After meeting with the guide and embarking on the jeeps, you will be transferred first to Tirana for about 1 hour drive, for then continuing towards Shengjergj village which is located behind the Dajti Mountain. In Shengjergj you will make a short stop to stretch your legs before continuing towards Elbasan for 3.5 hours of off road drive.
This exciting off-road excursion in search of adventure, will allow you to cover parts of southern Albania and appreciate sights that most visitors never get to discover. We’ll drive on dirt roads off the beaten track, through rivers and old plantations from the Ionian coast into the heart of the central Albania. You will see a variety of birds, old rural villages and typical Albanian houses and families. Learn the real life of the rural part of the small but charming country of Albania.
Once arrived in Elbasan, you will have lunch in a very special restaurant located inside the old castle of Elbasan. After lunch you will drive towards Durres for 1.5 hours of time.
The day starts in the morning with a hike up to Renci Mountain. There are amazing views towards the town, Albanian sea shore and the mountains. Mali i Rencit is a mountain and is located in Shengjin, Lezhë district, Albania. The estimate terrain elevation above sea level is 299 metres. Once made our way down toward Gjader, you can have some photos of the military airport built during the communism time and the hangars inside the mountain.
After the photos you will be transferred by bus to Fishta village, at Mrizi i Zanave restaurant for a delicious lunch. Three beautiful and delicious dishes from Mrizi i Zanave, in the village of Fishte, near the city of Shkodra in Albania. This is a hidden gem in the countryside, a restaurant that cultivates its own produce or sources it from local farmers. The restaurant is very popular and it attracts a clientele from the capital. The chef has worked in Italy and decided to start his own place back home. The first two dishes are a selection of starters, including a pie with spinach and corn flower, feta cheese, grilled aubergines and deep fried flowers of courgette in batter, a selection of pickles with pickled peaches amongst others, homemade fruit syrup and cloves of garlic. The third dish is lamb shish kebabs, with potatoes and fresh porcini mushrooms from the mountains of Puka, further up north.
You will be amazed by the experience of the Village of Fishte, transferring back to your ship for 30 minutes drive with a smile on your face and with your mind back to Albania.
After meeting with the guide you will be transferred in Berat. Berat, with an ancient history from 2400 years ago, is located along the stream of river Osum and in the middle of the great mountains of Tomorr and Shpirag. It is located on the side of a rocky hill and in the same place was settled the ancient town from the Illyrian tribes. It has been conquered many times but its castle has always been famous of being very difficult to invade.
Today it has the name of the city of a thousand and one windows, coming from the panoramic view of the houses on the hill. It is a part of UNESCO World Heritage List with the well preserved houses of original Ottoman architecture. The trip in the city of one thousand and one windows starts in the old quarter which will send you back in time to the Middle Ages from the cobbled streets and the houses built in a special architecture and fanatically well preserved till the modern days.
From what you see Berat has gained it’s status as one of the cities of UNESCO World Heritage List. Next visit for you will be The fortress, located on the hill top, is the most special attraction there, offering an amazing panoramic view of everything surrounding Berat. And there you understand the reason why it was such an important stronghold. After the visit of the wonderful city of Berat you will have some cooking lessons with a local family and prepare your tasteful lunch in a restaurant inside the castle.
Finished the lunch you will be transferred back in Vlora for 2 hours drive for the end of your jorney.
After meeting with the guide, you will be transferred for approximately 2 hours to the Museum city of Berat. The town of Berat is one of the most ancient towns of Albania, 2400 years old. Lying on the banks of the Osumi river, and overshadowed to the east by the Great Tomorr mountain 2415m,is an ancient Illyrian settlement founded in the 4th and 5th centuries B.C. on the territory of the Illyrian tribe of Desaretes. Its innumerable monuments and the beautiful and characteristic architecture of its houses have proclaimed Berat, a “Museum Town”. The houses on the fortress have typically two stories, with the upper storey slightly overhanging and rich wood carving within. With their wide facades and large windows, they seem to be built almost on top of one another, giving Berat its name of “The City of One–Thousand Windows”.
Your visit will start with a walk from the Gorica old bridge for some 20 minutes to come back to Mangalemi quarter from the new bridge. A walk in the newly built boulevard will follow the tour before you continue the visit to the Castle of Berat located on top of the hill overlooking Berat town. You will embark back on the Bus to continue the tour in the Castle of Berat which involves a bit of walking in uneven surfaces, cobblestone streets and a bit of inclination. Once inside the Castle first we will continue towards the Museum of the Icons for a visit.
National Museum Onufri is located in the center of the inhabited quarter in Berat medieval castle. It is organized in Virgin Mary cathedral, built in 1797 on the foundation of an older church with the same name. It bears the name of the most remarkable Albanian painter, Onufri, who left a very rich fund of iconographic creation.
