Albania & Montenegro Tour – 9 Days 

Soak up local traditions amidst stunning mountains and coasts.

Full of rich history, fascinating culture, and stunning landscapes, the Balkan Peninsula is a region waiting to be explored—and that’s just what you’ll do on this small group Adventure Tour. From the timeless traditions of Albania and Montenegro’s epic coastal beauty, you’ll discover the diversity of these Adriatic nations and what makes each unique.

Group size: Min 4 – Max 12 travelers

Day–by–day itinerary

Tirana   |   1 night
Day 1: Travel Day & Tirana

Included meals: Welcome Dinner

Airport pick-up service available throughout the day (included).

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.

Berat   |   1 night
Day 2: Walking Tour & Local Food in Berat (UNESCO) 

Included meals: Breakfast, Agrotourism Lunch
Included entrances: Berat Castle

Transfer to Berat passing through suggestive hills full of olive trees.

Get settled in the hotel and 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.
• Enjoy a coffee and raki break inside the castle of Berat

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.

Saranda   |   2 nights
Day 3: Saranda via Gjirokaster (UNESCO)

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included entrances: Castle of Gjirokaster, Skenduli House

Transfer to Gjirokaster to discover the city of “a thousand steps”, driving through small villages.

• 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
• Head out for lunch in a small, local restaurant for a taste of the city’s authentic dishes.

Travel to Saranda in the late afternoon.

Day 4: Butrint National Park (UNESCO) & Blue Eye Spring

Included meals: Breakfast
Included entrances: Blue Eye Spring, Archaeological Park of Butrint – On-site expert guide

In the morning we travel to the Blue Eye and marvel at the spring’s shades of blue and nature around it.

• Transfer to Butrint for a guided tour of the UNESCO Archaeological site where a local guided explains 2500 years of history embedded in the Amphitheater, the Castle, the Churches and the Lion’s Gate.
• Set off for a beach day at Ksamil Islands where you will have them to explore, swim, sunbathe and enjoy food and drinks at small cafés and restaurants on the Islands.

Spend your afternoon in Ksamil and on the way back to Saranda visit the Lekursi Castle overseeing the city.

Durres   |   1 night
Day 5: Durres via Porto Palermo Bay & Albanian Riviera Road

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included entrances: Ali Pasha Castle

En route to the city of Durres via the scenic Riviera road, explore the Ali Pasha Castle with your Tour Director.

• Marvel at the architecture and listen to entertaining legends about the man who build it, Ali Pashe Tepelena.
• Stop for lunch at a rustic local restaurant along Shushica river.

Reach Durres, get settled in the hotel and enjoy an evening in the lights and promenade of this seaside town.

Podgorica   |   1 night
Day 6: Montenegro’s capital of Podgorica via Kruja & Shkoder

Included meals: Breakfast
Included entrances: Museum of Skanderbeg, Rozafa Fortress

Continue on to Podgorica, making stops along the way.

• Take a guided tour of the Albanian town of Krujë, located between the Ishëm River and Mount Krujë. You’ll visit a small bazaar full of local handicrafts before entering Krujë Castle to visit the Skanderbeg Museum. Inside, you’ll learn about national hero George Castriot Skanderbeg and his involvement in the Albanian-Ottoman wars. Then, enter the National Ethnographic Museum, a restored Ottoman home that offers a glimpse at traditional life in Albania.
• Enjoy some free time in the town to eat lunch, shop and explore on your own
• Stop in Shkodra, a small city situated at the foot of the Albanian Alps, to step inside the hilltop Rozafa Castle

Reach the capital of Montenegro and enjoy an evening on your own walking along Independence Square and the Roman Bridge where the Moraca and Ribnica rivers converge.

Please note: Travelers should be prepared to show their passports at the border crossing between Albania and Montenegro. 

Budva   |   2 nights
Day 7: Budva via Ostrog Monastery & Lake Skadar

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included entrances: Monastery of Ostrog

This morning head for the Monastery of Ostrog, a spectacle of nature and human interaction, carved almost in its entirety in a vertically positioned mountain cliff. It is today the pearl of Montenegrin spirituality which is visited by more than a hundred thousand pilgrims from around the world and of travellers of all religions every year.

Continue on to Budva, making stops along the way.

• Travel through the Lake Skadar region of Montenegro to the town of Virpazar, where you will enjoy a traditional lunch on the shores of the lake
• Continue along the Montenegro coast to Budva, stopping for a photo of the charming peninsula village of Sveti Stefan en route

Get settled into the hotel and enjoy this seaside town renamed the Miami of Montenegro.

Day 8: Boka Kotorska | Kotor & Perast (UNESCO)

Included meals: Breakfast
Included entrances: Boat Ride, Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, Our Lady of the Rocks, Local Guide

Today we explore the sunny city of Kotor on a guided walking tour.

• Passthrough the UNESCO-recognized medieval old town to view the ancient city walls and Cathedral of Saint Tryphon.
• See the old clock tower and Orthodox Church.

You will have the option to hike up with your Tour Director the section of Kotor’s UNESCO–listed fortified walls located on the mountain of St. John to enjoy stunning views of the Bay of Kotor. Enjoy free time for lunch and to wander around the Old Town.

• Travel along the Bay of Kotor to the Venetian Town of Perast. Here, you’ll embark on a boat trip out to the man-made islets of Saint George and Our Lady of the Rocks.

Return to Budva in the late afternoon.

Tirana   |   1 night
Day 9: Tirana via Lovćen National Park & Local Food in Njeguši

Included meals: Breakfast, Njeguši delicacies
Included entrances: Lovćen National Park

Head for Lovćen National Park, where Njegos tomb’ is positioned at its top.

• Visit the tomb and admire the stunning views of the summits of Montenegro, Skadar lake, (the largest lake in the Balkans) with the Albanian Alps in the background as well as Cetinje, the Adriatic coast and Boka Kotorska Bay.
• Enjoy a coffee break with the stunning views of the Bay of Kotor

Continue to the village of Njeguši, located on the slopes of Mount Lovćen, and enter a traditional Montenegrin smokehouse to sample aged-prosciutto, cheese, and other specialities.

En route to Tirana, stop in the Old Town of Shkoder and enjoy free time in the “Pedonalja”, the beating heart of Shkodra. Equipped with everything you need to relax, it’s a great street to wander around, shop and drink something.

Reach Tirana for the last night on tour and in the evening gather with your group to celebrate your trip.

Please note: Travelers should be prepared to show their passports at the border crossing between Albania and Montenegro. 

Flight Home   |   0 nights
Day 10: Departure Day
Included meals: Breakfast

Please note that the airport drop off is not included on tour. If you want to include this service, you can book it during your reservation.