Albania

Arrival at Tirana airport. Meeting with the guide. Departure to the historic town of Kruja, located northeast of Tirana, 560 meters above sea level. Kruja has been inhabited since the third century B.C. It was first accredited as a Christian religious center in the year 879. The famous English painter Edward Lear, who visited Kruja in 1848, wrote: “Kruja, a charming little town nestled in the sky.” Free time for lunch. Visit the castle, its typical Ottoman bazaar, the Museum of Skanderbeg, and the Ethnographic Museum. Continue to Shkoder on the shores of Shkodra Lake. Free time. Overnight in Shkoder.

Breakfast at the hotel. Continue to Theth, one of the most beautiful valleys in the Albanian Alps. Our transfer ends in the charming village of Theth. The location of the house is the ideal starting point for all kinds of hikes in the surrounding mountains. Free time to explore.

Departure to Durres. Explore the city of Durres, one of the most ancient cities in Albania, which has the largest port in the country and is the second-largest industrial center after Tirana. Durres is located on a small peninsula on the Adriatic coast. The city was colonized by the Greeks in 627 B.C. and was named Epidamnos, later becoming known as Dyrrachium. From the Venetian Tower near the harbor, the medieval city walls take you to the Roman amphitheater (capacity 15,000 spectators), the largest in the Balkans, dating back to the 2nd century B.C. The amphitheater contains a Christian crypt with a rare mosaic. Lunch in a restaurant near the seaside. Departure for Berat. Overnight in Berat.

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Berat, a UNESCO Site, called the “city of a thousand windows,” divided into an “upper town” of 14th-century origin, rich in Byzantine churches, and a “lower town,” adorned with numerous ancient mosques. Its famous districts are the Castle, Mangalemi, and Gorica. Even today, its citadel is inhabited by more than a thousand families. There are countless places of interest in and around the Castle, including early Christian churches, the Cathedral of Santa Maria, and the many mosques built in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Continue to Gjirokastra, the “museum city” of Albania, dominated by a fortified citadel. Visit the city and its castle. Time for lunch. On the way to Saranda, stop to visit the naturalistic site Blue Eye. Visit the city. Overnight at a hotel in Saranda.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Butrint, mentioned by Virgil in the Aeneid. The city is located across from the Greek island of Corfu and is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The city retains Greek ruins, imposing Roman monuments, an early Christian church, and an Ottoman fort. Butrint was inhabited almost continuously from the 8th century B.C. and played an important role in the first Peloponnesian War. Free time in Saranda.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Vlora, traveling along the road between the mountains and the sea. Free time in Vlora. In the afternoon, return to Tirana. Optional: After dinner, visit one of the many bars in the center of Tirana where beautiful live music is played. Overnight in Tirana.

Walking tour of Tirana, Visit of Bunk art and of the National Museum. Free time.

Departure to the airport. End of services.