Finishing the visit at the museum, a traditional lunch from Berat is a must after a tiring day. You will be welcomed in one of the restaurants located in the old quarter of the castle to try different specialities cooked in a traditional way from the local house family especially for you. After lunch, a short walk to the view point of 15 minutes will follow to have some nice views of all the quarters of Berat before your transfer back to Durres for another 2 hours’ drive.
After meeting with the guide you will be transferred in Durres. Durres is the largest port of Albania. It also has the status of one of the oldest settlements in Albania being founded in 7th
century BC from Greek colonists. Being in such favorable position in the Adriatic Sea, Durres (named Epidamnum from Greeksand Dyrrachium from Romans) has always been envied and was a very influential city under the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires as an important connection point. It’s importance still lives today as being one of the most influential cities in
the country’s economy.
Arriving in Durres, the exploration of the city starts with a visit of the Roman Amphitheatre of Durres, the largest in the Balkans built since 2nd century BC. Roman influence here continues with the Trajan’s Baths and the Roman Forum. The famous road of Roman Empire, Via Egnatia, started from Durres as the gateway to the Balkans and hence the Romans fortified the stronghold in Durres which was later reconstructed again by Byzantine Empire and the Venetians, from which Durres inherited the Venetian Tower standing at the beginning of the boulevard.
Next follows a relaxing stroll along the boulevard alongside the shore of the sea. Colorful buildings on one side and the sea on the other offer a special pleasure. On the boulevard there are monuments like the Unknown Soldier, a tribute to the lost soldiers of the liberation army of WW2, etc. After the visit in Durres, you will be transferred to Scanderbeg winery for a visit and wine tasting.
The Skenderbeu Winery was founded in 1929 by an Italian family with note able experience in the growth and development of premium wine. Their combined experience in enology, viticulture and wine marketing brought a unique background to the Winery.
They also invested in the vineyard in the Sukth hills, were there were cultivated the first varieties, Barbera/Sangiovese and Riesling.
They used the latest technology of the time for the wine production; the winery capacity was 1300HL. As time went by, the system changes in our country leadership were reflected in the winery management. In 1960 the vineyard surface grew to 1500ha, and was located in all the Durres county area, it was enriched with different varieties like: Merlot, Kabërnet, Riesling, Shesh i Bardhë, Shesh i Zi, Muskat kanellë, Muskat Hamburg, Pamid, Zarsin, Shiroka Mellnishka, Dimiat etc.
After the delicious time at the winery you will be transferred back to Tirana for the end of your journey.
Your morning city tour begins from marvelous city of Berat - known as “the city of thousand windows”. Visit the lovely painted Mosque of the Bachelors and the Tekke of the Helvetis with its beautiful portico. Visit to Onuphri Icon Museum that contains some of the finest examples of his work as well as other outstanding Albanian artists. Stop for the lunch at restaurant in the Fortress where you will enjoy a rustic lunch and a wine tasting of Berat cellar. (Optional) Drive back to Tirana.
The best way to see Tirana? On two wheels! Ride along city streets and take in Tirana’s most famous sites, from the city castle to the bizarre bunkers to that weird pyramid. Then, once you’ve absorbed 1,500 years of history, pedal your way to an authentic Albanian lunch and well-deserved local beer.
Your Tirana bike tour will start at the city’s centre, at Skanderbeg Square, where you’ll find the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet, and the Museum of History. We’ll take off pedalling toward City Hall and onto Pedonalja, a lovely car-free street only open to pedestrians and bicycles. It’s an old-fashioned neighbourhood, but still a place where locals meet for barbecues and live music. It’s here that you’ll also find the Castle of Tirana (also known as the Fortress of Justinian), which dates back to the 6th century. Justinian was an imperial bodyguard who reached the throne and is considered today to have been one of the greatest Roman and Byzantine emperors.
We’ll then leave behind the calmness of Pedonalja and weave our way through city traffic, passing the Parliament, the new mosque of Tirana (fun fact: it’s going to be one of the biggest in the Balkans), and the Catholic Cathedral. But the highlight of all these sites will be the bizarre Pyramid of Tirana, which once was a museum and conference centre but is now an abandoned building and a canvas for graffiti. We’ll make a stop to see some of the Albanian “mushroom” bunkers, another remnant of communist leader Hoxha’s rule. There was once a bunker for every four residents in Albania, and while there aren’t as many as there once were, they’re still scattered throughout the Albanian countryside. Some of them have been converted into cafés, storage spaces, and even shelters for animals or the homeless.
We’ll finish up our Tirana sightseeing tour at Mother Teresa Square, where the University of Tirana and the Academy of Arts are located. Finally, no doubt hungry from all the biking, you’ll refuel with an authentic lunch at a traditional Albanian restaurant, where you’ll get to try local meat-lovers’ delicacies like kernacka and shishkebap, washed down, of course, with an Albanian beer.
