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4-Days UNESCO Towns and Albanian Riviera Tour
By Enjoy Travel
10/10
10 out of 10Free cancellation available
per adult
Features
- Free cancellation available
- 4d
- Mobile voucher
- Instant confirmation
- Selective hotel pickup
- Multiple languages
Overview
Welcome to the Best of Southern and Central Albania!
This 4-day, 4-night tour offers you the opportunity to explore some of the most captivating cities and landscapes in Albania. You’ll discover the rich history, natural beauty, and unique culture of Tirana, Gjirokastra, Saranda, and Vlora.
On this tour, you will visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites—Gjirokastra Old Town and the Butrint Archaeological Site—as well as experience the stunning Albanian Riviera, the beautiful beaches, and the Llogara National Park.
The journey will take you through Ancient Illyrian, Roman, and Ottoman history, with insightful commentary that will immerse you in the fascinating past of each location. Enjoy the charming old towns, the incredible views, and the historical landmarks that make this part of Albania so special.
Flexibility:
This tour is available to book at any time of the year, even one day before departure, making it perfect for spontaneous travellers.
Activity location
- Skanderbeg Square
- , At the center of Tirana
- Tirana, Albania, Albania
Meeting/Redemption Point
- Skanderbeg Square
- , At the center of Tirana
- Tirana, Albania, Albania
Check availability
4-Days UNESCO Towns and Albanian Riviera Tour
- 4d
- English
Pickup included
Starting time: 8:00 am
Price details
AU$1,486.91 x 2 AdultsAU$2,973.82
Total
What's included, what's not
- Fuel for the vehicle
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- All Fees and Taxes
- Accommodation
- Full-Day Driver
Know before you book
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transport options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialised infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Activity itinerary
Day 1: Tirana - Belsh - Berat - Gjirokastra (Lake and History day)
- 4 stops
- Meals: breakfast, lunch
- Accommodation: 4 or 3 stars Hotel in the centre of Gjirokastra
Skanderbeg Square
- 1h
In Tirana you will visit the main Boulevard in the centre, the Gallery of Arts, the Skanderbeg square, the main Boulevard, the
Mosque, the Bunker, the Pyramid, Mother Theresa square, blloku area which is also the most frequented area of the city, the national park of Tirana, and the Mosaic of Tirana. you will visit the National Historical Museum if you would like.
Belësh
- 2h
The small town of Belsh sits in the middle of many small lakes. It is mainly agricultural land, and there seems to be no immediate reason for the tourists to venture here. But sometimes, when the weather is not quite good enough to visit dramatic mountains, or if one tyres of the beach…
Enver Hoxha Pyramid
- 15m
Designed by Enver Hoxha's daughter and son-in-law and completed in 1988, this monstrously unattractive building was formerly the Enver Hoxha Museum and more recently a convention centre and nightclub. Today, covered in graffiti and surrounded by the encampments of Tirana's homeless, its once-white marble walls are now crumbling, but no decision on whether to demolish or restore it has yet been reached.
The pyramid is during our sightseeing and we will stop 10 minutes for explanation
Berat
- 2h
The city of berat with its Castle known for the history and authentic culture
Day 2: Gjirokastra - Saranda
- 4 stops
- Meals: breakfast
- Accommodation: Hotel in Saranda
Gjirokaster
- 1h
The lovingly restored Ottoman-era Skenduli House has been in the hands of the same family for generations (apart from a few years during the communist period when the government took it over), and you'll most likely be shown around by a member of the family. Dating from the early 1700s, but partially rebuilt in 1827, the house has many fascinating features, including a room used only for wedding ceremonies and which has 15 windows, many with stained glass. You will visit the house with a guide.
Skenduli House
- 1h
- Admission ticket included
The lovingly restored Ottoman-era Skenduli House has been in the hands of the same family for generations (apart from a few years during the communist period when the government took it over), and you'll most likely be shown around by a member of the family. Dating from the early 1700s, but partially rebuilt in 1827, the house has many fascinating features, including a room used only for wedding ceremonies and which has 15 windows, many with stained glass.
You will visit the house with a guide.
