ENVIE D'ALBANIE
Wonders-Albania & Kosovo

8 Days 7 Nights

Group: 6 - 18 People

Albania

9.5 Superb

Description

Wonders. This tour takes the traveler through a prodigious and historic place. An overview of the effects of communism through museum visits or its effects by visiting a city like Shkodra that was transformed, disrupted or rebuilt under the dictatorship. Wonders of architecture, wonders of the period builders or wonders of nature, these are only magical places that the route will cross.   

Guide

Experienced English-speaking guide

Hotel

3 ☆ or 4 ☆ and Guesthouses

Departure

Tirana International airport

From

All year

Price Includes
  • Hotels: See list below

  • Local guide in Kosovo

  • 7 Breakfasts

  • 7 Dinners

  • Transport

  • English-speaking guide during all the journey

  • All visits mentioned in this program.

Price Excludes
  • All personal expenses

  • Costs related to specific requests or those not mentioned above

  • Meals and drinks other than table water which are served during meals

  • Lunch and dinner day 7

  • Tips and gratuities

  • Visit day 7 (if any)

  • The plane ticket

  • Accommodation in single rooms

  • Travel insurance

Hotels

Gallery

Tour Plan
  • Day 1. Tirana International Airport – Shkodra

    Welcome by an English-speaking guide at the "Mother Theresa" airport in Tirana. Departure by bus to Shkodra. 

    Founded in the 4th century BC. AD by an Illyrian tribe known as Scodra, Shkodra is one of the oldest cities in Albania. Under Ottoman influence, Shkodra was a place of major importance, notably used as a trading post on the road connecting Prizren to Italian ports, but also a cultural center. 

    Visit of the Rozafa citadel, dating from the Middle Ages and built on Illyrian foundations. From its summit, a 360° view allows you to admire the surrounding mountains and plains, but also the largest lake in the region, which is home to one of the largest bird reserves in Europe. 

    Visit downtown Shkodra and walk along Kole Idromeno Street (also known as Pedonalja). It’s an artistic stroll through time. 

    Dinner in a traditional restaurant and overnight at the hotel. 

  • Day 2. Shkodra – Lake Koman – Valbona

    Departure early in the morning to reach Lake Koman. Ferry trip to Fierze. This cruise which will last approximately 2h30 allows you to discover unique landscapes resulting from the erosion created by the Drin river in the Albanian Alps, it is quite simply an incredible experience. 

    The Valbona Valley is one of rivers, spectacular waterfalls, and endless forests under the shade of the surrounding high peaks. This natural wonder offers a rare sense of tranquillity and beauty, that is not to be missed by those looking for the most awe-inspiring of Albania’s natural treasures. 

    Dinner and overnight in a guesthouse. 

  • Day 3. Valbona – Gjakova – Prizren

    Road to Gjakova, place of culture and learning in Kosovo. During the Ottoman Empire, the city of Gjakova benefited from its geolocation. Located on the Shkodra - Constantinople trade route, it quickly became a place of exchange. Education has always been a tradition in Gjakova. It has developed around several sectors such as literature, the arts, music ... Visit of its historic center and the largest bazaar in the Balkans, Çarshia e Madhe. 

    Direction Prizren, splendor and symbol of Albanian history. Move to the Shadervan and its fountain, its large main square which once housed the bazaar. Walk to admire the Kuklibeu mosque built around 1534, the Ottoman house of Hasan Sheu dating from the 18th century, the old stone bridge overhanging the river that cuts Prizren in two and the hammam built in the 16th century by Mehmet Pacha and considered one of the most important in the Balkans. Then towards the Notre-Dame church in Ljevish which is the main official diocesan church of the Serbian Orthodox bishops of Prizren. It is considered by the Orthodox Serbs as a pride of the medieval royal city of Prizren. Since 2006 Our Lady of Ljevish has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

    Dinner in a traditional restaurant and overnight at the hotel. 

