8-Day Albania Tour: History, Culture & Natural Wonders

Day 1: Arrival in Tirana (20 km)

Arrive at Tirana International Airport “Mother Teresa” and transfer to your hotel. Relax and enjoy your first evening in Albania’s vibrant capital.
Overnight: Tirana

Day 2: Tirana – Pogradec – Korça (165 km)

After breakfast, travel to Pogradec, located on the shores of Lake Ohrid, the deepest lake in the Balkans. Continue to Korça, a cultural hub in southeastern Albania surrounded by mountains.

Enjoy a panoramic city tour of Korça, visiting the historic center, the Orthodox Cathedral, and the old Ottoman bazaar.
Highlights:

Explore Lake Ohrid in Pogradec

Visit Korça, including the Orthodox Cathedral and Ottoman bazaar
Overnight: Korça

Day 3: Korça – Përmet – Gjirokastër (200 km)

Travel through scenic countryside to Përmet, visiting the Orthodox Church of St. Mary, one of Albania’s most spectacular churches built in the 18th century.

Continue to Gjirokastër, a UNESCO World Heritage “museum city” with well-preserved Ottoman-era houses. Enjoy a panoramic tour of the Medieval Old Town.
Highlights:

Visit the Orthodox Church of St. Mary in Përmet

Explore Gjirokastër’s Medieval Old Town
Overnight: Gjirokastër

Day 4: Gjirokastër – Blue Eye – Butrint – Saranda (90 km)

Morning tour of Gjirokastër, including the castle and the Skenduli House, a well-preserved Ottoman-era home dating back to 1700. Learn about its history and the life under communism.

On the way to Saranda, stop at the Blue Eye Spring, famous for its stunning turquoise waters. Continue to Butrint, an ancient Greco-Roman city and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore its ruins, which reflect over 2,400 years of history.
Highlights:

Visit Gjirokastër Castle and Skenduli House

Explore Butrint, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Stop at the spectacular Blue Eye Spring
Overnight: Saranda

Day 5: Saranda – Porto Palermo – Ardenitsa Monastery – Berat (237 km)

Depart for Berat, traveling along the Albanian Riviera with spectacular views of the Ionian coast. Stop at Porto Palermo to visit an Ottoman fortress built by Ali Pasha in the 19th century.

Continue to the Ardenitsa Monastery, built in the 13th century on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Artemis. Arrive in Berat, the “City of a Thousand Windows” and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Highlights:

Visit the Ottoman fortress in Porto Palermo

Explore the Ardenitsa Monastery
Overnight: Berat

Day 6: Berat – Durrës – Tirana (130 km)

Morning tour of Berat, including the Berat Citadel, historic neighborhoods of Mangalem and Gorica, and the Onufri Museum with its 16th-century icons.

Travel to Durrës, a historic Adriatic port city. Visit the medieval walls, Roman amphitheater, and archaeological museum. Return to Tirana for a guided city tour, including Skanderbeg Square, Et’hem Bey Mosque, the Opera House, and the National Museum of History.
Highlights:

Explore Berat and the Onufri Museum

Visit Durrës: medieval walls, Roman amphitheater, archaeological museum

Guided tour of Tirana city center
Overnight: Tirana

Day 7: Tirana – Kruja – Shkodër – Tirana (225 km)

Depart for Kruja, a medieval village and center of Albanian resistance against the Ottomans. Visit Kruja Castle, the bazaar, and the Skanderbeg Museum, honoring Albania’s 15th-century national hero.

Continue to Shkodër, the largest Catholic city in Albania. Visit Rozafa Fortress, with its legendary tale of a young patrician sacrificed to complete its construction. Return to Tirana for overnight stay.
Highlights:

Kruja Castle and Skanderbeg Museum

Rozafa Fortress in Shkodër
Overnight: Tirana

Day 8: Tirana – Airport (20 km)

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Tirana International Airport. End of services.