On these 8 days, you will cover the best sites of Albania to discover the last corner of Europe still untouched. We will visit 3 UNESCO World Heritage lists, plenty of fortresses, characteristical towns, archaeological parks, religious objects, and much more. Our region is known for its rich history, traditions, culture, and breathtaking landscape. Culinary is another joy that you will discover day by day in different regions of our country. Talks about our communist past and its consequences today. We take particular care to bring to you the best local peculiarities and feel the warmth of our people.
Pick up and drop off all travelers at their hotel
9:00 am at the pick up place
English, Italian and Greek
These 8 days you will travel around Albania with comprehensive sightseeing and visit all the cities, historical sites, archaeological sites as per the detailed itinerary.
The tour is an easy walk and drive, with many visits to natural and historical sites, making it suitable for everyone. Transportation will be done with an air-conditioned, comfortable vehicle. Accommodation will be in 3 stars hotels or local guesthouses, twin shared rooms, breakfast is included. Single room supplement is not included in the price. A certified local tour guide will be with you all the time. The weather most of the time is very nice and pleasant, only during July and August you should bring your hat, sunscreen, and water.
Today you will arrive in Tirana, Albania and our staff will meet you at the airport.
Depending on your arrival time we might do the presentation meeting with your guide and a short walking tour of Tirana.
Overnight in Tirana
In the morning, we will drive about 45 minutes to the historical town of Kruja, home of our national hero Scanderbeg. Here we will visit:
After a traditional lunch, we will head north and drive about 1 hour to arrive in Shkodra in the early afternoon. Here we will visit:
In the late afternoon will return to Tirana.
Overnight in Shkodra
Today we will start visiting the town of Durres, our main port and beach on the Adriatic sea. Durres has a significant importance on our history, as one of the oldest Greek and Roman colonies since the VII century BC. Here we will have a chance to visit:
o The archeological museum;
o The amphitheater of II century AD, the biggest in Balkan;
o The town center
Second part of the day we will travel towards the town of Berat, known for its unique architecture and part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. Here we will visit:
● Visit at the IV century BC fortress of Berat.
● Visit at the old XVIII century Christian Orthodox Cathedral of Berat.
● Visit at the Onufri Byzantine Icon’s Gallery.
Evening at leisure to explore the ton of Berat on your own.
Overnight in the old town of Berat.
Early morning, we will head towards Belsh, a small town which is the center of an area called Dumre plateau, known for more than 86 small karstic origin lakes. We will visit Belshi lake and enjoy a short walk on the town promenade.
Our way will continue towards Korca, arriving around lunchtime. Korca is one of the nicest towns in Albania, known also as the little Paris. Korca has the first beer factory in Albania, in 1928. We will check-in in at our hotel and will go to visit:
Overnight we will be in Korca and you will have all evening to explore this beautiful town, known for its
culture and history. Our tip is to not miss trying the local beer and their meatballs in one of the many beer gardens in town.
Overnight in Korca
After a wonderful breakfast, we will drive towards some of the most remote areas of Albania driving through beautiful nature. The first stop will be in Farma Sotira, an agro-tourism where we can take tea or coffee, and walk around nature and animals.
We will start driving again passing through the Vjosa River valley, considered to be the last wilder river in Europe. We will stop at Benja thermal baths and those who want can take a bath in warm sulfuric waters. There are 6 different pools with different healing properties.
In the afternoon will drive to Gjirokastra and will check-in in at our hotel, you can spend your evening discovering this wonderful traditional town on your own.
Overnight in Gjirokastra
This morning after a filling traditional breakfast we will explore the old town of Gjirokastra, part of UNESCO World Heritage. We will visit:
Our day continues with the visit to Blue Eye natural water spring park. This is a natural spring of 46m deep with very cold crystal clear water. The brave ones dare to swim for a few seconds.
A short drive and we will be in Saranda and will accommodate in our hotel. You will have the afternoon free to enjoy walking on Saranda’s promenade or going to the beach. Don’t miss the nightlife which is really vibrant on summer nights.
Overnight in Saranda
Be prepared for a long and wonderful day. We will start by visiting the biggest Archeological Park in Albania, Butrinti Park, which started as a Greek colony in the VII century BC, later became a Roman colony, and since 1995 been a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site.
After Butrinti Park we will start driving along the Ionian coast towards Vlora. This whole trip goes along one of the most beautiful parts of Albania where the sea and mountains come together to shape this amazing landscape. Our first stop will be to Ali Pasha’s XIX century fortress, a real jewel well preserved until nowadays.
On the way, we will cross through the small beautiful villages of Dhermi, Ilias, Vuno, Himara, Borsh, Qeparo, etc. We will make a short stop at Llogara pass, 1000 m above sea level, to enjoy the panorama and take pictures.
In the late afternoon, we will check-in at our hotel in Vlora, rest for a short while, and go for our farewell dinner.
Overnight in Vlora
Our journey ends here and our staff will send you to Tirana International Airport, wishing you a safe flight back home. The drop-off time is at 14:00 in Tirana International Airport or Tirana city center for those who want to continue their journey.
