Explore Hidden Gems of Albania

The trip starts in Corfu (Greece) as it is easier to get to southern Albania from there. You will have to book your flight to Corfu, Greece which is more convenient than flying to Albania's capital - Tirana. From Corfu we will take a ferry to Albania. The last ferry leaves at 19:00 your plane must arrive before then. The ferry from Corfu to Saranda Albania takes 25 minutes.

Once we arrive to Saranda we will check in to the apartment get ready and head out for dinner. I still don't know what time we arrive as it depends on what time your flights arrive to Corf. The first 4 nights we will sleep in Sarande and it will be our base. Each day we will visit a place and on some days 2 sites.

In the morning of the 2nd day I will wake up early to go get the rented car you shall get ready and have breakfast in a cafe nearby with the other tripmates. At 10:00 we will go to a beach in Ksamil, at the beach you can either swim, paddleboard or rent a jet ski (not included in the price) 13:00 we will have lunch in a restaurant. 15:00 go back to the beach 17:00 head back to Saranda, get ready for dinner and go out. After dinner you have free time to do whatever you like. This is a rough schedule as I verbalise people can get anxious if they don't know the precise time of everything hahaha. There are several beaches in Ksamil and for 3 days we will visit a different one everyday

3rd day. The Blue Eye is a natural spring with a magical blue colour and it looks like the iris of a human eye. There is a cave very deep underneath the water which pumps up fresh water to the surface. The spring is more than 50 meters deep and you cannot swim in it. We will leave the apartment and visit the Blue Eye (21km 30 minutes) once we get there, there is a 1.5km walk to the spring. After we have a coffee and snack around 12:00 we'll leave and go to another gorgeous beach 30 minutes from our apartment. We'll spend the rest of the day at the beach and in the evening we will have dinner at Ksamil old town.

4th day. The ancient city of Butrint was once one of the finest and most beautiful cities in all of the Roman Empire. 2,400 years later, it is a place that still captivates people today. Butrint was supposed to become a hospice for the veterans of Roman wars, but in the 3rd century AD an earthquake destroyed most of the city. A lot of the ruins you see today are from the same earthquake, and the city dropped off the map after that. Today, Butrint national park is a UNSECO World Heritage Site, and a Ramsar Wetland Site of International Importance (two very important titles). It is a site that attracts visitors from all over the world, and with reason; it is absolutely stunning. With a picturesque lagoon and mountains surrounding Butrint national park, it is worth coming here for the views alone. Honestly, it is absolutely stunning. Day 4 09:00 head to Butrint archeological sight (12km 30 minutes) we'll stay until 12:00 and then go to Ksamil where we'll have lunch and spend the rest of the day at a new beach. At 18:00 we'll head back to our apartment and get ready for dinner.

Day 5 We are changing accomodation and will be going to the town of Gjirokaster which is 55km away and takes about 1 hour by car. We will leave at 10:00, once we arrive we'll have lunch while we wait for check in which is at 14:00. After checking in we'll walk around the town. Gjirokaster Old Town is a sprawling Ottoman-style Bazaar, originally constructed in the 17th century and completely rebuilt 200 years later following a devastating fire. The serpentine streets are decorated with a gorgeous interlacing pattern made from white and black stone. We will also go to the Fortress museum

6 Today we will visit the Manalat Quarter. Sitting atop the highest hillock like a white stone coronet, the fortress is Gjirokaster’s crowning jewel. There are 158 castles in Albania, and I think this one is among the most impressive. It should be top of your wish list. Construction on the walls began as early as the 6th century (some sources say the 3rd century). It’s thought that the distinctive hue of the rock used gave Gjirokaster its name, which means ‘Silver City’ in Greek. After we'll visit the Manalat quarter. Some of Gjirokaster’s most beautiful houses have their addresses on the snaking streets of Manalat Quarter. This historic neighbourhood south of the castle is at a higher elevation, parallel to the fortress, thus it’s also where you’ll find the most breathtaking views of the castle with a backdrop of stony mountains. Please keep in mind that there will be a lot of walking as it is a pedestrian zone. We will have dinner at 19:00 and after you have free time to go out for drinks or just relax at the apartment

On our way back to Saranda we will stop at the field of Bunkers which is a wide open field next to a quarry that is dotted with concrete domes. Depending on what time you all have your plane we can have lunch together in Saranda and then take the ferry back to Corfu. I will be going to the north of Albania as I still haven't explored that part. But you can all take the ferry together and then a taxi to Corfu Airport. I have written the kilometres and time it takes to each destination so everyone knows how long they will be in a car for and how many kilometres they'll walk. If you are not sporty this is not the right trip for you. Also the trip lasts 12 hours everyday and after that you have free time. So it will start at 09:00 and finish at 21:00 just after dinner.