Overview
Holiday style:
In this tour you have the chance to visit some cities with different characteristics. You will get involved with their antuiqity and history. The driving will last some hours (max 3 hour 3 day). Accommodation will be provided in hotels and meals in restaurants.
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Short description:
| DURATION: | 7 Days |
| TRIP CODE: | D7-HHS |
| GROUP SIZE: | 4-12(max) |
| MIN AGE: | 10 Years old |
| MAX ALTITUDE: | - |
| ACCOMODATION: | Hotel x 6 nts |
| MEALS: | 3 breakfasts 4 lunches and 3 evenings meals |
| DEPARTS: | March untill October |
| JOINING POINT: | Tirana Airport |
| IMPORTANT: | Make sure your chosen holiday is guaranteed to run before you purchase your air tickets and make any other travel arrangements |
Brief Itinerary:
DAY 1
Tirane-Tirane
Time:
Distance:
DAY 2
Tirane-Durres-Fier-Vlore
Time:30min-1h 2min- 1h 14min
Distance:35km-66km-63km
DAY 3
Vlore-Sarande
Time:3h 5min
Distance:163km
DAY 4
Sarande-Gjirokaster
Time: 1h 30min
Distance:61km
DAY 5
Gjirokaster-Berat
Time: 2h 40min
Distance:174km
DAY 6
Berat-Tirane
Time: 2h 1min
Distance:102km
DAY 7
Tirane-Airport
Time: 30min
Distance:17.1km
Product Description
Details
DAY 1
Tirana, the vibrant capital, founded in 1614. It became the capital of Albania in 1920 and it is the main cultural and industrial center of Albania. After arrival at “Mother Teresa” airport, go to the hotel downtown Tirana. Accommodate yourself there and get some rest. After that you are free to visit and enjoy every corner of this place. (depends on your arrival)
DAY 2
After having breakfast , we will drive to Durres. We will have a short visit to the city and its Roman amphitheater and also have a drink in one of the bars by the seaside. The amphitheatre of Durrës is one of the greatest monuments of antiquity in Albania and was built in the first decade of the 2nd century. The journey continoues in the direction of Apollonia. The city was originally founded in 588 BC as a Corinthian colony and was named because of the god Apollo. You will have the opportunity to touch the ruins of Apollonia and to enjoy the wonderful panorama of the ancient city. Then we will drive toward the coastal city of Vlora. Dinner and accommodation are planned at a hotel with a special location by the sea, in Radhime, near Vlora. Here you will be able to enjoy not only the amazing view but also the delicious cuisine.
DAY 3
After having breakfast we set off to Llogara National Park. With an area of 1020 ha, Llogara is covered with everlasting greenery. In the inner part of its forests there are beautiful lawns, countless natural resources and diversified animal and bird species. An amazing part of this geo-park is the „balcony" in Llogara pass, at the height of 1050m, where the Ionian Sea can be seen. After a short coffee break, the tour along the Ionian coast begins. The Albanian Ionian Coast runs from Vlora to Saranda, in the south, opposite to Corfu. The coastline is famous for its small bays, pebbly beaches and crystal clear waters. The Riviera is one of Albania’s natural beauties and certainly one of the most picturesque places in the whole Mediterranean. As the road winds down from the pass of Llogara, the vista opens up to reveal the stunning delta of Palasa and its white pebbled beach. This is one of the largest and probably the most spectacular pristine beach of the entire Albanian coast. We will stop for a short visit in the village of Dhërmi and its churches. The old village is set into the mountain and is one of the oldest and most characteristic villages on the Ionian Coast, with its stone, mountain houses and historical monuments. The earliest signs of settlement date back to the 1st century B.C.The village as a whole comes together to create an aesthetically harmonious architectural jewel, offering amazing views of the Ionian Sea. Our next stop is planned in Jali beach, where we will have lunch. Drive to Himara and short walk uphill to the old traditional village and the castle on the top of a hill overlooking the bay. It had been built as a fortress for the Epirus tribe of Chaonians and is an important part of the long history of the Himara p. At the foot of the castle, wonderful beach of Livadhi stretches along the coast and nearby the Cave of Kardini, where Homer’s epics – “Journeys of Ullyses/Odissey in the Country of the Himariots" – were inspired. The next stop is planned at the bay of Porto Palermo, surrounded by mountain slopes and agave plants.Apart from the natural beauty, it was also one of the most important military bases during the cold war. From the road you can see the tunnels where Albanian military submarines were moored. During the communist years, it was forbidden to walk or even to be in this area without permission. Just in the middle of the bay lies the castle of Ali Pasha Tepelena, which we are going to visit. The journey continues in the direction of Saranda, located on a natural shelf facing the island of Corfu. Dinner is planned at a restaurant in Lëkursi castle, built by Sultan Suleiman during his military campaign against Corfu. It lies on a hill overlooking the bay.
