Decision
Koman ferry or the road round?
Getting to the Valbonë valley is either a boat through a gorge or a long drive around it. The boat is the better journey and it is only available for part of the year.
Side by side
| The Koman ferry | The road via Bajram Curri | |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Daily 15 April to 5 November. No service 6 November to 14 April. | Year round, subject to weather. |
| Departures | Koman 09:00, Fierza 13:00. | Whenever you leave. |
| Foot passenger fare | EUR 9 booked online, EUR 10 or 1,000 lek cash at the port. | Fuel and time rather than a ticket. |
| What it is like | Two and a half hours through a narrow reservoir gorge, and half the reason people come north. | A long inland drive that goes around the reservoir instead of through it. |
| If it is not running | Dragobia, a separate private boat, runs year round for residents. | It is the fallback, which is the whole reason to know it exists. |
Our answer
Take the ferry, and book it. It runs 15 April to 5 November, leaves Koman at 09:00, costs EUR 9 online, and it is the single strongest leg in northern Albania. The road exists so that a November trip or a sold-out sailing does not end the plan.
IfYou are travelling between mid-April and early NovemberThe ferry, on the 09:00, booked ahead in July and August.
IfYou are travelling in winterThe road. The scheduled ferry is not running.
IfYou have a car and want it in ValbonëThe ferry still, if you can get vehicle space; otherwise the road round.
IfYou want the gorge and not the valleyThe ferry as a return day trip from Shkodër, which is a real way to do it.
Sources: Koman Lake Ferry (Berisha), operator timetable and prices (read 2026-08-25); Koman Lake Ferry, Shkodër to Theth shuttle (read 2026-08-25); visitalbania.guide seed dataset (read 2026-08-23).