way with your bags, see where to leave luggage in Kruja. For museum fees and hours, see the Kruja Castle entrance fee and opening hours guide.

Shkoder to Kruja: common questions