Albania Collection: Ksamil & a Boat Day on the Albanian Riviera




This is a WeRoad Collection
A trip designed for ultimate comfort, with specially selected hotels and unique experiences.
Itinerary
Caribbean-style beaches just an hour and a half's flight away, UNESCO-listed stone towns and a sea that still has quiet corners in August: Albania is the real surprise of the Mediterranean. Eight days, just two bases: Tirana and the Ionian Riviera, always with a private van and boutique hotels.
In Tirana: painted buildings, the Bunk'Art bunker museums and the cable car up Mount Dajti to see the city from above at sunset. Then the coast, until the end: a full day on a private boat among coves you can only reach by sea, with lunch on board and swims everywhere, the islets of Ksamil and Butrint, first a Greek and then a Roman city, with its theater among the trees. We wrap up with Gjirokastra and its slate roofs, and the Blue Eye, the turquoise spring nobody manages to photograph properly!

Mirë se vini, Tirana!
The colorful capital
We kick off in Tirana, and the first thing that hits you is the color! We drop our bags at a boutique hotel in the city center and head straight out on foot.
Back in the 2000s, the mayor had the socialist apartment blocks painted orange, purple and acid green: the city has stayed cheerfully cheeky ever since.
A walk through Blloku, the neighborhood that was off-limits to everyone except the elite during the regime and is now buzzing with bars and restaurants.
Our first Albanian dinner: byrek, fërgesë and tavë kosi. We toast with rakia, but take it easy, it's strong stuff!

Bunk'Art, Skanderbeg Square, and the Dajti cable car
Inside the bunker
Today is the day we really get to understand Albania: we start underground and finish high above the city. Ready to go?
Bunk'Art is the anti-atomic bunker Enver Hoxha built for himself and his government: five floors deep under a mountain, 106 rooms. It's a museum now, and walking through it feels genuinely surreal.
Next up: Skanderbeg Square, the Et'hem Bey Mosque and the Pazari i Ri market, where we sample local mountain cheese and honey.
In the afternoon, the Dajti cable car: a 15-minute ride up, Tirana shrinks below us and the plains stretch all the way to the sea.

Llogara Pass and our arrival on the Riviera
The Ionian Sea right in front of us
Four hours in a private van heading south, and that last half-hour is the one we'll remember!
The road climbs to the Llogara Pass at 1,000 meters, through pine trees bent by the wind. Then it turns: below lies the entire Ionian Riviera, with the coast stretching out towards Greece.
A photo stop is mandatory, obviously: the sea is so blue it doesn't even look real.
We head down to Himara, a fishing village with a castle perched above, and settle in for five nights. First swim before dinner.

A day on a private boat, sailing between the coves
Gjipe and the caves
A boat all to ourselves, just the twelve of us and no one else. This is our WOW experience, and we don't even need to explain why!
We set sail from Himara in the morning to find the spots you can't reach by land, like Gjipe beach at the mouth of a canyon.
Sea caves with emerald-green water and white pebble coves where we dive straight off the boat.
Lunch on board with fresh fish, tomato salad and feta, then an afternoon cruising between bays with plenty of swimming stops.

Ksamil and Butrint: turquoise waters and UNESCO ruins
The most beautiful water
An hour and a half south, practically facing Corfu. Today it's turquoise water and three thousand years of history!
Ksamil has three tiny islands just a few strokes from the shore and water so turquoise it looks photoshopped. We swim in the morning, when it's less crowded.
In the afternoon, Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage site: a city that's been Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian, one on top of the other.
An ancient theater, a mosaic baptistery and walls nestled in the greenery: we walk in the shade while our guide tells us three thousand years of history in just two hours.

Gjirokastra, the city of stone
Slate roofs
Time to leave the sea behind for a day and head inland. Why do they call it the "City of Stone"? We're about to find out.
Gjirokastra is built entirely from the same material, slate roofs included: from above, it looks just like scales.
This UNESCO gem is perched on a mountainside, with an Ottoman castle crowning the top and merchant tower houses cascading down the slope.
We explore a historic home and have lunch at a local tavern with qofte and sheep yogurt, then head back to the riviera just in time for sunset.

Blue Eye and a free afternoon between Livadhi and Dhërmi
11 degrees
In the morning we head to the Blue Eye; the afternoon is free.
It's a karst spring where the water gushes from a depth no one has fully measured yet: cobalt blue in the center, turquoise at the edges, 11 degrees all year round. You can jump in, though it'll only last a few seconds!
Free afternoon: Livadhi is the long beach a stone's throw from our hotel, Dhërmi the spot for beach clubs if you're in the mood for music. Or just wander through the stone houses in town.
In the evening, our final group dinner in Himara, right by the sea.
Thank you, Albania!
Heading back from Tirana
Breakfast, one last look at the Ionian Sea, and a four-hour drive back to Tirana for our flight.
In the van, we're reminiscing: a bunker under a mountain, a mountain pass opening up to the sea, a boat day all to ourselves, and water at eleven degrees that we actually had the guts to dive into.
Faleminderit, which means thank you, and see you soon!
What's included
7 nights in 4-star boutique hotels in Tirana and along the Riviera
All breakfasts
Welcome dinner on day 1 and group dinner on day 7
Private van with driver for all transfers and excursions
Guided tour of Bunk'Art and a ride on the Dajti cable car on day 2
Medical and baggage insurance - (coverage limits by destination country/region - €10,000 Italy, €20,000 Europe, €30,000 World, €50,000 USA/Canada)
What's not included
- Airport transfers
- Food and beverages when not specified
- All that is not mentioned in "what's included"
Optional activities
Please see below extra optional activities that you can experience during your trip. Your Group Leader will be happy to assist with organizing these activities for the group. Availability may vary depending on location and group preferences.
Please note these activities are provided by third party suppliers and liability rests exclusively with these third party suppliers. any case, any unused difference will be returned.
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Additional info
- Transport
Private van with a driver for all transfers, including the four-hour ride from Tirana to the coast.
- Documents
You'll need a passport or an ID card valid for travel abroad. No visa is required for Italian citizens for tourist stays.
- Physical rating
Low. A few uphill walks in Gjirokastra and Tirana's city center; for the rest, it's all sea and boat.
- Meeting point and goodbyes
We'll meet on day 1 at Nënë Tereza Airport in Tirana. The trip wraps up on day 8, back in Tirana.
- Seasonality
This trip runs from April to October—the riviera pretty much shuts down completely out of season.
- Info on private roomsShow all details
Why WeRoad
Small groups, on average 11 people
Move or change your trip for free up to 31 days before departure
Book with $ 0. Pay the $ 100 deposit only once the trip is confirmed
The Group Leaders
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