17 days in Albania: must-see highlights tour

Tirana Airport - Tirana

Day 1: Arrival in Albania

You’ll be welcomed by our local representative at Tirana International Airport. They will help you to pick up your rental car and answer any questions. Then set off for the capital of Albania - Tirana. Formerly dull and grey, the city has experienced a boom post-communism, becoming a lively metropolis with a unique atmosphere. Enjoy dinner and overnight in your Tirana hotel.

Tirana

Day 2: Tirana City Tour

Today take a sightseeing tour of Tirana and explore its rich and long history. Choose either a guided tour or to explore independently. Visit the Skanderbeg Square, the Et'hem Bey Mosque (1824), the Clock Tower (1822) and the Grand Park. Perhaps also visit the National Museum or the Bunk’art Museum detailing the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha during Albania’s communist period. Take the Djati cable car up Mount Djati to enjoy a beautiful view across the city.

Tirana - Shkodra

Day 3: Journey to Shkodra

After breakfast, set off on a scenic drive towards Albania's most famous restaurant, Mrizi I Zanave. Located in the middle of a picture-postcard landscape, enjoy lunch in this very special place where all the ingredients come from the restaurant gardens and local families. In the afternoon set off towards Shkodra to visit the largest city in northern Albania. Visit the Museum of Photography dedicated to the pioneer of photography in the Balkans, Pjeter Marubi. Also, don't miss the Rozafa Castle located at the entrance of the city with beautiful views along the Buna and the Drin River.

Shkodra - Theth

Day 4: Into the Mountains

After breakfast, take the mountain road through Northern Albania towards the village of Theth. Located in the heart of the valley the village has a rich history connected to the Albanian tribes who used to live there. Drop off your luggage at your guest house and enjoy some lunch. Spend the afternoon exploring the village on foot and finding out about its interesting history.

Theth - Shkodra

Day 5: The Beautiful 'Blue Eye'

This morning’s optional tour is to the beautiful ‘Blue Eye’ pool or the Syri iI Kaltër. You’ll set off by 4x4 for an hour's journey into the wilderness then hike through a pristine landscape to the pool. The Blue Eye is an incredible natural source of water and a heavenly place to rest and bathe in crystal-clear waters. A picnic lunch is included as well as transport and a local guide. Return to your guest house in Theth then hit the road back to Shkodra for a night in the city.

Shkodra - Karavasta - Berat

Day 6: Karavasta Lagoon & Wine Tasting

After breakfast, hit the road towards the Karavasta Lagoon in Divjakë. This is Albania's largest lagoon with a great variety of flora and fauna to discover. You might like to visit the panoramic tower for splendid views across the lagoon or take a boat trip. After lunch, drive towards Berat, a unique city featuring typical Ottoman architecture. On the way stop at the family-run Cobo Vineyard for a wine-tasting tour. Upon arrival and check-in at your Berat hotel, you can take a stroll around the city and visit the Kala Fortress built in the 13th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Berat - Elbasan - Lin

Day 7: The Road to Ohrid Lake

After breakfast, take the road for Ohrid Lake making a stop at Elbasan, the largest city in central Albania. Discover its striking fortress in the city centre with its unique Albanian architecture. Later, arrive at the small fishing village of Lin on the shores of Lake Ohrid. Drop off your luggage at your guesthouse and take in the sublime landscape. In the afternoon, enjoy a swim in the lake or take a walk to the top of the village and enjoy a magnificent panoramic view.

Lin - Ohrid

Day 8: Exploring the Lake

After breakfast, head into North Macedonia and take the road towards the city of Ohrid, known as the Heart of Orthodoxy. Take an optional guided sightseeing tour of this UNESCO World Heritage lakeside city. Alternatively, you can choose to explore independently. In the afternoon check in at your guesthouse in a small lakeside village. This afternoon you can either relax and take a walk in the local area or choose an optional activity such as paragliding, scuba diving in the lake or kayaking.

Ohrid - Galichista - Ohrid

Day 9: Hiking or Boating

After breakfast today you have a choice of two optional excursions. 

