Gjirokastër hotels come in one shape more than any other: a stone tower house on a steep lane, three or four rooms, a terrace with a valley view and an owner who will carry your bag up the last flight. It is the best way to see the town, and the reason most people who pass through on a day trip wish they had stayed.
It is also a town where the address matters more than the photos, because the old quarter sits high above the main road and every street between the two is a climb.
Where to stay in Gjirokastër
Distances are straight-line from the old bazaar crossroads, Qafa e Pazarit, to each hotel's Google Maps pin. On this hill, a short distance can still be a stiff walk.
| Area | What it is | From the bazaar | Good for | Hotels people book here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old bazaar | The stone streets at the heart of the old town | 0-200 m | First visit, no car, evenings out | Fantasy, Kodra, Kalemi 2, Argjiro, Stone City Hostel |
| Palorto and the western hill | Quieter lanes uphill and west of the bazaar | 300-600 m | Views, quiet nights, couples | Hotel Kalemi, Boutique Hotel Praga, Resort Kerculla |
| New town | The flatter streets down toward the main road and buses | 500 m-1 km, downhill | Drivers, late arrivals, budget | Smaller hotels and apartments |
For one night without a car, sleep by the bazaar. With a car, a hotel with its own parking below the castle or in the new town saves you from the old town's narrow, steep, stone-paved lanes. If you arrive by bus, take a taxi up from the main road; the Tirana to Gjirokastër bus guide explains where buses stop.
Compare Gjirokastër hotels, guesthouses and apartments on the map. Powered by Stay22.
Gjirokastër hotels people search for by name
We looked up each Gjirokastër hotel that gets real search volume by name on Google Maps in October 2026 and confirmed it is in the town. Class is the one shown on the Maps listing; the price is the cheapest nightly rate Maps displayed for the date in brackets, all out of season, so read it as a floor.
| Hotel | Class | Google rating (reviews) | From the bazaar | Maps price (night) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resort Kerculla | 4★ | 4.7 (794) | 550 m | €81 (Jan 3-4) |
| Hotel Fantasy | 4★ | 4.6 (299) | 100 m | €55 (Nov 1-2) |
| Hotel Bar Restaurant Kodra | 3★ | 4.5 (956) | 150 m | €69 (Nov 1-2) |
| Rose Garden Hotel | 3★ | 4.8 (172) | 200 m | €70 (Oct 10-11) |
| Hotel Argjiro | – | 4.2 (277) | 100 m | – |
| Hotel Kalemi | 3★ | 4.5 (138) | 350 m | €42 (Oct 23-24) |
| Kalemi 2 Hotel | 3★ | 4.6 (358) | 150 m | €46 (Oct 30-31) |
| Hotel Çajupi | 4★ | 4.0 (206) | 150 m | €61 (Oct 17-18) |
| Boutique Hotel Praga | 3★ | 4.7 (99) | 400 m | €69 (Nov 3-4) |
| Furra Restaurant & Rooms | – | 4.8 (2,973) | 50 m | €59 (Oct 10-11) |
| Villa 70 | – | 4.9 (174) | 300 m | €40 (Oct 10-11) |
| Patio Rooms | – | 4.9 (98) | 1.0 km | €40 (Oct 10-11) |
| Hotel Musée | 3★ | 5.0 (219) | 400 m | – |
| Hotel The First | 3★ | 4.2 (193) | 750 m | – |
| Castle Hotel | 3★ | 4.8 (141) | 300 m | – |
| Hotel Kastro | 5★ | 4.8 (108) | 100 m | – |
| Dream's Hotel | 3★ | 4.7 (69) | 850 m | – |
| Hotel Relax, Old Bazaar | – | 4.1 (43) | 100 m | – |
| Inn Cloud | – | 5.0 (11) | 300 m | – |
Resort Kerculla is the name most people search for, and it is the outlier: a four-star hotel with a large outdoor pool on the hill south-west of the old town, 4.7 from 794 reviews. It works as a summer resort rather than a one-night stopover, which makes it worth the extra distance if you are staying two nights or more in July.
For a first night in the old town, Hotel Fantasy, Kodra and Kalemi 2 all sit within about 150 m of the bazaar crossroads. Rose Garden (4.8 from 172) is the quieter pick just south of it.
Hostels and budget rooms
Gjirokastër is one of the cheapest overnight stops in the south. Stone City Hostel (4.9 from 284 reviews) is a short walk from the bazaar, and Maps showed rooms from €36 for a mid-October night; Friends' Hostel (4.9 from 214) showed €22; both also take bookings on Hostelworld. Small guesthouses run by families in the old houses are often the best value of all, and many of them appear only on Booking.com or Airbnb, so use the map above rather than a list.
Apartments, Airbnb and camping
Airbnb in Gjirokastër is mostly rooms and apartments in old stone houses, which is the experience you came for, with the usual caveat about stairs. Campervans do better below the old town, on the valley floor north of it. On Google Maps in October 2026, Camping "Family" Gjirokastër (4.8 from 898 reviews), Camping Gjirokaster (4.4 from 231), Green Camping Gjirokaster RV (4.8 from 167) and Camping Carcani (4.9 from 141) were the ones with the most reviews. Read the newest reviews first, because small campsites change hands.
Parking in Gjirokastër
The old town's lanes are steep, narrow and paved with polished stone that is slippery when wet. If you are driving, choose a hotel that tells you in writing where you will park, or one in the new town, and walk up. Do not try to drive to the castle gate in a large car in summer without asking your hotel which way to go.
How long to stay
One night covers the castle, the bazaar and an evening when the day-trippers have gone, which is when the town is at its best. Two nights lets you add the house museums and a slower morning. If you only have time for one of the two Ottoman towns, read Berat or Gjirokastër; for Berat's hotels, see where to stay in Berat. Our Gjirokastër restaurants guide covers where to eat, and the Gjirokastër travel guide covers what to see.
FAQ
Where should I stay in Gjirokastër?
In the old town, as close to the bazaar crossroads (Qafa e Pazarit) as you can, if you have no car. Hotel Fantasy, Kodra and Kalemi 2 all sit within about 150 m of it. With a car, pick a hotel with confirmed parking, below the castle or in the new town, and walk up.
What is the best hotel in Gjirokastër?
Resort Kerculla is the most searched, with a resort-style pool and 4.7 from 794 Google reviews in October 2026. In the old bazaar, Hotel Fantasy (4.6 from 299) and Rose Garden (4.8 from 172) are the strongest of the named hotels we checked.
Is Gjirokastër cheap to stay in?
Yes. Outside summer, Maps showed hostel beds from about €22, family hotels in the old town from around €40-60, and Resort Kerculla from €81 a night. July and August cost more, but the town stays one of the cheaper overnight stops in southern Albania.
Can you drive to hotels in the old town?
To some, carefully. The lanes are steep, narrow and paved with slippery stone, and parking is limited. Ask the hotel for directions and parking in writing before you arrive, or stay in the new town and walk up, or take a taxi up from the main road with your luggage.
