You will meet with your guide in the airport of Tirana. Transfer to 4* hotel in Tirana, after accommodation you will start the tour by the University of Mother Theresa. You will continue walking to the “Block” where all the communist leaders used to live, see the infamous Hoxha’s Pyramid. From there you will visit the National Gallery situated on the main street, closed to the Youth Park. Then you will descend to the bunker of the Ministry of defense, the newest museum in town. Here you will learn about the past of this country and its’ police forces. Return to the hotel for dinner and accommodation.
National Gallery in Tirana
Bunk Art 2
Overnight Stay at Hotel Hotel White Dream (Option 1) (Meal Plan - Half Board)
After breakfast, you will travel to the historic city of Kruja, nestled on the side of a mountain. This place is connected with national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Scanderbeg. You will visit the ruins of his castle, which was built during the 5th and 6th centuries. Inside the castle is today his museum and also the Ethnographic Museum. To buy some traditional handcrafted items visit the attractive Medieval Bazaar. After lunch of local specialties, you will travel back to Tirana and on the newly refurbished main square visit the National Museum.Nearby is the Ethem Bey Mosque, one of nicest and oldest in the country. Neighboring Watch Tower is the symbol of this modern city.
Return to the hotel for dinner and accommodation.
Ethnographic museum in Kruja
Scanderbeg Museum
Known as the city of 1000 windows because of the southern orientation of all its houses built on the hillside, Berat is a town-museum which demonstrates the coexistence of different religious and cultural communities. She has beautiful sloping cobbled streets lined with old Ottoman houses with beautiful carved doors, many Byzantine churches with mural sand icons 12-15 centuries, a 13th century citadel overlooking the city and the river Osum.
In the morning at first, we will seethe Citadel overlooking the city and river below. The Citadel is one of the oldest, largest and still mostly settled in Europe. After a walk through we will visit famous Onufri’s Museum, where you will see one of the largest collection of icons in Balkans.
We will take a short drive to see the quartersMangalem and Gorica, which are by the river Osum. The small stone houses andnarrow streets look like they are glued to the side of the mountain.
In the afternoon, we visit Apollonia archaeological park, located on the western plane on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. Apollonia was an important city founded in the 6th century BC. The fame of the city attracted many personalities as the eminent roman philosopher and orator Cicero. The city grew rich on the slave trade and local agriculture, as well as its large harbor,said to have been able to hold a hundred ships at a time. The city also benefited from the local supply of asphalt. Its’decline, however, began in the 3rd century AD, when an earthquake changed the path of the river Aoos.
Return to the hotel in Durres for dinner and accommodation.
Citadel of Berat
Onufri Museum
Apollonia
Overnight Stay at Hotel Hotel Marina (Option 1) (Meal Plan - Half Board)
After a short drive, we will start our tour of Durres by the “Torra”,Venetian Tower which was part of the defensive walls of city since the 15th century.Next, we will visit the Amphitheatre, built in the 2nd century A.D. After hearing some interesting stories and seeing a beautiful wall mosaic, we will visit the Archaeological Museum situated near the sea front. We will travel a short while to the periphery of the town, to the Canteen “Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeu”, the largest one in Albania, dated on 1933.
We will taste this famous cognac, well-known since the period of communism for the quality and unique taste of it, symbol of the traditional drink of Albania.
Transfer to the airport and departure.
Amfitheater in Durres
Archeologic Museum in Durres
Kantina “Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeu”