Albania holidays, small group tour

Passionate, fairly paid local guides bring both UNESCO sites and local communities to the fore on one of our best loved Albania holidays. You’ll experience meals home-cooked by local families, artists’ villages, hot springs, castles, amphitheatres and more.
UNESCO sites, including Berat, Butrint and Gjirokastra Blue Eye natural springs tour of Tirana including the natural history museum Elbasan Fortress Korka Dhoksat and Voskopoja villages Erseke mountain village Apollonia Permet
Price
£1449To£1799including UK flights
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Duration
10 Days
Type
Small group
Group size
From 6 - 16 people
Reviews
More info
From £990 - £1199 excluding flights.
Optional single supplement from £185 - £200.
Minimum age 16.
Make enquiry

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 Krujλ 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 Ersekλ, 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.

Map

Price information

£1449To£1799including UK flights
Convert currency:
From £990 - £1199 excluding flights.
Optional single supplement from £185 - £200.
Minimum age 16.
Make enquiry

Check dates, prices & availability

Travel guides

Archaeology
Old archaeologists never die. They just wish you bone voyage.
Albania
Albania was once in the middle of great empires – Roman, Greek and Ottoman. Although staunchly communist, it escaped the clutches of the USSR and was ...

Holiday information

Small group tours:
Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modeled 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. Those with a two-week holiday, a small group tour will save valuable planning time.
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.

Reviews

17 Reviews of Albania holidays, small group tour

4 out of 5 stars
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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.”

Reviewed on 16 May 2022 by

Excellent Read full review

Reviewed on 02 Oct 2019 by

The whole trip was so informative and interesting made more so by the most fantastic and knowledgeable guide. Read full review

Reviewed on 01 Oct 2019 by

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. Read full review

Reviewed on 05 Nov 2019 by

The most memorable part of the holiday was visiting Butrint National Park and the village of Voskopoja. Read full review

Reviewed on 12 Sep 2019 by

Lovely country and people. Read full review

Reviewed on 25 Jul 2019 by

the most memorable part of the holiday was the mountain villages and towns, wonderful icons, Roman excavations, swimming in Lake Ohrid and the Mediterranean Read full review

Reviewed on 02 May 2019 by

Very good. Read full review

Reviewed on 14 Sep 2018 by

One of the best holidays we've ever had! Read full review

Reviewed on 09 Jul 2018 by

The whole trip was fascinating. Everywhere we went in Albania was amazing. Some highlights were the farmhouse luncheon in the mountains, Blue Eye Spring, the archaeological sites... the lake resort at Podredec … to name a few. Read full review

Reviewed on 17 Oct 2018 by

Good...Overall the itinerary was fine but it could be enhanced. Read full review

Reviewed on 21 May 2018 by

Seeing a new country was the highlight. Read full review

Reviewed on 16 Sep 2017 by

Loved walking around the Spa town of Vrnjacka Banja in Serbia. Would liked to have stayed here overnight. Read full review

Reviewed on 12 Oct 2017 by

It was a berat--beautiful city Read full review

Reviewed on 25 Apr 2017 by

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. Read full review

Reviewed on 19 Apr 2017 by

A brilliant experience. Fun, educational and eye-opening. Read full review

Reviewed on 16 Sep 2015 by

I feel that it supported local conservations in terms of restricting visitor numbers to archaeological sites, local museums. Read full review

Reviewed on 04 Jul 2015 by

Very enjoyable with some lovely memories Read full review

Responsible Travel

As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) holiday so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.

Planet

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.
• By travelling in a small group we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for re-usable bottles.
• We encourage guests to make donations when visiting cultural landmarks such as the National History Museum, as this contributes towards the upkeep of these sites.
• We rewild 100 square metres per passenger to compensate for all trip and flight emissions.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip
• Leave no trace: we do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: please bring a re-usable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.
• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
• We have a homecooked meal in the traditional village of Dhoksat.
• We include visits to local bazaars such as Gjirokaster, Korca, and Kruje which is a great way to support the local economies and for guests to get a real taste of life in these locations.
• We visit Voskopoja Village (formerly known as Moskopole) which is an important and well-known centre of art where many talented Albanian painters chose to practice their profession.
• Our local partner is always trying to operate with the locals and wider communities in mind. They have fundraised within their organisation and with their partners to help children with learning disabilities, providing school materials for a day care centre on the outskirts of Tirana.

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