Setting down in the heart and capital of Albania, Tirana, we spend the initial stages of our tour exploring this city that lies halfway between Rome and Istanbul and which displays an unmistakable architectural influence from both. As we broaden our area of exploration, we enjoy the sights of a restored castle used by Albanian resistance fighters as defense against the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century, the city walls at Elbasan that date from the 4th century and the ancient Illyrian fortress and numerous art galleries in Korca, before heading into the countryside to admire grand mountains and picturesque panoramas.
We stop in Saranda, a city so renowned for its archaeological bounties that it can be described without hyperbole as a microcosm of almost 3,000 years of history, and continue on through the Albanian Riviera to check out the multitude of chapels, mosques, and Roman and Illyrian historical monuments that we come across as we pass through quaint, scenic towns. We cross into Macedonia to check out the World Heritage Site of Ohrid, the Samuil fortress - once the most formidable fortress in the Balkans - the monastery at Sveti Naum and the multi-blue hued Lake Ohrid, before making our way back to Tirana to end our tour.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Breakfast and dinner (hotels & local restaurants) daily.
- All transport, sightseeing and entrance fees for sites noted as 'visited' in the detailed itinerary.
- Gratuities for local guides, drivers, restaurant staff, porters.
- Airport transfers for land / air customers arriving / departing on tour dates.
Price Excludes:
- Tour Leader gratuities, lunches, drinks, personal items (phone, laundry, etc), international air taxes (if applicable), excursions referenced as 'optional'.
- Airport transfers for early / late arrivals / departures or Land Only customers.
- Our post-reservation trip notes offer further guidance on optional meal costs and shopping.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Albania
Macedonia
Cultural Journey
Archeology/History
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