Klos sits in the Mat valley in central-northern Albania, 1 hour and 10 minutes from Tirana via the newly completed Rruga e Arbërit — the fastest, most dramatic mountain highway in the country. Glacial lakes at 1,800 metres, a 300-year Ottoman bridge with a story worth reading, an ancient caravan route walked by Albanian traders for centuries, and a canyon that sees almost no foreign visitors. Getting to all of it requires a hire car. This guide tells you which vehicle you actually need, which roads require a 4×4, and which routes will stop a standard car cold.
€18
From / Day
770+
Vehicles
€0
Deposit Option
∞
Mileage
100%
Full Insurance
Klos and the Mat Valley — What a Hire Car Actually Gets You
Klos is the main settlement in the Klos municipality, set in the Mat River valley between the mountains of central-northern Albania. It’s not a tourist town. There’s no organised visitor infrastructure, no souvenir shops, no restaurant strips. What there is: raw mountain landscape, a medieval history that predates the Ottoman period, one of the most ambitious new road projects in Albanian history, and access to terrain that the vast majority of travellers in this country never reach.
The Rruga e Arbërit — the Road of the Albanians — follows the approximate line of an ancient caravan route that connected the Albanian lowlands to the interior for centuries. The new highway version, completed in stages in recent years, cuts the Tirana-to-Klos drive to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Before it existed, this journey took well over 2 hours on winding mountain roads. That change has made car rental klos albania a genuinely viable option for travellers who’d previously have needed a full day just to arrive.
From Klos, the Mat valley continues northeast toward Burrel and eventually Peshkopi near the North Macedonia border. The 21 Balgjaj glacial lakes sit at 1,800 metres. The Uraka Canyon carves through limestone north of town. The Vasha Bridge crosses the Mat River on arches built roughly 300 years ago. None of these are accessible by public transport with any useful flexibility. A standard rental car reaches Burrel, the Vasha Bridge, and Uraka Canyon without issue. The Balgjaj lakes are a different matter entirely — and that distinction matters enough to have its own section.
1hr 10
Tirana to Klos via Rruga e Arbërit
21
Balgjaj glacial lakes (1,800m)
2,101m
Highest peak in the surrounding range
25km
Rough track from Kurdari to Balgjaj
~300yr
Age of Vasha Ottoman bridge
€18
Car hire from / day
What’s Included with Your Klos Car Hire
Rentrals works with a network of suppliers covering the Klos and Mat valley region. With 770+ vehicles at this location, you have genuine choice across categories — including the capable SUVs that some routes in this guide require. Here’s what every booking includes:
No Deposit
No security hold on your card at collection. Your credit limit stays fully available from the moment you pick up the keys until the vehicle is returned.
Low Deposit Option
A smaller upfront card hold in exchange for a lower daily rate. Available on economy and compact vehicles from €18/day. Confirmed at booking.
City Delivery
Vehicle delivered to your accommodation address in Klos or the surrounding area. Paperwork completed on-site. No need to locate a depot on arrival day.
Full Insurance
Comprehensive zero-excess cover — bodywork, windscreen, and theft. Essential for northeastern Albanian mountain roads where surface conditions vary significantly.
Unlimited Mileage
No kilometre caps or distance charges. Drive the full Tirana–Klos–Burrel–Peshkopi route and back without a single calculation. The distance adds up quickly in mountain terrain.
770+ Vehicles
Economy hatchbacks, compact SUVs, high-clearance 4x4s, and automatics. A fleet large enough to ensure the category you need is actually available — including capable off-road vehicles for the Balgjaj lakes route.
Pricing starts from €18/day — among the lowest rates for any location in Albania. The combination of fleet size and pricing makes this one of the more practical bases for a northeastern Albania itinerary. For the Balgjaj lakes specifically, confirm 4×4 availability when booking — don’t assume any SUV qualifies.
