Trips & Tours: Trekking in South-Western Albania

Our hotel is located right in the centre of Tirana and has a cozy atmosphere. After checking in, you will meet your guide and go over the program of the coming week. Later we will take a walking tour through the city’s most known spots like Scanderbeg Square, The Clock Tower, the Mosque of Tirana. We will also walk to Blloku district, before we stop in a nice restaurant for dinner, and than return in the hotel for overnight. Optional: after dinner, people can go for a drink in "Blloku" - once the district of the communist polit-bureau, now the "hip" bar-district of Tirana (in walking distance from our hotel).

Today we will drive south towards the coastal city of Vlora. Before getting there, we will visit the ancient ruins of Apollonia, its Byzantine Monastery and at will, the Museum of Archaeology. Founded in 588BC by Greeks from Corinth, the city quickly grew to 50.000 residents by the second century BC. Apollonia later became a free Roman city after it sided with Julius Caesar during the war against Pompey. It developed into a cultural center until the 3rd century AD when an earthquake rerouted a river and lead to the city’s decline. We will have lunch under the shadow of the trees in the restaurant of the Apollonia Park. The last leg of driving will end at our hotel by the sea.

After breakfast, we will drive to our next "station": the Llogora National Park. We will check-in at a family run mountain hotel right in the middle of the park, specialized in home made wine and raki, lamb at the spite and a variety of tasty mountain dishes to enjoy for dinner. The surroundings of Llogora Park has been described as one of the most “dramatic” mountain & sea panoramas. It will be here that our first trekking will take place. The trekking will offer splendid views of the Vlora bay and of the western steep slopes of the Karabruni Penisula, dropping in the waters of the Ionian Sea. (Gradient 600 meters). In the afternoon, on return, we will have an optional walk or the possibility to relax in the hotel until it is time for dinner.

In the morning, we will hike up to Mount Cika. The Cika mountain is the highest massive of southwestern Albania. From the summit, one can admire the mighty view of the highlands of “Labëria” – land of southern shepherds; and the splendor of the Ionian Sea with Corfu and other minor Greek islands on the horizon. After completing the hike, we will drive further along the Ionian coast, via Himara, until we reach the village of Qeparo at the sea.

Before reaching the village we will stop to visit the bay of Porto Palermo and the Ali Pasha Tepelena fortress. The splendid bay of Palermo, served as an important submarine secret base during the regime days. The semi abandoned base, its tunnel and structures are still at sight and the main attraction of the bay is the 19th century fortress in the central promontory, built by the powerful Ali Pasha Tepelena. After the visit, we will drive for 15 minutes to the nearby Qeparo, where we will check-in at a guesthouse by the sea.

In the afternoon, we have also the possibility to walk up to the old village on top of the hill.

The drive will bring us further south along the splendid Albanian Riviera. Saranda is set in a lovely horseshoe bay, and has been a holiday resort since communist times. Mentioned by Cicero, it acquired its current name in honor to forty (Saranda in Greek) Christian legionnaires who were put to death in 320AD. Nearby, following a panoramic road along the homonymous lagoon are the remains of the ancient Butrint that we are going to visit.

“Butrint is undeniably a beautiful place. Close to modern civilization yet with its monuments in thick woodland. With remains dating from so many different periods covering two and a half thousand years. Set in a marshy landscape besides the busy straits separating Corfu from Albania, it is also an environmental haven rich in bird life”. We will have lunch in a restaurant near to the ruins and than drive to the hotel by the sea where we can relax at the beach or stroll at the city, until it is time for another tasty dinner at a fish restaurant.

We will leave the coast and drive inland towards Gjirokaster – the City of Stone. Here, we will visit the Castle, the Museum of Weapons, the Ethnographic Museum and we will make a walk along the stone paved alleys of the town.

Gjirokastër is one of the most beautiful Albanian historic towns, with a citadel dating from the 13th century. From the walls of the castle, one can admire the view of its districts and the large valley of river Drinos. Walks along the stone paved streets will bring the traveler at the discovery of the charming Albanian traditional architecture. It was in these grey colored streets that Enver Hoxha (notorious dictator) and Ismail Kadare (notorious writer) grew up. At the end of our visits in Gjirokaster, we will drive to our next night-stop: Berat.

Berat is the best preserved historic town of Albania. Illyrian, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Socialist buildings accumulated over 2400 years, and show the importance and the rich history of Berat. We will walk in the characteristics neighborhood "Mangalemi" to visit the Ethnographic museum. Than we will hike up to visit the citadel district of Berat, its splendid orthodox churches and the Onufri Icons museum – named after the famous 16th century master painter of icons and murals. The building where the museum is housed shows the important architectonic values of Berat’s buildings. In the afternoon, we will drive on to Durresi (92km/1hr30min), where we will stay at the sea.

Tour ends in Durresi, if time allows you can relax on the beach. We can arrange a transfer back to Tirana airport if required at a cost of 30euro.