Settle into Shkodër
Travel from Tirana to Shkodër and stay overnight. Use the afternoon for a city walk and confirm the next day’s transfer to Theth. Do not add a late castle trip if it would leave you organizing your mountain pickup in a rush.
Give the valley two nights
Transfer to Theth and use the first afternoon to settle in. Choose the following day’s walk with local advice about conditions and your group’s experience. This route does not assume a Theth–Valbonë crossing; that requires a separate hiking and luggage plan.
Return with some breathing room
Travel back to Shkodër and stay a final night there. If the transfer leaves time, choose a city meal or a short walk. Avoid promising yourself a major museum visit until you know its hours and your arrival time.
Continue to Tirana
Return to Tirana with a generous buffer. For an early flight, replace the final Shkodër night with a Tirana night. This five-day suggestion assumes confirmed transfers and suitable mountain conditions; shorten it to Shkodër and its surroundings if Theth access is unsuitable.