Culture and history tour of North and Central Albania in 2 days

Culture and history tour of North and Central Albania in 2 days

If you are briefly visiting Albania and want to get the most of culture and history of Northern and Central Albania then this is the tour for you! During this trip you will be able to visit the ancient city of Durres, the medieval Kruja town, Rozafa Castle and Shkodra Lake and one of the best Agro-tourism farms in the Western Balkans.

Itinerary

Day 1: Tirana – Durres – Kruja

Pass By: Choose Balkans - Albania Tour Operator, Rruga Reshit Çollaku, Tirana, Albania
Our tour guide will come and pick you up at your hotel in Tirana at 9:00 am in the morning.

Stop At: Durres Amphitheatre, Rruga Kalase, Durres Albania
We head to the ancient town of Durres to explore the amphitheatre, the Roman ruins and the Venetian Tower.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Durres, Durres, Durres County
Founded as Epidamnos in the ancient region of Illyria in 627 BC by ancient Greeks, Durrës has been one of the most important cities in the history of Albania. Known also as the centre of Archaeology in Albania, it has the largest Ancient Roman style Amphitheatre. The geographic position located in the shores of Adriatic Sea, turns Durrës into the main port and the second largest city of Albania as well.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Kruje, Kruje, Durres County
Our trip continues to Kruja, a historical city symbol of the Albanian resistance against the expansion of Ottoman Empire. Kruja is situated in central Albania on a rocky mountainous terrain about 560 meters above sea level on the slopes of Sarisalltiku Mountain.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Old Bazaar (Pazari i Vjeter), Rruga Albanopolis, Kruje 1501 Albania
Walking through Kruja’s Medieval Old Bazaar (one of the biggest and oldest in Balkans) gives you a sense of a passage through the history. You will be surrounded by crafts and local products carefully designed by local artisans and housewives of the Kruja area.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Kruja Castle, Near Tirana, Kruje 1501 Albania
The castle of Kruja (built during the 5th century AD) is strategically placed on the top of a rocky hill, making it difficult for the enemies to attack. At around 13:30, you will get some free time on both days of the tour to have lunch and wander around by yourself till 15:00 pm. Our local guide will take you through some hidden paths, used by the locals to leave the castle without being noticed during periods when the enemies surrounded the castle.
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Kruja.

Day 2: Kruja – Shkodra – Agro-tourism farm

Stop At: Shkoder, Shkoder, Shkoder County
At 8:30, right after breakfast, our tour continues towards Shkodra. The city is situated in the north-western part of Albania, giving its name to the biggest lake in the Balkans. The oldest wall of the Shkodra castle dates from the 1st millennium B.C. The Roman historian Livy cited the town as the capital of the Illyrian king Gent, who fought the Romans in 168 B.C.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Rozafa Castle, Rozafa, Shkoder Albania
We will visit the Rozafa castle offering a tremendous scenery of Shkoder Lake and the three rivers melting all together in the Adriatic Sea. The city’s architecture is highly influenced by the Venetian style and if you are lucky enough to join the tour of Shkodra in February, you might experience the carnival festival. Most of the guests are surprised to learn that most of the Venetian masks are handmade and produced in Shkodra. The city’s favourable geographic position has always been an important trading tie through the centuries, making it possible for different civilisations to encounter.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Fishte, Fishte, Lezhe County
Our tour continues to Fishta, a rural village in Northern Albania. Apart from being the birth place of one of Albania’s most important writers, Gjergj Fishta, it is also home to one of the best Agro-tourism farms in Albania and the Balkans. After lunch (not included in the price), we take a tour around the farm and learn how they produce and preserve delicious local products. We will be back in Tirana in the late afternoon. This marks the end of this amazing experience through history and culture.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.