Itinerary

1. Day 1: Travel along the coast, visit Dhermi ,Gjipea ,Porto Palermo Castle

   • Travel along the coast to visit Dhermi, Gjipea, Porto Palermo Castle.

   • All these places stay put due to their deep waters, navigability and rocky terrain. 

   • Overnight in Qeparo.

   • Visit Cika Mountain, Llogara - Vlore.

   • Take a stop at the first beach along the route is Dhraleos in Palasë, with a length of 1.5 km. This is one of the most exotic and tranquil beaches of the Albanian coastal zone, complete with rich blue waters, and popular for water sports, and sometimes even the destination for parachutes that launch from Llogara Pass.

   • Stop for a break at Dhermi. Dhermi is located a little further south and is one of the most frequented and important tourist places along the Albanian coast. The crystal-clear waters, isolated beaches, water sports, and diving make this the preferred beach of the younger generation.

   • Explore the beach of Gjipea, which is part of Dhermi and has a beautiful shape. Past this beach, there is a stream that has made a canyon with 70 meters high walls. You can easily spend a couple of hours exploring, walking around, and swimming. 

   • After enjoying a nice swim and a hot cup of coffee at the café, start driving to Qeparo and the small tectonic gulf of Porto Palermo, where Pasha castle is located.

   • Visit Ali Pasha Castle, have lunch at Qeparo.

   • After lunch, proceed to see the old Village of Qeparo built during the XVIIth century. The terrain is rocky here, and this old village gives the impression of a castle on a hill. This type of structure was constructed to protect from enemies. The houses are close to each other, all of them built with stones, and they are pretty untouched since the time they were made.

   • Take a stroll of the village and grab the chance to meet a few locals; most of them are elderly. It seems like life stopped here 200 years ago. The views from the hill are peaceful, surrounded by high mountains, old houses of the village, and amazing panoramas of the Ionian Sea and Corfu Island. This is the perfect place to enjoy an unforgettable sunset.

   • Dinner in the new town.

2. Day 2: Walk in to history and nature from Qeparo to Borsh

   • Visit Borsh, is one of the longest beach areas of the Albanian Riviera, protected by a collection of massive Mediterranean vegetation, primarily citrus and olive plantations. Family tourism has also become very popular in this area. Between here and the city of Saranda, one can find the beaches of Bunec, Kakome and Krokey. The collective length of these beaches runs about three km and each one of them is famous for beautiful and crystal-clear water.

   • Start early in the morning. We suggest you go for a swim before breakfast. It is not so cold in this area.

   • Qeparo to Borsh is just a 10-minute drive.

   • Explore the ruins of Borsh Castle, built during the XVth century on the highest hill, with your Albanian tour guide. 

   • Start hiking to the castle, and there we will have another spectacular view.

   • After the Castle visit, explore all gulfs of Borsh: Bunec, Kakome, and Krokey.

   • Go swimming in the crystal waters - heaven of the Albanian coast.

   • Join a Kayak tour organized by our local friends

   • Overnight in Borsh – Enjoy beer around a bonfire amidst the white sand beaches of the Ionian sea.

3. Day 3: Enjoy the spectacular view of coast from Borsh to Sarande

   • Sarande is the most populous urban area on the Albanian Riviera. The city is well-located on the coast and only 9 km away from the Greek island of Corfu. It is going to be a short lovely Drive from Borsh to Sarande. While thousands of tourists frequent Sarande, we will visit some nicer and quieter places nearby.

   • First, go on a short walk in Saranda Promenade. There, we will find hundreds of artisans selling their crafts.

   • Go on a short drive to Ksamil with your Albanian tour guide. The Guardian rated it as one of the Top Beaches of Europe, with a perfect view of the Ionian sea.

   • Visit Ksamil, which is famous for its island. Just a few meters from Ksamil Beach are 4 small islands covered by Mediterranean vegetation with a land surface spanning 8.9 Ha. The islands can be reached in 2 minutes by swimming.

   • After Ksamil, go on a short culture tour of Butrint, one of the best ancient cities in Albania, built on a hill between the Ionian sea and Butrinti Lake. The top of the hill is where the acropolis once was. There's now a castle here, housing an informative museum.

   • Enjoy the views from the museum's courtyard, which will give you a good idea of the city's layout, and you can see the Vivari Channel connecting Lake Butrint to the Straits of Corfu. There are community-run stalls inside the gates where you can buy locally produced souvenirs.

   • Lunch near National Park of Butrint.

4. Day 4: A little bit history from Gjirokaster

   • Stop at Butrint, one of the most famous springs in Albania. Situated inside one of the greatest parks, the area is called Blue eye because of the crystal-clear water. It is strange because the water is coming from an underground cave that divers can explore yet. Surrounded by thousands of trees and a wonderful river from the mountain, jump into the cold waters for a relaxing swim.

   • Visit Gjirokaster, known as Stone City. Here, everything was built with stones. 

   • See the unique architecture of old houses in this town, which is known to be the birthplace of Enver Hoxha, the dictator. A short visit to his house is recommended.

   • Get a chance to enjoy the famous local cuisine of Gjirokaster. Lunch will be served here, comprised of special Albanian dishes.

   • On the way back to Tirana, take several stops to view some natural attractions.