Tirana to Belgrade; Tour of Enchanting Balkans in 8 Days
Go back in history while walking through the old streets in Budva and Kotor, visit the old bazar of Kruja and admire the breath-taking Stari Most bridge on this 8-day tour of Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia. All countries have their own characteristics and charm, unique UNESCO sites, rural villages and national parks.
ItineraryDay 1: Day tour of TiranaStop At: Tirana, Tirana, Tirana County
We will start these 8 days adventure in the Balkans by discovering Tirana, the capital of Albania. Meet with your local companion, and enjoy a unique experience in the city while learning more about the city's culinary treasures.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Tregu Çam, Tiranë, Albania
Our first stop will be at a small local place that only locals know how to find. Here we will have the opportunity to try Byrek and have breakfast like a local. The famous traditional Albanian food is dough with all kinds of filling such as cheese, meat or spinach. The journey then leads towards Çam bazaar, founded by the Albanian Çam community, who originally came from an area called Çameria in today’s North-Western Greece. Here you can buy all kinds of goods from clothes to kitchen equipment and bargain with the sellers for a cheaper price. .
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Tirana, Tirana, Tirana County
With your local companion by your side, you’ll skip past the tourist traps and discover the city’s culinary highlights in some of our favorite local neighborhoods, where you'll have the opportunity to savor a traditional dessert at an authentic pastry. We will have an insight into the hidden alleyways and bustling street markets of Tirana, where dozens of street hawkers sell fresh vegetables and fruits. After walking through the busy streets, we'll introduce you to the country's rich coffee culture. We will join locals at a cozy café and taste traditional "Albanian coffee"
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Pazari i Ri, Shenasi Dishnica, Tirana 1001 Albania
The tour will continue through the charming neighborhoods of Tirana; observe the daily lives of the city's residents, admire colorful buildings, and get a feel for the authentic atmosphere. We will visit the so-called Bicycle bazaar, where you can find everything, from second hand clothes to second hand furniture. The next stop of our local adventure takes us to the New Bazaar, where an array of culinary delights awaits us. We will try the traditional Albanian lunch – "Qofte" (meatballs) grilled to perfection and paired with freshly baked bread. Vegetarians can enjoy freshly baked bread with Albanian Gjize (cottage cheese).
To wash it all down, we will also taste some Albanian Raki. As we Albanians say, there is nothing that Raki can’t fix!
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: BunkArt 2, Rruga Abdi Toptani, Tirana Albania
Our last stop will be BUNKART, one of the most interesting museums in Tirana. Initially designed as a nuclear bunker offering shelter to the Albanian communist supreme leader Enver Hoxha and his close party members during the cold war. The bunker was hidden to the general public until 2014, when the Albanian government decided to initiate an interesting project that converted the nuclear bunker into a museum. BUNKART is video museum exhibition dedicated to the history of the Albanian communist army and to the daily lives of Albanians during the regime.
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Tirana.
Day 2: Tirane – Kruje – Prizren (Kosovo)Stop At: Kruje, Kruje, Durres County
After breakfast we will drive to Kruja, a historical city symbol of the Albanian resistance against the expansion of the Ottoman Empire during the XV century. Kruja is situated in central Albania on a rocky mountainous terrain about 560 meters above sea level, on the slopes of Sarisalltik Mountain.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Kruja Bazaar, Kalase Street, Kruje 1501 Albania
Walking through the narrow streets and the wooden houses of Kruja’s Medieval Old Bazaar (one of the biggest and oldest in Balkans) gives you a sense of a passage through the history. This is the best place to shop for souvenirs in Albania, from typical to more unique and handmade souvenirs such as carpets, jewelries etc.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kruja Castle, Near Tirana, Kruje 1501 Albania
The castle of Kruja (built during the 5th century A.D.) is strategically placed on the top of a rocky hill, making it difficult for the enemies to attack. The tour leader will take you through some hidden paths, used by the locals to leave the castle without being noticed during periods when the enemies surrounded the castle.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Prizren, Prizren
We will cross borders towards Prizren, considered as the cultural capital of Kosovo, mixing its rich history, incredible nature, religious tolerance and gastronomic delights. Prizren has played an important role in the region as an Illyrian settlement and a crossroad for the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, contributing to the unique architecture of the city. The river flows through the heart of the old town and under the many bridges that crisscross the city. If you are looking to experience a lively international experience you should visit Prizren during August when the medieval city becomes home to one of the most famous short film festivals in the world named Dokufest. The best way to explore the town is by wandering through the streets passing by elegant medieval houses that fight for your attention. Filigree artisanal techniques for precious metals are Prizren’s joy and pride
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Overnight in Prizren.
