Summer Colors of Albania – 5 Day Tour

Private transfer from the airport to your hotel, followed by a 1-hour welcome walking tour through central Tirana. Relax at your hotel afterward. Overnight: Tirana

Depart for the Karavasta Lagoon, the largest lagoon in Albania and a protected Ramsar wetland, for a boat ride to observe its wildlife — keep an eye out for flamingos and Dalmatian pelicans — followed by a stop at the visitor center to meet Johnny and Vlashi, two very special resident pelicans who welcome every visitor to Karavasta. Continue to Vlorë, the "City of the Flag," where Albania's independence from the Ottoman Empire was declared on November 28, 1912. Visit the historic Muradie quarter, the Lungomare seafront promenade, and the Independence House, where the declaration itself was signed. Overnight: Vlorë

A full day by boat to Sazan Island, Albania's largest island and, until 2015, a restricted military zone off-limits to civilians, dotted with roughly 3,600 bunkers built during the communist era and once home to a small permanent military population — now uninhabited. Optional walking exploration of the island's fortifications or free time on the beach. Continue to the Haxhi Aliu Cave, the largest sea cave in Albania, and the Karaburun Peninsula — part of Albania's only marine national park — with free time on one of its beaches, before returning to Vlorë. For those not too tired, an optional stop at the Narta Lagoon and Zvernec Island, home to a Byzantine monastery reached by a narrow wooden footbridge. Overnight: Vlorë

Depart for Berat, "the Town of a Thousand Windows" and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stopping at a family-run agritourism estate for a wine tasting. In the evening, stroll along Berat's pedestrian promenade and across the Gorica Bridge, taking in the views of the Mangalem and Gorica quarters climbing the hillsides on either side of the Osum River. Overnight: Berat

A morning visit to the Castle of Berat, still inhabited within its walls, and the Onufri National Museum of Iconography, home to some of the finest post-Byzantine icons in the Balkans. Depart for Tirana, with a stop at the Belsh Lakes — a region dotted with more than 80 karst lakes — for a coffee break surrounded by water. Return to Tirana for a farewell craft beer tasting with snacks, or a full traditional dinner instead. (For guests departing the following day: an additional night in Tirana and a private transfer the next morning can be arranged.)