Start the day with a delicious breakfast, then head out for a tour of Berat, beginning with a visit to Berat castle and the Onufri Museum. Known as the "City of a Thousand Windows," Berat is a museum city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Berat Castle is especially fascinating, as it’s still home to locals living in traditional houses, just as their ancestors did for centuries. Once home to over forty churches, only seven remain, one of which houses the Onufri Museum. Onufri, a 16th-century Albanian painter, was renowned for his sacred icons and painted many Orthodox churches across Albania and Greece. 

Next, we'll visit the Nurellari Winery, a famous wine producer just outside Berat, where we’ll enjoy a wine tasting along with some light bites. Then we'll return to Berat for a hand lace-making class, where you’ll create something special to take home. This class lasts about 3-4 hours. You'll have the rest of the evening free to explore Berat. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We continue to the ancient city of Apollonia - located on the famous Via Egnatia - one of the most important cities of Ancient Rome. 

Due to its fame and importance, it was known as Apollonia Prima, the most important of the sixteen ancient cities built in honor of Apollo. It was here that Julius Caesar sent his nephew Augustus Octavian to study oratory, testimony to the importance of this city. 

After lunch we continue on to Saranda, with a visit to the excavations of the Onchesmus wall, the ancient name for Saranda. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast we depart for the ancient city of Butrint, a UNESCO heritage site and the most important archaeological discovery in Albania. 

Legend associates the foundation of this city with the Trojan colonists who fled from Troy under the leadership of Aeneas. In fact, the city was settled by Greek colonists and has been continuously inhabited for centuries, forming archaeological layers of civilisations from various eras. Besides the splendid ancient ruins, it has the added advantage of being located on a beautiful peninsula, rich in flora and fauna. 

After sightseeing, we continue to Ksamil, often called the Maldives of Albania for its white beaches and turquoise water. We stay a few hours to enjoy the beach of Ksamil before we return to Saranda, where you'll have a free evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, we'll drive to Gjirokastër a UNESCO town for its stone architecture. 

Its fortress is situated at a height of more than 300 meters and it offers fabulous views of the surrounding area. The castle has existed in different forms since the 12th century, culminating the complete fortification in XIX century by Ali Pashe Tepelena. It was converted into a prison in the 1930s and continued the same also during communist time. Today inside the fortress holds the clock tower and the stage for the National Festival of Song and dance. 

We descend the castle to visit Skenduli House around 300 years old a magnificent example of the architecture of Gjirokaster. After lunch at the bazaar, we'll depart for Tirana, known for its colorful architecture, with many buildings painted in bold, lively hues, reflecting the city's optimism and transformation. A mix of Ottoman, Italian, and Soviet-era buildings gives the city a unique charm.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, we'll take a walking tour visiting Skanderbeg Square and Bunk'Art 2, a museum built in a cold war shelter underneath the main Ministries Buildings. You'll continue to visit the Blloku area where the communists elite had their villas and the Pyramid dedicated to the ex-dictator now the centre of youth for technology. 

We stop for a raki drink at Komiteti Museum Bar. Afterwards continue to Kruja, a symbol of Albanian resistance against the Ottomans, headed by Scanderbeg, the Albanian national hero. We visit the castle and the Ottoman bazaar with wonderful traditional souvenirs. You will have the opportunity to grab lunch in the Castle district before we head back to Tirana for a free afternoon, followed by our farewell dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

All good things must come to a close, and we say "see you later" for now! We look forward to welcoming you on another GLT trip in the near future! 

Enjoy a last breakfast in Albania before heading back home. Individual transfers arranged with pick up from hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast