The Gjirokastra Folk Festival is one of the most important folk festivals in Albania. It is a celebration of cultural traditions including folk music and dancing from from all regions of Albania. The festival stage at of the Gjirokastra Fortress forms the stage for the performances where people will be dressed in traditional folk costumes. The festival only takes place once every few years and usually attracts hundreds of tourists that want to experience the traditional Albanian life.
If you are traveling from abroad, you can either fly to Tirana or Corfu. From Tirana it’s a three hour drive to Gjirokastra. From Corfu, you can take a short ferry to Saranda, from where you can reach Gjirokastra in about 1 hour by car or 1.5 hours by bus.
Where to stay during the Gjirokastra Folk Festival?
Gjirokastra is a nice town with plenty of choice when it comes to hotels, guest houses or hostels so there is something for every budget. Do however take in mind that the festival attracts people from all over Albania and from abroad, which might drive prices up if you book late, so we recommend to really book upfront if you want to stay in Gjirokastra during the festival.
