Albania 360°: Tirana, UNESCO Sites & Adventure in Nature

Route: Tirana→Himarë or Dhermi→Sarandë→Tirana

1. 1Day 1Welcome to Albania, first night in TiranaOvernight: Tirana

   • Check-in: our adventure starts in Tirana

     Roundtrip flights or transportation to reach the destination are not included in the package, so you can decide from where and when you want to leave! This gives you complete freedom of choice to adjust your travel itinerary to your needs. Everyone lands in Tirana at their own time, so the trip really begins the moment the whole group is finally in one place.
     

     • Out into Tirana: we check in and head straight out into Tirana, a capital that wears its colour openly, and let the walk set the pace for the week.

     • First Albanian dinner: our first proper Albanian meal is somewhere traditional, ideally with Tavë Kosi, the lamb, egg and yogurt quiche the country is known for.

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2. 2Day 2Lake Koman and the Albanian fjordsOvernight: Tirana

   • Kayaking or relaxing!

     The city stays behind for a full day as we drive north to water that looks nothing like the coast ahead.

     Lake Koman is narrow and winding, hemmed in by sheer cliffs with the odd waterfall dropping into it, artificial yet astonishing, its three hydroelectric plants covering 70% of Albania's electricity.

     • Speed boat or kayak? We can take a speed boat up to the Shala River for lunch, or go kayaking on the lake: the group decides together.

     • Farmhouse dinner on the way back? Heading back to Tirana, there is an optional dinner at a farmhouse.

     Today we head north from Tirana to Lake Koman and the Shala River.

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   • Lake Koman on the map

     Today we head north from Tirana to Lake Koman and the Shala River.

3. 3Day 3Southbound to Berat and HimaraOvernight: Himarë or Dhermi

   • To Himara through Berat

     We swap the minivan for rental cars, and the trip now runs on our own timetable as we head south.

     • Through rural Albania: the countryside rolls past the windscreen, simple and unposed, and on the way we can stop in Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the main detour of the day.

     • A stop at Berat Castle? People still live in the ancient castle among restaurants and the remains of churches and mosques, and if we stop, we can walk on through the Gorica and Mangalemi districts.

     • On to Himara: then it is back on the road to Himara, where the sea turns up all at once and the beach half of the trip starts.

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4. 4Day 4By private boat to the Pirate's CaveOvernight: Himarë or Dhermi

   • Finally at the sea: let's discover the Pirate's Cave

     No driving today. Himara's beaches carry a reputation as the finest in Albania, and this is the day we get to test it.

     • First swim of the trip: it happens here, in water clear enough to explain why people keep talking about this stretch of coast.

     • By boat to the Pirate's Cave: lying still on sand is not really the plan, so a private boat takes us out along the coastline to the Pirate's Cave.

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5. 5Day 5Butrint, Ali Pasha Castle and SarandaOvernight: Sarandë

   • History and culture

     We keep driving south, close enough to the Greek border that Corfu sits right there across the water, almost within reach.

     • Fancy the ruins of Butrint? Anyone who wants can visit Butrint, an archaeological site reaching back to the Greek era; standing in it explains how Albanian traditions blend with those of the countries next door.

     • Up to Ali Pasha Castle: before turning north we climb to Ali Pasha Castle above the water.

     • Two nights in Saranda: then we settle into Saranda for two nights and whatever the evening becomes.

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6. 6Day 6Beaches and nightlife in SarandaOvernight: Sarandë

   • Among the most beautiful beaches

     Nothing to drive towards today: Saranda is the whole point of it, and the pace drops right down to nothing. The town takes its name from the monastery on the hill of the 40 Saints, and from June to September its bars and clubs make it the loud, young corner of the coast.

     • Beaches by boat or on foot: the beaches are the real draw, reached by boat along the coastline or simply walked to, and we take them lazily.

     • Last night out: then we go out on our last night.

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7. 7Day 7Back to Tirana via ApolloniaOvernight: Tirana

   • Returning to Tirana

     The last full day is a long drive north, and what we do with it is up to the group. Culture or adrenaline?

     • Stop at Apollonia? On the way there is Apollonia, an archaeological site near the Vjosa River.

     • Rafting instead? If we want adrenaline instead, there is a rafting run through the same landscape.

     • Back in Tirana: whatever we pick, we reach Tirana with time, if the day allows, to walk the Land of Eagles capital where modern and historic architecture sit together.

     • Final dinner together: there is room for some souvenir shopping before the final dinner together, the one where the whole week gets talked through one more time.

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