DAY 1
Flight Riga - Tirana ~ 00:15 - 01:55.
Transfer to the hotel. Check-in, rest.
Optional dinner at the hotel (extra charge).
DAY 2
Breakfast.
Free day, rest at the sea.
Optional dinner at the hotel (extra charge).
DAY 3
Breakfast. Rest at the sea, free time.
In the afternoon, an excursion "Durres - Kruja".
We will visit Durres, the second largest Albanian city, located on the Adriatic coast, founded in the 7th century BC.
A walking tour awaits us, which includes the archaeological museum, the 5th-century Byzantine trading center, ancient city walls, the 2nd-century Roman amphitheater, the Venetian tower, and many other sights of this ancient city.
Departure to the city of Kruja. We will visit the Kruja fortress (entrance tickets are paid additionally ~ 5 €), which was the center of resistance to the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century.
You will have free time at the old 17th-century oriental market, where you can buy Albanian souvenirs and try local cuisine.
Return to the hotel, rest.
Optional dinner at the hotel (extra charge).
DAY 4
Breakfast. Rest at the sea, free time.
In the afternoon, an excursion to Tirana.
Founded in 1614, Tirana is the capital of Albania.
During the tour, we will walk through the center of Tirana and see the medieval Efem Bey Mosque, built in a classic Turkish style between 1793-1823, the pyramid, which was supposed to be the mausoleum of the Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha, the colorful facades of houses in the spirit of postmodernism, which have become symbols of the capital, Skanderbeg Square, decorated with buildings reflecting the architectural eras of Tirana, the presidential palace, the Parliament building, the house of the former country's leader Enver Hoxha, Mother Teresa Square, and other attractions.
We will visit the Bunk’Art museum (entrance tickets are paid additionally ~ 5 €), located in a five-story bunker with 106 rooms, built in 1976 by the communist government in case of a nuclear attack. This is the largest nuclear shelter in Albania. Next to the bunker is the headquarters of the Bektashi order (entrance ticket is paid additionally ~ 2 €), which is more than 100 years old.
Free time or a traditional Albanian lunch for an additional fee.
Return to the hotel, rest.
Optional dinner at the hotel (extra charge).
DAY 5
Breakfast.
Free day, rest at the sea.
Optional dinner at the hotel (extra charge).
DAY 6
Breakfast. Free day or, if desired, an excursion to the historical cities of Albania – Apollonia and Berat (extra charge 60 €).
Apollonia, founded in the 6th century BC, is the most ancient city in Albania, one of the largest on the Adriatic coast and the most significant among the other thirty ancient cities, which makes it one of the main gems of the country's cultural heritage (entrance ticket to the historical center is paid additionally ~ 6 €). This city was an important economic and cultural center. Today, 6% of the territory of the ancient part of the city is presented with an acropolis, a theater for 10 thousand spectators, a forum, various public and private buildings, as well as old streets.
In the Apollonia museum, visitors can see an extensive collection of coins, statues, vases, and other valuable finds, which give a clearer picture of the life and culture of the ancient inhabitants of Apollonia.
Then we will go to Berat, one of the most picturesque and historical cities of Albania, founded in the 4th century BC, which can delight with its unique architecture in the form of house roofs rising one above the other. This city is protected by UNESCO.
We will visit the Berat fortress, which is the largest fortification in all of Albania. On its territory there are 40 Orthodox churches, one of which has become the national museum of Onufri icons, named after the most famous icon painter of Albania in the 16th century (entrance tickets are paid additionally 4.5 €).
Return to the hotel, rest.
Optional dinner at the hotel (extra charge).
DAY 7
Breakfast. Check-out from rooms.
Excursion to the city of Shkoder.
Shkoder is the third largest city in Albania, founded in the 6th century BC, with a population of 120 thousand.
We will go to the Rozafa fortress, built in the 4th century BC, and the museum inside it, and the famous St. Stephen's Catholic Cathedral (the main Roman Catholic church of the city).
We will walk through the city with elegant narrow streets accompanied by 2-3-story buildings from the 18th-19th centuries and visit the only Orthodox church and mosque in the city. Such a religious triad is represented in every Albanian city, where mosques are adjacent to Catholic churches and Orthodox churches, which demonstrates harmony between religions. Then we will go to the mask factory, where world-famous masks for the Venetian and Brazilian carnivals are produced. In addition to all this, the products of this factory are even used in Hollywood films (entrance tickets are paid additionally ~ 11 €).
Free time in the city, during which you can visit the main jewelry stores.
Optionally, we offer lunch with traditional fish dishes on the lake shore (extra charge). Wine and snack tasting is possible ~ 8 €.
Transfer to the airport.
DAY 8
Flight Tirana – Riga ~ 02:35 - 06:15.
