Albanians are people of joy and togetherness, they love to gather and celebrate, share the happiness, love and hugs whenever they can. If you are in Tirana, you can easily notice the vibes, families preparing the christmas tree, shops being full, streets being decorated, people buying gifts to each other, squares getting prepared for concerts, everyone is enjoying music and a good coffee.
If you happen to be here, embrace the holiday spirit and get out there to enjoy Tirana’s most wonderful time of the year. The winter is the city’s ally and is never a problem. Even when it snows, it gives us the most brilliant view, another reason to love it, to feel like somewhere in the North Pole.
That is what makes the white season the best of all, so if you want to be a part of it, have a look at our top 5 things to do in Tirana in December, keep them in mind and enjoy the season!
1. Follow the events in Tirana during December
Tirana is a lively city whenever, but its colours are at its best when there’s a special event. The most wonderful time of the year is of course the greatest event of all in and it welcomes you in different areas of the city.
- Christmas Artisan Market – 8 December 2019
- Skanderbeg Square Christmas Market
- Rruga Murat Toptani Christmas Market
- New Year’s Eve Concert and Fireworks – 31 December 2019
Discover more events HERE
During the day you can still visit the museums, galleries, government buildings, the pyramid and other monuments on the main boulevard, but during the night, enjoying the New Year decoration is the best thing to do.
2. Get lost in the Christmas Market
During the last few years, Tirana has been the queen of Christmas Markets in Albania, offering the best environment to spend the cold but entertaining night while waiting for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It still holds the record on 2021, inviting everyone to visit the Skanderbeg square, which is the most interesting playground to be in at the moment. The Christmas market is focused on the city center but there are bright decorations all over the streets. The Christmas tree was set in the first days of December, and although the rain was not in its favor, Tirana managed to gather everyone in Skanderbeg Square. There you will find Christmas lodges, offering warm drinks and food, music and long conversations, warmly dressed and decorated with lights. For children there are plenty of fun games like Christmas carousel, toy cars etc. For teenagers looking for adrenaline, the play corner challenges you with safe flights in the air. Of course the kavaliers have the chance to win a teddy bear for their ladies in shooting games. A warm evening with chestnuts will make your December merrier if you visit the Skanderbeg Square in Tirana.
3. Enjoy Tirana’s Nightlife
If you love those noisy, crowded nights, New Bazaar is the place for you! Everyone is there for a drink, for dinner and for long warm conversations during December. If you are looking for a fancy place, the rotating restaurants Tirana’s Sky Tower is a fun place for a drink and well worth it for the views of Tirana. Try to make it in time for the sunset. I am sure you have heard about Block area. You must go there. Nightlife, live music concert, theaters, movies, fast food, slow food, fun people. You can also walk to Bllok area to enjoy life music, lively bars and restaurants. Two other suggestions to keep in mind : Mustafa Matohiti street (bars, clubs, restaurants), the bars at Air Albania stadium.
4. Get the cable car to Mount Dajti
Taking a break from the city is more than ok, especially on those holiday weekends. You can spend a whole day in Mount Dajti, just 15 minutes by car from the centre of the city. There are two ways to reach the top: driving a car or by the cable car. Both ways you get wonderful views. The cable car will make your transition shorter and you will be able to watch Tirana from above. Make sure to wear warm clothes in case you choose this option. Getting at the top is the best thing. At first you will be amazed by the view and I am almost sure you will spend 1 hour taking pictures around. If you’re lucky and it snows, it is even better, merrier, brighter. Enjoy the restaurants, the bars, ride a horse and have a relaxing day in nature.
5. Relax and shop
Health tourism is new to Albania, but Tirana is a big city and it offers a wide choice of health service providers and specialised clinics. If you are looking for relax, spa, or beauty treatments, you will never get a better price and better quality than in Tirana. Beauty saloons are everywhere, ready to welcome you for face, hair or nail treatments, relaxing or therapeutic massage, some botox or fillers, whatever makes you feel better and prettier.
Go to Nobis for a whole SPA day, swimm at the indoor pool, enjoy the jacuzzi and the sauna. For the shopaholics the shopping malls are the best destinations: TEG, QTU, RING CENTER, TOPTANI SHOPPING CENTER. If you are looking for the best areas to be within the city, some of the nicely decorated streets are Myslym Shyri, Kavaja Street or Durresi Street where you can combine your walk with some shopping. All the souvenirs shops are located on these streets.
You might like