Day 3: Prizren – Gjakove - Decan – Vineyards near Rahovec – PrizrenStop At: Gjakova, Gjakova
After breakfast we will continue our tour towards Gjakova. The city has the oldest and largest bazaar of Kosovo. Even though, it got destroyed during the first Balkan wars, the second world war and the Kosovo war, the bazaar got rebuilt again to its old state and is a nice place to enjoy a meal or to take a look at the stores that sell traditional handmade crafts from local artisans and producers
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Decan, Decan
Our next destination will be the Monastery of Decan. This one stands out for its white colour, but even more remarkable is the fact that Orthodox monks still inhabit the monastery and make fresh organic food there, such as cheeses. The monastery became part of UNESCO in 2004 because of its frescoes, which portray the lives of people during the 14th century as well as the Palaeologan renaissance that changed the way of Byzantine painting.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Rahovec, Rahovec
Before returning back to Prizren we will drive towards Rahovec Valley, known as the capital city of viticulture in Prizren. There is evidence that in this region grapes have been cultivated since Illyrian times, 2000 years ago. Vineyards are positioned in the soft hillocks of Rahovec in altitude from 350 -520 meters above sea level making Rahovec an ideal spot to produce high quality fine wines. A wine festival takes place in Rahovec annually every September.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Overnight in Prizren
Day 4: Prizren – Mrizi i Zanave Agro Tourism – Shkoder (Albania)Stop At: Mrizi i Zanave - Restorant Agroturizëm, Rruga "Lezhë - Vau i Dejës", Fishtë, Lezhë 4505, Albania
Our first destination for today is one of the best slow food Agro-tourism farms in the Balkans. We will take a tour around the farm. In addition, we will learn about the story of this farm and how it created jobs for more than 400 people in the surrounding area. The farm collects, elaborates and preserves regional bio fresh local products. We will also learn how this family business adapted some old communist buildings to serve as storage for local-made bio products. You will have some free time to enjoy a traditional lunch or buy some fresh produce products from the farm.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Shkoder County, Shkoder County
In the afternoon we will drive towards Shkodra, situated in the north-western part of Albania, giving its name to the biggest lake in the Balkans. It is one of the oldest cities in Albania, with a history of a thousand years of habitation. The oldest wall of the Shkodra castle dates from the 1st millennium BCE. The Roman historian Livy cited the town as the capital of the Illyrian king Gent, who fought the Romans in 168 B.C. We will visit Rozafa castle offering tremendous scenery of the lake and the three rivers melting all together in the Adriatic Sea. The city’s architecture is highly influenced by the Venetian style and if you are lucky enough to join the tour of Shkodra in February you might experience the carnival festival. Most of the guests are surprised to learn that most of the Venetian masks are handmade and produced in Shkodra. Overnight in Shkoder.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Overnight in Shkoder.
