Welcome to Albania! Transfer to Tirana and settle into your hotel. For those of you not too tired, there is a guided walking tour of the city center, including Skanderbeg Square, Et’hem Bey Mosque, the Pyramid, and the Blloku area. Then, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.

Meals: Dinner

We start our journey from Tirana, directly to the city of Kruja. Set off on a guided tour of Dollma Bektashi Teqe , the surroundings and the Castle itself, the Skanderbeg Museum and the National Ethnographic Museum. You will have free time to wander around the Old Bazaar, with beautiful cobblestone alleys and lovely old architecture. Transfer to Durres and enjoy a fish-based lunch in this seaside city. After lunch, set off on a guided tour of the City Walls, Byzantine Forum, Roman Thermal Baths, the Venetian Tower and the Amphitheater and enjoy the city’s street art around the ancient ruins. Transfer to Berat passing through striking hills full of olive trees. Get settled in the hotel and enjoy a free evening in the city of “A Thousand and one windows”.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning set out for a walking guide through the UNESCO – recognized old town. - Admire the White Mosque, the Holy Trinity Church, Gorica Bridge and the Berati citadel/castle. - Step inside a local home inside the castle of Berat for a coffee, raki and dessert break. - Visit Onufri National Iconographic Museum, built in 1986. The Museum’s name honors the Albanian master painter of the 16th century, Onufri, who is responsible for a rich legacy of iconography in the country. The museum contains an immense collection of one-hundred and seventy-three select objects from Albanian churches and monasteries. Transfer to the scenic and family owned Alpeta Agrotourism & Winery located among the rolling hills that surround the city. Tour the facilities for a complete view of the process of vinification, its cellar and vineyard. After the visit, enjoy lunch with their seasonal home-grown and locally sourced organic delights and their fine wine. Return in Berat for a free evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Transfer to Gjirokaster to discover the city of “a thousand steps”, driving through small villages. -Get settled in the hotel and head out for lunch in a small, local restaurant for a taste of the city’s authentic dishes. -Step into Skenduli house, the nicest Ottoman tower house and listen to its history and details from the 10th generation of Skenduli family. -Soak up to the rich history of the castle and enjoy the view of the “city of stone” from above. -Pass by the Ottoman Bazaar and historic wooden houses and visit Gjirokastra Obelisk dedicated to the first school of Gjirokastra and enjoy the 360º view from there. Spend the evening in the relaxed atmosphere of the "Neck of the Bazaar" with a great view of the castle.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Have a relaxing morning in Gjirokaster before we dive into cooking traditional food from the region of Gjirokaster in a local home. After lunch, on your way to Saranda, stop at the Blue Eye and marvel at the spring’s shades of blue and nature around it. Get settled in the hotel and enjoy free evening in this typical seaside city.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Travel to Butrint Archaeological Park where a local guide explains 2500 years of history embedded in the Amphitheater, the castle, the churches and the Lion Gate. Afterwards, hop on a boat for a tour of the “Queen of Butrinti Lake” and learn about the mussel cultivation, how to collect your own mussels, clean them, open them, and then taste them in fresh olive oil and lemon juice, with bread, by the side of the lagoon with a glass of local wine while the warm breeze comes in across the water. Reach the lakeside restaurant by boat and enjoy a pleasant meal. On the way to Saranda, stop for coffee-break Lekursi Castle for a view from above of the city of Saranda.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

En route to the city of Vlore: -Explore the Ali Pasha Castle with your Tour Director. Marvel at the architecture and listen to entertaining legends about the man who built it, Ali Pashe Tepelena. -Stop at Llogara “balcony” for a stunning view from above of the South Coast beaches Head for lunch to Llogara National Park freshened by the mountain breeze and pine trees. Visit the city of Vlore in the afternoon, hometown to the National Independence movement. -Visit the Flag Square with its Independence Monument right in the center, the Muradie Mosque and Vlore Lungomare. Transfer to Tirana and get settled in the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch