Albania holidays, small group tour
“UNESCO sites and local communities come to the fore in this tour of Albania which presents the country's highlights and a tourist industry still in its infancy.”
Highlights
UNESCO sites, including Berat, Butrint and Gjirokastra | Beach time in Dhermi | Blue Eye natural springs | tour of Tirana including the natural history museum | Elbasan Fortress | Korka | Dhoksat and Voskopoja villages | Erseke mountain village | Apollonia | Permet |Description of Albania holidays, small group tour
This Albania is a ten day cultural tour around this highly underrated Mediterranean country which is packed with Byzantine and Roman history, just as its neighbouring Greece is, and yet so much further off the cultural tourist’s radar. As well as its ancient civilisations, architecture and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Albania also has its own Alps, known as the Accursed Mountains, with remote villages bearing little change since times when blood feuds were the norm and small family farms tucked into exquisite valleys still are.During this Albania holiday we travel in a circuit, starting in the culture clash capital city of Tirana where Italian architecture, Ottoman minarets, mosques and crumbling communist remnants sit side by side. You can see all of its history just walking down one street. From here, we head south taking in a mixture of military heritage, such as the ancient fortress at Elbasan or the National Museum of Weapons located in Gjirokaster fort which was not to be argued with, located ominously on a remote mountain slope. Most impressively of all things militia, however, is the mediaeval citadel of Krujë the site of the resistance made to the omnipotent Ottomans.
It is not all battle scars on this trip, however, with some extraordinary natural heritage to explore as well. We spend some time at Pogradec on the shores of the great Lake Ohrid, surrounded by mountains. We enjoy mountain villages such as Ersekë, enveloped by the luscious green slopes of the Gramos Mountains and also visit the ‘Blue Eye’, famous for its seven natural springs that come to the surface here. And we also take time to enjoy the Mediterranean climes by sauntering and swimming at Porto Palermo Bay.
Every day is different on this trip, and along the way we not only stay in small locally owned guesthouses that are still unchanged by the modern face of tourism, but also enjoy local food and wine, this aspect of Albanian culture another of Europe’s well kept secrets. In fact, Albania is still one big hidden secret when it comes to tourism, and so the feeling is generally one of ‘get in quick’, before the word gets out.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.com
Check dates, prices & availability
Date
Price per adult
Basis
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20 Oct 2019
£1299
including UK flights
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20 Mar 2020
£1049
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03 Apr 2020
£1249
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08 May 2020
£1149
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15 May 2020
£1149
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12 Jun 2020
£1149
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26 Jun 2020
£1149
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07 Aug 2020
£1149
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04 Sep 2020
£1149
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11 Sep 2020
£1149
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18 Sep 2020
£1149
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25 Sep 2020
£1149
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02 Oct 2020
£1149
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16 Oct 2020
£1149
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Our top tip:
This is a concentrated tour and as such you will be on the go in order to take in as many experiences as possible. Pack light to facilitate changing hotels on a daily basis.
Trip type:
Small group. Avg size 12. Min age 16.
Activity level:
Leisurely. Sightseeing, hot springs and a couple of windy, bumpy roads via private bus (max 5hrs on day 4).
Accomm:
3-star hotels and pensions, all en-suite.
Included:
Accommodation, transport, listed activities, tour leader throughout.
Meals:
All breakfasts and 1 lunch.
Solos:
Solo travellers welcome. Single room supplements available.
Vouchers
Accepted
Holiday type
Small group holiday
Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modelled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, travelling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. If you’re heading off on a gap year your, perhaps – but for those with a two-week holiday, a small group tour will save valuable planning time.The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travellers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.
We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.
What are the main benefits?
Big experiencesHave big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.
Simplicity
Make the most of your holiday time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!
Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.
Who is it ideal for?
Travellers who are short of timeIf you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your holiday.
Solo travellers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those travelling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.
Less confident travellers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.
