We saw the ferry across Lake Koman described as one of the most beautiful boat trips in the Balkans, and after taking the trip, we have to concur. The boat winds its way along the narrow fjord-like reservoir between steep limestone cliffs and forested mountains, with tiny hamlets and isolated farms perched on the slopes.
Taking the ferry is by far the best way to reach the secluded mountains and valleys in the eastern part of Albania, but the trip is also very popular, so it requires some pre-planning. Here’s everything we learned taking Albania’s most famous boat trip.
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Organized Komani Lake Ferry Tours
If you don’t feel like puzzling out minibuses, ferry timetables and transfers in Albanian mountain villages, a guided day tour is probably the most relaxed way to experience the Koman Ferry. Several companies in Shkodër and Tirana run organized round-trips that include transport to and from Koman, the ferry ticket, and usually a lunch stop around Fierzë.
It’s probably the best way if you just want to enjoy the scenery without worrying about logistics too much, especially if you’re short on time and don’t plan to continue deeper into the mountains. Then again, it’s obviously also more expansive than organizing it yourself. Expect to pay between 40 and 60€ per person, depending on whether food or additional stops are included.
Most tours leave Shkodër around 6am and return there by late afternoon. You can have a look at some options below.
Doing the Komani Lake Ferry With a Car
Taking your own car or a rental on the ferry is an option, and it’s exactly what we did, as we wanted to continue our roadtrip of Northern Albania on the other side of Lake Koman. That said, it requires some more pre-planning than the other options. Here’s what you need to know.
Pre-Planning
If you decide to do take a rental car on the ferry, it’s absolutely essential that you check with your rental company that you are actually allowed to do so. For instance, we had a small car booked through Rent a Car in Albania, and we had to upgrade to an SUV to be allowed to take it on the ferry.
We also gave a Brazilian couple from our hotel a ride to the ferry, who weren’t allowed to take the rental car from their company at all, so this seems to be a common thing. If you really want to take your car across Lake Koman, pick the right company, car model and plan.
Secondly, you’ll definitely need to pre-book a ticket, as car spaces on the ferry are very limited. When booking, you need to write down the make and model of your car, as well as the approximate surface area in square meters (length times width).
However, if the rental company ends up giving you another car (like in our case), you can just change these details afterwards (and honestly, nobody checked this stuff when we arrived). You’ll also have to fill in the license plate number. We didn’t have it yet and just wrote ‘Rental Car’ in the box and it worked.
Getting to Koman by Car
Getting to Koman can feel like a bit of an adventure in itself. The first part of the road from Shkodër along the SH5 south-east to Vau-Dejës is just a regular highway, but once you drive onto the SH25 it starts getting more narrow and pot-holed as it winds around the pretty Vau i Dejës Reservoir.
That said, the first two thirds of the road were paved and in pretty good condition, but the last 10 kilometres or so before Koman the road was completely ripped open, and it took us forever to drive that part (although a 4×4 wasn’t necessary).
The reason for the bad condition was that the road was being repaved, however, so it should be in an excellent state soon. I highly recommend driving to Koman in the afternoon and spending the night in there, so you won’t have to navigate the road in the early morning while rushing to the ferry (which wouldn’t be a good idea).
How the Ferry Ride With a Car Works
Once we arrived at the tunnel leading to the ferry port, someone wanted to see your reservation and then waved us through to the narrow tunnel. At the other end, someone else collected a ‘port fee’ of 200 Lek and told us to turn the car around
Afterwards, the port staff offered to park the car on the ferry for us, which we gladly accepted. Unless you’re a professional parking valet, I suggest you take them up on their offer as well, as cars were required to be parked backwards, mere inches from each other, which would have been nerve-wracking.
Make sure to take everything you need during the boat ride from the car (camera, food, sunscreen, a jacket), as you won’t be able to get to your car once other cars are blocking the way.
Once you’ve arrived in Fierzë, you should enter your car as soon as you’re able to open the door, after which staff will signal to you, once it’s your turn to drive off the ferry. Once you’re in Fierze port, it’s a 20-minute drive along a good, reasonably wide road to Bajram Curri (the next bigger town) or about an hour to the Valbonë Valley.