  • Day 4. Prizren – Kruja – Tirana

    Rich in history and tradition, Kruja is home of the patriots and the epicenter of Albania’s independence from the Ottoman Empire. It was here that Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg, Albania’s greatest national hero, defended the country from the invasion of the Ottomans. 

    Visit the Skanderbeg Museum, one of the most visited places in Albania. Accessible via the bazaar, it is located in the heart of the historic citadel of Kruja and is dedicated to the Albanian national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. The museum has collections of objects dating back to most of the wars that took place during the 15th century between the Albanians and the Ottomans. 

    Visit the Ethnographic Museum of Kruja, which is located in the citadel in a house that belonged to one of the richest families of the 18th century. In a setting of elaborate ceilings and sumptuous murals, it presents objects and scenes of life that help us understand how an Albanian family lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. 

    Direction Tirana and free time. 

    Dinner in a traditional restaurant and overnight at the hotel. 

  • Day 5. Tirana – Tirana

    This metropolitan capital has undergone modernization at lightning speed while much of its Ottoman, Italian, and communist architecture recall its history and old-world spirit. There are plenty of churches, mosques, museums, galleries, and shopping malls to visit, but Tirana is most giving when you immerse yourself in it. The best way to discover this city is to take a leisurely walk through its diverse neighbourhoods and streets, where you will discover its rich authenticity in each and every corner. 

    Visit of the Bunk'Art2 museum (known under the communist regime under the codified name of "objekti Shtylla"). The museum is dedicated to the preservation of the collective memory and tells the story of the communist regime and its horrors. 

    Visit of the city center and its famous "Block" passing by the Tabakëve bridge, built in the 18th century in the heart of Tirana. 

    Visit of the Skanderberg square and free time. 

    Dinner in a traditional restaurant and overnight at the hotel. 

  • Day 6. Tirana – Durres

    Visit the National Historical Museum. Inaugurated in 1981, this space now houses over 5,000 artifacts in its multitude of beautifully designed pavilions. The museum is recognizable by its emblematic façade, which presents a gigantic mosaic entitled "Albania" (Shqipëria, in Albanian). Standing as one of the constructions of the period of socialist realism, the mosaic rightly represents the glorified heroes of the working class. Memorable and imposing, the mosaic welcomes the visitor upon arrival and sets a precedent for what is hidden in the museum. 

    Departure to Durres, the second largest city in the country and which was once the departure from Via Egnatia. It made it possible to go to Byzantium by crossing Albania and Greece. The ancient city of Durrës is at once a relaxed beach town and a historical center, home to the largest amphitheatre in the Balkan Peninsula! Fittingly, the city also houses the country’s largest Archaeological Museum which shows traces of the ancient cultures that have passed through Albania, mainly Greek and Roman. 

    Visit the Roman Amphitheater built in the 2nd century. This site is considered the second in terms of importance in the Balkans and is registered on the UNESCO list. Today little work has been carried out for its restoration but it is possible to imagine the excitement that could reign there during its greatness. It is currently used as an open-air museum. 

    Walk along the walls of the old cities. 

    Head to the hotel for a late afternoon by the beach. 

    Dinner and overnight at the hotel. 

  • Day 7. Durres – Durres

    A well-deserved beach day. 

    Dinner and overnight at the hotel. 

  • Day 8. Departure

    Transfer to Tirana International Airport at Rinas.

Passport:

A valid passport or an ID (at least 6 months from the start of the stay) is required to enter in Albania

Insurance:

International travel insurance is strongly recommended to cover the consequences of incidents that may occur while travelling, travelling and staying abroad. It is the traveller's responsibility to check with his travel agent or insurer before departure.

Notes:
  • Tour based on arrival and departure times around 11:30 am. 

    Depending on the season and/or the availability of the restaurants, dinners may be taken in the hotels. 

    Hotels and restaurants are given as indication only.