Day Four: Bunkers, Architecture, and My Stage Debut

There is no better way to get the pulse of a new city than a bright-and-early walking tour. It is the ultimate strategy for a traveller: you get a curated preview of the city's highlights, figure out exactly where you want to circle back to later, and, when you're on a massive Contiki trip with nearly 50 people, it’s the perfect low-pressure environment to mingle and make new friends.

*Shots from our walking tour in Tiranë (May 2026)*

We gathered outside the striking National Theatre of Opera, Ballet and Folk Ensemble right in the city centre before splitting into smaller groups. Tiranë is a city of intense contrasts, and our guide did an incredible job peeling back the layers of Albania's heavy communist history, explaining how drastically the culture, mindset, and architecture have transformed since the country gained its freedom.

Exploring Tiranë’s Landmarks

As we walked, we took in some of the capital's most defining landmarks, including the statue of Mother Teresa: a person whose tireless support of all Albanians remains a massive point of national pride. We also passed the concrete hull of the Pyramid of Tiranë, a bizarre piece of late-communist architecture originally built as a museum to the country's longtime dictator, Enver Hoxha.

Our tour wrapped up at Bunk'Art 2.

This museum is wild. It’s an underground museum housed inside a top-secret, anti-nuclear bunker built in the 1980s for the Ministry of the Interior and the state’s infamous secret police.

Walking through the heavy metal doors into the cold concrete underbelly of the city is undeniably fascinating, but with the tight, winding corridors and multiple tour groups moving through the exhibition rooms, it quickly felt pretty claustrophobic. Still, seeing the preserved surveillance gear, interrogation rooms, and the raw history of political persecution was an incredibly impactful, unmissable experience.

Slow Lunches & Spiritual Spaces

Needing a bit of fresh air and sunlight after the bunker, I met up with Leah and her roommate, Blythe. Fun travel serendipity: I sat next to Blythe on the bus on Day One, and she happens to share my exact same birthday and year! The three of us wandered over to the historic pedestrian walls of Tirana Castle for lunch.

*Lunch spread and iced coffee at Lezet (May 2026)*

We grabbed a table at Lezet, a beautiful Turkish restaurant tucked inside the castle grounds. We ended up having the most amazing, languid lunch, just sitting back to chat, enjoy incredibly authentic dishes, and sip on cold coffees while completely losing track of time.

Next, we walked over to the Mosque of Namazgah, also known as the Great Mosque of Tiranë. Even from the outside, the classical Ottoman-style architecture with its towering 50-metre minarets and grand central dome is completely breathtaking.

*The stunningly beautiful Mosque of Namazgah (May 2026)*

We donned the provided hair coverings at the entrance and stepped inside. This was actually my very first time inside a mosque, and it was a deeply interesting experience.

Standing beneath the massive, detailed dome, looking at the intricate calligraphy, and soaking in the absolute serenity of the space, I couldn't help but notice the beautiful parallels — and unique differences — between this and other spiritual houses of worship I’ve visited around the world.

We finished our afternoon wanderings with a quick stroll through the New Bazaar to see the bustling market stalls before heading back to the hotel for a strategic, highly necessary pre-night-out nap.

An Albanian Wedding

While walking through the hotel lobby before our nap, I crossed paths with a guy from our tour group who was buzzing with excitement about hitting a karaoke bar later that evening. Now, if you know me, you know I love karaoke.

When he enthusiastically suggested we team up on stage to belt out my absolute go-to track ("You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette) I obviously said yes. Though, secretly, I was convinced the plan would dissolve after a few drinks at the bar.

Spoiler alert: he absolutely did not forget.

*Dressed up and dancing at Albanian Night (May 2026)*

Once evening rolled around, our entire Contiki crew met up in the main square and headed out for Albanian Night. This is an immersive theatre experience where the audience gets dressed up in traditional, colourful local attire to celebrate a massive, energetic traditional wedding alongside the actors on stage.

It was pure chaos in the best way possible; a few people from our group even got pulled up to be part of the main storyline. It was an incredibly memorable, hilariously fun introduction to Albanian folklore, and I highly recommend it if you ever find yourself in Tiranë.

Conquering the Karaoke Stage

To keep the high energy going, we migrated over to the New Irish Pub for a quick bite, a few drinks, and a chance to keep connecting with the massive, wonderful crowd on this tour.

As soon as the karaoke monitor (okay, karaoke laptop) flickered to life, my trip-mate tracked me down. It was time.

Now, I have done plenty of karaoke in my life, but it has always been tucked away in the safety of private rooms. Standing on an actual elevated stage in front of a packed room of people was a massive first for me.

*Karaoke time at New Irish Pub (May 2026)*

Thank goodness for a little liquid courage, because it turned out to be the absolute highlight of the trip so far. Belting out Alanis with 50 new friends cheering us on was pure magic. The adrenaline high was so real that I actually ended up back on stage a few songs later with another trip-mate to sing some classic Bon Jovi.

Realizing I had hit the absolute peak of the night, I decided to play it smart and call it a wrap. I walked back to the hotel with our Trip Manager, Meg, and a few others, falling asleep with ringing ears and a happy heart, ready to see what tomorrow would bring.

Next up on the blog: We are packing up the bus and heading to Bosnia & Herzegovina!