The Rruga e Arbërit — Driving a Road Centuries in the Making
The Rruga e Arbërit (Road of the Albanians) is both a new highway and an ancient concept. Albanian traders, soldiers, and travellers used the Mat valley corridor as a primary route between the Adriatic lowlands and the interior for centuries before any tarmac existed here. The route connected Albanian-speaking communities across the mountains in ways that modern maps, drawn by empires with different priorities, don’t fully capture.
The modern highway follows this same corridor. Where it used to take over 2 hours from Tirana to reach the Klos area on winding valley roads, the Rruga e Arbërit cuts that to 1 hour and 10 minutes via a series of tunnels, viaducts, and elevated sections that cut through the mountain terrain rather than winding around it. The engineering is genuinely impressive — there are sections where the road crosses valleys on high viaducts with views of the Mat River gorge below that you’d stop for even if you weren’t trying to reach anything specific.
For travellers doing the rruga e arberit car rental klos route as a deliberate historical experience, the drive itself is part of the point. The highway connects to older sections of road near Klos, and following those older roads into the Mat valley gives you a sense of how this terrain shaped Albanian movement patterns for generations. Coming back via the new road is an hour. Coming in via the old valley road is longer but rewards the extra time with closer views of the Mat River, traditional villages perched above the water, and the kind of landscape that looks unchanged across centuries.
From Tirana Airport: The Rruga e Arbërit access point is approximately 30 minutes from the airport. If you’re renting from Tirana Airport and driving directly to Klos, allow 1 hour 40 minutes total. The road is well-maintained motorway standard for the first section, transitioning to single carriageway as it approaches Klos municipality.
Balgjaj Glacial Lakes — You Need a 4×4. A Regular SUV Is Not Enough.
The 21 Balgjaj lakes sit at around 1,800 metres altitude in the mountains above the Mat valley. They’re glacial in origin — carved by ice age glaciers and left as a scattered chain of alpine pools across a high mountain plateau. The largest of them reflects the 2,101-metre peaks above in conditions of good weather. Nature photographers who’ve reached them describe the landscape as the most dramatic alpine terrain in northern Albania. That description is accurate, and it comes with a specific condition attached.
VEHICLE WARNING — READ BEFORE BOOKING: The track from Kurdari village to the Balgjaj lakes is approximately 25km of rough, unmaintained mountain terrain. This route requires a proper 4×4 with genuine off-road capability and high ground clearance — not a compact crossover, not a mild hybrid SUV with a 4×4 badge, not a standard AWD hatchback. A capable 4×4 with low-range gearing, at least 200mm of ground clearance, and a driver with experience on rocky mountain tracks. Attempting this in a standard vehicle risks getting stranded at altitude with no mobile signal and no passing traffic. Confirm at booking that your specific vehicle is rated for this route. Do not assume that any SUV qualifies.
The drive to Kurdari village itself is manageable in a standard car — it’s a paved road from the Mat valley floor. The 25km rough track begins at Kurdari and climbs steadily through terrain where the surface deteriorates from gravel to loose rock to stream crossings depending on season and recent weather. The approach takes 2–3 hours from Kurdari in a capable 4×4. In wet conditions or after heavy rain, even capable vehicles should delay the attempt.
For serious hikers and photographers who have the right vehicle, the reward is 21 glacial lakes across a high plateau with no tourist infrastructure, no entrance fees, and in most conditions no other visitors. The balgjaj lakes 4×4 car rental albania requirement is non-negotiable. Plan accordingly, bring everything you need from Klos (food, water, warm layers — temperature drops significantly at 1,800m even in summer), and download offline maps covering the area before leaving mobile coverage behind.
Offline maps downloaded before departure
Mountain hiking boots
Warm layers (cold at 1,800m)
Water for full day (no sources)
Full food supply from Klos
No mobile signal above treeline
Full tank before leaving Klos
Head torch in case of late return
4×4 versus standard car — which routes each vehicle covers
Standard car — cannot complete
Kurdari to Balgjaj lakes (25km rough track)
Any unmarked mountain track above 1,200m
River crossings on unpaved tracks after rain
Village approaches with loose rock surfaces
Standard car — fully accessible
Tirana to Klos via Rruga e Arbërit (all tarmac)
Klos to Burrel on the SH4 (paved, good condition)
Vasha Bridge approach road (paved)
Uraka Canyon main access road (paved)
Klos to Maqellarë on the paved valley road
All routes in this guide except Balgjaj track
Vasha Bridge — The Girl Who Sold Her Dowry to Build a Crossing
The Vasha Bridge crosses the Mat River on arches that have stood for approximately 300 years. It’s an Ottoman stone arch bridge — the same construction technique used across the Balkans during the period, producing structures that have outlasted the empire that built them by centuries. The bridge is well-preserved and still crossable on foot.
The name comes from a local story that locals in the area still tell. The Mat valley in that period had no reliable river crossing at this point, and flooding each spring cut off villages from each other and from the market in Burrel. A woman named Vasha — the detail that stays with you is this — sold her own dowry to fund the bridge’s construction. In Albanian mountain culture, a dowry was not just money. It was a woman’s security, her social standing, her independence in a society where marriage arrangements carried economic weight that’s hard to translate to a modern context. She gave it up so people she didn’t know personally could cross a river. The bridge was named after her.
Whether every detail of this story is historically documented or carries the natural rounding of oral tradition, the bridge exists. It crosses the Mat River. It’s 300 years old. And it’s called Vasha. The vasha bridge klos car rental approach is on a paved road from the main valley road — a standard car gets you there without difficulty. Allow 30 minutes from Klos town. The setting is best in the morning when the light comes down the valley from the east.
Combining Vasha Bridge with Uraka Canyon: Both are accessible from the Mat valley road north of Klos. Drive the canyon in the morning (earlier light is better in the limestone gorge), then the bridge in the afternoon on the return. Total driving for both from Klos: approximately 60km round trip on paved roads in a standard rental car.
Uraka Canyon — Limestone Gorge with No Tourist Queue
The Uraka Canyon cuts through limestone north of Klos along the Uraka River, a tributary of the Mat. It’s a narrower, less dramatic gorge than Holta Canyon near Gramsh, but it has something Holta rarely has: it’s almost entirely empty of visitors. On a weekday in summer, you may have the canyon to yourself. The access road is paved from the main valley road, and a standard rental car handles the approach without issue.
The canyon walk involves the same basic physical experience as other Albanian limestone gorges — wading in sections, scrambling over rocks, cold mountain water that doesn’t warm to swimming temperature until July at the earliest. The walls are high enough to block direct sunlight during the middle of the day, which keeps the canyon cooler than the open valley and makes summer visits more comfortable than the midday heat outside would suggest.
For the car rental klos uraka canyon approach: drive north from Klos on the Mat valley road toward Burrel, turn onto the Uraka tributary valley road as signed. The turnoff is marked but requires attention at driving speed — download the offline route before leaving Klos. Park at the track end and walk from there. Bring the same kit as any canyon visit: grip footwear, dry bag, water, and a change of clothes in the car.
The Burrel–Peshkopi Road — Which Route to Take and Which to Avoid
Peshkopi, the capital of Dibër County near the North Macedonia border, is a natural destination for travellers extending a Klos itinerary further northeast. There are two ways to get there from Burrel. One is fine in a standard rental car. The other is not.
ROUTE WARNING — Burrel to Peshkopi via mountain road: There is a route from Burrel toward Peshkopi that runs over mountain terrain on an unpaved or partially unpaved surface. Navigation apps — Google Maps included — sometimes route vehicles this way because it appears shorter. Do not take this route in a standard rental car. The surface deteriorates significantly on the mountain sections. This road has stranded travellers in standard vehicles. If your navigation proposes a route from Burrel to Peshkopi that doesn’t follow the valley, reject it and take the valley road instead.