Gjirokastra Bazaar
- 30m
the Castle of Gjirokastra is all that can be seen, rising majestically over the city. Like a giant ship made of stone, it extends across the 1100-foot-high hillside on which it was built during the 4thcentury. A monument to nearly two thousand years of Albanian history, this castle is nowadays one of the most visited places in Albania.
You will spend around 2 hours in the castle including the time to go and to come back.
Butrint National Park
- 1h
- Admission ticket included
After lunch, you will start visiting the top archaeological sites of Butrint inside: Butrint (Butrint in Albanian) from ancient Greek was an ancient Greek city and later Roman and a bishopric in Epirus. Inhabited since prehistoric times, Buthrotum was a city of the Greek Chaonian tribe, later a Roman
colony and a bishopric. It went into decline at the end of Antiquity, before being abandoned in the Middle
Ages after a major earthquake flooded most of the city.
Hotel check-in and free time by the sea Saranda, which is
the unofficial capital of the Albanian Riviera, and over the summer months, it seems like half of Tirana is moving here to enjoy the lively beach and the lively nightlife along its crowded seaside promenade.
Day 3: Saranda - Albanian Riviera - Llogara - Vlora
- 4 stops
- Meals: breakfast
- Accommodation: Hotel in Vlora
Qeparo Beach
- 3h
Setting off from Himara, the road is only 13 km long and full of the beautiful Mediterranean views for which the Ionian Coast is so famous for. The locals say that Qeparo’s name comes from the cypress tree, which are so common in this area. Unlike the many rocky beaches of the south, Qeparo Beach has fine sand, and the sea is shallow for the first few metres, making it different from the immediate depths of Dhërmi and Jali. It’s for this reason that Qeparo is such a family favourite. There’s also a very quaint old pier which has been built on the large rocks that lay there.
Porto Palermo Castle
- 2h
- Admission ticket included
On the way to Himara near the Ionian sea, in a picturesque bay just south of Himara, this 19th-century fortress, also known as the Castle of Ali Pasha, makes for an interesting stop-off along the coastal road. The fortress itself is eerily dark inside, but it's well worth paying to wander around and explore the battlements, which have superb sea views.
Llogara Pass
The Llogara Pass is a high mountain pass within the Ceraunian Mountains along the Albanian Riviera. It connects the Dukat Valley in the north with Himarë in the south.
You will have a short stop for pictures of the amazing Albanian Riviera.
Vlore
- 30m
The Monument of Independence is a monument in Vlorë, Albania, dedicated to the Albanian Declaration of Independence and worked by Albanian sculptors, Muntaz Dhrami and Kristaq Rama. It is found in the Flag's Plaza, near the building where the first Albanian government worked in 1913.
You will have one 10 minutes stop on this historical centre of Vlora.
Day 4: Vlora - Durres - Tirana (Beach and History Day)
- 2 stops
- Meals: breakfast, lunch
- Accommodation: Airbnb Apartment in Tirana
Durres Amphitheatre
- 1h
- Admission ticket included
The Amphitheatre of Durrës remains one of the most majestic of the ancient world and one of ten most beautiful Roman amphitheatres. Widely recognised among enthusiasts of Antiquity, it is a pearl of the Balkans that is slowly making its way out of the shell. Discovered relatively recently, in 1966, its unearthing occurred in a slightly comical way by Vangjel Toçi. Legend has it that Vangjel, an archaeologist and resident of Durrës, happened upon a fig tree which had fallen a few metres below ground level. Curious and inquisitive, he insisted that the area undergo excavations. Rightly so, for underneath was lying the long-sought-after Amphitheatre.
Durres Castle
- 1h
On the way to the Amphitheatre, the visitor cannot miss the City Walls, built-in blocks that have managed to survive until this very day. Those who have governed the city throughout the ages have left their mark on the way the surrounding walls were used as, ultimately, they were a security system that protected the city from various conquests throughout history. The massive walls seen today were built by Anastasius I, the Byzantine emperor of the 4th century A.D, who defended the city from invaders. The walls’ original height of 18 metres and considerable breadth provided an advantage against enemies of the time. Later, it was emperor Justinian who reinforced the surrounding walls by placing small observation towers above them
Location
Activity location
- Skanderbeg Square
- , At the center of Tirana
- Tirana, Albania, Albania
Meeting/Redemption Point
- Skanderbeg Square
- , At the center of Tirana
- Tirana, Albania, Albania
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