Corfu to Albania Tour in 6 Days

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Albania, Greece
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Duration

6 days

Tour Type

Daily Tour

Group Size

Unlimited

Languages

English

About this tour

Corfu to Albania Tour is suitable for those travelers residing in Corfu during the summer period.

The tour starts at Saranda port where you will be met by the local guide who will escort you to Albania throughout the trip. Travel to Gjirokastra enlisted in the Unesco Heritage Sites.

Defined by its roads paved with chunky limestone and shale and imposing slate-roofed houses, Gjirokaster is a magical hillside town. Immerse yourself in the local life while enjoying the castle with its views of the picturesque Drina Valley.

Up until the mid 20th century, Gjirokastra was an important market center for the western Balkans. It specialized in agricultural products from the region as well as leatherworking and woodworking. The combination of administrative positions and vast feudal landholdings provided the basis for the wealth of the town.

By the 1580s, the town had more than 400 dwellings, impressive at the time. In the 17th century, the Ottoman governor laid out a new commercial quarter complete with a mosque. This first planned town center was almost completely destroyed by fire in the 1750s but was quickly rebuilt. Another fire in 1912 resulted in further reconstruction.

This reconstruction gave the opportunity to use steel beams to support the shop fronts in the place of traditional wood. Nowadays the area is the heart of the city with many shops, souvenirs, artisan activities, bars, and restaurants

On the way, we will take a short break to the Blue Eye water springs. Visiting the Blue Eye of Albania should be on everyone’s bucket list. The Blue Eye is a water spring phenomenon, where water gushes from the depths to the surface.

The vegetation around the spring gives you a magical view, of a beautiful contrast of greens and blues. The deep blue color of the eye surrounded by the greens of the nearby forest is the most beautiful view you will take home with you. Blue Eye Day Tour will take you to experience one of the most beautiful hidden gems of the Balkans. The blue eye is a valuable place on earth where mother earth hasn’t failed to impress.

Corfu to Albania tour in the city of serenades

Afterward, we will continue towards Korca, the city of Serenades.

Korça lies at the foot of Morava mountain next to an ancient Illyrian settlement. Read on to learn about the best things to do in Korça during your next visit to this beautiful area.  You can’t visit Korça without checking out the Old Bazaar. Buildings constructed in the classic Korça style characterize the Bazaar.

The Bazaar, separated by narrow cobbled streets, never fails to attract the attention of visitors. In the past centuries, the bazaar has functioned as a market for trade not just within Albania, but also internationally with Turkey, Greece, Trieste, and Venice. Nearby you can find old, traditional inns; including the Old Elbasan and Old Monastery Inn, which serve to host travelers visiting the market from outside the city.

The market reached its peak during the late 19th and early 20th centuries with more than 1,000 stores. With so many shops, the bazaar was, and remains, like a city within a city. Throughout its history, the bazaar has been burnt down and rebuilt three times.

On the way there, we will stop in different cities to explore their culture. Next on the list is Tirana, the colorful capital of Albania, with stops to the cities in our way we will discover beautiful landscapes and landmarks of historical importance. Tirana is not only the capital of Albania, but it is also the main economic and cultural center of the country.

Life in Tirana revolves around the beautiful Scanderbeg Square, located in the center of the city. This retreat in the middle of the bustle of the biggest city in Albania boasts museums, an Opera house, the Palace of Culture, countless shops, and cozy cafes.

Corfu to Albania tour in the city of 1001 windows

Then, we will travel towards Berati, the city of 1000 windows or rows upon rows. You will learn the history and culture of Albania on this tour.

In the southern region of Albania, along the banks of the Osumi River, you will find one of the most ancient towns in Albania. The innumerable monuments and characteristic architecture of the houses have proclaimed Berat a “Museum Town”. The city is on the UNESCO list. It has over 2,000 years of history to be explored.  That is why this place is on the top of this list of the best places to visit in Albania.

The most famous is the Berat fortress dating from the 13th century. It includes some of the Ottoman era churches and mosques. From the top of the castle, you can see an amazing view.