The correct route from Burrel to Peshkopi follows the Drin River valley via Klos-Maqellarë and then northeast toward Dibër. This road is paved throughout and is driveable in a standard economy car. It’s longer in distance but significantly faster and safer. The klos maqellara peshkopi car rental route on the valley road takes approximately 1 hour 40 minutes from Burrel to Peshkopi. On the mountain shortcut in a capable vehicle, it might be faster. In a standard car, attempting the mountain route is a risk with no practical upside.
Check your navigation before leaving Burrel. If the route shown crosses any elevation above 1,200m between Burrel and Peshkopi, it’s the mountain route. Reject it. Follow the valley. This is the most important practical piece of information on this page for anyone extending their itinerary toward Dibër.
Confirmed paved route: Burrel → Klos → Maqellarë → northeast along the Drin valley → Peshkopi. All tarmac. Standard rental car has no issues on this route. Allow 1 hour 40 minutes from Burrel. Confirm with your accommodation in Peshkopi that the road you’ve been routed on is the valley road before departing.
Klos as a Base — Every Destination and Drive Time
The Mat valley position gives Klos useful reach in three directions: southwest to Tirana, northeast toward Peshkopi and the North Macedonia border, and north toward Bajram Curri via the longer mountain routes. Here’s every destination reachable from Klos with honest road condition notes:
*Drive times under normal conditions. Mountain roads in this region can add 30–40% to journey time in poor weather or behind slow vehicles.
Vehicles and Pricing — Getting the Category Right
The vehicle category matters more for a Klos itinerary than for most Albanian car rentals. The difference between an economy hatchback and a capable 4×4 is the difference between reaching the Balgjaj lakes and not. Here’s an honest breakdown of which vehicle covers which terrain:
Economy Hatchback
Covers the Rruga e Arbërit, Burrel, Vasha Bridge, Uraka Canyon, Klos town, and the full Peshkopi valley route. Cannot attempt the Balgjaj track. Right for most Klos itineraries if the glacial lakes aren’t on the list. From €18/day.
Compact SUV
More comfortable on the rougher sections of valley road. Higher seating position helps on mountain passes. Cannot replace a proper 4×4 for the Balgjaj track — a compact crossover SUV does not have the ground clearance or low-range gearing the 25km track requires. From approximately €32/day.
Capable 4×4
Required for Balgjaj lakes. Must have genuine low-range gearing, at least 200mm ground clearance, and locking differentials or equivalent traction control for rocky mountain tracks. Confirm the specific model is rated for this terrain when booking. Don’t rely on badge — confirm the spec. From approximately €55/day.
Category
Example Models
Low Season
High Season
Balgjaj Suitable
Economy / Mini
VW Polo, Toyota Aygo, Opel Corsa
From €18/day
From €24/day
No
Compact Hatchback
Seat Ibiza, Renault Clio, Toyota Yaris
From €22/day
From €29/day
No
Compact SUV / Crossover
Renault Captur, Seat Arona
From €32/day
From €44/day
No
Capable 4×4
Toyota Land Cruiser, Mitsubishi Pajero
From €55/day
From €72/day
Yes — confirm spec
When to Visit Klos — Seasonal Guide
The Mat valley has a continental mountain climate: warm summers, cold winters, with spring and autumn bringing the most dramatic skies. Each season changes access conditions significantly:
Spring
April – May
From €18/day
Roads clear from late April. Balgjaj track opens from late May once snowmelt settles. Mat valley at its greenest. Wildflowers on the mountain approaches. Canyon water cold but accessible. Lightest tourist traffic of the year.
Summer
June – August
From €24/day
Best season for Balgjaj lakes — track driest, lakes clearest, days longest. Uraka Canyon swimmable from July. Long daylight for the 2–3 hour Balgjaj track. Book 4×4 vehicles 3+ weeks ahead. Valley can be hot at lower elevations; 1,800m stays cool.
Autumn
September – October
From €20/day
Best overall driving season. Excellent light for photography — the mountains around the Mat valley in October carry colour that summer doesn’t. Balgjaj track open until first snowfall (usually October). Canyon walking good in September. Fewer visitors than summer.
