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Arrival in Tirana International Airport. Transfer to the hotel in the center. Free time at your disposal. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
After breakfast, depart for Durres—one of the oldest cities in Albania (founded in 627 BC). We will visit the Amphitheater located in the center of the modern city. Then, visit Berat, another declared UNESCO World Heritage Site, also known as the “City of a Thousand Windows”. It is classified as a city museum. In the past, there were 40 churches inside the castle. Today, only 7 remain, one of which has been transformed into the Onufri Museum. Onufri was a 16th- century Albanian painter, master of icone sacre, who painted many Orthodox churches in Albania and Greece. Tasting in a traditional house within the walls of the castle of Berat, the family has lived in this house for generations. We will taste the famous Raki, Gliko, and Turko coffee like our grandmothers made it. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
After breakfast, we will head towards Gjirokastër. The first stop on the route is the Monastery of Ardenica, whose construction dates back to the Middle Age as evidenced by the stone placed at the entrance, dating back to 1417. It is said that Scanderbeg got married in the small chapel of Ardenica. Afternoon transfer to Gjirokaster, declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2005. A museum city with a very particular historical architecture. Visit to the medieval Castle. The city’s origins begin with the castle of Gjirokaster, built in the 4th century AD. The castle, known as Argjiro castle is the most important structure of the city and the largest in Albania. The city was called Argyrokastro in 1336. It reached the peak of flowering during the 800s–1830s, when characte-ristically monumental houses were built. Visit to the Ethnographic Museum, set up in the house where the Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha was born.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
After breakfast, depart for the Occhio Azzuro (4 km walk: round trip). The Occhio Azzuro (Syri i Kaltër in Albanian) is a water source and the initial source of water of the Bistricë, a 25-km long river that flows into the Ionian Sea just south of Saranda. The spring is a natural phenomenon with a depth of at least 50 meters, the deepest a diver has ever managed to reach, so the actual depth is even unknown. The view is within walking distance (2 km/OW-1 hour) or by train (ticket cost 6 euros per person) back and forth. Depart for the ancient city visit of Butrinti, a UNESCO Heritage Site and the most important archaeological discovery in Albania. In addition to the splendid ancient ruins, it has the added advantage of being located on a beautiful peninsula, rich in flora and fauna. After the visit in Butrinti, a short stop in Ksamil. It is a small seaside town, 12 kilometers south of Saranda, Albania. Situated between the turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea and the mussel-rich waters of Butrinti Lagoon, with three idyllic islands with swimming distance, Ksamil is extremely popular with Albanian and foreign beachgoers in the summer. The fact that it’s directly across from Corfu, Greece, and reachable by a 30-minute ferry ride, it adds to the appeal.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
After breakfast, we leave for Vlora. You travel on a spectacular Albanian Riviera. The Albanian Riviera is characterized by a constellation of rocky and isolated beaches, surrounded by panoramic hills, vertiginous mountains covered with lush and wild vegetation—typical in the Mediterranean. Over the centuries, charming and hospitable villages have been built between the mountains and the sea— places where visitors can find a temporary home to enjoy the beautiful waters and breathtaking views of the Ionian Sea. We will make a photo stop at the Ali Pasha Castle in Porto Palermo (entrance fee), a fortress used to control the trade routes on the sea. In the afternoon, we will visit Vlora: the Museum of Independence located in the original house where the first independent Albanian Government had its offices and from where independence was proclaimed. In the afternoon, free time on the beach of Vlora. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
After breakfast, we continue to the ancient city of Apollonia. It is located on the famous Via Egnatia, one of the most important cities of Ancient Rome. It was here that Julius Caesar sent his nephew Augustus Octavian to study oratory, a testament to the importance of this city. We continue transfer to the capital of Albania which has an endless movement and energy. The trip begins by visiting key places such as Sheshi Skënderbej, the Et’hem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower, Castle of the Roman Emperor Justinian, the monumental Tomb of Kapllan Pasha, the Tanners’ Bridge, the National History Museum, and the archaeological museum. All of this will leave you with wonderful memories. In Tirana, we can visit the Archaeological Museum, the Mosque of Haxhi Et’Hem Bey, and Bunk’Art 2.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
After breakfast, depart for Shkoder, northern Albania’s most important city and the Italian Empire’s ancient capital in the 3rd century BC. Visit the Castle of Rozafa, where you can admire a spectacular 360 degrees panorama. We will then visit the Marubi Photographic Museum, which preserves a selection of photos taken from the second half of the 19th century until 1900.
Take a stroll through the newly renovated pedestrian zone, where Italian and Austrian architecture are intertwined; a testament to the city’s historical ties with these two countries. We will leave for Kruja. Upon arrival, a city visit that sees its major attractions in the fortress and in the museum housed inside, dedicated to the founding father of Albanian national sentiment, Giorgio Castriota Scanderbeg. This stop, in addition to a knowledge of the history of resistance in Europe to Ottoman expansionism and the origins of Albanian national sentiment will allow you to get in touch with still alive and active testimonies of the “Alberese” community in the world.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport.
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