5-day Tour Of Beach And Kayaking From Tirana

Itinerary

Day 1: Tirana - Durres - Vlora - Llogara

Stop At: Skanderbeg Square, At the center of Tirana, Tirana Albania
In Tirana you will visit the main Boulevard in the center, the Gallery of Arts, the Skanderbeg square, the main Boulevard, the
Mosque, the Bunker, the Pyramid, Mother Theresa square, blloku area which is also the most frequented area of the city, the national park of Tirana.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Durres, Durres, Durres County
Durrës was once – albeit briefly – Albania’s capital. It’s now virtually an extension of Tirana, joined to the capital by a ceaseless urban corridor full of hypermarkets and car dealerships. Blessed with a reasonable 10km stretch of beach, Durrës is pleasant – if rather built up – escape from Tirana and has a charmingly Mediterranean air once you get off the seafront, which can be very crowded, noisy and a bit tacky during the summer months. The town has a long and impressive history, and for international visitors, the main reason for coming to Durrës isn't for the beaches but for the interesting Roman amphitheater and superb archaeological museum.
You will spend around 2 hours for Caffe and walking
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: National Gallery of Art, Bulevardi Deshmoret e Kombit, Tirana 1001 Albania
Tracing the relatively brief history of Albanian painting from the early 19th century to the present day, this beautiful space also holds temporary exhibitions. The interesting collection includes 19th-century paintings depicting scenes from daily Albanian life and others with a far more political dimension, including some truly fabulous examples of Albanian socialist realism. The entrance of the gallery is not always open, so if there are any exhibitions at the time of your visit you can enter inside the gallery
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Blloku, Tirana Albania
is an upmarket area in Tirana, Albania. It is widely known as an entertainment destination with its boutiques, shops, restaurants, trendy bars, pubs, and cafes. The area is part of the neighborhood of Tirana e Re in southwestern Tirana. During the peak summer months, its trendy bars transfer along the Albanian Riviera.

It became very attractive after the fall of Communism in Albania because during the communist period it was a restricted residential area for the members of the Albanian politburo, ordinary Albanians would not be allowed in. On most maps it was unmarked. Blloku you can still find the residence of Albania’s communist leader Enver Hoxha.

In blloku neighborhood, you will spend your free time for lunch or for Caffe
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Enver Hoxha Pyramid, Boulevard Deshmoret e Kombit, Tirana Albania
Designed by Enver Hoxha's daughter and son-in-law and completed in 1988, this monstrously unattractive building was formerly the Enver Hoxha Museum and more recently a convention centre and nightclub. Today, covered in graffiti and surrounded by the encampments of Tirana's homeless, its once-white marble walls are now crumbling, but no decision on whether to demolish or restore it has yet been reached.

The pyramid is during our sightseeing and we will stop 10 minutes for explination
Duration: 15 minutes

Pass By: Et`hem Bey Mosque, Sheshi Skenderbej, Tirana 1001 Albania
This is one interesting attraction located in the Skanderbeg square, This mosque is built during the 17 century and you will get the full history when you come for your visit,

Stop At: Pazari i Ri, Shenasi Dishnica, Tirana 1001 Albania
The New Bazaar (Pazari i Ri), one of the oldest and most historical residential neighbourhood in the city of Tirana, has undergone renovation and re-invigoration of late. Many of the traditional elements of the old town have been preserved whilst the square has been refreshed with an updated and more modern look. The name derives from the local farmer’s marketplace situated at the center, where more than 300 farmers of the surrounding areas come to sell their fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood, and spices to name but a few.
You will spend here some free time if you would like to buy some typical Products
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Independence Monument, Sheshi Pavaresia, Vlore Albania
The Monument of Independence is a monument in Vlorë, Albania, dedicated to the Albanian Declaration of Independence and worked by Albanian sculptors, Muntaz Dhrami and Kristaq Rama. It is found in the Flag's Plaza, near the building where the first Albanian government worked in 1913.
You will have one 10 minutes stop on this historical center of Vlora
Duration: 15 minutes