The first is a hike to Magaro Peak, the highest point in Galichitsa, at 2,255 meters above sea level. Meet your local guide to start your ascent and enjoy superb views of Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa. After climbing the summit of Galichitsa, start your descent to the source of the Black Drim River and pass through the Saint Naum Monastery.

The second option is a boat trip on Prespa Lake. Visit Pelican Island to see wildlife such as turtles, Cormorants and pelicans.

Ohrid - Pogradec - Korça

Day 10: Journey to Korca

Today take the road back into Albania heading for the village of Pogradec on the shore of Ohrid Lake. You’ll be within the bounds of the lovely Drilon National Park and can stop to enjoy some lunch here. In the afternoon head for Korça, also known as Little Paris because of its coffee culture. Stroll through the alleys and discover its many monuments, such as the largest Orthodox Cathedral in the country as well as the beautiful old bazaar.

Korça - Leskovic - Këlcyrë

Day 11: Rural Life in Albania

After breakfast, hit the road again passing through the splendid mountain landscapes of rural Albania. Stop at a small ranch in the heart of the mountains for a traditional lunch. Then make a stop in the thermal baths of Permët or Benja well known for their healing benefits. Make sure to admire the stone bridge Kadiut above the baths. Later join an optional rafting expedition on the Vjosa River. Your accoomodation for the night is a small farmhouse in the countryside near the village of Kelcyrë. Located in the heart of nature, the farm is at the foot of the Trebeshine Mountains. Learn about the Albanian country lifestyle with your welcoming hosts.

Këlcyrë

Day 12: Being in Nature

Spend a full day enjoying the wonderful natural setting of the farm with rivers, lakes, canyons and forests to explore. There are several options for activities today such as a horse riding excursion into the untouched nature of rural Albania. You could also choose a traditional Albanian cooking class, a yoga session or set off on a guided hike with a picnic lunch.

Këlcyrë - Gjirokastra - Ksamil

Day 13: To the Albanian Riviera

After breakfast, set off towards Gijrokastra, a city with an architectural style typical of the Ottoman period. Admire the 17th-century architecture, visit the Citadel of Gjirokastra and Skenduli house, a typical Ottoman house dating back to the 18th century. In the afternoon you might like to take an optional hot air balloon flight to admire the magnificent landscapes from the sky. Afterwards, take the road to the Albanian Riviera on the edge of Lake Butrint where you’ll be staying in a beautiful wood cabin on the lake.  

Ksamil - Kakomë - Ksamil

Day 14: Beaches & an Ancient Trojan City

After breakfast, begin an optional tour to Kakomë Bay on the Ionian coast. The beach of Kakomë is one of the quietest and most untouched beaches in Albania. Here you will start a hike to reach the highest point for fantastic views. Visit the Monastery of St. Maria at the top with its unique architecture. Walk down to the beach of Kakomë, for a picnic lunch and kayaking. Later, visit the UNESCO archaeological site of Butrint, an ancient city built by the Trojans after the fall of Troy.  

Ksamil - Dhermi

Day 15: Wonders of the Adriatic

After breakfast, drive north along the Albanian coastline and make a stop at Ali Pasha Castle. Afterwards head to Dhermi, a small and quaint Albanian seaside resort and check in at your hotel. Option to embark on a boat tour to discover some of the wonders of the Adriatic Sea, or simply relax at the beach.

Dhermi - Vlora - Kruje

Day 16: The Road to Kruje

This morning set off towards the city of Vlora, where the Albanian independence movement started. Along the way visit the Zvërnec Monastery located on a small islet and accessible by a small wooden pontoon. Stop for a seafood lunch then hit the road to Kruje, one of Europe's oldest cities. Visit its old bazaar and the medieval fortress of Skanderbeg. Enjoy your last night relaxing in the rooftop pool of your hotel with a beautiful panoramic view.

Kruje - Tirana Airport

Day 17: Airport Transfer

After breakfast, set off for the airport in Tirana and drop off the car before your return flight.