Airport pick-up service available throughout the day (included). Welcome to Albania! Transfer to Tirana and settle into your hotel. For those of you not too tired, there is a guided walking tour of the city center, including Skanderbeg Square, Et’hem Bey Mosque, the Pyramid, and the Blloku area. Then, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.

Transfer to Berat passing through suggestive hills full of olive trees. Get settled in the hotel and set out for a walking guide through the UNESCO – recognized old town. Admire the White Mosque, the Holy Trinity Church, Gorica Bridge and the Berati citadel/castle. Step inside a local home inside the castle of Berat for a coffee, raki and dessert break. Transfer to the scenic and family owned Alpeta Agrotourism & Winery located among the rolling hills that surround the city. Tour the facilities for a complete view of the process of vinification, its cellar and vineyard. After the visit, enjoy lunch with their seasonal home-grown and locally sourced organic delights and their fine wine. Return in Berat for a free evening.

Transfer to Gjirokaster to discover the city of “a thousand steps”. -Soak up to the rich history of the castle and enjoy the view of the “city of stone” from above. -Pass by the Ottoman Bazaar and historic wooden houses and visit Gjirokastra Obelisk dedicated to the first school of Gjirokastra and enjoy the 360º view from there. Stop for lunch in a small, local restaurant for a taste of the city’s authentic dishes. -Step into Skenduli house, the nicest Ottoman tower house, and listen to its history and details from the 10th generation of Skenduli family. Travel to the Blue Eye and marvel at the spring’s shades of blue and nature around it, before reaching Saranda in the late afternoon.

Travel to Butrint Archaeological Park where a local guide explains 2500 years of history embedded in the Amphitheater, the castle, the churches and the Lion Gate. Afterwards, hop on a boat for a tour of the “Queen of Butrinti Lake” and learn about the mussel cultivation, how to collect your own mussels, clean them, open them, and then taste them in fresh olive oil and lemon juice, with bread, by the side of the lagoon with a glass of local wine while the warm breeze comes in across the water. Reach the lakeside restaurant by boat and enjoy a pleasant meal. On the way to Saranda, stop for coffee-break Lekursi Castle for a view from above of the city of Saranda.

Head to Porto Palermo and explore the Ali Pasha Castle with your Tour Director. -Marvel at the architecture and listen to entertaining legends about the man who built it, Ali Pashe Tepelena. En route to Durres, stop at Llogara “balcony” for a stunning view from above of the South Coast beaches, and then head for lunch to Llogara National Park freshened by the mountain breeze and pine trees.

We start our journey from Durres, directly to the city of Kruja. Set off on a guided tour of Dollma Bektashi Teqe, the surroundings and the Castle itself and the Skanderbeg Museum. You will have plenty of free time for lunch and to wander around the Old Bazaar, with beautiful cobblestone alleys and lovely old architecture. En route to Shkodra, a small city situated at the foot of the Albania Alps, stop and visit the hilltop Rozafa Castle. Enjoy its amazing views and the fortress’s fascinating history. Get settled in the hotel in Shkoder and experience the Old Town, St. Stephen’s Catholic Cathedral and the Ebu Bekr Mosque on a guided tour. Enjoy free time in the “Pedonalja”, the beating heart of Shkodra. Equipped with everything you need to relax, it’s a great street to wander around, shop and drink something.

En route to Budva, stop and visit the capital Podgorica: -Explore Independence Square and the Roman Bridge, where the Moraca and Ribnica rivers converge. From the new capital, we will make our way to the old market town of Virpazar, where the whole country in the past came to trade. -We drive towards Skadar lake natural park (UNESCO) and enjoy beautiful panoramas. -Our tour continues with lunch and Wine Tasting in a local family-run Winery. Continue along the Montenegro coast to Budva, paying a visit to the charming peninsula village of Sveti Stefan en route. Please note: Travelers should be prepared to show their passports at the border crossing between Albania and Montenegro.

Today we explore the sunny city of Kotor on a guided walking tour. -Passthrough the UNESCO-recognized medieval old town to view the ancient city walls and Cathedral of Saint Tryphon. -See the old clock tower and Orthodox Church. You will have the option to hike up with your Tour Director the section of Kotor’s UNESCO–listed fortified walls located on the mountain of St. John to enjoy stunning views of the Bay of Kotor. Enjoy free time for lunch and to wander around the Old Town. -Travel along the Bay of Kotor to the Venetian Town of Perast. Here, you’ll embark on a boat trip out to the man-made islets of Saint George and Our Lady of the Rocks. Return to Budva in the late afternoon.

Head for Lovćen National Park, where Njegos tomb’ is positioned at its top. Visit the tomb and admire the stunning views of the summits of Montenegro, Skadar lake, (the largest lake in the Balkans) with the Albanian Alps in the background as well as Cetinje, the Adriatic coast and Boka Kotorska Bay. Afterwards we head for our meze-style lunch to Njeguši through a spectacular mountain drive. A village best known as the birthplace of the Petrović dynasty, which ruled Montenegro from 1696 to 1918. The village is also known for its traditional folk architecture as well as its local forms of cheese and Njeguški prosciutto made solely in this area. Return to Budva for the last night on tour and in the evening gather with your group to celebrate your trip at a farewell dinner.