Meals included:
• Lunch: Italian seafood 3-course menu in Durres
• Breakfast: At the hotel
Accommodation included: National Park Hotel

Day 2: Llogara - Kayaking - Gjipe - Llogara

Stop At: Dhërmi, Albania
Dhërmi beach is well and truly under the tourist trance in summer: expect booked-out accommodation, loud music and half of Tirana sprawled on the stones. Despite this, there is fun to be had, and as the beach is so long, even in high summer it's possible to find quiet, unspoiled parts. Turn left onto the beach and walk south to escape the music and find empty stretches of beach fronting startlingly blue waters.
You will spend a free afternoon on the beach to enjoy the Ionian seaside and the sunset.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Gjipe Beach, Vuno, Himare Albania
You will enjoy this amazing, panoramic view from the mountain to the Ionian seaside. Arrival on the beach of Drimadhes by relaxing near the Ionian Sea. Take the Kayak and transfer to the amazing beach of Gjipe (in Gjipe beach you can only go by off-road cars or Kayak).

After enjoying your Kayak experience on the Ionian seaside, prepare for the lunch. You will enjoy the seafood and fresh puddings beside the beach. After lunch has a short walk to explore
the canyon of Gjipe.
Free time for relaxation in the crystal waters of the seaside. After relaxation get back to drimadhes and have your dinner
r (the restaurant suggested by your guide).
Duration: 2 hours

Pass By: Llogara National Park, Llogara National Park, Vlore County
Where the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas meet, begins the journey towards the Llogara National Park. The lush forests of pines and oaks are only the beginning of this “mountain of panoramas,” which is beautifully surrounded by numerous mountain ranges and the majestic Ionian Sea. Located only 40 km southeast of Vlora, the Llogara National Park is one of the most visited natural parks in Albania, home to a rich flora and fauna and some of the most exceptional food in the country. Though the park stays open throughout the year, it is most visited during the summer, as a cooling-off stop and a literal rite of passage to the southern Albanian Riviera.

You will pass by the national park and you can have a nice walk or short hike

Pass By: Llogara Pass, Palase Albania
The Llogara Pass is a high mountain pass within the Ceraunian Mountains along the Albanian Riviera. It connects the Dukat Valley in the north with Himarë in the south,
You will have a short stop for pictures of the amazing Albanian Riviera

Meals included:
• Breakfast: at the hotel
• Dinner: 3-course menu dinner near the Ionian coastline or in the national park
Accommodation included: 3 or 4 stars Hotel in Drymadhes or in Himara

Day 3: Drymadhes - Qeparo - Saranda

Stop At: Qeparo, Qeparo, Vlore County
you will pass by many exotic villages on the way to Saranda, one of them which is the quietest and fantastic is called qeparo Beach. you can spend there some hours beside the beach
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Porto Palermo, Porto Palermo, Vlore County
The Porto Palermo Castle is the crown jewel of the Albanian Riviera! Built on the hill of an island, connected to the shore via a narrow man-made strip of land, this castle attracts everyone’s immediate attention thanks to its triangular shape and the three bastions built on each corner. The castle was built in 1814 at the request of Ali Pashë Tepelena, after the destruction of Justinian’s castle. During the same period, the church of St. Nicolas was built directly across the castle. The castle’s great condition and its locations atop Porto Palermo’s beautiful historic beach, that is accessible to everyone.
Duration: 1 hour

Pass By: Himare, Himare, Vlore County
Himarë is a bilingual town in Southern Albania along the Albanian Riviera and part of the Vlorë County. It is the largest settlement and the seat of the municipality of Himarë. You will pass by the city or maybe have a Caffe, depending on your desire.

