Gjirokaster is known for its vibrant cultural events. The National Folklore Festival, held every five years, is a grand celebration of Albanian music, dance, and traditions. This event attracts performers and visitors from all over the country, turning the town into a hub of cultural festivities.

Generally speaking, two full days is a good amount of time to visit Gjirokaster. Spending a few days here will allow you to see a lot without feeling like you’ve just run a marathon. Spending 2 or 3 days in Gjirokaster is a great time to spend in the city for your first time in Albania. This will give you the chance to see most of what the city has to offer and even include day trips if you want! You can see almost everything in Gjirokaster in 3 days, the main sights and some of the more unique attractions. However, you might get very tired if you go all over the place in a short time. Gjirokaster isn’t that big, but the streets are quite rocky and steep.

Gjirokaster and Berat, both are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites under the same title and have so much charm packed into each place. Gjirokaster offers heaps of different attractions for every kind of budget traveler, and is home to the best hostel in Albania. There are many more things to do in Gjirokaster, it has the best hostel in Albania and offers more diverse travel photography opportunities.

The best time to visit is in the spring (April - May) when the fruit trees are in blossom, or in the early summer (June) when the temperatures are still cool. Later on in the summer, temperatures can reach as high as 40ºC, however, the higher altitude of the old town plus a profusion of shady trees reduces the intensity of the hottest days. Mountain breezes especially in the evening refresh and enhance dining outdoors. There is often fine weather in the autumn but colder temperatures are characteristic of winter. Heavy rainfall is common between February and April. Annual precipitation ranges from 75 to 570 mm a month with most rain falling in the winter season.

Citizens of most western countries are not required to obtain a visa in advance. This applies to citizens of Australia, Canada, Croatia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, San Marino, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States. Visitors will be charged a €10 entry tax on arrival in Albania, though Czech and Polish citizens are exempt. Check the Albanian Foreign Ministry website www.mfa.gov.al for the latest information in English and Albanian.