Winter
November – March
From €18/day
Lowest prices. Rruga e Arbërit remains open and maintained through winter. Balgjaj track closed — snowbound from November to late April. Vasha Bridge and valley floor routes accessible. For travellers wanting the valley to themselves, winter is genuinely compelling.
Three Itineraries for a Klos Hire Car
One Day — Valley Landmarks Circuit
8:00am: Collect vehicle in Klos or drive from Tirana via Rruga e Arbërit (1hr 10min). 9:30am: Uraka Canyon — 2 hours in the gorge. 12:00pm: Drive to Burrel for lunch — 25 minutes on the SH4. 2:00pm: Vasha Bridge — 30 minutes from Burrel, 30-minute visit. Walk across, take the view down the Mat River. 4:00pm: Return to Klos or drive back to Tirana (1hr 10min via Rruga e Arbërit).
~120km totalFull dayStandard car
Two Days — Glacial Lakes Expedition
Day 1: Valley circuit — Uraka Canyon, Burrel, Vasha Bridge. Overnight in Klos or Burrel. Day 2 early: 5:30am departure from Klos in confirmed 4×4. Drive to Kurdari (50 min). Begin 25km rough track (2–3 hours). Arrive at Balgjaj plateau — 21 lakes, 1,800m altitude. Full day at the lakes. Return: 2–3 hours back down the track to Kurdari, then 50 minutes to Klos. Allow dark by the time you reach the valley floor — carry a head torch.
~200km total2 days4×4 required Day 2
Three Days — Northeast Albania Loop
Day 1: Tirana to Klos via Rruga e Arbërit (drive the ancient route). Valley circuit. Day 2: 4×4 day to Balgjaj lakes. Day 3: Drive northeast via Maqellarë to Peshkopi (valley road, paved, 1hr 40min from Burrel). Dibër County — traditional Albanian culture rarely seen by foreign visitors. Return via the same valley road or continue to Kukës and the Kosovo border if your itinerary extends further.
~350km total3 days4×4 needed Day 2
Driving in the Mat Valley — What to Expect
Rruga e Arbërit highway
Motorway-standard tarmac for the majority of its length. Tunnels, viaducts, and sweeping elevated sections. Speed limit 110km/h on motorway sections, 80km/h where it transitions to single carriageway near Klos. Well-lit through the tunnel sections. One of the better roads in Albania.
Mat valley road (SH4)
Paved single carriageway from Klos to Burrel and northeast toward Maqellarë. Good condition on the main sections. Some rough patches near village junctions. Occasional slow vehicles — tractors, livestock transport. Drive at the road’s pace rather than pushing through it.
Speed limits and police
Urban: 40km/h. Open road: 80km/h. Motorway sections of Rruga e Arbërit: 110km/h. Speed cameras active near Tirana. Traffic police conduct document checks at town entries in this region. Carry driving licence, vehicle registration, insurance certificate, and passport at all times.
Fuel in the Mat valley
Fill up in Klos or Burrel before any mountain excursion. Petrol stations become sparse northeast of Burrel. For the Balgjaj track, a full tank in Klos is essential — fuel consumption on rough mountain tracks is significantly higher than highway driving. Diesel (naftë) or petrol (benzinë): confirm at vehicle collection.
Mobile signal and navigation
Signal is reliable on the Rruga e Arbërit and through the main valley as far as Burrel. Northeast of Burrel it becomes patchy. Above 1,200m on mountain tracks, including the Balgjaj approach, signal is typically absent. Download offline maps covering the full Klos–Burrel–Maqellarë–Peshkopi corridor and the Kurdari–Balgjaj area before leaving Klos.
Night driving in the valley
The Rruga e Arbërit has lighting through tunnels. The Mat valley road north of Klos is unlit after dark. Cattle and sheep on mountain roads at night are a real hazard in this region. Return from any mountain excursion before dark where possible. If the Balgjaj track runs late, the descent to Kurdari in darkness is significantly harder than in daylight — plan the turnaround time.
