Original Osumi Tubing, 2.5-3 Hours

Original Osumi Tubing, 2.5-3 Hours, 2.5-3 hours, rated 4.7 across 728 traveller reviews.

Overview

River tubing on the Osum runs from June to November, the window when the water sits low and Go Outdoors Berat swaps rafts for lighter inflatables. The tour meets in Çorovodë, a town about an hour from Berat, at 10:30 for the morning departure or 14:00 for the afternoon. Travel between the two towns is not in the base price, though the operator can help arrange a ride for a fee.

The day follows a set rhythm. At the base you suit up in a neoprene wetsuit, a waterproof shirt, a helmet and a life jacket, grab a water bottle, and ride the operator's vehicles to canyon viewpoints and the launch point. After a guide's briefing, two hours on the water carry the group past rock walls the operator dates to two to three million years, with stops at the Cathedral, the Waterfall of Love, where the group stays longer, the narrowest stretch of the canyon and the Sugar Waterfall. Guides share the canyon's history, shoot photos and video, and hold swim stops. At the end you walk up a path for 15 minutes to the vehicles, ride back, change into dry clothes and eat a sandwich.

Who it suits is stated plainly by the operator: anyone chasing adrenaline should not book. Late summer brings the lowest water and waterfalls that run almost dry, yet September reviewers still enjoyed the day and credited the guides. As a slow drift between canyon walls, with swims and a free photo set, it delivers.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet in ÇorovodëThe starting location is the operator's base on Rruga Pasho Hysi in Çorovodë, about an hour from Berat. Arrive for 10:30 or the 14:00 departure, suit up in the provided gear and set off from here.
2. Drive to the launch pointA vehicle transfer of 15 minutes carries the group past canyon viewpoints to the starting point on the river.
3. Safety briefingAt the start point the guides run through everything the group needs to know before anyone gets on the water.
4. Tube the Osum CanyonTwo guided hours on the water, with photo stops at the Cathedral and the Waterfall of Love, a passage through the narrowest section, a splash under the Sugar Waterfall and swim stops in between.
5. Walk up to the vehiclesWhen the tubing ends, the group walks up a path for 15 minutes to reach the vehicles.
6. Return to ÇorovodëA 10-minute ride back ends at the drop-off at the Mosque of Çorovodë, where you change into dry clothes and eat a sandwich.

What To Expect From The Tour

A handful of practical details decide how the day goes, and they come up again and again in the operator's notes and in traveller reviews.

• Footwear matters. The listing asks for waterproof shoes or boots and rules out bare feet. Two reviewers independently advised bringing your own shoes, one of them because of slippery stones and mud underfoot. Whatever you wear will get wet.
• Season shapes it. Tubing runs from June to November only; from February to June the operator runs rafting instead because the water is high. August is the low point, when the falls are almost dry, and September visitors reported very low water as well. Book it as a gentle float with swim stops, not a rush.
• The final climb. When the tubing ends you leave the river and walk up a path for 15 minutes to the vehicles. Reviewers have called that climb tough, and some said they would have liked clearer warning about it before booking. Save some energy for the way out.
• Plan the journey. The meeting point is in Çorovodë, about an hour from Berat, and the transfer between the two towns is not in the base price. The operator can help arrange transport for an additional fee if you contact them. For the 14:00 departure, send a WhatsApp message ahead to check it is running.
• Phones and photos. A guide photographs and films the trip and shares the files afterwards at no extra cost. You can bring a phone too, since the crew carries waterproof bags for the group. Ordinary bags are not allowed on the water.
• Food and gear. Wetsuit, waterproof shirt, helmet and life jacket are all provided, and each person gets a bottle of water before the launch. A sandwich and picnic lunch wait at the end. Bring swimwear to wear under the wetsuit and dry clothes for the finish.

Common issues. Getting there is on you: the base price stops at Çorovodë, and the Berat leg costs extra. The tubing season is the canyon's low-water season, so in August the waterfalls run almost dry and the float is gentle; one reviewer who went in September reported very low water. The exit walk is steep enough that some travellers wanted more warning about it, and one reviewer flagged slippery stones and mud. The afternoon departure also depends on a WhatsApp request rather than being guaranteed.

Common Questions