Overview
Holiday style:
Hold our hand and visit new people, with their old tradition and culture. Try some of the mos tasty foods and home-made drinks. An experience that should not be lost. You will want to have more and more but be careful not to get fat. Accommodation and meals are provided in hotels and traditional restaurants.
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Short description:
| DURATION: | 4 Days |
| TRIP CODE: | D4-TF |
| GROUP SIZE: | 10-15(max) |
| MIN AGE: | 10 years old |
| MAX ALTITUDE: | 2000m |
| ACCOMMODATION: | Hotel x 3 nts |
| MEALS: | 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners |
| DEPARTS: | June until September |
| 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-Berat
Time: 1h 50min
Distance: 122 km
DAY 2
Berat-Gjirokaster
Time:2h 42 min
Distance:158 km
DAY 3
Gjirokaster-Tirane
Time: 1h 50 min
Distance: 122km
DAY 4
Tirane-Airport
Time: 21min
Distance; 17,1 km
Product Description
Details
DAY 1 - Berat
Today we visit Berat. Going to this city it’s like traveling back in time. Being more than 2400 year old, the town it is one of the most attractive towns in Albania. Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is known as the "Museum City of Albania". Berat lies on the sides on the Osum River with a backdrop of Mount Tomorr, elevation. Additionally a 2,500 year old castle overlooks the city with numerous, high architectural and historical stone neighborhoods below.
Our visit will start in the characteristics neighborhood Mangalemi, near the old bazaar, where we will visit the Ethnographic museum. Our next stop will be at the fortress located on the top of the hill overlooking the Osumi river and the Gorica neighborhood. The castle is the only one in Albania that still has houses and inhabitants within its walls, going about their daily life in exactly the same place their predecessors did centuries ago. We will visit the Castle, St Marys Church turned Onufri Museum which houses an amazingly diverse collection of Icons. We will be able to see also The Red Mosque , The Church of Saint Mehilli, (Michael) , The Church of Saint Triadha (Trinity) and lots of other monuments. We’ll have a little breake while we enjoy lunch.
After this we will walk towards the old bridge of Gorica. The bridge's primary purpose is to connect the neighborhood of Gorica, over the Osum River, with the beautiful Mangalemi quarter and adjacent neighborhoods. The architecture of Gorica Bridge holds 7 stone arches, has a length of 129.3 meters, width of 5.3 meters, and height (average) of 3.5 meters.
Overnight in Berat.
DAY 2 - Gjirokaster
Today we walk through history, and what better way then to traverse Gjirokastra. Historic Gjirokaster is one of Albania's three UNESCO sites. Gjirokastër can be divided into roughly two halves, the old town up on the hill, and the new town in the valley below. One of the most important cities of southern Albania has been declared a “Museum City”. It is built on the slope of a mountain and is known for its characteristic and narrow stone paved streets.
Known as the City of Stone, it comprises hundreds of Ottoman-style tower houses with distinctive stone roofs, wooden balconies and whitewashed stone walls. Just outside Gjirokastra we visit the ruins of ancient Hadrianopolis at Sofratike. It was built in the middle of a field without protective walls, at the time of emperor Hadrian whose name it took, at a time known as Pax Romana which translates as Roman Peace, hence surrounded by vast Roman territories the city had no need for fortifications.Then, after entering in Gjirokastra we will visit the castle, the Zekate House, the old bazaar and the ethnographic museum (which is the birth house of the Albanian dictator). There are several 18th-century mosques and churches and an old citadel (rebuilt in the 19th cent.) in the town. What strikes the visitors most in Gjirokastra are its typical and characteristic houses which resemble little fortresses, clustered one above the other. Once Gjirokastra has been called the "city of one thousand steps" or "the stone city"
Then we will be headed to the Seven Fountains, Mechite Mosque Remains, and the Hamams. The fountains and the exterior of the Hamams have been recently restored. One can observe the dedicatory inscriptions on the fountains and the cone shaped traditional roofs of the Hamams. After this we will be headed to the village of Saraqanisht where we can see The archaeological site of Antigonea.
We will close the day by visiting the Lake cave under Skotinise which is located 200 meters deep cave Skotinise in Vanistër of Gjirokastra.
Overnight in Gjirokastra.
DAY 3 - Tirane
After breakfast will drive towards Tirana. Today Tirana is not only the most populated city in Albania, but also the biggest political and economic centre in the country. We will start our tour in Albania exploring Tirana the capital of Albania, starting with a visit to Et’HemBej Mosque, built in 1789 (one of the most beautiful in the Balkans).We'll walk to the main sites, stopping to visit the impressive National History Museum, the facade of which is adorned with a gigantic mosaic known as, 'The Albanians'. During this we can admire other buildings to like: The Clock Tower next to the Et'hemBey Mosque government buildings: at the south end of Skenderbeg Square. The Tabakëve and Terzive bridges, The Palace of Culture, where the Theatre of Opera and Ballet and the National Library. Popularly referred to as ‘the Pyramid’, it was designed by a group of architects. After we visit the city center we can move to Pertrela Castle which is located at south of Tirana on the right side of national road linking capital with the city of Elbasan.The Castle is perched on a rocky hill, above the village with the same name. It has a triangular shape with two observation towers. The castle offers spectacular views of the Erzen valley, the hills, olive groves, and surrounding mountains. Welcome dinner in one of the traditional restaurants in Tirana.
Overnight in Tirana.
DAY 4 - Departure
Breakfast, morning coffee, and then free time to prepare for airport.
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.
