Explore 12 Days of Albanian Heritage & Greek Wonders

Arrival at Tirana International Airport and transfer to the city. Leisure day. Overnight in Tirana

After breakfast, we head to Kruja, one of the most important towns. Visit the Skanderbeg Museum and castle, as well as the old bazaar. Then continue to Tirana. City tour of Tirana. Overnight in Tirana

After breakfast, the next stop will be in the city of Lezha. In the ancient Pelasgian period it was called Lis (Lissus in the Roman era). Visit its hilltop castle, which offers a fascinating panorama of the Adriatic Riviera and the ancient Bronze Age city walls. Visit the Mausoleum of Skanderbeg (Albania’s National Hero). Lunch break at the world-famous agritourism Mrizi i Zanave. Afterward, continue to Shkodra through beautiful landscapes featuring highlands and the Albanian Alps to the north. City tour of Shkodra: Old Bazaar, city center, Cathedral, and Mosque. Visit the Castle of Rozafa and enjoy wonderful views of the mountains (Albanian Alps), Lake Shkodra (the largest in the Balkans), and the rivers Drini, Buna, and Kir with the surrounding valleys from the top of Rozafa Castle. Overnight in Shkoder.

After breakfast, continue to Durres. This port city is the most important ancient metropolis of the central Mediterranean, and Durres was Albania’s capital until 1920. Visit the largest Roman amphitheater in the Balkans, the ancient city walls, Byzantine bazaar/forum, Roman public baths, etc. Later, continue to Berat, one of the oldest inhabited regions of Albania—over 2,400 years old—and a UNESCO site. Visit the Castle of Berat with the Onufri Museum and other churches inside; the Mosque of Berat and the old Gorica Bridge; the Onufri Museum and several churches and mosques. Onufri was a 16th-century Albanian master painter. Many of his wonderfully painted icons remain in the museum, while others are found in churches in Albania and Greece, where he worked. Overnight.

Drive to Ardenica Monastery, a 13th-century Byzantine site locally famed for hosting the wedding of Skanderbeg. Continue to the ruins of Apollonia, an atmospheric set of Roman remains on a remote hillside and once an important city in the region. Later, depart for the coastal city of Vlora. Visit the city, including its old town, Independence Square, and the monument where Albanian independence from the Ottomans was proclaimed on November 28th, 1912. Overnight.

After breakfast, continue to the south of Albania, enjoying spectacular views of Vlora Bay, the mountains, and the Ionian Riviera. Continue through picturesque seaside villages to Ksamil, where we stop for lunch with the opportunity to enjoy the beach, crystal-blue sea, and views. Afterward, visit the ruins of Butrint, Albania’s most important archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Butrint dates from the 7th century BC, later became a Roman colony, and then came under Venetian and Ottoman rule. Explore numerous buildings, including an acropolis, basilica, and palace. The site’s location is especially beautiful, surrounded by trees and water. Later, return to Saranda. Overnight.

This morning continue to Gjirokaster. En route, stop at the Mesopotam Monastery, built over an ancient temple inside the fortress. Then travel to the Blue Eye National Park before reaching the UNESCO-listed town of Gjirokaster, known for its distinctive traditional stone architecture. Continue with a city tour and visit the Castle and its Weapons Museum. Then proceed to Tirana. Overnight

Transfer to Tirana Airport. Arrival at Athens International Airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight.

Athens half-day tour. Depart for a photo stop at Panathenaic Stadium, where the first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896. Proceed past the Zappeion and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Continue past the Athens Trilogy: the University of Athens, the Academy of Athens, and the National Library. Also pass the National Garden, Hadrian’s Arch, St. Paul’s Church, Parliament, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Schliemann’s House (Numismatic Museum), Catholic Cathedral, Old Parliament, Constitution Square, Russian Orthodox Church, and finally the Acropolis (visit the Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike, Parthenon, and the Erechtheion with its Porch of the Maidens). Continue with a pleasant walk passing Herodion and the Theater of Dionysus to visit the Acropolis Museum, featuring votives, everyday artifacts, statues from the Archaic period, the Caryatids, and of course the Parthenon exhibits.

On the first day, arrive in Delphi around noon. Famous for its theater, Temple of Apollo, and ancient ruins. Visit the archaeological site and the Temple of Apollo, renowned for its oracle. In the afternoon, after lunch, depart through Central Greece and the cities of Lamia (short stop) and Trikala, crossing the Thessalian plain to Kalambaka (short stop for souvenirs), a small town at the foot of the majestic grey rocks crowned by the Meteora Monasteries. Overnight in Kalambaka.

In the morning, depart for Meteora to tour the cliff-top monasteries and visit two different Byzantine monasteries built atop the rock towers, offering fantastic views over the plain. On the return, there is an optional visit to a factory of Byzantine-style icons. Return to Athens, passing by the heroic monument of Leonidas, King of Sparta, in Thermopylae (short photo stop). Arrival in Athens in the late afternoon. Overnight

Transfer to the airport.