A family-run guest house in a historic stone building in Gjirokastër, with air-conditioned rooms, private bathrooms, free WiFi, a terrace and garden views — a short walk from the Old Bazaar and Castle.
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Kore Guest House is a family-run guest house set in a historic stone building in Gjirokastër, the UNESCO World Heritage town of southern Albania. It sits on a quiet street just a short walk from the Old Bazaar and the Castle, and guests reward it with a 9.7 “Exceptional” rating across 965 reviews — with the welcoming family hosts scoring a standout 9.9 for staff.
There are four room types, from a compact double or twin for two up to a 60 m² Deluxe Suite with its own living room and separate bedroom. Every room is air-conditioned with a private bathroom, a flat-screen TV with cable channels and a terrace, and most look out over the garden. The setting is charming and traditional, with spotless, well-kept interiors that guests rate 9.8 for cleanliness.
Beyond the rooms, guests can relax on the terrace — where a generous homemade breakfast is served with city and mountain views — or enjoy a drink at the bar. The welcoming hosts share local advice and homemade treats like raki, help with parking and navigation, and keep free WiFi running throughout. Bicycle parking and free toiletries round out a genuinely personal stay.
Kore Guest House has four room types, from 17 to 60 square metres, covering everything from a couple travelling light to a family or small group of four. They share the same core: air conditioning, a private bathroom, a flat-screen TV with cable channels and a terrace with garden views, all inside a traditional stone building in the old town.
What sets them apart is size and layout. The Double or Twin Room and the Large Double Room suit two or three, the Family Room sleeps up to four across singles and a super-king double, and the Deluxe Suite is a spacious apartment with a separate living room, a dining area and a washing machine. Prices for two start from around €37 a night.
For a small family-run guest house, Kore Guest House covers the essentials well. Free WiFi reaches the rooms, every room is air-conditioned with a private bathroom, and there is a terrace to sit out on — the same one where the homemade breakfast is served with city and mountain views.
The practical extras make a short stay easy: free parking on site, bicycle parking and a bar for a relaxed drink. Rooms add flat-screen TVs with cable and satellite channels, heating, a desk and a refrigerator, while the Deluxe Suite also has a washing machine and a dining area. Free toiletries, a hairdryer and slippers come as standard in the private bathrooms.
Kore Guest House is in Gjirokastër, in the far south of Albania close to the Greek border. The nearest airport is Ioannina in Greece, about 71 km away and roughly an hour and a half by car, though many travellers arrive through Corfu or Tirana and continue by road. Intercity buses and furgon minibuses link Gjirokastër with Tirana, Sarandë and the border crossing at Kakavijë, stopping on the main road below the old town. From there the guest house is a short ride up the hill, on a quiet street just a few minutes' walk from the Old Bazaar. There is free parking on site, and the hosts are quick to help with parking and directions. Because the old town is steep and its lanes are cobbled, arriving by car and parking at the guest house is the most comfortable option.
Gjirokastër is a UNESCO World Heritage town of grey-stone Ottoman houses stacked up a mountainside, and almost everything worth seeing is within walking distance. The great Gjirokastër Castle crowns the town, with sweeping views over the Drino valley, a weapons museum and, every few years, the National Folk Festival; just below it the restored Old Bazaar is the place for coffee, qifqi rice balls and traditional crafts. The Gjirokastër Museum, the Ethnographic Museum and the grand Zekate and Skenduli tower-houses show how the town lived across the centuries. Further afield, the Blue Eye spring and the ancient site of Antigonea make easy half-day trips. Spring and autumn bring the mildest weather for the climbs between the sights; summer is hot but lively, and winter can be cold and wet on the exposed stone streets.
