Full Itinerary & Trip Details 8 Days Albania Tours PRICE STARTING FROM DURATION TOUR ID € 0 € 0 7 days 22192 ITINERARY Day 1 : Tirana Breakfast Included Meet at airport and transfer to Tirana for a visit at the National Museum of History which is a great introduction to the history of the country and its people. Afterwards take a driven tour of the major sites of Tirana, including the colourful buildings the Albanian capital is now recognized for. The dull grey communist architecture buildings have been transformed into modern art canvases through splashes of bright colours and abstract shapes. An ingenious way of uplifting the facades and the moods of the inhabitants. Overnight in Tirana Day 2 : Tirana – Shkodra – Tirana (3.5 hours driving time) After breakfast drive to Shkodra, centre of Roman Catholicism in Albania and a town with long historic routes, the only mentioned capital of the Illyrian Kingdom. Visit the legendary Rozafa castle with spectacular views all around and then the city centre with its pedestrian area with Italian influences. After visits return to Tirana. Overnight in Tirana. Day 3 : Tirana – Apollonia – Vlora (3.5 hours driving time) Breakfast Included After breakfast depart to Apollonia one of the most important ancient learning centres in Roman times on the famous Via Egnatia. Due to its fame and importance Caesar chose to send his nephew Augustus Octavian to study oratory there which is testimony to the importance of this ancient city. After the visits, continue on to Vlora where in the centre we have a look at Muradie Mosque, one of the early works of the famous architect Sinan of Albanian origin who designed the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. After lunch drive to a beautiful natural island where we visit the Monastery of Zvernec amongst wonderful nature. Overnight in Vlora Day 4 : Vlora – Butrint (UNESCO) – Saranda (4.5 hours driving time) Breakfast Included After breakfast we depart to Saranda through the spectacular Albanian Riviera with its traditional villages. At Llogara National Park we stop at around 1100 metres where spectacular views of the Ionian Sea can be admired. We continue and make a visit at the castle of Ali Pasha at Porto Palermo. Lunch on your own can be enjoyed here in one of the fish restaurants overlooking the castle and the beautiful turquoise sea. After lunch we will proceed to visit to the ancient city of Butrint- another UNESCO world heritage site. The city was first settled by Greek colonists and was continuously inhabited for centuries forming archaeological layers of different civilizations, making it an important discovery in the Mediterranean. It is situated in a beautiful peninsula among dense vegetation offering visitors more than just old ruins. Overnight in Saranda. Day 5 : Saranda – Gjirokastra (UNESCO)-) Breakfast Included In the morning we depart for Gjirokastra, a Museum Town under the protection of UNESCO as a World Heritage Site with beautiful and very distinct architecture. In Gjirokastra we will visit the Castle, part of which was turned into a political prison for dissidents of the communist regime and the Arms Museum. Visit to the Ethnographic Museum, which is also the house the Albanian dictator was born in, as well as a 300 year old house next to it, where the grandeur of Gjirokastra’s master builders can be observed. Lunch in Gjirokastra (optional). Overnight in Gjirokastra. Day 6 : Berat – Durres - Kruja - Tirana (3 hours driving time) Breakfast Included After breakfast drive to Durres one of the oldest towns in Albania and visit the remains of the ancient amphitheatre thought to hold 20 000 people making it the largest in the Balkans. Afterwards depart for Kruja the centre of Albanian resistance against the Ottomans where we visit the Castle with Ethnographic Museum and the Old Ottoman style bazaar. Overnight in Tirana. Day 7 : Day 8 Tirana-Airport Breakfast Included After breakfast transfer to Airport. Includes Excludes Routes.