Small group Albania vacation
Passionate, fairly paid local guides bring both UNESCO sites and local communities to the fore on one of our best loved Albania vacations. You’ll experience meals home-cooked by local families, artists’ villages, hot springs, castles, amphitheatres and more.
UNESCO sites, including Berat, Butrint and Gjirokastra Blue Eye natural springs tour of Tirana including the natural history museum Elbasan Fortress Korka Dhoksat and Voskopoja villages Erseke mountain village Apollonia Permet
Price
US $1610ToUS $1960excluding flights
More info
Optional single supplement from £280 - £308.
Minimum age 16.
Minimum age 16.
Description of Small group Albania vacation
Map
Price information
US $1610ToUS $1960excluding flights
Optional single supplement from £280 - £308.
Minimum age 16.
Minimum age 16.
Check dates, prices & availability
Travel guides
Old archaeologists never die. They just wish you bone voyage.
Albania was once in the middle of great empires – Roman, Greek and Ottoman. Although staunchly communist, it escaped the clutches of the USSR and was ...
Vacation information
Small group tour, ideal for solos & couples:
Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modeled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, traveling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. For those with limited time, a small group tour will save valuable time in planning, and on vacation.
Our top tip:
This is a concentrated tour and as such you will be on the go in order to take in as many experiences as possible. Pack light to facilitate changing hotels on a daily basis.
Trip type:
Small group. Avg size 12. Min age 16.
Activity level:
Leisurely. Sightseeing, hot springs and a couple of windy, bumpy roads via private bus (max 5hrs on day 4).
Accomm:
3-star hotels and pensions, all en-suite.
Included:
Accommodation, transport, listed activities, tour leader throughout.
Meals:
All breakfasts and 1 lunch.
Solos:
Solo travelers welcome. Single room supplements available.
Reviews
19 Reviews of Small group Albania vacation
4 out of 5 stars
In depth story review
“As well as the trip being well organised and doing what it set out to achieve, it was actually all supplemented by Ed, our guide and what he did. The vacation really conveyed history, culture and landscape.”
Find out why this was one of the best vacations Andy Wood has ever had in his traveler interviewRead full interview
Reviewed on 27 Oct 2023 by Kathryn Heirons
Overall it was a great vacation which covered the majority of Albania. The places visited were varied in size and history. It was very interesting and exceeded expectations. Albania was much more suitable for a vacation than I expected. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Oct 2023 by Jane Richards
Visiting gjirokaster. Our tour guide, Edi, was great! Read full reviewReviewed on 02 Oct 2019 by Frona Hall
The whole trip was so informative and interesting made more so by the most fantastic and knowledgeable guide. Read full reviewReviewed on 01 Oct 2019 by Helen Preston
An truly excellent and memorable tour with a great group. We knew little about beautiful Albania, but returned home having learnt so much, seen so much and experienced so much. Read full reviewReviewed on 05 Nov 2019 by Susan Ring
The most memorable part of the vacation was visiting Butrint National Park and the village of Voskopoja. Read full reviewReviewed on 25 Jul 2019 by Frances Meyer
the most memorable part of the vacation was the mountain villages and towns, wonderful icons, Roman excavations, swimming in Lake Ohrid and the Mediterranean Read full reviewReviewed on 09 Jul 2018 by Neeta Bhadauria
The whole trip was fascinating. Everywhere we went in Albania was amazing. Some highlights were the farmhouse luncheon in the mountains, Blue Eye Spring, the archaeological sites... the lake resort at Podredec … to name a few. Read full reviewReviewed on 17 Oct 2018 by Rod Kantor
Good...Overall the itinerary was fine but it could be enhanced. Read full reviewReviewed on 16 Sep 2017 by Anne Higgins
Loved walking around the Spa town of Vrnjacka Banja in Serbia. Would liked to have stayed here overnight. Read full reviewReviewed on 25 Apr 2017 by Tony Barker
We loved Albania so it is hard to think of one memorable part but the visits to the Blue eye, Gjirokaster, Butrint & Berat stand out. Read full reviewReviewed on 19 Apr 2017 by Kay Emblen-Perry
A brilliant experience. Fun, educational and eye-opening. Read full reviewReviewed on 16 Sep 2015 by Theodore John Levin
I feel that it supported local conservations in terms of restricting visitor numbers to archaeological sites, local museums. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.
Planet
How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.• By traveling in a small group we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for re-usable bottles.
• We encourage guests to make donations when visiting cultural landmarks such as the National History Museum, as this contributes towards the upkeep of these sites.
• We rewild 100 square metres per passenger to compensate for all trip and flight emissions.
Tips for sustainable travel on this trip
• Leave no trace: we do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: please bring a re-usable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.
People
How this trip helps improve life for local communities.• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
• We have a homecooked meal in the traditional village of Dhoksat.
• We include visits to local bazaars such as Gjirokaster, Korca, and Kruje which is a great way to support the local economies and for guests to get a real taste of life in these locations.
• We visit Voskopoja Village (formerly known as Moskopole) which is an important and well-known center of art where many talented Albanian painters chose to practice their profession.
• Our local partner is always trying to operate with the locals and wider communities in mind. They have fundraised within their organisation and with their partners to help children with learning disabilities, providing school materials for a day care center on the outskirts of Tirana.
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