Fly from London Heathrow to Tirana, and transfer to coastal Durrës, a thriving port and resort, with soft sand beaches, seafood restaurants and shopping plazas. Four nights at the 4-star Giulia Albergo Hotel.
Highlights of Albania
Albania
4 nights 9 Departures Available
View All Dates & BookA four-night tour, to four fascinating cities, this short break shows you ancient, medieval, and modern Albania. From a well-placed base in Durrës, on the shore of the Adriatic, included excursions take you to characterful Kruja, the capital, Tirana, and beguiling Berat
Overview
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Overview
Following the success of our Classical Tour of Albania, we are delighted to introduce this condensed tour of carefully chosen highlights, a leisurely short break, staying in one place, with departures during the quiet spring and autumn seasons. Our base is Albania’s second-largest city, Durrës, strategically sited on the Adriatic coast, and tracing its roots to 627BC. Wars, earthquakes, and a chequered past have left few historic monuments, but those still standing are impressive, from a Roman amphitheatre to ancient city walls and a Venetian fortress tower. We travel to Kruja, its castle the home of 15th-century national hero and nobleman Gjergj Kastrioti, known and revered as Skanderbeg; its superbly preserved medieval market resembling a living museum. Tirana uses its past as a backdrop to its present persona of chaotic, colourful capital, with avenues of Ottoman, Italian and communist era architecture; mosques, Orthodox and Catholic churches; and a modernist museum hemming the hub of the city, Skanderbeg Square. And, crowning a hilltop, Berat’s 13th-century citadel gazes down on the photogenic, UNESCO listed, ‘town of a thousand windows’, the tiers of multi-paned houses among the best Ottoman examples outside Turkey.
Highlights
- Cultural & Countryside Tour
- New Single Centre Tour
- Jules Verne Sightseeing
- UNESCO Site: Berat
- No Single Supplement
- Solo Group Departure
- Local Expert Guide
Itinerary
Day 1 - Fly from London Heathrow to Tirana, and transfer to coastal Durrës, a thriving por
Day 2 - Drive to Kruja, Albania’s capital when Skanderbeg led the resistance movement against t
Drive to Kruja, Albania’s capital when Skanderbeg led the resistance movement against the Turks, keeping them at bay for 25 years. Visit the Ethnographic Museum and the Skanderbeg Museum, built within Kruja castle and recording the history of the country’s most celebrated national hero; and enjoy time to stroll through the cobbled lanes of Kruja’s Old Bazaar, lined with timber-built shops selling colourful textiles and crafts. Travel to the present-day capital, Tirana, where a walking tour focuses on the around the Skanderbeg Square and the Bllok area, a former exclusive enclave of villas for the communist elite; takes in the modern monuments of central Skanderbeg Square; and visits Komiteti Bar, a bar with communist memorabilia, for a drink.
(B, L)
Day 3 - Travel south to Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage town, renowned for its 16th-century mosq
Travel south to Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage town, renowned for its 16th-century mosques and cluster of white, multi-windowed Ottoman houses, and set between rugged mountains and the Osumi River. Visit the impressive citadel castle, overseeing the town from the crown of a hill, and the Onufri Museum, dedicated to the 16th-century artist and iconographer Onufri, whose work features in the interiors of many of Albania’s Orthodox churches.
(B, L)
Day 4 - Enjoy a day at leisure in Durrës, perhaps to explore the 2nd-century, 15,000-seat, Roma
Enjoy a day at leisure in Durrës, perhaps to explore the 2nd-century, 15,000-seat, Roman amphitheatre, take in the views from the top of the round tower, or simply stroll along the Adriatic shore.
(B)
Day 5 - Transfer to the airport for the return flight to London Heathrow.
(B)
Transfer to the airport for the return flight to London Heathrow.
(B)
Day 1 - Fly to Tirana and transfer to Durrës
Fly from London Heathrow to Tirana, and transfer to coastal Durrës, a thriving port and resort, with soft sand beaches, seafood restaurants and shopping plazas. Four nights at the 4-star Giulia Albergo Hotel.
