The public ferry runs to a timetable and stops where the timetable says. A private boat does not. You choose when to leave, which side canyons to explore, how long to swim, and whether lunch happens at eleven or at three. For a family or a group of friends it usually works out cheaper than buying six seats on a group tour.
Operated by Wild Tour Albania · licensed guides, insured boats
Most groups leave Koman between 08:00 and 09:00. Photographers often ask for 06:30 to catch mist on the water — we are happy to do it.
The captain cuts the engine in the narrowest section so you can hear how quiet it is. Stop wherever the light is good.
Swim at Ranxa, then continue upriver past the day-trip crowds to pools where you will usually be the only boat.
Riverside restaurant, or a picnic on a beach we pick out for you. Back at Koman whenever you want to be.
Koman ferry pier. Your captain will call you the evening before to confirm the time and the plan.
Private transfer from Shkodër, Tirana or Tirana Airport can be arranged. Shkodër is around €70 return for the vehicle, Tirana around €160.
Because the boat is yours, the captain can moor at the gentlest landing points and keep the boat alongside while you board. Tell us about mobility needs in advance and we will plan around them.
Tell us about any mobility, dietary or medical need when you book and we will confirm in writing whether we can accommodate it — or tell you honestly if we cannot.
We took the private boat with two small children and it was the best decision of the trip. The captain found a beach with shallow water where the kids could paddle, and we ate lunch with our feet in the river. Not one queue all day.
I photograph landscapes and asked for a 6am departure. They said yes without fuss. Mist on the water in the first hour, and we had the whole canyon to ourselves until nine.
Yes — for the boat, not per head. One person or seven, the price is the same. An eighth passenger is €30 extra where the boat's licence allows it.
That is the point of it. Send us a rough plan when you book and the captain will tell you honestly what fits into a day.
The captain decides on the morning. If it is unsafe you get a free date change or a full refund, your choice.
The classic Northern Albania day out: the ferry through the gorge, then the turquoise pools of the Shala River.
Paddle the quiet side arms of the canyon with a guide, a support boat and no experience required.
Four days across Northern Albania with every ferry, bed and transfer booked — and nobody telling you when to get up.