Center to North

Center to North Albania
11 DAYS TOUR
Day 1: Tirana- Airport- Tirana

Depending on time of arrival in Tirana, we may do a short city tour before or after check in at the hotel. Begin the Tour of Tirana City. It starts with a visit at Skanderbeg Square, followed by a stop at the Mosque of Et`hem Bey, built in 1793. The Opera House (National Theatre of Opera and Ballet) looks over the Scanderbeg Square. A walk in the main boulevard provides a close sight of the City Hall and a number of Governmental buildings In the evening, we’ll have dinner at a traditional restaurant and then explore the nightlife of Tirana, walking in the ex-block area where the villas of the communists leaders are still standing next to trendy boutiques, expensive jewelers shops and active local pubs. Overnight in Hotel

Day 2: Tirana- Mount of Dajti

After breakfast continue to National Park of Dajti arrive check in hotel Kings House Mount of Dajti. After lunch, we will start walking and Hiking around National Park of Dajti for around 3.5 hrs. Back to hotel. Diner overnight in King Park traditional Hotel.

Day 3: Mount of Dajti – Kruja

After breakfast, we will drive to Tirana. Few km from Tirana we will stop to visit a Bio farm and a bio winery (Uka winery) where we will have lunch in the farm also we will try some different bio wines. Continue to Kruja–one of the biggest cities in Northern Albania is the “City of history” and the best known as hometown of Albanian’s National Hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. Visit to the Castle, Skanderbeg Museum and Ethnographic Museum. After the visit of the castle, is free for you to explore Kruja’s old bazaar with authentic and antique shops. Dinner with live traditional folk Music (for group tours) Overnight in Hotel Panorama.

Day 4: Kruja- Mount of Kruja- Shengjin

After breakfast, we will continue to Mount of Kruja 1200m above the sea level, depending in the feet of the groups we will hike from town of Kruja on top of the mount around 1hrs and 40 minutes or Drive in top of the mount. Time for walking end exploring around. Lunch in traditional restaurant. After lunch we will continue to downtown and we will stop to visit a family house where we can meet with the local people and try homemade Raki (Our traditional Alcohol drink) Continue to Shengjin a beach town for Overnight stay.

Day 5: Shengjin- Lezha- Fishta- Shkoder.

This morning drive to Lezha where will visit the Memorial of Skanderbeg – visits of the Castle, After we will drive to the Village of Fishta where we will visit the Kallmet winery, where we can try some different wine from the unique Kallmet grappes, After we will go and visit the most famous farm in that regions ‘’Mrizi I Zanave’’ farm & Restaurant where we will have Lunch- proceed to Shkodra -, overnight at hotel Tradita Shkodra. Possibility Dinner with traditional folk music for group tours.

Day 6: Shkodra- Thethi

Departure on an excursion to the Natural Park of Thethi. The group will visit the surroundings of Theth, one of the most famous villages of northern Albania for its stunning nature and the traditional houses. The group will walk downhill from the house, and visit the attractions near by the village, including the Church, a tower house used in the past by men as a shelter against ongoing blood feud, the Thethi Waterfall, and the Canyon of Grunas. The tour will proceed with a visit to the Outdoor lunch with fresh bio dairy produce cooked in the traditional way of the local villagers. Dinner. Overnight in the Guest House in Thethi.

Day 7: Thethi’s attractions

Today we will have a nice day going around in the surroundings of Thethi, one of the most known charming villages of northern Albania, because of its stunning nature and traditional wooden-tiled houses. We will start walking downhill from the house, and visit the attractions near by the village, like: the Church, the Kulla e Ngujimit (a tower house used in the past by men as a shelter against ongoing vendetta), the Thethi Waterfall, Grunasi Canyon, We will overnight at the same house as the night before. Overnight in guest house

Day 8: The Pass of Valbona (Thethi Valbona)

Today we will hike the classic pass of the Albanian Alps that for centuries linked the two most known valleys of the area, Valbona (Valnona pass; 1966m a.s.l) and Thethi. We will use mules to carry the luggage to the next house. Highlanders from late spring use the path commonly, until the first snow of winter. Several springs of water will make the stops pleasant and refreshing, while admiring the steep and jagged surrounding peaks of Jezerca, Radohima, etc. From there the group will start the descent towards the village of Thethi (800m a.s.l), where we will stay overnight after up to 8 hrs of walking. Thethi is the best-preserved alpine village in Albania. It has typical houses still roofed with wooden tiles and its location is spectacular. Overnight in Hotel Valbona Burimi I Valbones

Day 9: Walk around National Park & Valbona River

After breakfast, we begin our trip to one of the most wonderful natural beauties of Albania: National Park of “Lugina e Valbones” (The valley of Valbona). It has a surface of about 8.000 hectares and is situated 25-30 km in northwest of the city of Bajram Curri. It expands among high mountains and shows off a fantastic complexion of colours in every season, thus giving the image of a valley full of labyrinths and surprises. Its scientific, tourist and health recovering values are combined with a bio-diversity of national and international importance. Its rocky and attractive peaks, the sides covered with wood, the flow of brooks and river Valbona, viewed from above, create the image of a giant and marvellous crater as a small panorama of natural beauty. The nature of this park is full of varieties suitable for tourism, fishing, relaxation, amusing and mountain climbing as well as winter sports. Optional of Hiking, trekking in Jezerca Mount with a professional Local guide. Overnight in a mountain hotel Burimi i Valbones.

Day 10: Valbona- Koman – Durres

Departure from Valbona at 4 am to reach the ferry at Fierza We travel to Koman by ferry. Passing the mountains through the canyon, created by the river Drin, the route reveals the wild beauty of the Albanian Alps. We will have lots of opportunities to take pictures of unique views of the lake. We stop in Koman, a huge dam built in the 1980’s which encases the waters of Drin and creates one of the biggest artificial lakes of the country. From Koman we will drive to Durres – the ancient Greco-Roman port city of Dyrrachium. Formerly Durrazzo is one of the oldest towns in Albania. The legend says that it was founded by Epidamnos, the Illyrian King of the area, who called it by his own name and named the port area after his grandson – Dyrrah.Visit to the town including the Byzantine city walls, Roman amphitheater and the Archaeological Museum. Overnight in Durres.

Day 11: Durres- Airport

After breakfast, transfer to the “Mother Theresa” airport.