Mythbuster
“I won’t get any privacy!”Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travellers their own room.
“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.
“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.
“I won’t like the other travellers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.
“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.
Meet a group Leader
Name: Valerie ParkinsonStory: The first British woman to climb Manaslu, Valerie climbed Everest for her 50th birthday. She’s spent fourteen Christmas Days trekking to Everest Base Camp, and is involved insetting up Responsible Tourism initiatives in the Himalayas.
Meet a local guide
Name: Roshan FernandoStory: Roshan has led over 130 trips – he adores showing travellers around Sri Lanka. He won the company Leader Award in 2010, but his career highlight was working on their Tsunami Project – which earned him a responsible tourism award.
Responsible tourism
Albania holidays, small group tour
Carbon reduction
Your holiday will help support local people and conservation. We must also reduce CO2. Learn about the CO2 emissions of this holiday and how to reduce them.
Environment
Accommodation & Meals:
The vast majority of the pensions on this trip are small, family run businesses and even the larger hotels in the capital are locally owned so that the economic benefit goes to local communities. In many cases, the hotels in several locations offer fresh, organic produce such as eggs, honey, local cheeses and homemade jams. However, we have a company policy that with very few exceptions all meals should be planned at local restaurants. This because we believe that not only is the experience of dinning outside the hotel more authentic but it helps distribute the income. For example, we take every group for a meal with a family from a village close to Gjirokastra. This home cooked meal is one of the most popular parts of the trip and offers a great insight into rural, domestic life in Albania whilst also showcasing and encouraging traditional methods of cooking.
Local Crafts and Culture:
In terms of supporting culture, our local guides are very enthusiastic about their national arts, history and ways of life. There will be several opportunities to visit cultural landmarks such as the Natural History Museum with its socialist mosaic façade, the 15th Century Elbasan Fortress and the artists' village of Voskopoja, just to name a few. Here we encourage donations and purchasing of local crafts which help to sustain and celebrate the lesser known, yet highly rich culture of Albania. There is also space in the itinerary dedicated to exploring local markets (Gjirokastra bazaar, Korca Bazaar, Kruja Bazaar) which is a great way of supporting the economy and giving visitors a real taste of life here.
Charity:
We always try to operate with the local and wider communities in mind and are conscious of our ability to help disadvantaged groups. We have fundraised within our company and with our partners to help children with learning disabilities in Albania. This has been really successful in providing school materials for a day care centre in the outskirts of the capital Tirana. This year we have also been involved in the organisation of Albanian Paralympic activities. By providing vehicles for the events, we helped people from around the country with different disabilities to participate in several Tirana schools.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
15 Reviews of Albania holidays, small group tour
4 out of 5 stars
In depth story review
“As well as the trip being well organised and doing what it set out to achieve, it was actually all supplemented by Ed, our guide and what he did. The holiday really conveyed history, culture and landscape.”
Find out why this was one of the best holidays Andy Wood has ever had in his traveller interviewRead full interview
Reviewed on 02 Oct 2019 by Frona Hall
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The whole trip was so informative and interesting made more so by the most fantastic and knowledgeable guide.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Albania has come a long way but don't expect everything to be completely westernized, e.g. some hotel rooms are still rather basic.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Sadly the country is a long way from instituting recycling and trash so in that sense we did not help. While we filled some water bottles at streams we still
used plastic bottles. The local population benefited only indirectly through our tourism.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Top rate
Reviewed on 01 Oct 2019 by Helen Preston
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Learning from our excellent local guide and leader Kledi about the culture and amazing history of this small country. It ranges from the archaic period through to 20th century communism and we saw traces of all the stages especially in the very well presented museums.. Most exciting was one of our drives through the beautiful and spectacular Albanian mountains
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for a few lengthy drives, although most of the roads, while narrow, are in good condition. Have an open mind to learn about Albania and be willing to meet the locals who are open and friendly.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Albania is only recently open to tourism so the people involved in it certainly benefit and having a dinner with a lovely local village family was a very memorable part of the tour. Just by visiting the UNESCO sites tourists are supporting their conservation.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
An truly excellent and memorable tour with a great group. We knew little about beautiful Albania, but returned home having learnt so much, seen so much and experienced so much. The tour is highly recommended as it is well organised and has a very good itinerary. All the hotels were comfortable and very clean although not necessarily luxurious. We had some superb breakfast buffets as well as good food every where.