Doing the Komani Lake Ferry by Public Transport
If you want to do the ferry ride independently, but are on a budget, it’s also possible to do the entire trip just using public transport. Koman-bound furgons (minibuses) leave from the Shkodër bus terminal (near Hotel Rozafa) or sometimes from in front of the Rozafa Hotel itself at 6.45am.
It’s best to confirm the current schedule, as departure times might shift with the seasons. Your guesthouse or hotel would likely also be able to help you sort it out (but might just try to push an organized tour of their own on you), so it’s probably best to check online and book your spot on the bus yourself.
The ride should cost around 800 Lek and takes 1.5 to 2 hours, but you don’t have to worry about the schedule, as they are timed to the ferry departure around 9am. There’s not much else going on in Koman.
At the other end of the lake, the ferry docks near the small town of Fierzë, about 30 minutes north of Bajram Curri. There were a couple of minibuses bound for Valbonë and Bajram Curri (where you can change for other destinations in eastern Albania) waiting for passengers when we arrived at the dock.
If you’re traveling outside the main season from May to October, it’s once again probably best to pre-book a spot on a minibus online.
What’s the Best Deck and Spot for the Ride?
There are three levels on the ferry, and it really pays to come early and secure a place on the open top-deck. The seats were all taken when we arrived, and we didn’t have any problems standing during the ride, but if you need a seat, you should come early.
Below is the ‘main deck’ of the boat with plenty of seating in a closed cabin (which is comfortable, but doesn’t afford the best views) and a number of seats outside on both sides of it, which are pretty cramped and only afford a view of one side.
Below that is the deck containing the cars and the only two toilets on the ferry. On the rear of the lower deck you have a pretty good view of the canyons when you come out of them and there was hardly anyone here, when we dropped by, so it might be a good alternative if the upper deck is completely full.
Other Practicalities
What’s the Schedule?
At the time of writing, the ferry leaves Koman Dock for Fierzë at 9am and Fierzë Dock for Koman at 1pm. You can double-check the current times here.
How to Get Ferry Tickets
Unless you’re taking an organized tour, the easiest way to get a ferry ticket is the website of the Berisha Company, who operates the ferries. They also organize road transport between Shkodër and Koman, as well as between Fierzë and Valbonë, so you can book everything together.
How Much Is the Ferry Ticket?
This depends on quite a few factors, including whether you take a one-way or a round trip and whether you’re bringing a car (and if yes, what size it has). We paid 1000 Lek per Person and about 5000 Lek for our rental car. You can check the current prices here.
How Long Does the Ferry Ride Take?
The whole trip took about 2.5 hours. We started in Koman shortly after 9am and arrived in Fierzë around 11.30am.
A Description of the Ferry Ride
Next to the ferry dock on Koman is a famous cave shrine with an image of the Virgin Mary, modelled on the ‘Lady of Lourdes’ in southern France and placed there in 1997. It’s become a popular Catholic pilgrimage site since then, but can really only be seen from the water, so make sure to have a look before the ferry pulls away.
Once the boat leaves the dock and not-so-pretty concrete dam behind, it doesn’t take long for the landscape to start working its magic. The wide basin near the dam quickly narrows into a deep, winding canyon, with sheer limestone cliffs towering hundreds of meters above the emerald-green water.
The lake was formed when the Drin River was dammed in the 1980s, flooding several valleys, but people still live in the area, and we saw lots of small farm houses and grazing goats that somehow manage to balance on near-vertical ridges.
Apart from that, we also spotted plenty of herons and cormorants from the deck. About halfway during the ride we stopped for a short time in tiny Berishë e Vogël to drop off some people (there are few guesthouses here, if you want to get away from it all).
The most narrow and impressive part of the canyon with the highest walls came just after this stop, but not so long thereafter the limestone cliffs turned into wooded hills again and stayed that way most of the rest of the trip until Fierzë port.