8 Days Southern Albania

Southern Albania which is also known as the Tosk part by locals. This trip is designed for presenting you with the best destinations of Southern Albania which is one of the richest historical and cultural parts of this amazing country.

The itinerary goes through historical cities like Korca, Gjirokastra, Saranda, Vlora and Berat where we will visit antique castles, museums archaeological parks like Apollonia and Butrint to know you with the 3000 years old of history.

Day 1: Arrival day

This day is organised depending on your arrival time. our tour guide will be waiting for you at the airport and transfer you at Tirana city center were you'll be accommodated at the hotel. if time allows us a sightseeing tour is planned in the afternoon. we will visit Scanderbeg Square, boulevard "deshmoret e kombit" and Bllok area where we will consume the welcome meal. nightover in Tirana.

Day 2: Korca

Check out hotel at 9 o'clock at start the program by visiting the anti nuclear tunnel Bunk Art. BUNK'ART 2 reconstructs the history of the Albanian Ministry of Internal Affairs from 1912 to 1991 and reveals the secrets of “Sigurimi”, the political police that was the harsh persecution weapon used by the regime of Enver Hoxha. then transfer to southern city Korce, a coffee stop is scheduled on the route at Lin village by the Ohrid lake. drive to Korce lasts about 3 hours. check in at the hotel on the city center, and then free time to explore the historical part of the medieval city. overnight in Korca

Day 3: Gjirokastra

Eat breakfast at the hotel and then visit national museum of medieval arts that was established back in 1980 and houses some 7000 items of immeasurable historical and cultural significante. Stone, metal, wooden and fabric items from Albania's iconography are presented. then drive west into a scenic road through mountains, plateau, forests and valleys until reach the last virgin river of Europe, Vjosa river where we will stop for a delicious lunch. then we will drive to Unesco World heritage cit Gjirokaster. check in at the hotel at the historical part of the city. in the afternoon we'll have free time to enjoy the evening walk at Old Bazaar where you can shop original manufactured souvenirs or just enjoy a beer at the bars nearby.

Day 4: Saranda - Qeparo

The program for today start at 8:30. we'll visit Zekate House which is a ottoman architecture masterpiece and then visit the citadel of the city where our guide will explain you the history and legends that surround the largest citadel of Albania. then we will transfer to Saranda. On the route we will make a short stop at Blue Eye which is a natural spring in the midle of the forest, a must see! The program continues to another Unesco site, Butrint (buthotum). the first Albanian site to be included on UNESCO's World Heritage was Butrint, in the south of the country, in 1992. it has been inhabited since prehistoric times and was a part of Greek and Roman colonies.

We suggest Lunch to be consumed at the fish restaurants nearby Butrint. Then we transfer to Qeparo village, one of the most beautiful villages of Albanian Riviera. overnight in Qeparo.

Day 5: Porto Palermo - Qeparo

There is nothing more beautiful that the feeling you get when wake up with Ionian sea view. after we enjoy breakfast at the balcony we start the program with a walking tour in the cobblestone streets of the village and continues to Ali Pasha Castel at Porto Palermo Bay. Our guide will explain the history of the toughest Pasha of Ottoman Empire and the most romantic at the same time. He will be your hero when you'll learn his biography. after eating lunch there is plenty of time to chill at the beach. Overnight in Qeparo.

Day 6: Apollonia - Berat

We leave Qeparo and drive north along one of the most scenic roads of Albanian Riviera and reach Llogara Pass. An optional free time or walking in the national park with a visit to the nearby camping ground of Julius Caesar. program continues to Apollonia archeological park, named by the powerful divinity Apollo. Apollonia was a ancient Greek colony city and former bishopric in Illyria, located on the right bank of Aous river( modern day Vjosa). Lunch time near park and then we continue to Berat. We make a short stop on the route to visit the medieval Monastery of St. Mary of Ardenica (the only one still hosting 2-3 active Orthodox monks.) Drive and reach to Berat by the afternoon. Check in at the hotel and then plenty of free time to enjoy the evening at one of the oldest city of the oldest cities of the world. Overnight in Berat.

Day 7: Berat

After eating breakfast at the hotel our guide will lead you at the castle of the town which is one of the oldest continuously living of the World with origins going back to the 4th century BC. We will visit Onufri Iconography Museum located within the Castle at the site of a Dormition Cathedral, features the vivid iconography works of the famous 16th century painter Onufri and others.

The museum hold other artifacts gathered form nearby churches and others around Albania. Other must see that we’ll visit are Berat Ethnographic Museum, Byzantine Churches and Mangalem historical quarter. Berat is also known for its rich culinary tradition and wine. We will try traditional dishes and taste wine at the best restaurants of the area. Overnight in Berat.

Day 8: Departure Day

This day is organised depending on your flight time. If you have a late afternoon flight, we will drive to the Natural Park of Divjaka and visit its Karavasta Lagoon with a beautiful sand beach resort and a great colony of migratory and sedentary birds (a large population of the the very impressive Dalmatian Pelican has decided to nest here.) Lunch in lagoon and then transfer to Tirana Airport.