Embark on this 6-night, 7-day journey through Albania with Albania Holidays where each destination unveils unique flavors, history and cultural highlights.

Day 1: Tirana City Tour and Agri-tourism Experience

Explore the vibrant capital of Albania, Tirana, known for its rich cuisine. Begin your city tour with a visit to the National Historic Museum, delving into Albanian history. Indulge in farm-to-table dining at a charming restaurant and agricultural farm, with traditional dishes such as Tave Dheu (clay tray with baked beef liver and white cheese). Overnight in a central 4-star hotel.

Day 2: Kruja and Shkodra Exploration with a Cooking Class

Morning: Journey to Kruja, a symbol of Albanian resistance and home to the Skanderbeg Museum, showcasing the heroic legacy of our national hero. Explore the vibrant Old Bazaar for exquisite handmade souvenirs. Stop in Shengjin for a culinary adventure at one of the country’s finest restaurants. Enjoy a cooking class and early lunch featuring carefully selected local and organic produce.

Afternoon: Discover Shkodra, the ancient capital of Illyria. Visit the historic Rozafa Castle with panoramic views. Explore the Venice Art Mask Factory, showcasing unique pieces of art. Take a leisurely walk through the renovated pedestrian area, reflecting Shkodra’s ties with Italy and Austria. In the evening, return to Tirana for a fine castle-style dinner. Overnight in Tirana.

Day 3: Durres to Vlora via Apollonia and Ardenica

Morning: Begin with a short tour of Durres before heading to the UNESCO-listed Apollonia archaeological site. Apollonia, once known as Apollonia Prima, was a prominent Roman city on the Via Egnatia. Notably, Caesar sent Augustus Octavian to study oratory here, highlighting its significance. Then we journey to the Monastery of Ardenica, with its medieval origins dating back to 1417. Explore the chapel where it’s believed Scanderbeg was married. Admire icon paintings by Albanian artists inside the church. Enjoy a delicious lunch and wine tasting at a local winery.

Afternoon: Continue to Vlora, taking a short walk along the newly renovated Lungomare water promenade. Conclude the day with dinner at a delightful fish restaurant and enjoy grilled trout and our famous mussels. Overnight in Vlora.

Day 4: Vlora to Tepelena via Gjirokastra and Permet

Morning: Depart from Vlora to Gjirokastra, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2005. Explore the medieval castle, once a political prison during the communist era. Visit the Armaments Museum, showcasing military history, and the Ethnographic Museum, located in the birthplace of the Albanian dictator. Head to Përmet, a small city along the Vjosa River, recently declared a National Park to protect Europe’s last free-flowing wild river from dams and power stations. Enjoy lunch with local dishes such as gliko deserts and drudhe (chicken broth soup with crumbs, roasted chicken and savory herbs).

Afternoon: Proceed to Tepelena, a nearby town known as the home of Ali Pasha, the Balkan Napoleon. Ali Pasha met Lord Byron in 1809, an encounter documented in Byron’s poem “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage”. Dinner and overnight stay in a modern hotel in Tepelena, surrounded by the unique natural setting of waterfalls.

Day 5: Tepelena to Tirana via Berat with Wine Tasting Experience

Morning: Depart from Tepelena to Berat, a UNESCO-listed town with a history spanning 2,500 years, often referred to as the “town of a thousand windows”. Explore the Berat castle, a unique site where people still inhabit traditional houses within its walls. Visit the Onufri Museum, located in a converted church, showcasing the vibrant artwork of the 16th-century Albanian Icon master painter, Onufri.

Experience the rich winemaking heritage of the region with a wine tasting at one of Berat’s many wineries. Berat is renowned for having a high number of quality wineries.

Afternoon: Continue the journey to Tirana. Enjoy dinner at another excellent restaurant in Tirana. Taste our iconic dish, Fërgesë (peppers, tomatoes, onions and gjizë which is Albanian ricotta). Overnight in Tirana.

Day 6: Tirana & Dajti Mountains Exploration

Morning: Explore Bunk ‘Art, the underground five-story bunker near the city center, originally built to shelter Enver Hoxha and his cabinet in the event of a nuclear attack. Now a multifunctional art and culture center, it offers insight into the dark years of Hoxha’s rule. Wander through the spidery hallways and rooms, featuring contemporary art alongside preserved living quarters and meeting spaces.

Afternoon: Head to Dajti Mountain, taking a cable car to the summit for breathtaking views of Tirana and its surroundings. Enjoy lunch at a mountaintop restaurant overlooking the capital. Return to Tirana via cable car where we will visit an artisanal chocolate factory in Tirana, the only one in Albania offering chocolates with authentic tastes from different cities. Learn about praline-making and receive a gift box of chocolates as a sweet memory. Farewell dinner at a unique venue in Tirana, an old military base now transformed into a restaurant. Experience soldier and captain-themed dishes served by waiters in military costumes. Explore the abandoned army tunnels, now converted into dairy and winery environments with mini-museums of military equipment. Overnight in Tirana.

Day 7: Departure Day

Day at leisure for last minute shopping and a final coffee or raki. Transfers to the airport for your departing flights.

All our tours can be customized for your group’s needs. Contact Albania Holidays for a proposal.