100% customisable travel idea
Albania and Corfu Ottoman towns and the Ionian coast
Albania - Tirana - Berat - Gjirokastër - Saranda - Greece - Corfu
100% customisable travel idea
Albania - Tirana - Berat - Gjirokastër - Saranda - Greece - Corfu
100% customisable for you
Welcome at the airport and private transfer to your hotel, right in the city centre. This is your opportunity to see that modernity is gently making its way into Albanian hotel accommodation. The decor blends design elements with a neoclassical setting, the rooms meet international standards, and the service is notably attentive.
On your itinerary - Visit Tirana, with a private guide. Monuments from the communist era are part of the landscape. At Skanderbeg Square, the inspiration is more Mussolinian, but nearby you’ll find the Xhamia e Et’hem Beut, the Et’hem Bey Mosque and the Clock Tower - magnificent examples of Ottoman architecture from the early 19th century. You will also cross the 18th century Tanners’ Bridge on the right bank of the Lana River. The National History Museum celebrates Albanian culture from the Palaeolithic era.
Optional - A walk with a private guide on Mount Dajti.
Pick up your vehicle rental and drive to Berat.
On the way - located not far from Tirana, the medieval town of Krujë has kept its soul, with cobbled streets and a castle. The nature of the site (the town sits against an impressive rocky cliff) also contributes to its popularity. Cultural and religious heritage, hiking, local culinary specialities, and so much more. There are many reasons to linger here.
What to see, what to do - Apollonia Archaeological Park is the largest in Albania. The Greek city founded on Illyrian land around 620 BC was once home to 60,000 inhabitants and also an important cultural centre. The city experienced a golden age in the 2nd century AD. During this period, Apollonian architecture and sculpture flourished, leaving behind exceptional attractions: the portico with seventeen niches, the great nymphaeum, and the descent into the underworld, now preserved beneath the portico of the Monastery of Saint Mary. The site enjoys a charming natural setting and offers breathtaking views of the Acroceraunian Mountains and Sazan Island.
Unpack your bags in the historic centre of Berat. The hotel is built in a traditional style, with stone, wood and overhanging structures. The restaurant takes pride in serving cuisine that the district’s old-timers would endorse.
On your itinerary- The Ottoman city of Berat, in private. The old town of Berat is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It actually feels like a time machine, and suddenly, as you turn into one of Mangalem’s quirky little streets, you find yourself in the golden age of Balkan charm. A medieval fortress overlooks the City of a Thousand Windows. You can see the Church of St. Mary of Blachernae there, dating from the 13th century and decorated with frescoes from the 16th century. A slender minaret marks the Xhamia Mbret, a mosque built in the 15th century by Bayezid II. The Halveti Tekke, lavishly adorned, dates from the 18th century; not far away is said to be the tomb of the “messiah” Sabbatai Zevi (1626-1676).
Drive to Gjirokastër. Enjoy a two-night stay in a house in the old town. The design has respected the layout - long benches in the rooms echo the Ottoman style, and traditional materials are used. From its window, you can take in the tiered slate roofs of the kule. You feel like one of the prosperous merchants who built these residences in the 17th and 18th centuries, where Turkish and Albanian influences blend.
On your itinerary - The historic districts accompanied by a private guide. On foot through the cobbled alleyways, from the 13th-century citadel to the bazaar (17th-19th centuries) overlooked by the Bazaar Mosque (18th century), and passing by the birthplace of Ismail Kadare - whose Chronicle in Stone is well worth revisiting. The walk reveals all the reasons why UNESCO listed the city as a World Heritage Site: impressive and well-preserved architecture forming an unusually harmonious whole (matched only by Berat): a testament to a world with its constraints but also its compromises, historical depth and a certain poetry.
Drive to Sarandë.
Worth seeing along the way - The waters of Lake Butrint surround a dazzling hill and are linked to the sea by a natural channel. Home to fabulous architectural achievements, Butrint is a unique archaeological site. Founded by the Greeks, the city was occupied by different civilisations and various empires before being completely abandoned at the end of the Middle Ages. It boasts an impressive concentration of monuments: residences, Roman baths, its lake, chapels, a fortress-museum, and a 4th-century basilica.
All set for you is an overnight stay in a small, welcoming hotel, ideally located on the seafront, offering modern, comfortable rooms.
Hydrofoil crossing from Sarandë to Corfu. To get around the Greek island, you have a vehicle for hire. A three-night stay in a hotel located in Kommeno, a few kilometres north of Corfu city. An olive grove, a large tropical garden and two buildings - one of which follows the principles of vernacular architecture. The decor is lively and, in some rooms, shows a playful sense of adventure. The comfort is second to none. A soft light bathes the dining room. In the garden, there is a pool where you can really swim; around it, pergolas, daybeds and parasols with hanging ornaments provide shade and invite rest and relaxation. The nearest beach is about a ten minutes’ walk away.
The Emerald Isle is the largest (592 km² or 229 square miles) and the most beautiful of the Ionian Islands. With its variety of landscapes, dense vegetation, a sea that gently laps at calm, harmonious bays, and picturesque villages emerging from olive groves, Corfu is truly a small piece of paradise on earth. Despite significant tourist activity in summer, it is a beautiful, mountainous and wooded place that has managed to hold on to its charm. Immortalised in The Odyssey, the beauty of Corfu has continued to inspire artists such as Goethe, Sisley and Lawrence Durrell. As for Empress Elisabeth of Austria, she had a palace built there to spend her last days. You will end your journey there, feet in the water.
You drop off your vehicle at Corfu airport before boarding your return flight.
This suggested itinerary can be customisable down to the smallest detail, including duration, stops and content. An à la carte menu of experiences is also available to create a journey that reflects who you are.
Every day, our travel specialists craft bespoke experiences shaped around each traveller's profile, desires and budget. These passionate experts design experiences delivered on the ground by a local network of Concierges and trusted contacts. These fully customisable, made-to-measure trips are complemented by a wide range of high-end services (lounges, 24/7 assistance, travel booklet, app, Wi-Fi, restaurant booking, etc.)
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Every day, our travel specialists craft bespoke experiences shaped around each traveller's profile, desires and budget. These passionate experts design experiences delivered on the ground by a local network of Concierges and trusted contacts. These fully customisable, made-to-measure trips are complemented by a wide range of high-end services (lounges, 24/7 assistance, travel booklet, app, Wi-Fi, restaurant booking, etc.)
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