Fly and Drive Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo

Day 1 Tirana

Arrive at Tirana Airport, Meet the representative of Tours Albania & Balkans, Take over the rental car.

Introduction to the suggested tour, Handover of a travel kit including map, travel itinerary, detailed travel instructions (how to find sights, hotels, etc.), hotel addresses with the phone, restaurant suggestions.
Emergency phone number, Verbal explanation about particularities, and some useful tips on driving in Albania. Drive to Tirana, check-in.

Interesting sights and museums to visit in Tirana:

• Et’hem Bey Mosque
• Scanderbeg square
• National Historical Museum
• Clock Tower
• Pyramid of Tirana
• Post Block Memorial
• The Palace of Culture
• The New Bazar
• Mother Theresa Square

Overnight in Tirana. Hotel Oxford

 Day 2 Kruja – Durres

Interesting places and museums to visit in Kruja:

• Castle of Kruja – It was built during the 5^th and 6^th. The surrounding walls are reinforced by nine towers, which served as an observation and signaling post during times of war. Within the walls of the castle there can still be found the remains of a few houses.
• Scanderbeg Museum –  inside of Kruja Castle
• National Ethnographic –  inside of Kruja Castle
• Museum Dollma Teqe (Tekke) – inside of Kruja Castle
• Old Bazaar –  on the way to the castle, a medieval – type bazaar with traditional handicrafts such as wooden made objects, filigree, alabaster, silver, copper, wool carpets, etc.

Depart for Durres, the port city and one of the oldest coastal cities in Albania (founded in 627 B.C.)

Interesting sights, places and museums to visit in Durres:

• Roman Amphitheatre – Built in 2^nd century A.D., situated near the center is the second biggest amphitheater which Romans built in the Balkans peninsula.
• Archaeological Museum – It is newly renovated and is the richest archaeological museum in Albania with finds mainly from Durres but it also has artefacts from other parts of the country.
• Forum and Roman bath – Built between 5-7^th century A.D and conveniently situated in the center of town could be an interesting visit for archaeology enthusiasts.
• Promenade – A very nice walks by Adriatic Sea coastline; do not miss Çela Gelateria, one of the best ice creams in Albania.  Overnight in Tirana.

Day 3 Berat

Depart for Berat, which is enlisted in UNESCO World Heritage site.

Interesting sights and museums to visit in Berat:

• Berat Castle – walking on the cobbled stone streets, you may see several medieval Orthodox churches and have a spectacular view of Osumi River, Shpirag and Tomorri Mountain
• Onufri Museum – The Museum is called “Onufri”, in honor to the Albanian painting Headmaster of XVI Century. The Cathedral is rebuilt during the 1797, and it is the most representative monument of post Byzantine architecture in Berat town.
• Ethnographic Museum – This museum was inaugurated in 1979. It includes Berat region and southern Albania folk ethnographic culture. The museum is placed in a three-century two storey building, typical for Berat area.
• Mangalem district (Old Town)
• Gorica district
• Church of Holy Trinity
• Kings Mosque
• Helveti Tekke
• On late afternoon, you may like to go to Çobo winery to have local wines taste. It is a 100% Albanian product. Overnight in Tirane.

Day 4 Lezhe – Shkoder

Leave Tirana and on the way to Shkodra, you may stop in Lezha to visit the following suggested sights:

• The Castle of Lezha, built on a hill, from which you can see beautiful sights of the Drin River, the city of Lezha, and the Adriatic Sea, is one of the most interesting cultural and historical monuments of the country.
• Mausoleum of Skanderbeg in the Saint Nicholas church. George (Gjergj) KastriotiScanderbeg was an Albanian nobleman and military commander, who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire and stopped it to conquer Europe in the 15^th

Interesting sights and museums to visit in Shkodra:

• Rozafa Castle. With spectacular views over the city and Lake Shkodra, the Rozafa Fortress is the most impressive sight in town. Founded by the Illyrians in antiquity and rebuilt much later by the Venetians and then the Turks, the fortress takes its name from a woman who was allegedly walled into the ramparts as an offering to the gods so that the construction would stand.
• Marubi National Museum of Photography famous for its big and rare collection of photos over Albanian history.
• Take a tour at Pedonalja,so called Kole Idromeno Street which is the old center of Shkodra, very Mediterranean taste passing through mosques and churches.
• Thelake of Shkodra is also suggested to visit, to bath, or to eat some of the best dishes of Albanian cuisine like Carp baked in clay pot (Krap ne tave), typical for this region.
• Venetian mask show room. Overnight in Shkoder.

Day 5 Montenegro

Leave Shkodra to travel to Podgorica. Please, just bear in mind that you are to go through border crossing control. The suggested border crossing is Han i Hotit.

Interesting sights and places to visit:

• Niagara fall – Yesss, there is another waterfall called Niagara, but this one is in Montenegro… J It is only 5 km away from Podgorica.
• Millennium Bridge – Once in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, you may visit and take photos of this nice moment of architecture. The bridge is built over Moraca River, the largest river in Montenegro, connecting the Old town with the New Modern quarter.
• Old town – The old quarter is typical old Turkish “kasaba” (town), with narrow and curvy streets.
• Clock tower – this 16 m tall tower was built at the end of 17^th century and is a symbol of the city.
• You can drive to Virpazar, a little fishermen’s village on the road from Podgorica towards the coast. It lies on the place where rivers Crmnica and Orahovštica meet and immediately flow into Skadar Lake. Overnight in Shkoder.

Day 6 Shkoder – Valbone

 Leave Shkodra to travel to Valbone.

• First stop at Koman to take the ferry to Fierza.
• Around 2 hours ferry travel in Koman Lake. An astonishing and marvelous scenic trip; one time life experience.
• Bajram Curri town
• Shoshani canyons
• Valbona valley

Overnight in Valbone.

Day 7 Valbone

Interesting sights and places to visit:

• Valbona waterfall
• Old Water mill
• Xhemas lake

Overnight in Valbone.

Day 7 Valbone – Prizren – Tirana

Leave Valbona to travel to Tirana via Prizren, Kosovo. Please, just bear in mind that you are to go through border crossing control. The suggested border crossing is Qafe Morine.

Interesting sights and places to visit:

• Gjakova old bazaar
• Prizren fortress
• Sinan Pasha mosque in Prizren
• Orthodox Cathedral in Prizren
• Stone bridge in Prizren

After leaving Prizren, please cross the border at Morine to enter Albania.

Overnight in Tirane

Day 8 Tirana – Airport

Departure to Airport. Return of rental car either in Tirana or Airport as initially agreed. Rrugë të mbarë!