Emergency and breakdown: 112 works throughout Albania. Save your rental supplier’s breakdown number from the document wallet before departing. In the Balgjaj track area, 112 may not connect — the track passes through significant dead zones. Tell someone in Klos or Burrel your intended route and return time before attempting the mountain track. This is standard practice for any remote mountain drive in this region.
Insurance for Your Klos Rental — Mountain Roads Require Clarity
Insurance matters more in this region than almost anywhere else in Albania. Mountain tracks, loose rocks, and river crossings create conditions where damage is more likely than on Tirana city roads. Understand your cover before you collect the vehicle.
Basic CDW
Included as standard. Covers collision damage to the vehicle body. Carries an excess of €400–€1,500 that you pay upfront in the event of any damage. Tyres, windscreen, and underbody damage are usually excluded. On mountain tracks, all three exclusions are relevant.
Full Zero-Excess Insurance
Removes the excess entirely. Covers windscreen chips from loose rock, pothole-damaged wheels, and minor body contact on narrow tracks. Strongly recommended for any itinerary that includes mountain roads. Typically €5–9/day extra. Worth it on this terrain without question.
Coverage limits to know
No insurance covers driving on roads explicitly excluded in the rental contract. Confirm at booking that the Balgjaj track is within your permitted territory. Contracts that cover “Albania only” cover the track, but confirm this in writing. Any route outside Albania’s borders — including toward Kosovo or North Macedonia — requires separate written permission.
Frequently Asked Questions — Car Hire in Klos, Albania
No. The 25km track from Kurdari village to the Balgjaj lakes requires a proper 4×4 with genuine off-road capability — low-range gearing, at least 200mm ground clearance, and appropriate traction for rocky mountain terrain. A compact crossover SUV, a mild hybrid with an AWD badge, or a standard SUV without low-range gearing will not complete this track reliably. Confirm the specific vehicle model’s off-road specification when booking, not just the category.
1 hour and 10 minutes via the Rruga e Arbërit highway. The road is motorway standard for most of its length and the drive is straightforward. From Tirana Airport, add approximately 25–30 minutes. Before the Rruga e Arbërit was completed, this drive took over 2 hours on the old valley road — the new highway has genuinely changed access to this region.
Take the valley road via Maqellarë northeast toward Dibër — this is paved throughout and driveable in a standard car. Do not take any route that navigation apps show crossing mountain terrain above 1,200m between Burrel and Peshkopi. That route has unpaved or deteriorated sections and has stranded drivers in standard vehicles. Check your navigation before leaving Burrel: if the route shown doesn’t follow the valley, reject it and find the valley road.
The Rruga e Arbërit (Road of the Albanians) is a modern highway that follows the approximate route of an ancient Albanian caravan road through the Mat valley. The new road reduced the Tirana-to-Klos drive from over 2 hours to 1 hour 10 minutes via tunnels and viaducts through mountain terrain. For travellers, it makes the Mat valley genuinely accessible as a day trip from Tirana, where before it required an overnight stay just to justify the drive time.
Yes. The approach road to Vasha Bridge from the Mat valley road is paved and in reasonable condition. A standard economy hatchback handles it without issue. The bridge itself is crossable on foot and worth 30 minutes of your time. It’s best combined with the Uraka Canyon on the same day — both are accessible from the main valley road north of Klos in a standard car, with a total round trip of approximately 60km.
Treat it as a full mountain day: hiking boots, warm layers (temperature at 1,800m drops significantly even in summer), water for the full day (no reliable sources above the treeline), food from Klos (nothing available at the lakes), a head torch in case the descent runs late, offline maps for the area downloaded before leaving mobile coverage, and a full fuel tank. There is no mobile signal on the track above the lower tree line. Tell someone your route and return time before departing.
21 years old with most suppliers at this location. Drivers aged 21–24 pay a young driver surcharge of approximately €6–€12 per day on top of the standard rate. Drivers 25 and over pay no age supplement. For 4×4 vehicles specifically, some suppliers require the driver to be 25 — confirm the age requirement for your chosen vehicle category at booking.
