This 10-day community group trip is organized by Go Granola and led on the ground by Pessy and trusted local Albanian guides. Talia designed the itinerary and supports planning and communication but will not be present on the trip. Pessy is a Go Granola trusted guide who has spent years building a deep personal connection to Albania, its people, and its culture. She has been adopted into an Albanian family, and knows this country in a way that most travelers never get to experience. You will travel across Albania’s most wild and untouched landscapes, from the Albanian Alps in the north to the Ionian Coast in the south. The trip begins in Tirana before heading into the mountains for several days of hiking, camping, and living with a local Albanian family in their home. You will trek through alpine valleys, swim in glacial rivers, take cold plunges in mountain streams, and fall asleep to nothing but the sound of nature. You’ll eat food cooked by grandmothers, dance around campfires, and experience a side of Albania that most travelers never find. After the mountains, the trip continues south to the Albanian Riviera, one of Europe’s last undiscovered coastlines, to kayak through sea caves, swim in crystal clear water, and watch the sun set over the Ionian Sea from a boat with your new favorite people.

This trip is for anyone who wants to feel alive, present, and genuinely connected to the people around them. You’ll hike, swim, sweat, laugh until it hurts, and leave a different person than you arrived. No hiking experience necessary, just an open mind and determined attitude!