Travel is sometimes equivalent to Discovery. In this trip to South Albania you will get to know the cuisine of the Gjirokaster region, the production of dairy products from this mountainous area and the beautiful Mediterranean landscapes of the Albanian Riviera. Travel is sometimes equivalent to Discovery. In this trip to South Albania you will get to know the cuisine of the Gjirokaster region, the production of dairy products from this mountainous area and the beautiful Mediterranean landscapes of the Albanian Riviera.
Airport - Tirana
Arrival at Tirana airport.Reception by one of our agents at the airport and accompaniment to the hotel.According to your arrival time, free visit of the city.
Accommodation in hotel, Tirana.
Airport - Tirana, 30min
Ardenica - Saraqinisht
Our trip will take us today to the Monastery of Ardenica, which is also the last in Albania to be used for its functions of religious meditation, since it is the only one still housing monks. The quality and number of frescoes and iconostasis that cover the walls are the subject of a large number of visits each year. After visiting the monastery of Ardenica we will leave for the village of Saraqinisht where we will spend the night. Saraqinisht is located 20min from Gjirokastra. Once we have settled in with the locals, we will have the opportunity to walk around this typical village in southern Albania.
Accommodation with the locals in Saraqinisht.
Tirana - Ardenica, 1h 40min
Ardenica – Saraqenisht,2h 10min
Visit of an atelier – Gjirokastra - Saraqinisht
After breakfast we will go through our day with a visit to an atelier with traditional patterns from this region. Our next stop will be the city of Gjirokastra.Listed as a UNESCO since 2005, Gjirokastra has preserved its picturesque architecture typical of ancient Albanian houses. You will immerse yourself in authentic Albania as you wonder around and we will also be able to visit its citadel and the Ethnographic Museum which will reveal to us a little more about the complex and turbulent history of Albania. Then return to Saraqinisht. Evening with polyphonic music.
Accommodation with the locals in Saraqinisht.
Gjirokastra – Saraqinisht,35min
Butrint – Pilur
Today we will visit the archaeological site of Butrint, classified by UNESCO. Let us show this place, inhabited since prehistoric times, has seen the passage of centuries and civilizations ... The famous French playwright, Jean Racine, even set his tragedy "Andromache" here. After the visit of Butrint, discovery of the village of Pilur.
Accommodation in guesthouse in Pilur.
Saraqinisht – Butrint,1h50min
Butrint – Pilur,1h 50min
Pilur
Today after breakfast we will hike around 2h in the village of Pilur. A superb view between the sea and the mountain. In the end we will relax by the sea.
Accommodation in guesthouse in Pilur.
Llogara - Dukat
Arrival at Llogara National Park, follow in the footsteps of Julius Caesar! As the Roman Emperor did in 44 BC. J.C. Travel through this 1000-hectare national park covered with coniferous forest. Once at the top enjoy an unforgettable panorama of the mountain ridge, the Karabuni peninsula and the Ionian Sea. Possibility of a longer hike of +/- 3 hours of walking to the Qafa e Thell pass will offer you a superb view of the Ionian coast from the mountain ridge. Then towards the village of Dukat. Discovery of the village. We will spend the night with the locals.
Accommodation with the locals in Dukat.
Pilur – Llogara, 1h 20min
Llogara – Dukat,20min
Divjaka - Tirana
This morning you will approach the Adriatic coast to reach Divjaka National Park and the Karavasta Nature Reserve. A very beautiful forest covers a good part of the Divjaka National Park. You will enjoy a beautiful boat trip in this forest by the Adriatic Sea and then go observe the Frisian Pelicans nests in the Karavasta lagoon. You can also take advantage of the beach to swim and relax. You will reach Tirana in the late afternoon. A thrilling and colorful capital, Tirana has many assets to offer. Discover its cultural and historical places such as the magnificent “Et'hem Bey” mosque dating from the 19th century which has survived the atheist dictatorship of the communist years, the Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, 3rd largest Orthodox Cathedral of the Balkans and the National Museum. End your stay in Albania on a high note with an evening at Bllok. Previously accessible exclusively to the Communist elite, this resuscitated district is now the heart of the nightlife where all the youth of the Albanian capital meet. Between restaurants and themed bars, let yourself be carried away by the feeling of freedom that now floats there.
The end of your journey
You will be accompanied at the airport of Tirana.
