Albania - From Mountain to Sea
Friday 03 July 2020 - Monday 13 July 2020
(10 nights)
From £1,099.00
Listed by Spice Holidays
Overview
Albania is a country with plenty to offer, from incredible mountain hikes and lakes surrounded by gorges to architecturally interesting churches and local bazaars. This 11-day trip is the perfect trip to offer a mix of exciting scenery and diverse culture. Visit hill-top castles, traditional restaurants and a UNESCO national park on this intricate adventure into the heart of Albania.
Highlights
- Enjoy a walking tour of Shkoder with a traditional dinner
- Take a ferry through the fjord-like landscapes across Koman Lake
- Hike the beautiful pine and beech tree covered slopes of the Rosi Path
- Visit the impressive Castle of Gjirokastra and admire the architecture of the Castle of Kruja
- Visit an old bazaar to get some unique souvenirs
Why Albania?
Located in the Balkans, Albania has a great mix of rugged, stunning mountains, Ottoman architecture, beautiful beaches and friendly locals. On this tour you will experience the contrast of this small country, the vast back-drop of the Accursed Mountains and the jagged mountains before heading to some of the most unspoilt beaches in the Mediterranean.
The tour operator for this flight inclusive holiday is Spice UK Ltd (ATOL 9046) for whom we act as agent. This holiday is protected by the Civil Aviation Authority under the ATOL scheme in the event of failure of the tour operator. Spice UK Ltd holiday terms and conditions apply, as supplied with the full holiday information pack. Your money is protected via our trust account in compliance with EC travel regulations.
Includes
Flights, transfers as described below, accommodation as described below, meals as described below, Entrances & fees as described below.
Accommodation
Accommodation based on shared twin rooms in middle class hotel or shared dorm style rooms when in guesthouses
Hotel Accommodation in shared twin rooms: Day 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Guesthouse accommodation Day 2, 3, 4 (same sex dorm style rooms, no singles)
Food
Meals: Full board when in the mountains starting with Dinner Day 2 and ending with picnic dinner on Day 4; bed and breakfast the rest of the tour
Transportation
Private transportation as per itinerary, Mule/horse luggage transfer during hikes (bring duffel bags, no hard luggage).
Ferry ride in Komani Lake
Driver
All our drivers are highly experienced and employed on a full-time basis by our company, their focus is on your safety and comfort. On the occasions we may need to rent vehicles and drivers from outside our company, these are well known to us and are of the highest quality with your safety and comfort as their priority.
Entrance & Excursion fees
Entrance fees in parks and museums: Rozafa Castle Shkoder, Blood Feud Tower Theth, National History Museum Tirana, Apollonia Archaeological Park, Ali Pasha Fortress Porto Palermo, Butrint National Park, Blue Eye Spring, Castle and Arms Museum in Gjirokaster, Roman Amphitheatre Durres
Extras
Travel Insurance available through Spice UK. Single sup £180 (not in guest houses). Some drinks & some meals, optional excursions and personal extras.
Location & Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival and transfer to hotel
Arrive in Tirana and take a transfer to your hotel
Accommodation – Oxford Hotel
Day 2 - Welcome to Shkoder, Albania.
Welcome to Shkoder, Albania. Upon checking into the hotel, we will have a walking tour of the city. Followed by free time and dinner at a traditional restaurant.
Accommodation – Tradita or Rozafa
Day 3 - Visit Koman Lake
In the morning, we will hop on our bus and head towards the Koman Ferry Yard. There we will board the ferry and navigate across the magnificent fjord-like Koman Lake. Upon arrival in Fierza, we will hop on the bus and head towards Valbona Valley. Upon arrival you have the option to take part in hiking in the Kukaj Village.
Accommodation – Kol Gjoni Guesthouse / or similar
Day 4 - Hike to Rosi Pass
After breakfast, we will start our hike towards the Rosi Pass. From 950m we will head towards Kukaj village, and continue further towards the Rama hut, located at 1700m. From there, we can continue upwards to the pass, located at 2165m and have our picnic lunch before starting our way back towards the Valbona Village.
Accommodation – Kol Gjoni Guesthouse / or similar
Day 5 - Continue the Rosi Pass hike and visit the Church of Thetth
After breakfast, we will load our luggage on the mules/horses and start heading towards the Valbona pass, located at 1800m. We will start our hike from 950m and walk towards the pass. Almost half-way, we will stop on a remote "bar" in the middle of the mountain where we can enjoy some refreshments or a local coffee. After a short break, we will continue towards the pass. We will have another break when we reach the pass and have incorporated some time for some pictures. We will start our descent towards Thethi. Half way through our descent, we will stop on another "bar" where we will have our picnic lunch. Upon the arrival in Theth, we will head to our guesthouse and have some time to relax. In the afternoon, we will visit the Church of Thetth, the Blood Feud Tower and later return to our guesthouse. This is the most challenging day of the trip - it is possible to arrange a horse to carry you if you don’t want to walk, at extra cost payable on the trip. You will still have to walk only for a few hundred metres near the pass.
Accommodation – Gjergj Harusha Guesthouse / or similar
Day 6 - Visit the Castle of Rozafa, explore the National History Museum and Scanderbeg Square
Today we will continue towards Shkodra. Upon arrival, we can have a stroll in the city centre where we can enjoy lunch in a traditional restaurant. We will continue towards the Castle of Rozafa, after visiting the castle, we will head south towards Tirana. Upon arrival check in at the hotel and have some time to rest. In the afternoon, we will have a tour of the city. First we will visit the National History Museum. From there, we will visit the Skanderbeg Square and the Et'Hem Bey Mosque (if open, we could get inside). We will continue towards the New Bazaar and view the italian-built ministries and boulevards, ending up in the Bllok area. This area is the former home to out dictator and his ruling caste, nowadays transformed into a playground for young albanians, filled with bars, clubs and fancy restaurants.
Accommodation – Oxford Hotel / or similar
Day 7 - Stop at the Apollonia Archaeological Park and enjoy lunch at Llogara Pass
After breakfast, we will hop on the bus and head towards the Albanian Coast. Our first stop will be at the Apollonia Archaeolgical Park. After this, we will continue towards the Albanian Riviera. We will climb the Llogara pass, where we will stop for lunch. There we can try a local delicacy - sheep's yogurt with honey and walnuts. After lunch, we will continue our descent towards the Albanian riviera - stopping for pictures. Just before reaching Qeparo, we will stop at Ali Pasha Fortress at Porto Palermo Bay. We will then continue to the hotel, where we will spend the night.
Accommodation – In Hotel Valta
Day 8 - Spend a day at the beach and the evening in Qeparo
Today we will spend a relaxing day at the beach with an optional sea kayaking experience. In the afternoon, we will head to Saranda, where we will spend the night and enjoy a free evening in the city.
Accommodation – Porto Eda (or similar)
Day 9 - Visit UNESCO site Butrint National Park and see The Blue Eye spring
This morning we will head towards the Butrint National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site). We will then head towards Ksamil Islands, where we will have the opportunity to swim in the turquoise waters. In the afternoon, we will head towards Gjirokaster stopping at The Blue Eye Spring, a natural tectonic spring, half-way. After a coffee break, we will continue towards Gjirokaster. Upon arrival we can check in at the hotel and explore the city centre before heading to dinner.
Accommodation – Argjiro (or similar)
Day 10 - Tour the Castle of Gjirokastra, see the Roman Theatre and view the Venetian Tower in Durres
After breakfast, we will head towards the Castle of Gjirokastra. Here we will have a tour of the castle and visit the Arms Museum. After this, we will hop on the bus and head towards Kruja, stopping at Durres along the way, where we can see the Roman Theatre, Venetian Tower and outer walls of the ancient city. We will then continue towards Kruja where we will spend the night.
Accommodation – Panorama
Day 11 - Explore the Castle of Kruja and the Ethnographic Museum and enjoy free time at the Old Bazaar before departure.
In the morning, we will visit the Castle of Kruja, Ethnographic Museum and the Gjergj Kastrioti History Museum. After the visits, you will have free time to explore the Old Bazaar until we head back towards the airport for departure.
Trip grading
Easy (with two challenging days). This tour is a combination of trekking and cultural trip. A general level of fitness is required for short walks around the sites and city tours.
The two challenging days are days 4 & 5 in the mountains. The first day starts at 950m and ends at 1,700m covering 13km over 5 hours. The second day is up to 1,800m but mostly descent and covers 16km in 5-6 hours. Day 5 is the most challenging day of the trip - it is possible to arrange a horse to carry you if you don’t want to walk, at extra cost payable on the trip. You will still have to walk only for a few hundred metres near the pass.
Due to the location and nature of these two days it is not possible to cut short either of them.
Travel & Stay
Accommodation based on shared twin rooms in middle class hotel or shared dorm style rooms when in guesthouses
Hotel Accommodation in shared twin rooms: Day 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Guesthouse accommodation Day 2, 3, 4 (same sex shared dorm style rooms with single beds, no single rooms)
Provisional Flight Information
03/07/2020 Gatwick to Tirana Dep: 0810 Arr: 1210
13/07/2020 Tirana to Gatwick Dep: 2025 Arr: 2225
Albania - From Mountain to Sea accommodation
| Type | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Place in a twin share room | £0.00 | Available |
| Place in a single room | £180.00 | Available |
Albania - From Mountain to Sea
| Type | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| London Gatwick | £1099.00 | Available |
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