Reviewed on 12 Sep 2019 by Peter Lowles
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Visiting Berat
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Good shoes and walking poles for steep cobbled streets. You don't need to take euros - sterling accepted at change bureaus and plenty of ATMs.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. Local hotels and local food.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Lovely country and people. Wish it had been 14 days and included the north.
Reviewed on 25 Jul 2019 by Frances Meyer
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Mountain villages and towns, wonderful icons, Roman excavations, swimming in Lake Ohrid and the Mediterranean, delicious fish, lamb and salad meals; not
to forget the culture of a post-communist, developing part of Europe.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Ensure you have enough time in Tirana; it's not a pretty city but has some excellent museums. Don't leave all your shopping to Kruje - There is a limited range of goods in the bazaar and they look mass produced.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Hopefully, yes.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
it was a fascinating peep into a country with a turbulent past, especially the roman remains, the religious mix and the communist heritage.
Reviewed on 02 May 2019 by Ian Hosking
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The changes since I was last there in 2001, not all for the better especially in coastal resorts.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for early(ish) starts, fairly long days and plenty of information, both historical and current.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We ate and drank local produce and stayed in smaller locally owned hotels. Water bottles were refilled daily. Both the guide and driver were locals.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good. Would prefer more mountains and lakes, avoid Durres. If possible include the reservoir Lake Koman and a cruise(3hr approx) there on. Looking forward to our holiday to Bulgaria's mountains and monastries in September.
Reviewed on 14 Sep 2018 by Andy Wood
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
It's so hard to pick just one thing, so I'm going to choose two. Firstly - the stunning landscapes and wild mountain roads. Secondly - the friendly and open people (the generally negative image held in the UK of Albania and its people couldn't be any further from the truth).
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, very much so.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
One of the best holidays we've ever had!
Reviewed on 09 Jul 2018 by Neeta Bhadauria
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The whole trip was fascinating. Everywhere we went in Albania was amazing. Some highlights were the farmhouse luncheon in the mountains, Blue Eye
Spring, Archaeological sites, walking the cobbled village pathways in the old Town of Berat, the lake resort at Podredec, roaming around the cobbled Lanes in Gjirokaster... to name a few.
The restaurant in Berat and Permeti were beautiful for the setting and the food and service.
The fellow travellers made the whole trip extra special and enjoyable - I loved their company and made some good friends.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be open minded about Albania and embrace the local culture and lifestyle. Treat the people with respect and dignity.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent!
Reviewed on 17 Oct 2018 by Rod Kantor
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Overall the itinerary was fine but it could be enhanced. A night was spent in Vlores and a visit made to Durres. Neither town was inspiring and what we saw
there was incidental to the trip and would not have been missed if it had not been included. Cut Vlores and Durres out and spend more time in Gjirokaster
and / or Berat. Or reroute slightly and include other destinations not on the current itinerary. There was a feeling of being rushed around the Berat Castle
area in particular - a quick photo here then move on. No time to take in the scene. The photos have to be good as there's no time to retain a mental
impression.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
If you're interested in what life might have been like in Albania in the last century and during the communist period in particular, get to Tirana a few days
before the trip starts or stay on for a few days after. The trip itinerary allows for surprisingly little time in the capital and during that time the only exposure to information about Albania in the 20th century is a visit to the national museum. However, that museum is far from the best place in and around Tirana to learn about the conditions Albanians were subjected to during the communist dictatorship.
