Extreme Rafting is a full-day, 6-7 hour expedition through Class III-IV rapids on the upper Vjosa River gorge, departing from Përmet, Albania, within the Vjosa Wild River National Park. For €60 per person, experienced thrill-seekers (16+, strong swimmers) cover 20+ km of the river's wildest whitewater, much of it through terrain bordering the Këlcyra Gorge. The price includes a senior extreme guide, professional-grade wetsuit, helmet, life jacket, 4x4 transport to the put-in, and a traditional riverside BBQ lunch.
Leave the gentle currents behind. Our Extreme Rafting expedition is a full-day, high-octane adventure designed for thrill-seekers, adrenaline junkies, and those who want to experience the absolute raw power of the Vjosa River. We venture deep into the remote upper gorge.
This is a physically demanding journey. You will face towering standing waves, complex boulder slaloms, and massive drops that require strict teamwork and immediate response to your guide's commands.
Meet at basecamp for a strict safety briefing and pro-gear fitting.
We use 4x4s to access the remote upper gorge.
Prepare for hours of intense paddling through relentless Class III & IV rapids.
Recover on an isolated riverbank with a massive traditional Albanian lunch cooked over a fire.
Extreme Rafting departs from our base camp in Përmet town center, the same meeting point used for all our river tours and an easy walk from any hotel in town. Përmet sits on the SH75 highway, about 25 km north of the Këlcyra Gorge and roughly 100 km southeast of Gjirokastër via Tepelenë. After your 08:30 AM briefing and pro-gear fitting at base camp, our team transfers the group by 4x4 directly into the remote upper gorge of the Vjosa Wild River National Park — a put-in point that's inaccessible by regular vehicle, which is why this off-road insertion is included in the tour.
Extreme Rafting is most intense in spring (April-June), when snowmelt from the Trebeshinë-Dhëmbel-Nemërçkë mountains pushes the upper Vjosa gorge to its highest, fastest Class III-IV flows — the prime window for experienced paddlers. By midsummer (July-August), water levels drop and some of the bigger rapids mellow slightly, though the route remains a serious full-day challenge; this is also when advance booking matters most. By late September, flows are typically lower and the season winds down. We do not run extreme rafting in winter, when the upper gorge near the Këlcyra Gorge and Vjosa Wild River National Park becomes too cold and unpredictable for safe passage.
Beyond the full wetsuit, helmet, life jacket, and professional-grade raft we provide, pack a thermal base layer to wear under your wetsuit — even in summer, the upper Vjosa stays cold. Bring quick-dry shorts or leggings for under the wetsuit, plus a complete change of dry clothes, shoes, and a towel for the ride back to Përmet. A GoPro or action camera with a secure strap is worth bringing to capture the Class III-IV rapids, though leave valuables and loose items at base camp — anything not strapped down can be lost in the rapids. Because this is a full day with high energy demands, bring snacks or an energy bar for the morning, even though a riverside BBQ lunch is included near the Këlcyra Gorge area.
The upper gorge tackled on this tour lies within the same dramatic landscape as the Këlcyra Gorge, a 13-km limestone canyon where the Vjosa River cuts between cliff walls up to 1,000 meters high — part of the Vjosa Wild River National Park. After a demanding day on the water, many guests head to the Bënja Thermal Baths to soothe tired muscles in natural hot springs fed by the Lengarica River. If you have an extra day in Përmet, the nearby Lengarica Canyon offers a gentler aquatic adventure — a guided wade through narrow limestone passages that ends right at the thermal baths.
Highly recommended. You must be a strong swimmer.
Yes, 16+ years old.
Our guides are swift-water rescue trained.
We provide a full wetsuit, helmet, life jacket, and a professional-grade raft. Bring quick-dry clothing to wear underneath and a complete change of clothes for afterward.
Yes! A traditional Albanian riverside BBQ lunch is included, cooked over an open fire at a scenic spot along the Vjosa gorge.
Extreme Rafting departs from our base camp in Përmet town center, the same meeting point as our other river tours. We'll send the exact location and a map link once your booking is confirmed.
Spring (April-June) offers the highest water levels and the most powerful Class III-IV rapids, making it the prime season for experienced rafters. We typically run extreme rafting from April through September, depending on river conditions.
Bring a thermal base layer for under your wetsuit, a complete change of dry clothes and shoes for the journey home, and a GoPro with a secure strap if you want to capture the rapids. Leave valuables at base camp.
Yes — the upper gorge tackled on this tour sits within the same Vjosa Wild River National Park landscape as the Këlcyra Gorge, where the river cuts between cliff walls up to 1,000 meters high.
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