Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Tirana
Arrival in Tirana. Afterwards, an overview of the major sites of Tirana by car. At leisure in the evening to explore the city center.
Day 2: Tirana - Kruja - Durres
Travel to Kruja, a small town perched high on the face of a hill, the center of the Albanian resistance against the Ottoman Turks under the leadership of Albania’s national hero Scanderbeg. Visit the fortress of Kruja, the Scanderbeg Museum, Ethnographic Museum, and the old bazaar full of local handicrafts. Arrive in Durres in the early afternoon in time to visit the Amphitheatre and Archeological Museum. Dinner in a traditional restaurant with live music.
Day 3: Durres - Elbasan - Pogradec-Tushemisht
Visit Elbasan Castle (interesting as it is the only castle in the country given to a private entity which has proved very successful in preserving and restoring this monument). Continue on to Pogradec, on the shores of Lake Ohrid, for lunch. We proceed to the small village of Tushemisht to explore the traditional village life in this picturesque area of the country. A short drive to the other side of the lake reveals the mosaics and archeological sites on the top of a hill around the lake in Lin village. Traditional Koran Fish dinner at Hotel Sirena by the lake.
Day 4: Pogradec - Korca - Voskopoja – Korca
Depart for Korca where we visit the Museum of Medieval Arts and the Mosque of Mirahori, one of the oldest in the country, built in 1469. Afterwards we depart for Voskopoja, one of the most important towns in the European part of the Ottoman empire during the beginning of the 18th century. Testament to this are the first printing house in the Balkans in 1720, the Academia of Voskopoja founded in 1744, the famous Basilicas, and the painted house walls by famous Albanian painters including David Selenica and the Zeografi brothers.
We visit a number of monuments and churches with frescoes that have been restored. Afterwards, we return to Korca, where you are left at leisure to explore this important town of southern Albania. Of particular interest is the old Korca bazaar opposite our hotel.
Day 5: Korca - Gjirokastra
We depart for Gjirokastra, a museum city and UNESCO heritage site. We drive through breathtaking scenery in the mountainous areas of Leskovik and Kolonja. Gjirokastra is the birthplace of the former iron-fisted dictator of Albania, Enver Hoxha. We visit the pre-Ottoman citadel which houses a weapons museum and ex-political prison. Afterwards, free to stroll around town, where many of the buildings retain their original wood and stone work. Overnight will be in one of the characteristic houses of Gjirokastra, a restored, small family-run guest house called Kalemi.
Day 6: Gjirokastra - Saranda - Butrint - Saranda
Drive to Saranda. On the way, there will be a quick visit to the Blue Eye, a fresh water spring in the shape of an eye, hidden among dense vegetation. A beautiful and relaxing natural site. We stop at the Mesopotam Church where carvings of mythological creatures can be viewed. In the afternoon, we visit the World Heritage site of Butrint, Albania’s most important archaeological site and one of the most important sites in the Mediterranean as it provides proof of continuous inhabitation for thousands of years, forming layers upon layers of civilizations.
Day 7: Saranda
A free day in Saranda to relax on the beautiful Ksamil beach, you can take a boat trip or independently take a day trip to Corfu. The Ksamil Islands are beautiful and the beaches unspoiled. In the town center, the ancient ruins are thought to be one of the earliest Jewish Synagogues in Albania, approximately dating to the 4th century AD
Day 8: Saranda - Vlora
A morning departure takes us north along the Albanian Riviera towards the coastal town of Vlora, where important events in the struggles for freedom and independence have taken place. We will make a stop for refreshments at the coastal town of Himara and several other small coastal villages. We will likely stop to visit a village house or possibly a school at the village of Bosh. In Vlora, we visit the Independence Museum, situated in the original house that was the seed of the first independent Albanian government.
Day 9: Vlora - Apollonia – Berat
We depart early from Vlora towards the ancient city of Apollonia, founded in 558 BC by settlers from Corfu and Corinth. It is among the finest archaeological sites of the Mediterranean. We will have a tour of the library of this Roman site and view the beautiful Odeon, along with a visit to the Old Monastery nearby, which serves as an Archaeological Museum. Next we proceed to the beautiful museum town of Berat, sometimes called “the city of a thousand windows.” It is one of the most attractive Albanian towns and must see for anyone.
After lunch, we go sightseeing in Berat: the Fortress, Onufri Museum (an old Orthodox church which displays many of the iconic paintings by Onufri and his followers) and several churches and mosques. In the downtown area, we visit the Leaden Mosque, the King's Mosque, the Bachelor's Mosque and the Alveti Tekke. We will then visit an Albanian Winery to taste one of the best local Albanian wines. Dinner and overnight in a traditional Berat house-turned-hotel.
Day 10: Berat - Shkodra
We proceed to the northern city of Shkodra, the most important town of northern Albania and the Illyrian capital in the 3rd century BC. We visit Rozafa Castle, from where spectacular panoramic view can be admired all around. It is a place that you can truly feel the supremacy the Illyrians would have felt against enemies standing in front of such an imposing fortress. We visit the Marubi Museum (a master photographer at the end of the 19th century).
It has an exposition of old prints, starting with the oldest photograph in the Balkans that was taken in 1856. This gives us an opportunity to experience the authentic life of people 150 years ago through the print exposition. Afterwards, we visit the Mesi Bridge, an old bridge built in the mid 18th century that has beautiful mountain scenery as a backdrop.
Day 11: Shkodra - Tirana
Morning drive to Tirana. Half day tour of the capital, including Ethem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower and the National Historic Museum. We visit two old houses where two master artists live. The Buneci house, built in the 17th century, is the house of a master cooper craftsman and there are displays of his life’s work in the living room. The house of Albanian master painter Sali Shijaku, built in the 15th century, displays his paintings as well. A free afternoon for more exploration on your own. Dinner with a performance by the National Ensemble of Albania.
Day 12: Tirana
At leisure until time for transfer to the airport.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price includes: accommodations, daily breakfast and dinners, land transport by an air conditioned minivan (VW Sharan), accompanying escort, monument fees, performance by the National Ensemble of Albania
Price Excludes: international flight, visa fees, insurance, tips, personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls, drinks
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Albania
Cultural Journey
Museum Tours
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