Tour Info
About This Tour
The Pirogoshi cave Kasabashi Bridge hike leads you through one of the most impressive natural landscapes in the Skrapar region, combining dramatic canyon scenery with the exploration of the area’s largest and most intriguing cave. The hike brings you to the striking entrance of Pirogoshi Cave, set near the Gradec Canyon and surrounded by towering limestone cliffs.
Inside, the cave extends for more than 1,250 meters, unfolding into wide chambers, narrow corridors, and hidden galleries that feel like a true underground maze. Along the route, you’ll encounter remarkable formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, columns, stone waterfalls, and rare cave pearls in natural shades of white and red.
Pirogoshi Cave has long drawn the attention of international speleologists from France, the Netherlands, and Italy. Its most extensive documented exploration was completed in 1995 by Italian speleology teams, yet parts of the cave remain unexplored. Local legends tell of hidden treasure left behind by King Pyrrhus of Epirus, adding an extra layer of mystery to the experience.
The hike also includes views of the historic Kasabashi Bridge, creating a unique blend of nature, geology, and cultural heritage along a single route.
What to Bring for the Hike
A comfortable backpack to carry your essentials, along with appropriate footwear such as trekking shoes that provide good grip and support. Sun protection is important, so pack sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat, especially on warmer days.
If you enjoy capturing the journey, a camera or phone is always a good idea.
As a small but meaningful extra, we encourage bringing a lightweight trash bag or zip-lock bag. It’s an easy way to help keep the trails clean and protect the natural places we all love for future visitors.
The hike begins in the town hall square of Çorovodë, with pickup available from any hotel in Berat or other cities across Albania upon request. From there, we follow a dirt road that climbs gently along the Skrapar River as it passes through town.
After about one kilometer, you’ll reach the Ottoman-era Kasabashi Bridge, where the views open up over the canyon and river valley. Nearby, you’ll notice entrances to underground storage spaces dating back to the communist period, still used by locals today.
Continuing along the river for another kilometer, you’ll arrive at a reconstructed trail equipped with safety features. A short walk of around fifteen minutes leads directly into the Gradeci Canyon and to the entrance of Pirogoshi Cave.
Inside the cave, the atmosphere changes completely. Equipped with helmets and headlamps, you’ll explore as much of the cave as you feel comfortable with, moving through chambers and passages that reveal its raw, underground character. A full exploration can take several hours, but the visit is adapted to the group’s pace and interest.
On the return journey toward Çorovodë, about two kilometers down the road, we’ll stop to visit the Pirogoshi tunnels, a network of former military shelters hidden within the canyon walls on both sides of the river. After exploring the galleries, we continue back to the Kasabashi Bridge and return to the town.
The experience concludes with a traditional lunch featuring local products at a nearby restaurant, the perfect way to end a day of exploration.
Optional tours:
Accommodation Options Available on Request
To make your experience even smoother, we can arrange accommodation at two of our bases, depending on your route and travel style.
You can stay at Castle Park Hotel – House of the Slow Food Community, located just below Berat Castle. This boutique hotel combines comfort, history, and local gastronomy, offering a peaceful setting with easy access to the old town. Meals are prepared using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, making it an ideal choice for travelers who value authenticity and quality.
For those who prefer to stay closer to nature, accommodation is also available at our riverside safari-style glamping in Përmet. Set in a quiet natural environment near the Vjosa River, the glamping offers comfortable tents, proper beds, and shared facilities, allowing you to unwind under the stars without giving up basic comfort.
Both options can be added to your tour on request and arranged in advance.
What’s Included
Albania Rafting Group provides a professional guide, comfortable transport by minivan, and first-aid equipment for the duration of the experience. For added comfort, anti-mosquito spray, helmets, and headlamps are also included.
Each guest receives 1.5 liters of drinking water, and the day concludes with a lunch at a local restaurant, featuring regional flavors.
Please keep all clothes and personal belongings packed in one backpack, so everything can be easily transported in the minivan.
Everything that it is not mention on the scheduled trip is not included, such is: coffee, other kind of drinks or other foods. Although you are going to feel like tipping the guides at the end of a beautiful trip, we don’t want you pulling out the wallet every minute.
Our guests are always our priority. Each trip is carefully planned and well organized, while remaining flexible enough to adapt to your needs and schedule whenever possible, because creating the best possible experience matters to us.
Occasionally, adjustments may be necessary due to weather conditions or availability. If you have any specific requests, please let us know in advance and complete the form below so we can plan accordingly.
Participants should feel well on the day of the activity and comfortable with light physical movement in an outdoor environment. For everyone’s safety and enjoyment, this experience may not be suitable during pregnancy or for guests with serious heart, breathing, neurological, vision, or mobility conditions.
Participation is also not permitted under the influence of alcohol, recreational substances, or medication that could affect balance, awareness, or reaction time.
If you have any doubts about whether this activity is right for you, our team is always happy to help and answer questions in advance.
Nerve Problems
Pregnancy
Problems with eyes (severe myopia, retinal detachment, glaucoma)
Be under the influence of pharmaceutical drugs, drugs, alcohol.
There are no limits of age and weight for the low levels: Class II
