Archaeological Tour

Tirane – Durres – Berat – Vlore – Sarande – Gjirokaster – Durres

Day 1:
Arrival in Tirana. Transfer and accommodation in the hotel. Overnight in Tirana.

Day 2:
After breakfast in the hotel, depart for the sightseeing tour of Tirana, starting from the Skanderbeg square. Visit in the National History Museum, E`them Bey Mosque, Clock Tower etc. Then continue to the main boulevard where are found the different ministries, Academy of Fine Arts, Main University etc.
After Tirana departure to Kruja medieval town, located on the slope of a mountain. An old bazaar leads you up to the castle of the National Hero Skanderbeg. Visit in the castle of the city, housing the Skanderbeg Museum and the Ethnographic museum. In the afternoon, back to Tirana. Overnight in Tirana.

Day 3:
In the morning trip to the ancient city of Durres, that is also the most important seaport in Albania. Visit the Amphitheatre, the biggest in the Balkan Peninnsula (capacity 15.000 spectators) with a rare wall mosaic, which belongs to the 2nd century A.D, the Archeological Museum, many mosaics, ancient public baths, etc.
Depart towards Berat in the midday. While you approach the centre of the city, the typical buildings impress you. Visit to the castle, built up on a rocky hill 260m above the sea level. Churches here have survived within its powerful stony walls. With interest, is the church, which preserves wooden-engraved iconostasis, housing the “Onufri” museum. Visit to the other objects: Lead Mosque, Bachelor’s Mosque, Gorica Bridge and many dwelling houses of the 18th and 19th centuries. Overnight in Berat

Day 4:
After breakfast, travel to Apollonia, located 12km from Fier. It is one of the most well known archeological sites in the country. Visit the amphitheatre, and the courtyard of the Monastery where there is a Byzantine style church built in the 14th century. Here you can see some monuments like the Encircling Wall, the Monument of Agonotheteve, Odeon, Portic, the Mosaics House, Fontana, and the church of Saints Mary.
As we leave Apollonia, we travel to Vlora coastal city lying in the Southwestern part of the country. Vlora is one of the major cities of Albania, an important seaport and tourist site. Visit to the Historical Museum of Independence, the building where the independence of Albania proclaimed on November 28, 1912. A monument, which perpetuates this event, raises high at the Flag Square. Overnight in Vlora.

Day 5:
After breakfast to the hotel, depart to Saranda traveling along the seashore. On the way on is to be visited the castle of Porto Palermo placed near Himara, also called as the castle of Ali Pashe Tepelena. The walls of the castle are 1.6m thick. After visiting this castle, the road along the seashore passes many beautiful villages such as Qeparo, which is a very large and sunny beach, Borsh village, which has a sandy sea, and the flora is the similar to that of Qeparo, Lukova a very wide beach too. Arrive in Saranda.
In the afternoon, we depart to Butrint. A scenic narrow leads you to the ancient city of Butrint. Visit to the Old Amphitheatre, the Temple of Aesculapius, the Baptistery with colorful mosaics and the ancient city walls. An old fortress housing a small museum watches over the entire site, which is one of the last unspoiled natural and ancient historical areas in Mediterranean. Back to Saranda. Dinner and overnight in the city.

Day 6:
After breakfast, we have the departure to the archaeological site as Antigonea. On the way , we can visit in the magical "Blue Eye" spring, which is a very natural beauty. Afterwards, travel to Antigonea. The ancient city - lies on a hill about 600 meters above sea level, 5 km from Gjirokastra ( The road to Antigonea, is under construction for the moment, and I’ts not in a good condition, so what we suggest is to arrange 2-3 minubuses in Gjirokastra to reach there). The Agora of the city has been excavated and a Stoa, 59 meters long and 9 m wide has been brought to light. Coins from various city states have been found in excavations, arriving from Korkyra (modern Corfu), Apollonia, Dyrrachium, Oricum, Ambracia but also the Epirote League, most of them made of bronze and few in silver.A triconch Palaeo-Christian basilica has been found at the site, dated to the 6th century A.D., and decorated with a mosaic floor. The Egyptian god Anubis is represented on the central panel of the mosaic, and according to one interpretation it may depict Saint Christopher “the Dog-head”.
In the afternoon, depart to Gjirokastra, which is a “Museum City”. Dinner and overnight in the city.

Day 7:
After breakfast, sightseeing tour of Gjirokastra. Many houses in Gjirokastër have only one common element, the stone. All the homes have the form of medieval towers. Visit to the castle, which stands out above the city as a balcony, providing the possibility for visitors to enjoy the beautiful landscape. The castle houses the National Museum of Weapons, which preserves all the kinds of weapons used and produced by the Albanians from antiquity. As we leave Gjirokastra, travel towards the city of Durres. Overnight in Durres.

Day 8:
Transfer to the airport.