Are you planning a holiday break in winter and you’re looking for something warm and pleasant? Why not Albania? We’ll go over a few reasons why Albania is a great place for a holiday. We’ll also cover the temperatures you can expect in December, January and February in Albania.
Is it warm in Albania in winter?
Weather in Albania in winter
Albania’s certainly no Cyprus when it comes to temperatures out of season, but it’s still quite a bit warmer than that we’re used to. Highs in Albania can reach even 20 degrees Celsius. It rains sporadically, but rains in Albania tend to be quite short-lived and mild. It does also snow in the mountain regions in Albania, which is great, because it allows for winter sports!
Even cheaper than usually
The ultimate budget holiday destination
The low season in practically every country means lower prices, and Albania, even though it’s already very cheap, is no exception to this. Therefore, if you want very cheap accommodation, then Albania in winter is your friend. Prices can be up to 50% lower than in the high season.
Fewer tourists in Albania
When to visit Albania?
Winter in Albania is also a great time for those of you who detest crowds and noise in the typical holiday resorts. Of course, it’s not that great of a time to jump onto the nearest beach and go swimming in the empty sea, but the cities and towns will be more fun to explore without all the tourists. Sadly, every coin has two sides, and lower traffic means some tourist facilities simply can’t survive in the low season, and so they close.
Heliskiing in Albania
Winter activities in Albania
In addition to simply visiting the beautiful cities of Albania, like Durres or Saranda, you can also try more unusual stuff. For instance, what do you say about Heliskiing, or having a helicopter take you to the very peak of the mountain from where you can ski or snowboard all the way down?
You can find the pricing details here if you’re interested, but the shorthand is this: for a group of 4 skiers with one guide (and one helicopter) for a week, you pay €8,950 per person. You can also buy extra time, as each group has allocated 4 hours of flying time, for €3,500 (per group). It’s quite a pricey endeavour, especially for Albanian standards, but it sure is a fun once-in-a-lifetime experience.
For the record, if you’re secretly a millionaire and you don’t mind dropping loads, you can also rent 1500 square km of mountains for yourself and yourself alone. How much does it cost to rent a mountain? Just €95,000 for 8 people for a week.
Skiing in Albania
Is it possible to ski in Albania?
If you’re not a millionaire and you just want to ski without all that helicopter business, you can also just use ski lifts. You can find them in, for instance, Bigëll – Dardhë.
Weather in Albania in December
Temperatures in Albania in December
Finally, let’s get to the weather. We’ll focus on the coast, as the mountains are decidedly colder and you likely won’t be staying there for that much of the trip. Albanian coasts will be much more pleasant, with temperatures ranging from 12 to 18 degrees Celsius. It may rain quite a bit, with 12 rainy days expected in the whole month, so take an umbrella with you. At night, temperatures drop quite a bit, to an average 6 degrees.
Weather in Albania in January
Temperatures in Albania in January
In 2023, temperatures in January peaked at 18 degrees Celsius, with the average being closer to 13-15. The averages may also be a bit lower, depending on the year. There’s still quite a bit of rain, about 11 days. Nights get even colder, down to about 4 degrees Celsius.
Weather in Albania in February
Temperatures in Albania in February
The weather in Albania in February is largely similar to January, though late February can be a bit on the higher end. In 2023, February in Tirana showed 22 degrees for the last few days of the month. Still, you should expect a similar average to January. It also continues the trend of the rain getting a tiny bit milder, with 12 rainy days expected on average.
As you can see, Albania in winter is certainly not the hottest of the hot countries in Europe, but it’s still more like our autumns than an actual full-blown winter. Apart from the rain, which is more mild in reality than it might appear in text, it’s warm enough to explore the Albanian towns with a warm jacket and a fluffy hat. The trade-off is that you’ll pay barely anything for the trip and you’ll scarcely have issues with crowds.
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