After meeting with the guide, you will be transferred for 120 minutes towards Tirana. Tirana is the capital of the Republic of Albania, with a population of just over 700,000, lies at the foot of Dajti Mountain (1612 m) at 110 m above sea level. The region of Tirana has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. Tirana was founded in 1614 when, under the care of Sulejman Pasha Mulleti, the first settlement was built. It consisted of a mosque, bath-house (Hamam), a bakery and some shops. Today Tirana is the main administrative, economical, art and culture centre.
The visit of Tirana starts with the National historical museum, which shows everything about Albania history, from ancient times to the modern. Next the visit will continue on foot with the Scanderbeg Square, a monument dedicated to the National Hero of Albania. From the center you will be able to see the main boulevard, main administrative buildings, National Bank of Albania and the Et'hem Bey mosque that is one of the most beautiful mosques in Albania which is located nearby the Museum.
Finishing the visits Tirana, you will continue on foot entering the "Block area" towards Sky Tower Restaurant where you will have lunch overlooking all Tirana from the 15th floor of the Restaurant. With nice memories on your head, you will be transferred back to Shkodra for the end of your journey.
Vlore, the independency city is picturesquely located on the Bay of Vlore. Vlore has a long history as it, not unlike other ancient towns along the coast, was first founded by Greek colonists in the 6th century BC. Later, it was an important port of the Roman and the Byzantine Empires. Changing hands several times over the centuries, Vlore finally fell to the Ottomans in 1417.
It was in Vlore that five centuries later - in 1912, during the First Balkan War, Albania declared its independence from the Ottomans, only to be occupied by the Italians a couple of years later. History speaks for itself in Vlore while visiting the city. In the centre is the Flag Square, where the people gathered to celebrate the raise of the flag. And in front of the square is the building where the flag was raised and the Declaration of Independency was signed.
More from history that you will visit in Vlore is the Muradie Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in the whole country which survived the communist suppression. Also you will walk towards Kuzum Baba hill where you can visit the Bektashi teke located in the top of the hill and enjoy the wonderful panorama Once finished all your visits, you will be walking back to your ship for the end of your journey.
After meeting with the guide you will be transferred toward Kruja. As members of a prominent Albanian aristocratic family, the young George Kastrioti and his three brothers were taken hostage and brought up in the Sultan’s court where Scanderbeg attended military school and later fought in the Ottoman army.
When the Ottomans were defeated by a multinational Christian army in the Battle of Nis in 1443, Skanderbeg and his troops defected and retuned to Albania where they re-took the Kastriotis’ family’s fortress at Kruje. In the following years, Scanderbeg successfully united the Albanian ruling families against the common enemy and managed to fight off the Ottoman armies until his death in 1468 thus effectively halting their invasion further into Western Europe.
Kruje was the center of the Albanian resistance against the Ottomans led by Skanderbeg. Driving along the winding mountain road, you will reach the town’s main square marked by the equestrian statue of Skanderbeg wielding his sword.
Continuing uphill and above the town, you will reach the historic fortress and citadel which successfully withstood three Ottoman sieges led by Sultan Murat and later by his son Sultan Mehmed II – the conqueror of Constantinople (now Istanbul). It was only after Skanderbeg’s death that the fortress finally fell and the Albanian resistance was suppressed. One you are in Kruja you will visit the castle,the Scanderbeg and Ethnographic museum and Ottoman-style covered bazaar. After the visit of Kruja you will have lunch at Restaurant Panorama.
After lunch your next destination will be Durres. Durres is the largest port of Albania. It also has the status of one of the oldest settlements in Albania being founded in 7th century BC from Greek colonists.
Being in such favourable position in the Adriatic Sea, Durres (named Epidamnum from Greeks and Dyrrachium from Romans) has always been envied and was a very influential city under the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires as an important connection point. Its importance still lives today as being one of the most influential cities in country’s economy.
Arriving in Durres, the exploration of the city starts with a visit of the Roman Amphitheatre of Durres, the largest in the Balkans built since 2nd century BC. Roman influence here continues with the Trajan’s Baths and the Roman Forum. The famous road of Roman Empire, Via Egnatia, started from Durres as the gateway to the Balkans and hence the Romans fortified the stronghold in Durres which was later reconstructed again by Byzantine Empire and the Venetians, from which Durres inherited the Venetian Tower standing at the beginning of the boulevard.
Next follows a relaxing stroll along the boulevard alongside the shore of the sea. Colorful buildings on one side and the sea on the other offer a special pleasure. On the boulevard there are monuments like the Unknown Soldier, a tribute to the lost soldiers of the liberation army of WW2, etc.
After the visit in Durres, you will be transferred back to Tirana.