Tirana to Ohrid Transfer: Tirana Airport to Ohrid by Private Car
Landing at Tirana Airport and spending your holiday on Lake Ohrid? A Tirana to Ohrid transfer with Book Transfer is a private car with a driver only for you and your group: it meets you in the arrivals hall at Tirana International Airport or at your hotel in Tirana, crosses the border into North Macedonia at Qafë Thanë and stops at the door of your hotel in Ohrid or Struga. No other passengers, no changes on the way.
Flying to Tirana soon? Call or write to us – we work 24/7.
The same number is on Viber and WhatsApp. Orders in English by phone, or in the chat in your own language – we answer chats almost instantly, day and night.
Below: the price, where the driver waits at Tirana Airport, the road and the border at Qafë Thanë, and travel time by season. Flying into Skopje instead? Read our Skopje to Ohrid transfer guide.
Tirana to Ohrid transfer: prices
Every price we give is for the whole vehicle, one way – never per person. Tirana and Tirana Airport to Ohrid are not a fixed line in our pricelists, so we do not guess a number: you send us the date, the pickup point and how many people travel, and we confirm the price, the vehicle and the driver before the trip, within 24 hours.
| Route | Distance and time | Sedan (up to 4) | Minivan (up to 6) | Minibus (up to 8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tirana Airport (TIA) → Ohrid | confirmed with the quote | on request | on request | on request |
| Tirana city → Ohrid or Struga | confirmed with the quote | on request | on request | on request |
| Durres → Ohrid | confirmed with the quote | on request | on request | on request |
| Sofia ↔ Tirana | 540 km · about 8:30 h | on request | on request | on request |
| Sofia ↔ Ohrid | 425 km · about 6:15 h | on request | on request | on request |
| Plovdiv ↔ Tirana | 700 km · about 10:00 h | on request | on request | on request |
| Sofia → Skopje | 250 km · about 4:00 h | 200 € | 260 € | 320 € |
Kilometres, hours and the Sofia – Skopje prices are taken from our Sofia pricelist and Plovdiv pricelist. Groups of 9 or more people, extra stops and the way back are also quoted on request. Nothing is paid in advance.
Where the driver waits at Tirana Airport
Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza (TIA) is at Rinas, north-west of the city, and has one passenger terminal, so the meeting is easy:
- In the arrivals hall: after passport control and baggage reclaim you walk out into the public arrivals area. Your driver is waiting there and walks with you to the car.
- Send the flight number: we follow your flight. If it lands late, the driver simply waits – a delayed flight means free waiting with no time limit.
- Cannot see the driver? Call or message +359 89 444 8441 on Viber or WhatsApp and our dispatcher connects you with the driver.
When the trip starts from an address – a hotel in Tirana, the port of Durres, or your hotel in Ohrid for the way back – the driver arrives on time and waits 15 minutes, so please be ready with your luggage. Other routes from the airport are on our Tirana Airport transfers page.
The road from Tirana to Ohrid
From the airport the car goes around Tirana and takes the road east over the hills to Elbasan. After Elbasan it follows the valley of the Shkumbin river through Librazhd and climbs to the border. On the Macedonian side the road comes down to Struga, at the northern end of the lake, and from Struga it is a short drive along the shore to Ohrid.
Qafë Thanë: the main border crossing
Qafë Thanë (Kafasan on the Macedonian side) is the crossing on the main road between Albania and Ohrid. Albania and North Macedonia are not in the Schengen area, so the car stops twice: at the Albanian exit control and at the Macedonian entry control. Keep your passports in your hand luggage, not in the boot. The driver has the papers for the car and knows the procedure. Both countries use the same time zone, so your watch stays as it is.
The southern way: Pogradec and St. Naum
The second option leaves the main road before the border and goes south to Pogradec, on the Albanian shore of the lake, and crosses at Tushemisht – St. Naum. From the monastery of St. Naum the road follows the eastern shore up to Ohrid. It suits hotels on that side of the lake or a short stop at St. Naum (tell us in advance).
How long does it take? Travel time by season
The exact distance and time for your pickup point come with the quote. These are the things that change the trip most:
| When | What to expect | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring and autumn, working days | the normal driving time | dry roads, short queues at Qafë Thanë |
| July and August | more time, especially at weekends | holiday traffic to the lake and longer queues at the border |
| Winter, December to March | extra time after snowfall | snow and ice on the mountain sections and on the pass |
| Flight back from Tirana | driving time plus a good reserve | the border on the way and check-in at TIA |
Arriving in Ohrid and Struga
- Hotels along the lake: the car stops in front of the entrance and the driver helps with the bags.
- The old town of Ohrid: the streets around Samuil’s Fortress and down to St. John at Kaneo are narrow, steep and partly closed to cars. The driver stops at the nearest point where a car may stand.
- Struga: it is the first town after the border, so a hotel in Struga is the shortest trip of all.
Flying home from Ohrid instead of Tirana? The small Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport is close to the town; see the Ohrid Airport transfers page.
One trip, three countries: Bulgaria, Ohrid and Albania
Many of our passengers combine Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Albania. Our pricelist gives 540 km and about 8:30 h from Sofia to Tirana, and 425 km and about 6:15 h from Sofia to Ohrid – the road to Albania passes the lake, so a night in Ohrid on the way is easy to plan. You can book it as two trips: Sofia to Ohrid, and a few days later Ohrid to Tirana or Tirana Airport. The first part through Skopje is described in our Sofia to Skopje transfer guide (from 200 € per car to Skopje).
- No prepayment: the car is reserved without paying anything in advance.
- Child seats are free: an infant carrier, a child seat or a booster cost nothing extra.
- A car for every group: our group has about 200 sedans, 50 minivans and 100 buses, plus 20 Mercedes of the E- and S-Class.
- Changes are free if you tell us at least 24 hours before the pickup.
- Christmas and New Year on the lake? Book your winter transfer now – fixed price, no prepayment.
Book your Tirana to Ohrid transfer
- By phone, day and night: +359 89 444 8441, or a chat on Viber or WhatsApp.
- Online: the transfer price request form – we will respond within 24 hours with a fixed price.
- Tell us: the flight number or the address in Tirana, the hotel in Ohrid or Struga, the number of people and suitcases, and any child seats.
Tirana to Ohrid transfer: FAQ
How much is a private transfer from Tirana to Ohrid?
Tirana to Ohrid is quoted on request, for the whole car and one way, not per seat. Send us the date, the pickup point and the number of passengers and we reply within 24 hours with a fixed price. You pay nothing in advance.
Can the driver meet us at Tirana Airport?
Yes. The driver waits for you in the arrivals area of Tirana International Airport (TIA) after passport control and baggage reclaim. We follow your flight, so if it lands late the driver waits for free, with no time limit.
Which border crossing do you use between Albania and North Macedonia?
Normally Qafë Thanë, on the hill above Struga, on the main road from Elbasan. The southern crossing at Tushemisht near Pogradec, which comes out at St. Naum on the lake, is possible too, for example when your hotel is on the southern shore.
Do I need a passport to go from Albania to North Macedonia?
Yes, take the travel document you entered Albania with. Neither country is in the Schengen area, so passports are checked when you leave Albania and when you enter North Macedonia. The rules depend on your citizenship, so please check them before the trip.
Can you drive us to Struga or St. Naum instead of Ohrid?
Yes. Struga is the first town after the border, and St. Naum, the beaches on the eastern shore and the villages around the lake can also be the drop-off point. Write the exact address when you ask for the price.
Do we pay extra for child seats?
No. An infant carrier, a child seat or a booster costs nothing extra. Just write how many you need.
