Our small group trips to Albania span a curated selection of walking and cycling adventure tours, explorations of the country’s spectacular national parks and stays in UNESCO-listed towns and cities where you’ll meet the communities who call them home. Here are a few of our highlights of Albania:
1. Tirana
Today’s Tirana is worlds away from the isolation of the Enver Hoxha era. Lively, colourful and endlessly rewarding to explore, the Albanian capital is a city of contrasts – socialist-era murals alongside boutique bars, grand Ottoman boulevards giving way to contemporary galleries and the buzzing Blloku district – once reserved exclusively to the communist party elite. Our Highlights of Albania holiday begins here with a guided walking tour - stroll between the government buildings, the large central plaza, old bazaars and Et’Hem Bey Mosque as you get a feel for this lively city. In the evenings, explore the country’s cuisine that blends Greek, Italian, Ottoman and Balkan influences: byrek spinach and feta-stuffed filo pastries, grilled tave kosi (baked lamb and yoghurt), and grilled aubergines, always accompanied by excellent Albanian red wine.
2. Valbona National Park
Deep in Albania’s northern alps, the Valbona Valley National Park is one of the Balkans’ most spectacular wilderness areas and a highlight of our Balkans Discovery Tour. Part of the broader Peaks of the Balkans trail network, Valbona National Park offers lush canyon trails, wildflower meadows and far-reaching views across the Kukaj Valley. Stop for a picnic lunch en route and share a cup of mountain tea with a local shepherd’s family, before tucking into a traditional dinner of spit-roasted lamb.
3. Butrint National Park
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Balkans, Butrint has been continuously inhabited since the Bronze Age – through Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian rule. The site’s large Roman amphitheatre, thermal baths, baptistery mosaic floors and Venetian tower sit within a protected wetland landscape on the shores of Lake Butrint, close to the Greek border. Follow your local guide on our Highlights of Albania Discovery Tour to understand how this layered, remarkably well-preserved site was only fully excavated in the 20th century.
4. Gjirokaster
Perched high above the Drino Valley, the UNESCO-listed 'City of Stone' is one of Albania's most extraordinary destinations. Gjirokaster is dominated by an imposing Ottoman citadel housing a weapons museum and an American jet fighter captured during the Cold War. The town's steep cobbled streets are lined with distinctive tower houses, including the birthplaces of former communist leader Enver Hoxha and novelist Ismail Kadare. Our small group tours include a leisurely exploration of Gjirokaster's old bazaar and a chance to take in the extraordinary views across the valley.
Small group travel in Albania
Our small group tours to Albania are designed to take you beyond the surface and into the very heart of each destination, with immersive experiences shared with like-minded fellow travellers. Whether you’re walking the streets of Tirana, exploring the cobbled streets of UNESCO-listed Gjirokastra or sampling fresh watermelons in the ancient village of Voskopoja, every moment is taken care of by your experienced tour leader.