DAY 4
We will drive to Butrint and visit one of the most important archeological site of Albania, an UNESCO World Heritage. Butrinti is known since the 7th century B.C. as the most important city of Epirus. Its building is related to the presence of the Trojan prince Aeneas. The day continues with the drive to the old Roman town of Hadrianopolis, and then, on the way to Gjirokastra, we will enjoy the spectacular scenery of the “Blue Eye”. You can relax here and capture every corner of this stunning place. The tour continues towards Gjirokastra, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is an outstanding example of an Ottoman merchant town and one of the few still surviving in the Balkans. We will visit the castle, the ethnographic museum and the artisan centre. The dinner is planned in a restaurant where you can enjoy traditional dishes.
DAY 5
After having breakfast we will drive to Berati. It is a 2407 years old city that forms a wonderful combination of eastern and western cultures and traditions. The city's life began as an Illyrian settlement. Later, in the 3rd century B.C., it was turned into a castle city known as Antipatrea. During feudalism churches with precious frescos and icons were built inside the castle. Today, the castle is made unique by the fact that people continue to live inside of it. We will have a stroll uphills to the castle of Berati and visit the churches. Dinner and accommodation are planned in a beautiful and comfortable hotel, surrounded by unspoiled nature.
DAY 6
As soon as finishing the breakfast we will drive to Tirana. During our yourney we will stop to get some rest, to have a short coffe break or for other needs. A visit of the “Mosaic of Tirana” (the oldest surviving remains in Tirana, built almost 2 millennia ago) and the National Historical Museum. In Tirana some free time is planned and then dinner in a traditional restaurant accompanied by traditional music. After dinner, you can have a drink in one of the nice bars in "Blloku", the most lively part of the capital and sample the bustling night life of Tirana.
DAY 7
Transfer to the airport according to the scheduled flight.
Dates and Prices
WHAT'S INCLUDED AND NOT INCLUDED
What's included
* English-speaking local guide
* Group airport transfers
* All meals throughout the holiday
* All land transport required by the itinerary
* National park entrance fees
* All excursions mentioned in the itinerary.
What's not included
* Travel insurance
* Visas
* Airport taxes
* Airport transfers other than group transfers
* Extra activities and excursions
* Tips for local staff
* Miscellaneous personal expenditure
SUPPLEMENTS
Rooming on tour & Single Room Option (Not applicable to self-guided holidays).
Most group tours are based on customers sharing twin-bedded rooms. If you book as an individual, you will be roomed with someone of the same gender. However, on many tours we offer the opportunity to pay a supplement to pre-book a single room. On some of these tours a single room will be provided at some of the night-stops but for logistical reasons not all. Individual Trip Notes clarify this. If, for whatever reason, we are unable to provide a single room as outlined in the Trip Notes, we will refund a proportion of the supplement paid to us for the Single Room Option.
Where you are able to purchase a single room, the price does not necessarily guarantee you a single room for every night of the tour.
All of our group tours are planned and operated on a twin-share basis, meaning that the standard cost is based either on individual travelers sharing accommodation with another group member of the same sex, or people who book together sharing accommodation.
Please refer to the tour notes where the single room option availability is detailed on a night by night basis for this tour, and the price for the available nights is detailed on the dates & prices tab by departure date.
For Self-Guided trips the Single Room supplement offers the option of a single room each and is charged per person. The Single Room supplement also applies to the third person in a party of three that will be accommodated in a single room.
PRE POST TOUR SERVICE
Transfers
If you need a pre tour transfer from the airport to the hotel, or the other way around Post tour transfer, from the hotel to the airport, please let us know sending by email your request. After we will make all the arrangement for you.
Accommodations
If your flight comes days in advance, or you want to stay longer than other participants of your tour, we can arrange the accommodation for you. If you are interested please send us a request to the follow email address: info@ivisitalbania.com
DATA
Please send us an email at info@ivisitalbania.com, asking for availability.
Participants & Transit
I Visit Albania consciously chooses to travel in small groups. For this trip, the maximum 16 participants. We guarantee a trip based on the minimum number of permanent participants. This destination is that a minimum of 6 participants. A journey can already with fewer participants are guaranteed. The minimum age for these trips is 18 years.
