Dajti Ekspres cable car

About Dajti Ekspres cable car

By the ULTIMATE Tirana Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

The Dajti Ekspres cable car glides from the city’s eastern edge up to Mount Dajti National Park, around 15–20 minutes over the forest. At the top: viewpoints, restaurants and walking trails. It runs from 9:00, closing at 18:30 on weekdays and 19:00 at weekends, and is closed on Tuesdays (check before you go, as hours change with the season). Bunk’Art 1 is nearby.

Up the mountain

The Dajti Ekspres, an Austrian-built cable car, climbs from the eastern edge of Tirana to the slopes of Mount Dajti in about fifteen minutes. The line covers around five kilometres and ends at about 1,050 metres, well below the summit but high enough for a sweeping view over the whole city and, on a clear day, to Durrës and the sea.

On the way up you float over fields, a small lake, scattered villages and a few of the concrete bunkers that still dot the hills.

Fifteen minutes in a cabin, and the city of bunkers and cranes turns into forest, villages and a view all the way to the Adriatic.

At the top

The upper station is a small complex inside Dajti National Park. Ballkoni Dajtit, an Alpine-style wooden restaurant, has an enclosed balcony with the best view in town; the Dajti Tower Belvedere hotel has a revolving bar; and there is a ropes and zip-line adventure park for children and adults, mini golf and a playground.

From here, trails lead into beech and pine forest towards Tujani peak and the ruins of a late-antique castle. It is several degrees cooler than the city, which makes it a summer refuge.

Practical

The lower station is a short taxi or bus ride from the centre, on the road past Bunk’Art 1. Check the opening times and ticket prices on the official website before you go: the cable car is closed on Tuesdays and stops in bad weather.

Our advice: go up in the late afternoon, eat at Ballkoni Dajtit at sunset, and ride down as the city lights come on.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Dajti Ekspres cable car before you go.