Around Albania Culture Tour 8 Days / 7 Nights

Early 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:

• The V-VI century fortress;
• The old bazaar of Kruja, well known for its handmade wool carpets

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:         

• The IV century BC Rozafa fortress of Shkodra
• The city center with Venetian influence waking tour

In the afternoon we will check in at the hotel in Shkoder.

Overnight in Shkodra

Today we will start visiting the town of Durres, our main port and beach on the Adriatic Sea. Durres has significant importance in our history, as one of the oldest Greek and Roman colonies since the VII century BC. Here we will have a chance to visit:

• The amphitheater of II century AD, the biggest in Balkan;
• The town center

Second part of the day we will travel towards the Berat and will go directly to Alpeta Agro Tourism for a lunch with traditional food and wine. Alpeta is well known for the production of our local spirit Raki and we will enjoy a good time surrounded by beautiful nature. 

In the afternoon we will visit the town of Berat, known for its unique architecture and part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. Here we will visit:

• Visit the IV century BC fortress of Berat.
• Visit the old quarters of Mangalem and Gorica

Overnight in the old town of Berat.

Early morning, we will head towards Pogradec, laying on the shore of Ohrid Lake the oldest and deepest lake in Balkans. Lake Ohrid is known for its special trout called Coran. We will make a stop at Driloni park and Tushemisht Village, on the shore of the lake.

Our way will continue towards Korca, arriving around lunchtime, you will have a 1-hour break around 13:00 to 14:00. 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:

• The city center and the Orthodox Cathedral;
• The old bazaar of Korca.

You will have the evening free to explore this beautiful town on your own. 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 filling breakfast, we will drive towards some of the most remote areas of Albania driving through untouched 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.

Driving shortly, we will arrive at Leskovik, one of the most remote areas of Albania, to see some of the bunkers built during communism time. We will start driving again passing through the Vjosa River valley, considered to be the last wilder river in Europe. Lunch near Benja Baths in a restaurant with traditional food, around 13:00-14:00

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:

• Visit the XIV-century fortress;
• Visit the XIX century-old bazaar of Gjirokastra.

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, Vuno, Himara, Borsh, Qeparo, etc. and will have our lunch stop in Himara. Llogara pass, 1000 m above sea level, a panorama overlooking from Karaburun peninsula up to Korfu Island is the best spot to stop and enjoy the scenery 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 at Tirana International Airport or Tirana city center for those who want to continue their journey.