Meals included:
• Dinner: 3-course menu based on fish in saranda
• Breakfast: at the hotel
Accommodation included: 3 or 4 stars hotel in saranda

Day 4: Saranda

Stop At: Buthrotum, Albania
Butrinti ARcheological site it's one of the most famous in Albania Although the site was inhabited long before, Greeks from Corfu settled on the hill in Butrint (Buthrotum) in the 6th century BC. Within a century Butrint had become a fortified trading city with an acropolis. The lower town began to develop in the 3rd century BC, and many large stone buildings had already been built by the time the Romans took over in 167 BC. Butrint's prosperity continued throughout the Roman period, and the Byzantines made it an ecclesiastical center. The city then went into a long decline and was abandoned until 1927, when Italian archaeologists arrived. These days Lord Rothschild's UK-based Butrint Foundation helps maintain the site.
You will visit the archeological site of Butrint and get the full history of this place
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Ksamil, Ksamil, Saranda, Vlore County
The entire area surrounding the small town is a protected zone and the dusty tracks and pathways leading over olive-studded hills and along ancient water canals are a joy to explore. The coastline around Ksamil is also unusually attractive. Blessed with three small, dreamy islands (sadly, one of which is being quarried for construction material) within swimming distance of shore and dozens of pretty cove beaches, Ksamil is the kind of place where you can happily while away many sun-drenched days. However, do try and avoid high season when the place is overrun with other Nirvana seekers. Late September is idyllic.
There is a possibility for watersports in the islands of Ksamil
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Lëkursi, Sarandë, Albania
This former castle is now a very average restaurant but come here for the superb views over Saranda and Butrint lagoon, especially at sunset. you will have dinner in the restaurant
Duration: 2 hours

Pass By: Synagogue Complex, Saranda Albania
Sarandë is a resort on the Albanian Riviera, in southern Albania. Sandwiched between the Ionian Sea and hills of olive groves, the town is on a horseshoe-shaped bay, edged by beaches and a promenade. In the center are the archaeological remains of a 5th-century synagogue, later an early Christian basilica. Intricate floor mosaics are still evident.
You will stop in the center for about 15 minutes to get some information about the places and you will have your own free time for enjoying the Ionian coastline.


Meals included:
• Dinner: 3-course Dinner in Lekursi Castle
• Breakfast: at the hotel
Accommodation included: 3 or 4 stars hotel in Saranda

Day 5: Saranda - Gjirokastra - Tirana

Stop At: The Blue Eye, Vlore 9706 Albania
The Blue Eye Spring is a magical place: a hypnotic pool of deep blue water surrounded by electric-blue edges like the iris of an eye. It's further enveloped in thick woods and is some 22km east of Saranda on the road to Gjirokastra.
you will spend arownd 1 hour in this natural monument
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Gjirokaster, Gjirokaster, Gjirokaster County
On the way to Tirana, you will stop to Gjirokastër and visit the old town and the castle of this old ottoman Town.

There has been a settlement here for 2500 years, though these days it's the 600 'monumental' Ottoman-era houses in town that attract visitors. For Albanians, the town is also synonymous with former dictator Enver Hoxha, who was born here and ensured the town was relatively well preserved under his rule, though he is not memorialized in any way here today.
You will spend in Gjirokastër around 3 hours including the time for your lunch
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Gjirokaster Castle, Gjirokaster Albania
the Castle of Gjirokastra is all that can be seen, rising majestically over the city. Like a giant ship made of stone, it extends across the 1100-foot-high hillside on which it was built during the 4thcentury. A monument to nearly two thousand years of Albanian history, this castle is nowadays one of the most visited places in Albania.
You will spend around 2 hours in the castle including the time to go and to come back.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Gjirokastra Bazaar, Old town, Gjirokaster Albania
The 'Neck of the Bazaar' makes up the center of the Old Town but what were once artisanal workshops are today mainly tourist souvenir shops. There are a couple of stone carvers left at the top end of the bazaar.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast: at the hotel
Accommodation included: 3 or 4 stars Hotel in the center of Tirana