Explore Albania & Northern Greece

Day 1: Arrival in Albania – Tirana (17 km)

Meet at the airport and transfer to Tirana. Afterward take a tour of the major sites of Tirana, including the colorful 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 colors and abstract shapes. An ingenious way of uplifting the facades and the moods of the inhabitants. Overnight in Tirana.

Day 2: Tirana – Kruja – Berat (UNESCO) (175 km)

As we leave the crowded Tirana, will have a new experience in the medieval town of Kruja located on the slope of Sari Salltiku Mountain. Take a walk along the old Bazaar known as the best place to find handicrafts. Next, proceed to the 6th-century fortress were still families living inside. Pay a visit to the Ethnographic Museum and History Museum. Afterward, proceed for overnight in Berat

Day 3: Berat (UNESCO) – Korce (190 km)

This morning proceed to explore the wonderful city of Berat. Visit the Castle, Onufri Museum, and several churches and mosques. Onufri was an Albanian master painter of the 16th century who had a preference for a particular red color he used so much that it is known today as the Onufrian Red. Many of his wonderfully painted Icons still remain in the museum while others can be found in churches in Albania and Greece where he worked. After visiting Berat proceed overnight in Korca.

Day 4: Korca – Kalambaka (190 km)

Korca is one of the largest and most important cultural and economic centers of Albania, located in the southeastern part of the country. The city is known for its typical quarters, composed of low houses and villas, which are paved with cobblestone. The city owns several museums such as the Education museum. The Museum of Medieval Arts, Archaeological Museum, Bratko Museum, etc. There are found in the city beautiful churches to be seen and XV century mosque. Enjoy some free time on your own along the “Bulevardi Republika” or visiting the Old Bazaar part of the city. After visiting Korca we will cross the border with Greece. Afterward, we will drive overnight in Kalambaka.

Day 5: Kalambaka – Meteora (UNESCO) – Ioannina (110 km)

In the morning depart to Meteora, a wonderful monument of nature complemented by the ingenuousness of man. Breathtaking rocks hundred of meters high situated in the middle of vast lowlands which seem to have fallen off the sky, very likely the word Meteora has been purposely been used based on this impression the rocks give to anyone who sees them. These rocks which on their own are stunning enough carry on their backs wonderfully crafted monasteries that make for a monumental interaction between nature and man which never ceases to impress new and repeat visitors to this place. The most famous and probably the best monastery out of all Meteora monasteries, the Great Meteora Monastery or as it is known locally the Megalo Meteoro Monastery or Metamorphosis. Depart to Ioannina, Greece, where we will visit the castle of Ali Pasha in the center of Town, the burial place of the pasha, and the Mosque turned into his museum. Overnight in Ioannina.

Day 6: Ioannina – Blue Eye – Butrint (UNESCO) – Saranda (140 km)

This morning we will proceed to Albania. After crossing the border we will proceed to visit 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. Afterward have a visit to the Blue Eye (Albanian: Syri I kaltër) is a water spring, a natural phenomenon. A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river bubbles forth from a stunning, more than the fifty-meter-deep pool. Divers have descended to fifty meters, but it is still unclear what the actual depth of the karsts hole is. Overnight in Saranda.

Day 7: Saranda – Gjirokastra (UNESCO) – Durres (255 km)

We will spend this morning in the museum city of Gjirokastra, which is also one of the three UNESCO sites in Albania. The city is overlooked by Gjirokastër Fortress, where the Gjirokastër National Folklore Festival is held every five years. It is the birthplace of former Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha and notable writer Ismail Kadare. Many houses in Gjirokastër have a distinctive local style that has earned the city the nickname “City of Stone” because most of the old houses have roofs covered with flat dressed stones. Gjirokastër features an old Ottoman bazaar which was originally built in the 17th century; it was rebuilt in the 19th century after a fire. There are more than 500 homes preserved as “cultural monuments” in Gjirokastër today. As leaving Gjirokastra city, continue next to the ancient city of Durres, which is also the most important seaport in Albania. Visit the Amphitheater, the biggest in the Balkan Peninsula (capacity 15.000 spectators) with a rare wall mosaic, which belongs to the 2nd century A.D, Overnight in Durres.

Day 8: Durres – Mother Teresa Airport (35 km)

Transfer from Durres to Tirana airport. End of our service.