Recently Viewed
Apollonia Park Day Tour: Dive into History, Culture, & Nature from Tirana & Durres
5.0
12 Ratings
Pojan
Embark on a captivating day tour from Tirana to Apollonia Park, Narta Lagoon, and Vlore. Explore ancient ruins, witness stunning natural beauty, and discover the rich history and cultural diversity of Albania.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Apollonia Archaeological Park - The ancient city of Apollonia is one of the best-known and most important classical cities in the country. Its special atmosphere is created by a combination of the unique monuments, archaeology and landscape, difficult to find anywhere in the Mediterranean. During the walking tour, you will see the ancient monumental center with Greco-Roman buildings, the Byzantine monastery and the rich museum of Apollonia.
- Narta Lagoon - Narta Lagoon is located near the city of Vlore and has the largest salt marshes in Albania. It creates perfect conditions for different birds to reside. You will see flamingos, dalmatian pelicans and other water birds.
- Vlore - Vlore is known as the city of the Albanian Independence. The coastal city is the sharing point of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Bay of Vlore is popular for summer beach holidays. During the walking tour, you will visit the old town, independence square and the Bektashi temple of Kuzum Baba. You will have some free time to have lunch and explore on your own.
What's Included
- Hotel pick up and drop off
- Qualified tourist guide/driver
- Comfortable transportation per itinerary
- Entrance fee for Apollonia archaeological site
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Personal expenses
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Embark on a southward journey alongside the Adriatic Sea that encompasses a mix of history, culture, and natural beauty.
Your travel begins at the Apollonia Archaeological Park, a historic location that once played host to Julius Caesar and the Roman Emperor Augustus. After taking a glimpse at the Greco-Roman temples, you’ll proceed to the Narta Lagoon, a conservation area inhabited by flamingos and pelicans. The tour includes a scenic drive around the lagoon to take in the best views of this natural wonder. Following a waterfront lunch, the itinerary takes you to the seaside city of Vlore - the birthplace of Albanian independence in 1912. You have ample time to explore the Old Town, Independence Square, and three religious sites - the Muradie Mosque, St. Mary Church, and the “Kuzum Baba” Bektashi Temple - allowing you to gain insights into Albania’s diverse faith traditions.
An afternoon return to your hotel concludes the trip.
- It’s recommended to bring water, sunglasses, sunscreen, mosquito spray, and a hat
Location
Apollonia Archaeological Park
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(12 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Linda_c
May 22, 2024
Apollonia Park not to be missed! - Apollonia Park is a gem and not to be missed. Our guide, Gezim, was delightful and informative. The entire day was interesting, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch in the coastal city of Vlore.
Review provided by Viator
Lacarlisle
May 22, 2024
Apollonia Park not to be missed! - What a great excursion! Gezim is a very knowledgeable, friendly and responsive guide. Apollonia Park alone is worth the trip. This archeological gem is not to be missed. Vlore is interesting and we enjoyed a delightful lunch in this coastal city. The morning and evening traffic can be a challenge, but Gezim navigated it expertly and smoothly. We could not have been more pleased. Thank you, Gezim!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Suzanne_k
May 11, 2024
Fun day trip to lovely Vlore birdwatching and Apollonia - Everything was fantastic well organised with a really knowlegable and interesting guide who explained everything and took us around at our own pace no pressure it was privates so we had plenty of time at each site.loved the bird watching saw pelicans and flamengos Apollonia is amazing we saw it from above to take the best photos. and were explained all about the history etc at the site Vlore is a lovely sea side resort we ate a delicious traditionallunch.I would highly recommend this trip with the guide Gezum
Review provided by Viator
X1577kisuzannek
May 10, 2024
Amazing diverse day trip to Vlore Apollina and Narta - Incroyable!Gezum took the time to explain all about Apollina and the history the museum and a beautiful view to take photos. Was really fascinating
We loved the bird watching after this we saw a rare pellican and flamengos we waited until we saw them moving and the lovely bright colour under their wings. Was so calming and amazing to see.
Then to Vlore where we ate a delicious lunch on the water front of sea food and local food.
Such a beautiful beach resort and we were able to see the lovely old town plus drive up the hill to have an amazing view after lunch.
Going back to Tirana using another road which had less traffic and beautifulviews of the surrounding countryside and mountains.
We recommend Gezum who gave us enough time in each place and was the best guide.
We arrived back right on time
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Samcz7170ua
Feb 23, 2024
Great Trip Highlight of Albania - We had the best time on our trip. Our guide (Gezim Shimi) was so professional, knowledgeable and such a safe and professional driver. He made sure of our comfort and went the extra mile making certain our needs were met. He showed us places and views you could not find without taking this guided trip. I can't recommend this trip enough. If you want to see the history and natural beauty of Albania book this trip and ask for Gezim Shimi.
Sam and Vicki Casmus USA
Review provided by Tripadvisor
I3315cfsteffis
Feb 20, 2024
Amazing way to discover Albania - We had an amazing time ! We learned a lot about Albania and saw realy awesome places . My mom isn’t realy mobile and there was always a solution . For me it was my 5th time in Albania but I learned so much more things. We will do things with this organisation more
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Danielap3734
Feb 11, 2024
Top guide and highly recommended trip! - Last Tuesday I went with a friend on this excursion to Apollonia National Park, Narta lagoon and the city of Vlorë. A trip that combines culture and nature. Our guide Gezim was very friendly and professional. It was our first day in Albania and really a wonderful experience. In Apollonia National Park we discovered the story of the old city of Apollonia. We had the chance to see some flamingos and other birds in the Narta lagoon. After lunch at Vlore we had a small walk in the city to see the highlights. Gezim told us also a lot about Albanian culture and history and gave us useful hints for the next days. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wendrij
Feb 8, 2024
Super day excursion - I traveled with my friends and we joined a friendly small group. Apollonia is a rich historic site and our guide Taulant explained it very well. We watched with binoculars beautiful flamingos. Highly recommended as a day trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vacationer75872
Dec 8, 2023
A recommendable outing - The excellent excursion and the guide even better. Very kind and knows how to explain everything very well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
659sofiec
Jul 29, 2023
Excellent excursion - Yesterday we went on an excursion to Apollonia Park, the Narta lagoon and the city of Vlorë. It is the perfect trip that combines culture and nature. In the Apollonia Park we received a very extensive cultural-historical explanation from the guide. We spotted flamingos in the Nara lagoon. That was a very rich experience. Afterwards we were served a delicious local lunch to finish with a visit to the city of Vlore. The trip was very successful and organized very professionally. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
More activities from this operator
