Geopolitical Tour Of Albania And Kosovo

Itinerary

Day 1: Tirana

Stop At: Tirana, Tirana, Tirana County
A free walk tour to the center of Tirana
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at the hotel in Tirana

Day 2: Tirana –Marikaj –Tirana

Stop At: National History Museum, Sheshi Skënderbej 1, Tirana 1000, Albania
Visit to the National History Museum.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Marikaj, Albania
Visit the agritourism farm of Marikaj where we will get to taste different local dishes-
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Et`hem Bey Mosque, Sheshi Skenderbej, Tirana Albania
City tour of Tirana and visit the main objects located in Tirana center as well as Et’hem Bey Mosque.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 3: Tirana –Krujë –Durrës –Berat

Stop At: Krujë District, Albania
Kruja was the most important town for the Albanians during the 15th century which withstood successfully to at least 3 major sieges by the Ottoman Empire.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Durres Amphitheatre, Rruga Kalase, Durrës, Albania
Visit the amphitheatre built in the 2nd century AD by the Roman Emperor Trajan. The amphitheater is considered one of the biggest in the Balkan. Durrës is the main port of Albania founded in the 7th century BC.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Berat Castle, Rruga Mihal Komnena, Berat 5001 Albania
Visit the castle which dates back from the 4th century BC and Mangalem quarter which has given a distinctive look to the town architecture.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 4: .Berat –Fier –Vlorë

Stop At: Berat, Berat, Berat County
Today we will visit the ex –Textile Mill “Mao Zedong”. which will help us understand better how the industrial cities were formed after the II World War in Albania.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Apollonia Archaeological Park, Pojan Albania
Visit the archaeological centre of Apollonia an important Hellenic and Roman settlement.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 5: Vlora –Orikum –Porto Palermo –Sarandë

Stop At: Vlore, Vlore, Vlore County
We start in Vlorëto visit the square where the Independence of Albania was proclaimed in 1912.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Orikum Marina, Marina of, Orikum, Albania
Another interesting archeological site which we will visit is the ancient city of Oricum dating back to 6th century BC. The site is located inside the Naval Base of Pashaliman, the most important one in Albania during the Cold War.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 6: Saranda –Butrint –Gjirokastër

Stop At: Butrint National Park, SH81, Butrint Albania
Travel to Butrinti Archeological Site which attracts many daily visitors. The site is a very old settlement and a very important one since the level of preservation there is amazing.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Gjirokaster Castle, Gjirokaster Albania
The next destination is Gjirokastra, a UNESCO enlisted site. Gjirokastra is called as well: The Stone City because of the way the houses and streets were built.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 7: Gjirokastër

Stop At: Gjirokaster, Gjirokaster, Gjirokaster County
Today we will do a guided tour of Gjirokastra. The city holds another ancient Illyrian settlement. The Argjirin Tribe was the one to found the city around the 4th century BC. Around 578 we see the foundation of the castle, which until the 12 century was a small one. Once the population of Gjirokastra grew in size it expanded beyond the walls of the castle. As a city, Gjirokastra was founded around the 13th century. During the Ottoman Empire, the city received the look it retains to nowadays.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 8: Gjirokastër –Shkodër

Stop At: Ali Pasha Castle, Sh8 Porto Palermo, Porto Palermo Beach, Vlore Albania
travel to Tepelena to visit the castle of Ali Pasha Tepelene who was the ruler of Pashalik of Yanina.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Rozafa Castle, Rozafa, Shkoder Albania
drive to Shkoder where will visit Rozafa Castle. The city once called Scodra was founded around the V –VI century BC. It was one of the strongholds of the Labeates tribe who lived around Shkodra Lake. In the entrance of the castle are still visible the ancient wall tracts where the acropolis was situated around the 4th century BC. Inside the castle, you can visit the Museum, which holds some artifacts from the ancient period onwards
Duration: 3 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 9: Shkodër –Prizren, Kosovo

Stop At: Spaç Prison, Albania
Visit the infamous prison of Spaç. The communism became an imposed Ideology in Albania after the II World War and it created a dark period for the Albanians who had to suffer in prison camps such as Spaç.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Prizren, Prizren
We stay in Prizren, a city full of characters with a heavily influenced architectural look from the Ottoman Empire. Being a very important town during the Empire would create the perfect condition for a trading center attracting many merchants from Albanian lands.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Prizren

Day 10: Prizren –Gjakova –Pejë

Stop At: Gjakova, Gjakova
Travel to Gjakova and visit the Old Bazaar and Hadumi Mosque. The Bazaar even though heavily damaged during the Kosovo War in 1999 still has managed to retain some of its old look from the Ottoman Empire. The city of Gjakova was founded around the 15th century with the construction of Hadumi Mosque
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Decan, Decan
travel to Deçani where we will visit the 14th century-old Serbian Orthodox Church which has an amazing level of preservation and is very active nowadays. In the afternoon we reach the city of Peja.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 11: Pejë –Prekaz –Prishtina

Stop At: Serbian Orthodox Church of Peja, 30000 Patrijasiska ulica, Pejë
Today we visit another very important Serbian Orthodox Monastery where most of those who serve there are Nuns. This church which dates back to the 13th century is considered as the founding church that made Serbian Orthodox Church independent. Through Nun's narration, you will learn the history of the church and the Biblical foundations in greater detail.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Prekaz, Prekaz
Visit o the village of Prekaz from where the war in Kosovo started in 1999.
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 12: Prishtina –Mitrovica

Stop At: Ethnographic Museum (Muzeu Etnologjik), Rr. Iliaz Agushi turn right to Henrik Baric str. 50m you get to the Museum., Pristina 10000 Kosovo
Guided through Prishtina center where we will visit Kosovo Museum and the Ethnographic Museum.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Mitrovica, Mitrovica
The next destination is Mitrovica the divided town between the Serbs and Albanians.
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 13: Prishtina –Ferizaj

Stop At: Marble Cave, Gadime e Poshtme
We visit Gadime Cave in Janjeva.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 14: Pristina

Stop At: Pristina, Pristina
Free time in the morning. We will be transferred to Prishtina Airport for your departure flight.
Duration: 5 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.