Itinerary

1. Day 1: Mother Teresa Airport – Tirana (20 km)

   • Pick up at Tirana airport and transfer to Hotel.

   • Visit the Clock Tower (Kulla e Sahatit)in Scanderbeg Square. Positioned in the city center, this tower has become a symbol of Tirana. It is one of the oldest constructions in the city, built-in 1820.

   • Next, see the Et’hem Bey Mosque, considered one of the most beautiful mosques in Albania with very interesting decorations and artwork within it.

   • Visit the National History Museum, the main museum in Tirana, easily recognizable because of a giant mosaic standing on top of its front facade.

   • Explore the National Art Gallery, National Archaeological Museum of Albania, Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral, and Saint Paul Catholic Cathedral.

   • See Bunkart, a bunker realization of an art gallery, with many corridors full of artworks to admire.

   • Next, visit Blloku (The Block) among the apartment blocks to find some of Tirana’s best cafés, shops, and restaurants. This is also the place where the villa of the former dictator, Enver Hoxha, is located.

   • Have coffee or relax while looking at the parade of trendy and elegant people at the block.

   Overnight in Tirana.

2. Day 2: Tirana – Shkodra – Kruja – Tirana (196 km)

   • After breakfast, drive to Shkodra, the most important town of north Albania and the Illyrian capital in the 3rd century BC.

   • See the Kalaja/Rozafa Fortress (2 km southwest of Shkodra, near the southern end of Lake Shkodra). Founded by the Illyrians, rebuilt by the Venetians and the Ottomans.

   • Next, visit the renovated Shkodra Historical Museum. Bring a torch and go exploring. There are amazing views from the highest point. 

   • Also, visit Ebu Beker Mosque, Shkodër Cathedral, Shkodër Orthodox Cathedral, Mesi Bridge, an Ottoman styled bridge, the nearby Drishti Castle, and the Museum of Memory.

   • Later, proceed to Kruja – the centre of Albanian resistance against the Turks under its national hero, Scanderbeg.

   • Visit Scanderbeg Museum, Kruja Ethnographic Museum, located next to the castle in an old ottoman house full of furniture and artifacts, and the old bazaar.

   • Return to Tirana for a gourmet dinner. 

   Overnight in Tirana.

3. Day 3: Tirana – Ardenica – Apollonia – Vlora (165 km)

   • After breakfast, depart for Vlora.

   • On the way, stop at the Monastery of Ardenica, which is supposed to have been built in the middle ages.

   • Inside the church, admire icon paintings from 1743-1745 by Albanian artists like Konstandin and Athanos Zografi and Konstandin Shpataraku.

   • Proceed to the ancient city of Apollonia, a UNESCO World Heritage site, placed on the famous Via Egnatia – one of the most important cities in Roman times.

   • Afterwards, continue to Vlora to visit the Independence Museum, situated in the original house where the first independent Albanian Government had its offices.

   Afternoon & evening at leisure. 

   Overnight in Vlora.

4. Day 4: Vlora – Butrint – Saranda (160 km)

   • After an early breakfast, depart for Saranda. 

   • Drive on the spectacular Albanian River, looking down at the Ionian Sea. View the breathtaking scenery at the Llogara pass – 1000 m above sea level.

   • Continue to Saranda, make a short stop at the Lekuresi Fortress for beautiful views of the bay of Saranda and the Island of Corfu. 

   • Visit the village of Ksamili that has a beautiful beach with several small islands one can swim in. Kami is now heavily developed, with a large number of part-completed properties.

   • Next, visit the Ancient City of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage site and an ancient city throughout the Greek, Roman, bishopric and Byzantine periods. The city was finally abandoned during the Middle Ages, perhaps due to the marsh surrounding and subsequent malaria epidemic.

   • The current archaeological site includes an impressive Roman amphitheatre, a Byzantine Basilica (the largest in the world after Hagia Sophia in Istanbul), a Roman temple with mosaic floor, a beautifully carved lion’s gate, and numerous constructions built throughout the periods.

   • Return to Saranda.

   Overnight in Saranda.

5. Day 5: Saranda – Gjirokastra – Berat (225 km)

   • After an early breakfast, drive to Berat.

   • On the way, stop in Gjirokastra, a UNESCO site and museum town with beautiful and very distinct architecture. It is also known as The Stone Town.

   • Visit Gjirokastra Castle and the Armaments Museum.

   • Explore Gjirokaster National Folk Festival, a prison and numerous chambers, some in ruins, open to exploration.

   • A second museum gallery, the Zenebishi Gallery, features occasional free art exhibits. Underneath the castle is the recently discovered underground bunker built during the Cold War. 

   • Visit the Ethnographic Museum and Enver Hoxha’s house, a well-restored Ottoman house that displays clothing, kitchenware, tools, and other cultural artifacts.

   • See the old Bazaar and historic Ottoman homes. Several of the houses are at various levels of restoration and are open to the public. Traditional houses include Cabej House, Kadare House, Topulli House, and Skenduli House. The Bazaar itself has recently undergone a cleaning and exterior restoration as part of the government’s revitalization plan. 

   • See the Zekate House, located in the historic Palorto quarter of the city and the most visited of Gjirokastër’s monumental stone houses.

   • Later, see the Saint Sotira Church, located in the Old Bazaar quarter.

   • See Gjirokaster Mosque, located in the old Bazaar, a true testimony of the communist religious ban in Albania.

   • After the visit, stop for lunch close to Tepelena (optional) among beautiful scenery to Berat.

   • Check-in at the hotel and spend the day at leisure to explore Berat.

   Overnight stay in Berat in houses turned boutique hotels of the same standard.

6. Day 6: Berat – Durres (97 km)

   • Berat was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 and is known as the “town of a thousand windows”.

   • Visit the Kala, a castle primarily built in the 13th century but in the 4th century B.C. The citadel is still inhabited, with many churches. Getting to the Kala requires a steep walk up a cobbled path. 

   • Visit Onufri Iconography Museum located within the Kala at the site of a Dormition Cathedral, featuring vivid iconography works of the famous 16th-century painter Onufri and others. The museum holds other artifacts gathered from nearby churches and others around Albania. 

   • See Berat Ethnographic Museum located on the grounds of a traditional house, on the way up to the castle. It features traditional local furniture and house utensils.

   • See the old town areas – Mangalem north of the river, and Gorica south of the river, Numerous Byzantine Churches, dating from the 13th century, and Several Mosques from the Ottoman era (starting from 1417). 

   • Later, depart for Durres, one of the oldest (founded in 627 B.C.) and most important cities in Albania, and have lunch (optional).

   • See the Durres Amphitheater, the biggest in the Balkans that features renovated iconography works. 

   • Explore the ancient City Wall and Medieval Hammam.

   • Visit the Venetian Tower (Rotonda), a circular tower built in the 16th century at the city centre with a restaurant on top.

   • Visit the Archaeological Museum, featuring archaeological artifacts found in and around the area. 

   Overnight in Durres.

7. Day 7: Durres – Mother Teresa Airport (35 km)

   • After breakfast, free time to explore the city until the time of transfer to the airport. 

   End of the tour.