Discover Albania from Corfu

Discover Albania from Corfu

This is basically an extended Albanian highlights tour which is devised for travelers who can save considerable travel costs by flying to Corfu, or those who would like to combine a Corfu holiday with an Albanian discovery tour. In addition to the major highlights visited, this tour includes also the south eastern part of Albania which offers a combination of cultural monuments, magnificent natural landscapes and tasty cuisine.

Day 1:Meet with our guide at the Corfu airport and transfer to take the ferry to Saranda. Continue to Gjirokastra. Time permitting we will stop at the Blue Eye spring on the way for a short visit at this beautiful natural monument. Overnight in Gjirokastra. Hotel 3*

Day 2:Drive to Gjirokastra where we visit the fortress of Gjirokastra, Visit to the Ethnographic Museum, which is also the house the Albanian dictator was born in, as well as a 300 year old house next to it, where the grandeur of Gjirokastra’s master builders can be observed. Drive to Permet through Kelcyra gorge following the magnificent valley of Vjosa river. Overnight in Permet. Hotel 3*

Day 3:

After breakfast depart for Pogradec. Visit the Museum of Medieval Art in Korca the Mirahori mosque and The Holly Resurrection Church at Mborje, built in the 14th century and known as one of the oldest in Albania.Continue to Pogradec on the shores of Lake Ohrid and overnight at the village of Tushemisht where the old fishing villa of the dictator is situated. Hotel 3*

Day 4: Drive to Tirana. On the way we stop for a quick visit at the Elbasan castle. In Tirana we take a driven tour of the major sites of Tirana, including the colorful buildings for which the Albanian capital is now popular for. We will also visit the National History Museum which gives an extensive account of the countries journey through the centuries. Overnight in Tirana. Hotel 3*

Day 5:Drive to Kruja - the centre of Albanian resistance against the Turks under our National Hero Scanderbeg. Visit Skanderbeg Museum, Ethnographic Museum and the Old Bazaar where the best handmade souvenirs can be purchased. Depart for Berat, one of the most visited and characteristic towns in Albania under the protection of UNESCO as a patronage of humanity for its architectural uniqueness. We visit the Castle and the Onufri Museum. Hotel 3* 

Day 6: After breakfast we finish Berat visits and depart for the archaeological site of Apollonia one of the most important ancient centers in Roman times on the famous Via Egnatia. Visit the city and an Orthodox monastery turned into an archaeological museum. Continue on to Vlora for overnight. Hotel 3*

Day 7: Continue through the spectacular Albanian Riviera with its traditional villages. At the Llogara National Park we stop at around 1100 metres where spectacular views of the Ionian Sea can be admired and lunch can be had.  Continue along the wonderful coast past Saranda to reach the ancient city of Butrint another UNESCO World Heritage considered the best archaeological site in Albania and probably one of the most important in the Balkans. Return to Saranda for overnight. Hotel 3*

Day 8: After early breakfast our guide will accompany you to the port to take the ferry to Corfu.