Itinerary

1. Day 1- Tirana Airport - Kruja - Durres

   • Upon arrival at Mother Teresa airport in Tirana, meet our local guide.

   • Depart for Kruja, which is a small town inhabited since the 3rd-century B.C. and was accredited as a Christian religious center in 879.

   • Visit the Kruja castle- the centre of Skanderbeg's rebellion against the Ottoman empire.

   • Then explore the typical oriental-looking Ottoman Bazaar overflowing with a variety of goods.

   • Revel in 20th-century Albania's history in the Skanderbeg National Museum, which exhibits numerous original objects, documents and bibliographies.

   • Continue to see the National Ethnographic Museum, set in an original 19th-century Ottoman house belonging to an affluent Toptani family.

   • Now you will be transferred to your hotel in Durres.

2. Day 2- Durres - Berat - Vlora

   • 09:00-11:00- After breakfast, our local guide will take you on an exploration of Durres, one of the most ancient cities in Albania, boasting of the largest port in the country.

   • Visit Venetian Castle, which is an extension of the Byzantine fortress of Durres. The tower houses a bar and has antique cannons and heroic statues in the foreground.

   • Then, go and see the Roman amphitheatre- the largest one in the Balkan peninsula with a capacity of almost 20,000 people.

   • Explore the past through the Roman and Byzantine ruins found in this city.

   • Take a visit to the Archaeological Museum, the largest one in the country.
     Depart for Berat, the city of a thousand windows, and have lunch there.

   • Visit Berat Castle - a fortress landmark overlooking the downtown. There are numerous places around the castle, including early Christian churches, the Cathedral of Santa Maria and mosques.

   • Revel in the beauty of Mangalemi, an old-world hotel located at the foot of the castle hill.

   • Visit the beautiful old quarters of Gorica along with Gorica bridge.

   • Depart for Vlora

   • 18:30-19:00- Take a little tour of the old town of Vlora and visit Independence square, which is dedicated to the Albanian declaration of independence.

   • 19:00- Check-in at the hotel.

3. Day 3- Vlora - Gjirokaster - Saranda

   • 9:00-11:20- After breakfast at the hotel, our tour guide will take you to the ancient city of Gjirokaster.

   • 11:30-15:30- Take a tour of this city where many houses have their roofs covered in stone slabs, giving it the name 'City of Stones'. Here, you will visit-

     • National Museum of Armaments displays Albanian arms from their independence to the end of the second world war.

     • The Ethnographic Museum, erected on the site of the birth home of communist dictator Enver Hoxha.

     • Zekate House, built in Ottoman style. 

     • Cajupi restaurant, overlooking the ancient city, to have lunch.

   • 16:00-17:00- You will be transferred to your hotel in Saranda.

   • On your way, you will visit a Christian Byzantine church in Mesopotam.

4. Day 4- Saranda - Butrint - Saranda

   • 08:00- After breakfast, you will be taken to visit the archaeological park of Butrint.

   • 09:30-13:00- You will take the tour of the archaeological area dotted with Greek ruins, imposing Roman monuments, an Ottoman fort and an early Christian church. 

   • 13:00-15:00- Have lunch at a local restaurant near Ksamil Park before beginning to explore the city of Saranda.

   Stay at a hotel in Saranda.

5. Day 5- Saranda - Ioannina - Kalabaka

   • 07:30- After breakfast, you will be transferred to Ioannina by our local guide, crossing the border into Greece.

   • 11:30-12:30- Take the tour of Ioannina, which is a tranquil old quarter built on the shore of Pamvotis lake.

   • 12:30-13:30- Have lunch in Ioannina, followed by a journey to Kalabaka- a gateway to Meteora.

   • 16:00-18:30- Take the tour of the beautiful landscape of Meteora, brimming with numerous Byzantine churches and monasteries.

   Stay at a hotel in Kalambaka.

6. Day 6- Kalabaka - Bitola - Ohrid

   • 08:10-12:40- Our local guide will take you to Bitola in Macedonia, and you will have lunch at a restaurant on reaching there.

   • 14:10-16:00- Take a tour of Heraklea, which is popular for its mosaics, Roman baths and ancient theatres.

   • 16:10-17:00- Take a short tour of Bitola city, famous for its churches, mosques and bells.

   • 17:00-18:20- You will be transferred to a hotel in the ancient city of Ohrid.

7. Day 7- Ohrid - Tirana

   • 08:00- Our local guide will take you to visit the following places in Ohrid-

     • Church of St. Sofia, which was used as a cathedral in the past. It boasts of magnificent Byzantine frescoes and paintings.

     • Church of St. Clement- a Macedonian orthodox cathedral church. Here you can witness the icon of Annunciation.

   • 12:30-14:00- Have lunch at one of the restaurants on Lake Ohrid.

   • 14:00-16:30- You will be transferred to Tirana to explore Albania's capital and stay at a hotel there.

8. Day 8- Tirana - Mother Teresa Airport

   • Depart to the Mother Teresa airport.