Albania Explorer “Illyria Route”

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival - Tirane.
1 stop
1
Tirana
Pickup from Tirana International Airport and transfer to the city. Leisure day.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Kruje - Tirane
1 stop
2
Kruje
After breakfast we head to Kruja, one of Albania’s most important towns due to the part it played in resistance against the Ottomans. Visit the Skanderbeg Museum and castle as well as the old bazaar. Then heading to Tirana. City tour of Tirana, Albania's capital. Overnight at Freddy's 3* or similar. (B)
4 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 3
Lezhe - Shkoder
2 stops
3
Lezhe
After breakfast, the, next stop will be in Lezha city. In the ancient period it was called Lissus. Visit to its castle and Mausoleum of Skanderbeg (Albanian National Hero). Afterward, we will continue to Shkodra.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
4
Shkoder
A nice landscape with highland (Albanian Alps on the north) is a full contrast. City tour of Shkodra, Old Bazaar, Centrum, Cathedral and Mosque. Visit the Castle of Rozafa inside it and we enjoy wonderful views of mountains, Shkodra’s lake, Drini, Buna and Kir rivers with the valleys around from the top of Rozafa castle. Return to Tirana for overnight.
5 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 4
Durres - Berat (UNESCO).
2 stops
5
Durres
After breakfast we continue to Durres. This port city, is the most important ancient central mediterranean metropol until medieval time in the 15th century when it got occupied by ottomans until 1912 when Albania proclaimed its independence, and Durres became its capital until 1920. (Durres is also more than 3500 years old (mentioned first time in Odisea where Ulicsus spent part of his time in Taulantia (ancient Pelasgian-Illyrian name of Epidamn-Durrah-Durres) on his way back to Itaka after Troyan war. This city has the largest Roman amphitheater in the Balkan region (about 20,000 seats), dating back to the beginning of the 2nd century which we will visit with the ancient city castle wall and byzantine bazaar/forum, Roman public baths, etc.
4 hours • Admission ticket free
6
Berat
Later we will continue to Berat, one of the oldest inhabited regions of Albania, more than 2400 years old, and with special status from UNESCO. Visit the castle of Berat with the Onufri museum and other churches inside; the Mosque of Berat and the old Bridge of Gorica, Onufri Museum and several churches and mosques. Onufri was an Albanian master painter of the 16th. 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. Overnight at Hotel Republika 4* or similar. (B)
4 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 5
Ardenica Monastery - Apollonia - Vlore.
3 stops
7
After breakfast we will continue to Ardenica Monastery. The monastery of Ardenica is known as a place where our National Gjergj Kastriori Skanderbeg got married with princess Andronika Arianiti. It is a Byzantine structure occupying a surface area of about 2,500 m². This monument consists of the Saint Mary Church, the Saint Triad chapel, the konake, the oil mill, the oven and the stall.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
8
Apollonia Archaeological Park
We continue the tour to Apollonia, which was founded in 588 BC and taken by Aristotle as a model in his analysis of oligarchy, because of its distinct and separate Illyrian and Greek communities. It was a vital stronghold in Caesar's civil war with Pompey and also important in early Christian history with its bishop attending the councils of Ephesus and Chlalkis in 431 and 451 AD. We will visit its museum, Shen Meri Monastery and Church.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
9
Vlore
Then departure to the coastal city of Vlora. Vlora is the city where Albanian independence from the Ottomans was proclaimed on November 28th, 1912. Visit to the Museum of Independence.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 6
Himare - Ksamil - Butrint (UNESCO) - Saranda.
3 stops
10
Himare
After breakfast, we continue to the south of Albania, where we enjoy spectacular views of Vlora Bay, the mountains and the Ionian Riviera.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
11
Butrint National Park
Arrival in Sarande. Where we visit ruins of Butrint antic city, Albania's most important archaeological site, part of UNESCO heritage list since . Butrint dates from the 7th century BC, later becoming a Roman colony, then falling under the sway of the Venetians and Turks. Virgil claimed that the Trojans settled Butrint, but no evidence of this has yet been found. Within a century of the Greeks arriving, Butrint had become a fortified trading city with its own acropolis, the ruins of which we can still visit. The rediscovered city is a microcosm of almost 3,000 years of Mediterranean history, and its 6th century BC fortification evokes the city's military power and symbolizes the rich culture of the once thriving ancient city. Exploration of amphitheater, Venetian tower, Mosaic, Lion gate, etc. We will return for accommodation at the hotel. Dinner at the Lekuresi Fortress in Saranda with great views of the bay of Saranda and the Island of Corfu.
4 hours • Admission ticket included
12
Ksamil
Continue via some picturesque seaside villages to Saranda in Ksamil, where we stop for lunch break, with the possibility to enjoy the beach and cristal azure sea and the views.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 7
Mesopotam - Blue Eye - Gjirokaster (UNESCO) - Tirane.
3 stops
13
This morning we will continue to Gjirokaster. En route we will make a stop in Mesopotam monastery, built over the ancient temple inside the fortress.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
14
The Blue Eye
In the morning, we continue to “Blue Eye” National Park. The Blue Eye is a water spring with extremely light blue water bubbles in a more than 50-metre deep pool. You’ll be mesmerized by how clear the water is, to the point that you’ll be able to see straight to the bottom.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
15
Gjirokaster
Then proceed to Gjirokaster part of (UNESCO) heritage since 2005. City tour, than visit to the Castle, Weapons Museum. The main characteristic of Gjirokastra is the intensive use of stone in building the houses, which look like small fortresses, the streets of cobblestone, which all lead to Bazaar. You can also visit the Mosque of Bazaar here, built in 1557. Due to all these features, Gjirokastra is also known as the “The Stone City”.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 8
Airport Transfer.
1 stop
16
Tirana International Airport
Transfer to Tirana Airport for departure. End of services. (B)
Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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