Yes, unambiguously. Basic CDW carries an excess of €400–€1,500 and excludes tyres, windscreen, and underbody. Mountain tracks produce exactly the damage these exclusions cover: stone chips on windscreens from loose rock, tyre damage on rough surfaces, and underbody contact on high-gradient sections. Full zero-excess insurance covers all of this for typically €5–9/day. On this terrain, the extra cost is consistently worth it.
A valid driving licence held for at least 12 months, your passport or EU national ID card, the credit or debit card in the main driver’s name, and your booking voucher. UK, EU, US, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand licences are accepted directly. Licences in non-Latin scripts require an International Driving Permit obtained before travel — this cannot be arranged on arrival in Albania. Keep all documents in the vehicle throughout the rental period.
Yes. One-way rentals from Klos to Tirana or Tirana Airport (~75–85km, 1hr 10–1hr 25min via Rruga e Arbërit) are standard requests through Rentrals. A one-way drop fee applies — confirm the amount at booking. This is the most practical option for travellers who fly into Tirana, drive northeast to explore the Mat valley, and fly home from the same airport.
There are 21 lakes in the Balgjaj lake system, sitting at around 1,800 metres altitude on a high mountain plateau. They’re glacial in origin — formed during the last ice age when glaciers carved basins into the bedrock that filled with meltwater and rainwater over millennia. The surrounding peaks reach 2,101 metres. On a clear day the largest lakes reflect these peaks. The lakes are among the most dramatic alpine landscapes in northern Albania and see almost no foreign visitors, which makes the vehicle requirement and preparation investment worth the effort.
Yes. City delivery brings the vehicle to your accommodation address in Klos or the surrounding Mat valley area at the agreed collection time. Paperwork is completed on-site. Provide your exact address and a contact phone number at booking. For travellers arriving by bus from Tirana, this removes the need to navigate to a depot with luggage on arrival day — useful in a town where vehicle hire infrastructure is not centrally located.
Book Your Car Hire in Klos
770+ vehicles from €18/day. No deposit options, full insurance, unlimited mileage, and city delivery to your accommodation. For the Balgjaj lakes, confirm your 4×4 category when booking.
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Pricing starts from €18/day — among the lowest rates for any location in Albania. The combination of fleet size and pricing makes this one of the more practical bases for a northeastern Albania itinerary. For the Balgjaj lakes specifically, confirm 4×4 availability when booking — don’t assume any SUV qualifies.
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VEHICLE WARNING — READ BEFORE BOOKING: The track from Kurdari village to the Balgjaj lakes is approximately 25km of rough, unmaintained mountain terrain. This route requires a proper 4×4 with genuine off-road capability and high ground clearance — not a compact crossover, not a mild hybrid SUV with a 4×4 badge, not a standard AWD hatchback. A capable 4×4 with low-range gearing, at least 200mm of ground clearance, and a driver with experience on rocky mountain tracks. Attempting this in a standard vehicle risks getting stranded at altitude with no mobile signal and no passing traffic. Confirm at booking that your specific vehicle is rated for this route. Do not assume that any SUV qualifies.
Standard car — cannot complete
Standard car — fully accessible
Combining Vasha Bridge with Uraka Canyon: Both are accessible from the Mat valley road north of Klos. Drive the canyon in the morning (earlier light is better in the limestone gorge), then the bridge in the afternoon on the return. Total driving for both from Klos: approximately 60km round trip on paved roads in a standard rental car.
Compact SUV
Rruga e Arbërit highway
Speed limits and police
Mobile signal and navigation
Night driving in the valley
Emergency and breakdown: 112 works throughout Albania. Save your rental supplier’s breakdown number from the document wallet before departing. In the Balgjaj track area, 112 may not connect — the track passes through significant dead zones. Tell someone in Klos or Burrel your intended route and return time before attempting the mountain track. This is standard practice for any remote mountain drive in this region.