The next day we will travel toward Llogara where we will stop along the way. While traveling to Llogara we will explore the monastery of Ardenica that belongs to the Byzantine era.

Finally, we travel along the Albanian Riviera, a hidden gem on the Ionian Coast.

As we go through we will stop along the way and visit the Castle of Ali Pasha Tepelena. The castle has a beautiful strategic location along the coast.

Reconstructed by a prominent Albanian ruler of Southern Albania and Northern Greece during the 18-19 century. It served as a residential area and a fort for a long time.

We continue toward the picturesque village of Borsh and have some moments of relaxation before returning to Saranda where our tour ends.

This Corfu to Albania tour is a nice tour if you like agri-tourism farms, food tours, and cultural exploration in Albania.

Highlights

  • Visit the UNESCO Towns of Berat and Gjirokastra
  • Enjoy delicious Albanian dishes and learn about the Albanian Culinary Traditions
  • Learn about the history and culture of the Albanians

Included/Excluded

  • Accommodation in a 3 or 4 star hotel, BB services, 6 nights
  • 6 lunches
  • 6 dinners
  • Transportation for 6 days
  • Driver/Guide accommodation expenses for 6 nights, fb
  • Museum and archaeological center tickets
  • Assistance by our agency
  • Transfers (boat trip) from Corfu to Saranda port
  • Insurance
  • Drinks

Itinerary

The tour starts at Saranda port where you will be met by the local guide who will escort you in Albania throughout the trip. Travel to Gjirokastra enlisted in the Unesco Heritage Sites. On the way we will make a short break to the Blue Eye water springs . In Gjirokastra we visit the castle of Gjirokastra and Ethnographic Museum. The journey continues to Permet called as well as the city of flowers, through the beautiful Kelcyra canyon. Organized traditional dinner in Përmet.

Breakfast in Përmet. Today we travel through Ersekë and the Gërmenj Park were will have a picnic lunch. In the afternoon we reach Korçë where we visit the city center, Mirahori Mosque and Icon’s Museum. Dinner in Korca

Today we travel toward Elbasan and visit the medieval castle dating back to the 15th century. There we visit the castle, King Mosque and Saint Mary church. Lunch is organized as well inside the castle. After lunch we travel to Tirana where upon arrival we visit the Scanderbeg square, Et’hem Bey Mosque, National History Museum and the Boulevard.

Breakfast in Tirana. Today we visit Kruja, the castle and Scanderbeg Museum. Kruja was the most important town for the Albanians during the 15th century which withstood successfully to at least 3 major sieges by the Ottoman Empire. The museum we will visit, is dedicated to the Albanian medieval hero Gjergj Kastrioti or ‘Scanderbeg’. He is considered the most important figure for all the Albanians wherever they live. Lunch will be in the agritourist center of Marikaj where will experience the true Albanian hospitality. Arrival in Berat, a city protected by UNESCO. In the afternoon we walk through Mangalem and Gorica neighborhoods to finish in grandeur with a photo shooting of Mangalem quarter by night.

In the morning we visit the castle of Berat. Lunch in the castle of Berat. We continue traveling to Ardenica monastery, the place where our National Hero Scanderbeg was married in the 15th century.We visit the castle and Onufri museum. Next stop is Vlora where we learn about the important role it played in 1912 as the city of Albanian Independence from the Ottoman Empire. In the afternoon we reach the National Park of Llogara were will be accommodated.

Breakfast in Llogara. Today we travel along the Albanian Riviera, a hidden gem in the Ionian Coast. As we go through we will stop to along the way and visit the Castle of Ali Pasha Tepelena. The castle has a beautiful strategic location along the coast. Reconstructed by a prominent Albanian ruler of Southern Albania and Northern Greece during the 18-19 century it served as a residential area and a fort for a long time. We continue toward the picturesque village of Borsh where will have lunch. After this relaxing time we head to the city of Saranda.

Experience

Discovery Tours

Durations

6 Days

Languages

English

Tour's Location

Albania, Greece

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Owner

Sondor Travel

Member Since 2019

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