Most of the rafts we send down the Vjosa in July and August have children in them. This is how it works, what the youngest guests actually do on the water, and when we would tell you to wait a year.
Minimum age: 3
Children can join the guided raft from age 3 in suitable summer conditions, with an adult in the same raft. The final word is the guide’s on the day: water level, weather and whether the smallest gear fits properly decide it, and in higher or stronger water a higher minimum age applies. We have neoprene wetsuits, helmets and life jackets in children’s sizes; the guide fits them at the centre before the van leaves. Children pay the same price as adults, and the trip is the same trip: 9 km from Kaludh to Përmet in 2 to 3 hours door to door.
Which months
Summer. From July to September the Vjosa is low and warm, the rapids are Class II, and the guide can stop in the pools between them for as long as the children want to swim. In spring (March to June) the water is high, cold and fast; it is a great trip for adults and teenagers, but not for a 3-year-old. If you are travelling in spring with young children, message us with the dates and we will tell you honestly what the river is doing that week.
What a small child does in the raft
They sit in the middle, between the adults, holding the safety line, and they get very wet. On the flat sections the guide lets them paddle from the front; in the rapids the adults paddle and the child holds on. At the swim stops they go in with their life jacket on, in the shallow water at the stops the guides use. Nobody needs to be able to swim: the life jacket keeps everyone up, and the guide explains at the briefing exactly what to do if someone goes in.
Older children and teenagers
Older children paddle properly and the guide will put them at the front where the waves are. Teenagers usually want the spring water; May and June give them real Class III rapids with water warm enough to swim.
What to bring for the children
- Swimwear to wear under the wetsuit
- Shoes that can get wet and stay on: trainers or water shoes, not flip-flops or Crocs
- A towel and a full change of clothes, including underwear
- Sunscreen and a hat for after the trip
- Nothing else: leave toys, phones and snacks at the centre. We provide drinking water and seasonal fruit, and a guide takes photos of everyone.
Which departure
10:00 in July and August, before the heat; 13:30 is fine in June and September. The 15:30 trip has the best light for photos and the water is at its warmest in the afternoon, so it is also the easiest for a first-timer. Arrive 15 minutes before your time.
Prams, pregnancy and the ones who stay behind
Rafting is not suitable during pregnancy. If one adult stays at the centre with a baby, there is a terrace above the river, toilets and shade, and the trip is back in 2 to 3 hours.
Kayaking with children
The self-paddled kayak trip is for ages 14 and over with previous paddling experience, and there is no dedicated safety raft for the kayaks, so families with children take the raft, where the guide is in the boat.
Cancelling
Children get ill on holiday. Cancel up to 24 hours before for a full refund; inside 24 hours we will try to move you to another day if there is space. Full terms on the refund policy page.
