Discover the Real Flavor of Albania

Culinary tour’s mission is to promote Albanian Mediterranean cuisine, influenced by Italian and Turkish cooking. Albanian cuisine is characterized by the use of spices, such as black pepper and Mediterranean herbs. Come and join us for an exclusive culinary adventure, where you will experience Albania’s distinctive food and warm hospitality. This tour is ideal for all fans of culinary arts and fine cooking. Our tour will give you a deeper appreciation for this wonderful country, by introducing you to the fabulous foods and places, where locals are eating and shopping.

Overview

Day 01: Mother Teresa Airport - Durres

Day 02: Durres - Ardenica - Apollonia - Berat

Day 03: Berat - Pogradec - Korca

Day 04: Korca

Day 05: Korca - Permet - Gjirokastra

Day 06: Gjirokastra - Dropull - Saranda

Day 07: Saranda - Vlora

Day 08: Vlora -Tirana

Day 09: Tirana – Mother Teresa Airport

Day 01: Airport-Durres (32 km, 30 min driving time)

Once you arrive to airport, we will be waiting to sweep you away on this fantastic tour. We drive to the hotel in Durres, the Albania’s oldest cities situated on a small peninsula on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. After the accommodation, a sightseeing tour of the city and concentrate on the can’t-miss highlights. Dinner in a traditional restaurant where you will enjoy the amazing Albanian delicacies for the first time, a flavor you’ll surely cherish with your first bite! Overnight in Durres.

Day 02: Durres-Ardenica-Apollonia-Berat (174 km, 3.5 hours driving time)

Today after breakfast we drive to Berat. As we travel we will stop to Ardenica Monastery, famous as the place where in 1451 was celebrated marriage of Scanderbeg, the national Hero of Albania with Androniki Arianiti. Then we will proceed to ancient city of Apollonia (founded in 588 B.C.E. by Greek colonists from Corfu and Corinth). We will continue to Berat, known also as the “city of one-thousand windows”. Before arriving we will stop at Cobo winery to taste one of the best Albanian wined with some finger food specialties. Lunch will be in a family run traditional restaurant inside the castle, where you’ll enjoy fantastic Albanian homemade food.  After lunch group then will be left at leisure to explore this wonderful town. Dinner in the Mangalemi traditional family restaurant. Overnight in Berat.

Day 03: Berat-Pogradec-Korca (192 km, 3.5 hours driving time)

Breakfast at the elegant hotel, and then we will head to Pogradec, a town of modest pretentions that enjoys a wonderful setting on the shore of natural miracle Lake Ohrid. Pogradec, it is the center of the food industry, noted for its canned fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Here we will visit Drilon area where dictator used to have its fishing villa. An afternoon tour to Voloreke, proceeding for a lovely dinner in a family restaurant ‘Millennium’ to enjoy the unique Koran fish (a rare fish of the trout and salmon family, found only in this deep tectonic Lake). Next we return to Korca, where we spend the night.

Day 04: Korca

Today is all about Korca! After a superb breakfast we will take a tour to the city, where we will visit the Museum of the Medieval Arts, the first schools of Albania, and the Korça's Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection. We will enjoy a lively day of food and fun in Korca, city of love and serenades. Mix with locals, enjoy sampling the local street food of Kernacka (meatballs prepared with pork or beef mince and spices), you didn’t know existed and wash it all down with a glass of beer. We proceed to Voskopoje, known for its rich cultural heritage; it is evidenced by the presence of 7 churches and the monastery of St. Prodhomit. Lunch will be in a family traditional restaurant ‘Zeneli’ in Voskopoje with superb food, fantastic people and great atmosphere, where, among other specialties we will taste the homemade lakror (known also as byrek, a homemade savoury pie, filled with spinach, onions, tomatoes, pumpkin, leek or other vegetable) baked in specific way in a wooden stove, plum raki and a lovely homemade red wine.  The group then left at leisure. Overnight in Korca.

Day 05: Korca-Permet-Gjirokastra (192 km, 3.5 hours driving time)

After breakfast, we drive to Gjirokaster. As we travel we will stop to Permet, situated in the heart of a valley crossed by Vjosa River, known by many as “the City of Roses”, the area has wonderful and accessible natural resources like the National Park Bredhi i Hotoves or the hot springs of sulphurous water in Langarica Valley, which form natural pools. Permet is well known for its delicious cuisine with some unique delicacies such as; tomato jam, ‘gliko’ sweets (preserved fruits), cheeses meets, wine and raki of Permet among the best in Albania. We proceed to Gjirokaster, where we visit the Castle of Gjirokastra, the Ethnographic Museum, the house where the Albanian dictator was born, and the Zekati family house, probably the most beautiful and famous house in Gjirokastra. Diner at family run restaurant Terihat, where we will enjoy specialties such us; pashaqofte (a kind of soup with meatballs), qifqi (balls made of rice and spices cooked in as special hollow frying pan). Overnight in Gjirokaster

Day 06: Gjirokastra-Dropull-Saranda (57 km, 1 hour driving time)

After breakfast, we will take you on another day in Albanian life! Your first stop will be Dropull, a predominantly Greek-inhabited region in Gjirokaster District, in southern Albania. Dropull is divided into two municipalities: Dropull i Sipërm and Dropull i Poshtëm. We will have lunch in a home-style restaurant in which we can try fresh homemade food and then proceed to Saranda, the gateway to the southern Albania. Its current name derives from an early Christian Monastery (nowadays in ruins), dedicated to Agioi Saranda (Forty Saints). Dinner will be on the patio of a traditional restaurant by the sea, where we will enjoy a delicious fish dinner accompanied by homemade wine, where the gentle bitter aroma of sea touches your tongue and floats up to your nostrils. Overnight in Saranda.

Day 07: Saranda- Vlora (125 km, 2 hours driving time)

After the breakfast, we depart to Vlore. Drive on the spectacular Albanian Riviera looking down at the Ionian Sea. We make a quick stop to Dhermi, a beautiful place surrounded by the huge green stripes of olive and citrus trees, where we will enjoy a delicious lunch of seafood accompanied by the lovely Albanian wine, before we continue our journey to Vlore, one of the largest towns and the second largest port city of Albania. It is the city where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on November. Diner will be by the seaside at the San Tropez restaurant with great variety of food and excellent homemade wine. Overnight in Vlore.

Day 08: Vlora –Tirana (150 km, 2.5 hours driving time)

Today we drive to the biggest city and the capital of Albania, Tirana. En route we will stop and to the ancient city of Apollonia situated on the famous Via Egnatia - one of the most important cities in Roman times. We then continue to Tirana, located on the site of a Byzantine fortress and have been the capital of Albania since 1920. We will enjoy a city tour including visits to the National Museum, Mosque of Et’hem Bey, the Clock Tower, the Scanderbeg Square, and various other attractions. After a city tour, we will have a delicious seafood dinner of an elegance combined.

Day 09 Tirana –Airport (18 km, 30 min driving time)

Your tour concludes with a lovely breakfast at the hotel, followed by a transfer in the Airport for your departure.

Km traveled: 940