The minibus concept for transport has shortcomings when the bus is full. Anyone in an aisle seat has little chance of seeing mountainous countryside as
line of vision is directed downwards by the top of the window for a tall person sitting in the middle of the bus.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
If it did it was not made clear to us during the trip.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Good.
Read the operator's response here:
We would like to thank Rod for his feedback, although we are sorry he did not fully enjoy his tour in Albania; this tour no longer visits Vlores and an extra night has been added in Berat. We are sorry that Rod was left feeling unsure about whether his trip was run in a manner that benefited the local communities and environment. On this trip, for example, there is the a home cooked lunch in a village close to Gjirokaster, offering a great insight into the life of Albanians and to witness the traditional methods of cooking.
Reviewed on 21 May 2018 by Liz Rees
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing a new country
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Expect it to be a fairly superficial tour of highlights rather than an in-depth visit
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Hotels seemed to be locally owned and managed, and all restaurants we visited were local ones. We were given small plastic bottles of water each day, which weren't necessary. I'd have been happy to refill my bottle myself from a larger bottle.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good
Reviewed on 16 Sep 2017 by Anne Higgins
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Loved walking around the Spa town of Vrnjacka Banja in Serbia. Would liked to have stayed here overnight.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
If possible book a day earlier in Belgrade and if possible visit the Bunk Art 2. Some of the group said it was worth while, i did not have time to visit.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, used local restaurants, with local guides and main guide and drivers from the area. Some of the city tours were on foot.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent guide and very careful drivers. learnt lots of history about the countries, although the more I learnt about Albania the more confused it became, as this country has had a very troubled past.
Reviewed on 12 Oct 2017 by James Smith
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Berat--beautiful city
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
This trip is really geared toward older (60+) travelers. Had i realized this, i might chosen another operator.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Reviewed on 25 Apr 2017 by Tony Barker
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We loved Albania so it is hard to think of one memorable part but the visits to the Blue eye, Gjirokaster, Butrint & Berat stand out.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
There is a fair amount of driving each day, sometimes very windy roads so take precautions if you need to.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely benefited local people, particularly in villages and small towns
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good
Reviewed on 19 Apr 2017 by Kay Emblen-Perry
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Being priviledged to see the real Albania as its beginning to open up to tourists.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be flexible. The itinerary might change, just go with it. You never know the guide might just know best and add something
unexpected and exciting!
Be prepared for quite a bit of walking. Take good shoes as most of the paths are cobbled and can be slippery when wet.
Take a swimming costume. The beaches are really good for swimming.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Staying in family owned hotels and eating in local restaurants contributed directly to the local economy. However, Albania has a problem recycling plastic so being given a bottle of water a day felt like we were creating an environmental impact, rather than reducing them.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A brilliant experience. Fun, educational and eye-opening.
Read the operator's response here:
Thanks for your comments Kay and we are delighted that overall you had a great trip. Regarding the provision of plastic bottles we absolutely agree with you here re this creating a negative environmental impact. We will be investigating the provision of bottles as it is directly at odds with our 2017 'Plastic Purge' campaign where we are working on eradicating all single use plastic from our trips. Please be assured that this is no standard practice and we will do all we can to avoid this in the future.
Reviewed on 16 Sep 2015 by Theodore John Levin
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Visiting some of the art museums and archaeological sites
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Inqire about local resturants
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
In a sense, I feel that it supported local conservations in terms of restricting
visitor numbers to archaeological sites, local museums.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Quite enjoyable-in terms of good hotel accomodation
Reviewed on 04 Jul 2015 by Sandra Killick
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing all Albania had to offer and the historical sights
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
How busy all the days were, with not time to have to ones self. The first day was very tiring after getting up early for the flights then having a half an hour, on arriving at the hotel, before going out sight seeing. Another day needs to be added to the holiday.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Benefited local people by money spent at each place.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very enjoyable with some lovely memories
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