Day 5: Shkoder – Sveti Stefan (Montenegro) – Budva – Kotor – Montenegrin RivieraStop At: Sveti Stefan, Sveti Stefan, Budva Municipality
Our first destination for today is Budva in Montenegro, before getting there we will make a stop at the view point near Sveti Stefan, historically a fishing town on a small island near the coast. However, nowadays it is not possible to visit the island anymore as it has turned into an exclusive residential resort. Even while standing on the coast, Sveti Stefan is a sight for sore eyes – worth a picture.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Budva, Budva, Budva Municipality
We will drive towards Budva, a popular tourist destination, famous for its beaches, gorgeous nature and old characteristic buildings. The city is separated between an old and new part. On one hand, in the New Budva, there are many modern buildings, offices, shopping malls, restaurants and bars. On the other hand, in the Old Budva, there is the historical centre and many sights to visit, such as the St. Ivan church, the small church of St. Mary and the medieval splendours of the old town, which we will visit on this tour
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kotor, Kotor, Kotor Municipality
Our second destination for today is Kotor, UNESCO world heritage site. The city is a maze of narrow, cobblestone streets crisscrossing the old town. The intention was to confuse intruders who came to plunder the town, while nowadays it characterizes the city. Many of the old buildings and churches have small plaques on it with their dates of construction and original use. We will visit the Saint Luke’s church which has a great significance for the locals because it represents unity to them
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Overnight near Montenegrin Riviera
Day 6: Montenegrin Riviera – Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)Stop At: Mostar, Mostar, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
From Montenegro, we will cross the border to Bosnia & Herzegovina and head towards the city of Mostar. We will, of course, visit the iconic Old Bridge also known as Stari Most, part of UNESCO world heritage and built in a typical Islamic architectural style in the 16th century. We will also wander through the Old Bazaar with its colourful streets and lively atmosphere. The city has stones with “Don’t Forget” all around the town, commemorating the city’s history. Mostar combines the old with the new, which you will notice while wandering through the streets. There are several beautiful old mosques, bustling Turkish bazaars, and a maze of cobbled alleyways
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Blagaj, Blagaj, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
We will also visit the Blagaj monastery, a little bit outside of the city, on the foot of a cliff, with beautiful blue waters in front of it. Blagaj is a small Ottoman medieval town in Herzegovina with its stunning nature and imposing spring of river Buna. In the afternoon you will have some free time to explore and wander around Mostar, this splendid UNESCO site
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Overnight in Mostar
Day 7: Mostar – Sarajevo Stop At: Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Sarajevo Canton, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
After breakfast we will drive from Mostar to our next destination Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today’s itinerary includes walking on uneven terrain, while visiting some of the ruins during our Sarajevo tour. You can still see many reminders of the Yugoslav War in bullet holes and cannon marks all around town. The tour will cover the stories of origins of Sarajevo and the medieval Bosnian Kingdom. We will visit the Ottoman and Austria-Hungarian parts of Sarajevo, which both with its stunning markets, bazaars, mosques, churches and synagogues will reveal the true nature of the real European Jerusalem.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Latin Bridge, Obala Kulina Bana, Sarajevo 71000 Bosnia and Herzegovina
We’ll make sure to visit the Latin Bridge and learn the story about how WWI was triggered right here, in the heart of Sarajevo. The bridge received its name because it connected the right bank of the Miljacka with the Catholic quarter of the city, which was informally called "Latinluk" in Ottoman times. Sarajevo is well known for its various delicious meat dishes and desserts. You will have some free time to enjoy the traditional dishes and have a cove in the old town
Duration: 1 minute
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Overnight in Sarajevo.
Day 8: Sarajevo– Transfer Day to Belgrade (Serbia)Pass By: Belgrade, Belgrade
This is the last day of your Balkan adventure marking the end of this amazing experience through the rich history and culture of this part of the World. You will be transferred towards Belgrade in Serbia. Before reaching Serbia we will have a stop in Zvornik, situated along the banks of the serene Drina River. Have some free time to relax before crossing border towards Serbia. We hope this has been a wonderful experience with great memories of these 7 West Balkan Countries to cherish for a lifetime.
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.
Informacion Adicional
"Not wheelchair accessible"
"Most travelers can participate"
"Tips are not a must in the Balkans, however, our recommendation is to tip the tour leader/driver as an international practice to tip good service."
"Please note that prices are calculated on double/twin/triple/quadruple room occupancy in 3 stars hotel accommodation."
"This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers"
"Confirmation will be received at time of booking"
Hora de Inicio:
09:00 AM
Duración: 8 Days
Lugar de comienzo: Tirana, Albania
Traveler pickup is offered
Hotel Pick up in Tirana
Airports- Rinas Airport, Tirana Albania
Cancelaciones y devoluciones:
All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.
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