UNESCO and Albanian Riviera

Route

Kruja → Tirana → Shkoder → Durres → Berat → Vlora → Saranda → Gjirokaster

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1
   Airport – Kruja – Tirana

   After arrival, visit Kruja:

   • See the castle of Kruja
   • National Museum Gjergj Kastrioti

   Visit Tirana:

   • National Museum of History (from outside temporarily closed, admire the mosaic)
   • Clock Tower was built in 1822
   • Palace of Culture
   • Pyramid of Tirana

   Overnight in Tirana
2. 2
   Tirana – Shkoder

   Trip to Shkodër.

   Before entering the city

   • take a boat ride and reach the island of Shurdhah where you can admire the ruins of a church, the castle, and the medieval city that was once known as Sarda.

   After the sightseeing tour, enjoy a nice lunch with typical products at a restaurant.

   After lunch, continue to

   • Rozafa Castle - The legendary Rozafa Castle: an allegory of the history of Albania.
   • Visit the city center, which has a strong architectural and cultural imprint from the Republic of Venice.
   • Visit the Cathedral and then enter the pedestrian area where you can admire the architectural imprint of Venice.

   Overnight in Shkodra
3. 3
   Shkoder – Durres – Berat

   Take a small excursion to the center of Durres.

   Visit:

   • Byzantine Bazaar
   • Roman Amphitheater of Durres, built after the 2nd century BC, one of the most majestic of the ancient world and among the ten most beautiful Roman amphitheatres
   • Venetian Tower

   Departure for Berat.

   • Visit Berat Castle - A living castle from antiquity to the present days. Built on the top of a hill in the 4th century BC, it is the crown jewel of this glorious ancient city.
   • Visit the National Museum of Iconography inside the Castle, built in 1797, located at the highest altitude of the Castle.

   Overnight in Berat
4. 4
   Berat – Apollonia – Vlora

   Departure towards the Arch of Apollonia, the site of the ancient city of Apollonia founded in the 6th century BC, built by Greek colonizers on the lands of the Illyrian tribe of Taulantii. Chosen among over twenty other Mediterranean cities to receive the glorious name of Apollo. Continue to the coastal city of Vlora.

   See:

   • The second largest city port in Albania
   • The Independence Monument located in Flag Square and the Independence Museum
   • The recently restored Jewish Quarter
   • Walk along the new seafront

   Overnight in Vlora
5. 5
   Vlora – Llogara National Park – Riviera – Porto Palermo Castle – Saranda

   • Drive to Llogara Pass, declared a National Park.
   • Drive along the amazing Albanian Riviera with idyllic and breathtaking spots along this craggy coast.
   • Visit Porto Palermo Castle - The most picturesque castle in the Albanian Riviera, a 19th-century fortress also known as the Castle of Ali Pasha.

   Overnight in Saranda
6. 6
   Saranda – Butrint – Likuresi Castle – Blue Eye – Gjirokaster

   Drive to:

   • Butrint Arch. Site (UNESCO).
   • Visit Likuresi Castle, with views overlooking the city, the island of Corfu, and the Ksamil islands.

   Drive to the Blue Eye, a natural phenomenon and the most tropical destination in the country, with truly mesmerizing cold-water springs.

   Drive to Gjirokastra (UNESCO), called the City of Stone, the hometown of the ex-dictator and the famous internationally known writer Ismail Kadare.

   Visit the Castle of Gjirokastra, the largest in Albania and one of the oldest in the Balkans! Walk through Bazaar Pass filled with crafty artisans.

   Overnight in Gjirokaster
7. 7
   Gjirokaster – Tirana

   Drive to Tirana.

   • Continue to a restaurant via the cable car for lunch, where you will be able to admire and surely be enchanted by the view of the city from the highest point, 1621m above sea level.
   • Head to Bunk'Art, a contemporary museum that showcases the paranoia of communism.

   Overnight in Tirana
8. 8
   Tirana – Airport

   Stops on the way. Transfer to the airport. End of our services.

This programme is a proposal: hotels, activities, guides and the order of visits can be adjusted to your clients.