100% No Surcharge Guarantee
Once booked and confirmed we will guarantee the price will not increase, whatever the circumstances. You will not be approached to pay fuel surcharges unlike the vast majority of other adventure tour operators.
Tour Prices
Tour prices shown on this website are a guide only. For flight-inclusive group tours the selling price at the time you book your holiday could be different to that shown here, due to current flight availability. Please refer to the trip notes for details of what is included in the cost.
Tour Durations
The tour duration shown above is based on the Land Only length of the tour. Please be aware that the flight inclusive duration of the tour may be longer.
Tour Itineraries
Please be aware that the specific itinerary on some of our tours may differ depending on departure date. Please check the relevant trip notes for the most up-to-date information regarding the trip itinerary.
Child Prices
Child prices applicable for ages 11 and under at time of travel. (Not applicable to self-guided holidays as these are currently sold to adults only).
Price Changes
Any changes to prices will be kept updated on this web page, in accordance with above.
Tour Information
ACCOMMODATION
During this trip we stay in different types of accommodation which are always attractive and nicely situated. We stay mostly in small hotels.
Standard - Our mid-range accommodation offers a good level of service often with other amenities such as a restaurant, bar, garden or swimming pool. Generally rooms will be comfortable with en-suite facilities.
Accommodation and service levels in Albania are generally very good. We try to use smaller, family-run hotels and pensions that might not offer the same luxuries as larger chain-style hotels, but they do provide a warm welcome, a comfortable place to stay and the chance to gain a better understanding of local life.
ROOM LAYOUT AND SINGLE
* If you go, you do not pay extra fee for traveling alone. We or assume that you are sharing a room (or tent if applicable) with a fellow traveler of the same gender. If you prefer to have your own room, you can for € xxxxx, - additional books a single room.
* If you travel as a couple, share together a room (or tent). You can choose between a 'twin' or a 'double'. A twin room has two twin beds; one has a double bed. Some hotels only have twin rooms and sometimes all doubles have been forgiven so you still have two twin beds.
* If you travel with three of them, two people sharing a double or 'twin' room (or tent) and one participant is assigned to a twin room (or tent) with another fellow traveler of the same gender. If you prefer to have your own room, you can for € xxxxxx, - additional books a single room.
When making the reservation you can specify what kind of room layout you desire.
BUDGET INFO
You will need some extra money to cover meals and drinks not included in the tour price, any optional sightseeing, souvenirs and items of a personal nature such as laundry.
The reference amount of pocket money for this trip is € 250, - per person. This amount is an average of what travelers in recent years have spent during this trip to meals and refreshments, additional excursions, entrance fees, any local airport taxes and gratuities. Of course, your own spending habits this also decisive. Souvenirs are therefore not included. During the trip several (optional) excursions, you spot (using the tour leader) can book. If a better excursion can be booked in advance, then it will be listed in the itinerary and on the booking form. So you can still give your group an individual accent.Food
The costs for meals may vary depending upon location, type of restaurant and number of courses eaten and so the prices given are an average guide. Local restaurants located off the beaten track may be less expensive, whereas an upmarket restaurant located in the centre of a major city may charge more.
Light lunch £: 4.00
Dinner £: 10.00
Drink
The prices for drinks can vary greatly depending upon location and the prices detailed below are an average guide. In general you would expect that drinks purchased in a supermarket or local bar to be less expensive, whilst drinks in an upmarket bar or restaurant may be more expensive.
Bottle of Beer £: 1.50
Water £: 0.50
OPTIONAL - EXURSIONS
Some free time has been allowed for you to explore on your own or with your travelling companions.
TIPPING - TOUR LEADER
At your discretion you might also consider tipping your Tour Leader in appreciation of the efficiency and service you receive.
The amount 20 euro, of tipping is a directive except the tips of the Dutch or local tour guide. Travelling is common to eg. Drivers, cooks and guides to tip. Gratuities are often an indispensable supplement to the income, which is usually a whole family depends. In many cases you can give a tip itself. Common expenses (group tips, entrance fees, etc.) are usually paid from the joint pot for which a contribution is requested to all participants. When you are satisfied with the tour leader yourself, you like him / her, of course, give a tip.
TIPPING - LOCAL CREW
Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognised part of life in this region of the world. Some local staff will look to members of the group for personal recognition of particular services provided. Accordingly, you should allow approx. €20 for tipping.
In order to make things easier for you, the Tour Leaders may organise a group’s tips kitty and if this is the case, they will account for it throughout the tour.
