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Southern Albania Highlights: Gjirokastër & Beaches
4.9
194 Ratings
Tirana
Discover the highlights of southern Albania in just one day, exploring the UNESCO-recognized historic town of Gjirokastër and the stunning turquoise beaches of Saranda and Ksamil. This Day Tour offers an ideal blend of history, breathtaking landscapes, and relaxing seaside moments.
Discover the highlights of southern Albania in just one day, exploring the UNESCO-recognized historic town of Gjirokastër and the stunning turquoise beaches of Saranda and Ksamil. This Day Tour offers an ideal blend of history, breathtaking landscapes, and relaxing seaside moments.
Duration:
15 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Tirana - Begin your day with a convenient early morning pickup from your hotel in Tirana or from a designated meeting point in Durrës or Golem. Relax as your expert tour guide manages all the details, providing fascinating insights about Albania and the destinations you will explore.
- Gjirokaster - Following a brief coffee and restroom break,…
- Tirana - Begin your day with a convenient early morning pickup from your hotel in Tirana or from a designated meeting point in Durrës or Golem. Relax as your expert tour guide manages all the details, providing fascinating insights about Albania and the destinations you will explore.
- Gjirokaster - Following a brief coffee and restroom break, the journey continues to Gjirokastër, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Stone City.” Upon arrival, the guide will share the city’s history and accompany you to the old town. You will then have free time to wander the picturesque stone streets, visit the old bazaar, enjoy a coffee, or savor a light snack while soaking in the authentic ambiance of this historic city.
- Saranda - After your leisure time in Gjirokastër, the tour proceeds to Sarandë. Here, a short stop allows you to stroll along the main promenade, capture some photos, and experience a brief taste of the city’s lively seaside atmosphere before heading to Ksamil.
- Ksamil Beach - Ksamil is one of Albania’s renowned seaside spots, celebrated for its white beaches and crystal-clear waters. In Ksamil, you will have 2.5 hours of free time to swim, relax on the beach, enjoy food or drinks with a sea view, take photos at the hand of Ksamil, or opt for a boat trip to explore nearby islands. Before your free time begins, the tour guide will explain all available options and offer assistance if needed.
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Tirana - KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
PICK UP: If you choose the hotel pick-up option, please be aware that you may be asked to walk a short distance (1–10 minutes) to a nearby main street.
IMPORTANT: Final tour details will be sent via email and WhatsApp the night before the tour begins. Pick-up times may slightly vary depending on the schedule, so it’s crucial to check our message.
LANGUAGE: The tour is conducted exclusively in English with a live tour guide. Other languages are available only in the digital booklet, not spoken during the tour.
MOBILE DATA ROAMING: On the tour day, all communication will be via WhatsApp, so please ensure your phone has mobile data/roaming enabled.
FITNESS LEVEL: Participants should possess a basic level of fitness to comfortably complete the tour.
DURATION: During the summer high season, this tour may take longer due to traffic, so please plan for a full and extended day experience.
PICK-UP TIME MAY CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL BOOKING TIME!
What's Included
- English-speaking guide throughout the entire tour
- Pick up and drop-off from Tirana City / Durres / Golem
- Digital tour booklet in your selected language
- Air Conditioned transportation to the destination locations
- Road fees
- English-speaking guide throughout the entire tour
- Pick up and drop-off from Tirana City / Durres / Golem
- Digital tour booklet in your selected language
- Air Conditioned transportation to the destination locations
- Road fees
What's Not Included
- Museum / Castle entrance
- Boat trips and/or Kayaks rent
- Sunbeds
- Museum / Castle entrance
- Boat trips and/or Kayaks rent
- Sunbeds
Additional Information
- Kindly note that this tour is not suitable for children under 4 years old
- Not recommended for travelers with knee problems.
- Kindly note that this tour is not suitable for children under 4 years old
- Not recommended for travelers with knee problems.
Location
Tirana
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(194 Ratings)
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Bpook1960
Jun 1, 2026
Great Albanian Tour - The trip was really great. We enjoyed our day with Paola. She was an excellent guide. Very funny and knowledgeable about the different places we visited. Ksamil was awesome and was my favorite. I think they could exclude Saranda and spend that time there because there wasn’t anything to do there.
Now this has nothing to do with the tour guide but the company itself. There are a few things they need to address. One they should not say they offer hotel pickup and drop off. We were 2 miles from downtown and that was a plus for us . The fine print stated they may ask you to walk 10 mins but we had to do 45 mins. We are walkers so not a big deal but what if there are others with mobility problems?
Then there was the time when the notifications are sent out for pickup time and the meeting points. I was very tired from a long day and I couldn’t wait up after 10 pm for that information which I needed for us to plan our day. It came it after 11:00pm with us having to meet at 6:15am. It was a long day. We left our hotel at 5:15 am and got back to Tirana at 10:00 pm and to our hotel after 10:30pm.
Review provided by Viator
Mergiej2020
May 31, 2026
I’ll definitely come back again! - Bailey was an excellent guide, very informative, professional and knowledgeable. Most of all very patient and understanding while being very considerate of everyone’s time and experience.
This was the best for those who want to see most of Albania in a short amount of time. We learned a lot about Albanian history and culture. Would definitely recommend!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fayrouza680
May 31, 2026
Beautiful experience - The guide is very very friendly… We definitely got some very interesting information about the history of the places we visited but also got freedom of movement while being in the places the bus drove to. The only thing I’d change was the AC of the bus, it’s not very strong compared to how high the temperature was. It would also be great to spend some more time in ksamir and saranda… other than that, me and my family enjoyed it very much 💕
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q1808vmales
May 31, 2026
Great Experience to see Albanian sites! - Bailey was such a positive and informative guide. She was amazing and very accommodating for our group. She shared interesting history facts about Albania and gave her personal touch on recommendations for areas to visit during our time in Gjirokastër, Kasmil, and Sarandë. This was such a great experience to see more of Albania outside of Tirana. Thank you so much! Would definitely recommend for anyone for a day out!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gcats
May 30, 2026
Great long busy day. - Long day but full of variety from old town to new beach resort area. Well worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G_lcanc155
May 29, 2026
Gülcan in Ksamil - I bought it on Booking, we traveled to the fullest all day, even the road view is wonderful, ksamil is definitely a place to come and see 🌊 I participated in the boat tour, it was fun, I drank nice drinks, I ate ice cream, I had a good day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jelle
May 29, 2026
Fun long and sunny - Good tour nice guide always attentive and always open to help anyone gave great information to everyone on board
Review provided by Tripadvisor
745volkano
May 29, 2026
Directory - I was pleased with the guide; he was warm and friendly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Krithika_b
May 29, 2026
It is a good one-day trip... - It is a good one-day trip if you are short on time. However, visiting Gjirokastër, Sarandë, and Ksamil separately and spending at least one or two days in each place would provide a much better experience.
That said, this tour is a great option to see the highlights in a limited time. We enjoyed the beautiful coastline, the islands, and a refreshing swim in the sea while simply relaxing and enjoying the day.
Our guide, Klod, shared a lot of interesting history and managed the tour very well. The only downside was that there was always a bit of a time crunch to keep the schedule on track.
Overall, I would recommend this tour for travelers who are in a hurry but still want to experience these beautiful places in one day.
Review provided by Viator
Befores2026
May 29, 2026
Disappointing and Unwelcoming Experience - Unfortunately, my overall experience on this tour was terrible. I did not feel included by the tour guide, and the atmosphere often felt unwelcoming. A good guide should make every participant feel acknowledged and comfortable, but that was not my experience here. I left disappointed and would not recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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