Starting at Tirana, the capital of Albania and moving forward to the southern city of Saranda, you will have the opportunity to see the most important and fascinating archeological sites of Albania. The sites date to Illyrian, Greek, Roman and Ottoman periods and most of them are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Our native guides will introduce you to the traditional Albanian cuisine and local products, while the generosity and the hospitality of the Albanian people will accompany you during your entire journey.
Day 1: Departure from home country – Tirana
Your guide will meet you at “Mother Teresa” Airport, Tirana, and will accompany you to the hotel.
Upon accommodation at the hotel, you will meet the other group members and your guide will briefly give you some information on your program while you enjoy a welcome drink at your hotel.
Dinner near Petrela Castle, which dates back to 4th century B.C., enjoying a beautiful view.
Overnight in Tirana.
Day 2: Tirana
After breakfast at the hotel, you will start a guided sightseeing tour exploring some of the main attractions of Tirana.
Visit the National Historic Museum, the mosque of Et’hemBey built in 1789, the clock-tower, 35 m high, built in 1830. While walking on the main boulevard you will see the Opera House, the municipality and other important government buildings.
After visiting the Archaeological museum, you can have lunch in one of the Albanian traditional restaurants, where you will enjoy the traditional fresh homemade dishes.
You can also visit the Tirana Mosaic, which is a famous Albanian landmark thought to have been part of a Roman house built in the third century, ruins of a Paleo-Christian Basilica.
Overnight in Tirana.
Day 3: Tirana – Kruja- Durres
After breakfast at the hotel, depart for Kruja, the center of Albanian resistance against the Turks led by our national hero Scanderbeg.
You will admire the Castle of Kruja, built during the 5th and 6th centuries.
Inside the castle you can visit the Museum of GjergjKastrioti Skanderbeg and after that visit the Ethnographic Museum inside a traditional Albanian house built around 1800.
You will have lunch in one of the restaurants inside the castle, tasting the traditional food of this area.
You will continue your visit on to the Old Bazaar, where the best handmade souvenirs can be purchased.
Than you will continue to an ancient site of Albanopolis, thought to have been the centre of the Illyrian tribe of Albani, with remains of three rectangular Illyrian watchtowers, which are thought to have been built in the 4c BC.
Afterwards you continue to the city of Durres, a port city dating back to the 7th century BC, which is a wonderful walking, sightseeing, and beach location.
Dinner and overnight in Durres.
Day 4: Durres – Berat
Durres is home to the largest Roman amphitheater in the Balkans. You can visit the remains of the Amphitheatre, forum and Archeological Museum, with a very rich collection of values, also the tower and the city walls.
After lunch, you continue on to Berat, declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. Its age, culture, and folk traditions make it one of the most interesting towns in the Mediterranean area. The city’s history began with the creation of a fortified acropolis in the VI Century B.C.
Dinner at a traditional restaurant with homemade dishes.
Overnight in Berat
Day 5: Berat
After breakfast you will be visiting the stunning museum town of Berat, one of the best-preserved cities in the Balkans. Visit to the beautiful medieval castle district, complete with ancient churches and mosques a lively lower town consisting of grand old houses draped on steep hillsides, the old stone bridge of Gorica and a great museum.
You can also visit one of the many characteristic houses of the old quarters.
In the afternoon you will visit the “Cobo” local winery and taste the Albanian traditional wine and olives.
You will enjoy a bountiful dinner in one of the traditional restaurants.
Overnight in Berat.
Day 6: Berat –-Byllis – Antigonea – Gjirokastra
After breakfast at the hotel, you will set depart to the city of Gjirokastra, known as the Stone City, an UNESCO World heritage site and museum town.
Stop en route to visit the ancient city of Bylis, on top of Mallakastra hill, dating back to the 4th century BC. A basilica (5th century A.D.), decorated with multicolored mosaics and sculptured columns, is to be found within the area.
We continue to another historic site of Albania, the castle of Tepelena and have lunch nearby the “Cold Water” spring in Tepelena, tasting the specialties of the area.
In Gjirokastra you will visit the Ethnographic Museum and after that you can go on exploring through the beautiful stone paved roads and slate-roofed old houses.
You may have dinner at one of the traditional restaurants of the city.
Overnight in Gjirokastra
Day 7: Gjirokastra – Sofratike – Phoinike – Butrint – Saranda
After breakfast at the hotel, you will have a visit at the Gjirokastra Castle, one of the most magnificent structures of the city, offering spectacular views of the Drino valley and surrounding mountains.
Then, you drive towards an amazing spring called Syri i Kalter (Blue Eye), which is another wonder of southern Albania. It lies on the road between the towns of Saranda and Gjirokastra, further inland. The water in the inner source is dark blue, like the pupil of an eye, and a lighter color of blue as an outer ring – the iris, gives the impression of a blue eye.You can have a coffee or drink enjoying the wonders of this spring.
You will continue to the Lekursi Castle, built in 1537. On the ruins of the old castle, you can enjoy a meal in the local restaurant that is built in the style and with similar materials to the castle.
Then the tour includes a visit in the ancient archeological site of Butrinti, ancient Buthrotum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwest Albania.
Inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrint has been the site of a Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric. The present ruins inside the archaeological site represent each period in the city’s development.
Overnight in Saranda
Day 8: Saranda – Albanian Riviera – Vlora
After breakfast at the hotel, move on along the Albanian Riviera. During your journey you will stop in the wonderful coastal villages. A few kilometers south of Himara on a small peninsula there is a closed bay and around it there is the castle of Porto Palermo, built by Ali Pasha of Ioannina in the early nineteenth century.
Then, you will go on to the village of Dhermi dating back to the 1st century, to admire the beauty of nature and beach. You can have lunch at the “Llogara Tourist Village”, near the Llogara National Park, 1000 m above sea level.
After lunch you will drive to Vlora, the most important economic and cultural city of southwestern Albania.
You will visit the original house where the independence document was signed in 1912 turned into “Independence Museum”.
Overnight in Vlora.
Day 9: Vlora – Apollonia – Ardenica – Durres
After breakfast, you depart for the ancient city of Apolonia, one of the most important ancient centers in Roman times on the famous Via Egnatia, founded by Greeks in 588 BC. It now holds the Apollonia Museum and a pretty church.
Then you continue the journey on to visit the 13th century monastery of Ardenica, which dates back to the 13th century and which is of a Byzantine-Orthodox type with its very impressive frescoes.
You can have lunch in one of the local restaurants tasting the traditional dishes of the area. Then you depart to the city of Durres. Enjoy your dinner in one of the local restaurants by the seaside.
Overnight in Durres.
Day 10: Durres – “Mother Teresa” Airport
After breakfast, shuttle transfer to the airport for the flight back home.