Day 2 - Enjoy a walking tour of Durrës before travelling to Tirana
In the morning enjoy a walking tour of the archaeologic area of Durrës with the chance to view the amphitheatre. Travel to the present-day capital, Tirana, where we visit Bunkart 1, a massive anti-nuclear bunker built for the communist dictator Enver Hoxha, now converted into a museum followed by a vegetarian lunch and a walking tour which focuses on the around the Skanderbeg Square and the Bllok area, a former exclusive enclave of villas for the communist elite; takes in the modern monuments of central Skanderbeg Square; and visits Komiteti Bar, a bar with communist memorabilia, for a drink.
(B, L)
Day 3 - Travel to Kruja for sightseeing
Drive to Kruja, Albania’s capital when Skanderbeg led the resistance movement against the Turks, keeping them at bay for 25 years. Visit the Skanderbeg Museum, built within Kruja castle and recording the history of the country’s most celebrated national hero; and enjoy time to stroll through the cobbled lanes of Kruja’s Old Bazaar, lined with timber-built shops selling colourful textiles and crafts.
(B, L)
Day 4 - Transfer to Berat for the citadel and a museum visit
Travel south to Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage town, renowned for its 16th-century mosques and cluster of white, multi-windowed Ottoman houses, and set between rugged mountains and the Osumi River. Visit the impressive citadel castle, overseeing the town from the crown of a hill, and the Onufri Museum, dedicated to the 16th-century artist and iconographer Onufri, whose work features in the interiors of many of Albania’s Orthodox churches.
(B, L)
Day 5 - Fly home from Tirana
Transfer to the airport for the return flight to London Heathrow.
(B)
Notes:
This itinerary includes visits on foot including some uneven surfaces and inclines.
Reviews
Accommodation
Here is a list of the accommodation you can stay in for this tour. Occasionally we use alternative hotels, or have a choice of hotels to choose from which will be detailed when booking.
Giulia Albergo Hotel - Durrës
A 4-star boutique-style hotel close to the amphitheatre and Currila Beach. Restaurant, bar and WiFi (free). 25 air-conditioned rooms with hairdryer, safe, mini-bar and satellite TV.
Stay Extra Nights...
Add extra nights to your tour at the starting or ending hotel.
- Travel Guides -
You can find out more about the county on the travel guide.
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Dates & Prices
The below departures are available - please click into the booking process for a quote and to book.
London Heathrow Airport from £ 945
| Date | Two sharing | Solo traveller | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May 25 (4 nights) | £955pp | £1030pp | Book now | |
| 22 Sep 25 (4 nights) | £1045pp | £1120pp | Book now | |
| 06 Oct 25 (4 nights) | £1025pp | £1100pp | Book now | |
| 26 Mar 26 (4 nights) | £945pp | £1020pp | Book now | |
| 20 Apr 26 (4 nights) | £975pp | £1050pp | Book now | |
| 11 May 26 (4 nights) | £995pp | £1070pp | Book now | |
| 21 Sep 26 (4 nights) | £1025pp | £1100pp | Book now | |
| 05 Oct 26 (4 nights) | £975pp | £1050pp | Book now |
London Stansted Airport from £ 925
| Date | Two sharing | Solo traveller | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 25 (4 nights) | Solo Group Departure | £925pp | £925pp | Book now |
Price Includes
Air travel and taxes, transfers, 4 nights’ accommodation, breakfast daily, 2 lunches, itinerary as described, services of guides and local representatives. If our specially negotiated airfares are unavailable at the time of booking, a supplement may apply.
Not Included
Travel insurance, optional excursions, tipping, any government taxes or compulsory charges introduced after publication.
Tour Only
- Save up to £200
The following extensions are available to book with this tour. Please click through to the booking process to check your preferred departure date and to make a reservation.
Stay Extra Nights...
Extra nights are priced per person, per night.
Please contact us to check availability and book alongside your tour.
Stay in Durrës before you start your tour or before flying back to the UK
Extra nights are on request, please call to discuss your requirements
Giulia Albérgo Hotel
(per night) £38 (£48 2025/2026)
Single supplement £25 (£28 2025/2026)
Departure transfer add £32 (£35 2025/2026)