This trip really did exceed expectations. Much better than we thought it would be. Beautiful... anita norman, 2018 See more reviews
A guide book can only tell you so much and as I didn’t know anybody else who had been to Albania... Sue Widdowson, 2018 See more reviews
We travelled around most of Albania learning its history and seeing its wonderful scenery, eating... Vittoria Doyle, 2018 See more reviews
a brilliant trip giving us a great out look of the country going from city to villages mountains... Russell Millns, 2018 See more reviews
This trip offers an excellent introduction to the varied and interesting country that is Albania.... Katherine Holt, 2018 See more reviews
This was an excellent tour with a lot covered in the 10 days enabling us to understand the... Dennis Jenkins, 2017 See more reviews
A wonderful trip to a country emerging from very difficult times, accompanied by a good group and... Janet Gibbons , 2017 See more reviews
Itinerary Include flights Expand all Tirana to Kruje Day 1 Start Tirana. The tour starts at our hotel in Tirana, Albania’s capital. Those travelling on the group flights will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel (approx. 20 mins). This afternoon we'll have an orientation tour of the colourful streets of Tirana, which was made the capital of Albania in just 1920. We’ll see the main sites, including the impressive façade of the National History Museum which is adorned with a gigantic mosaic known as ‘The Albanians’. This is one of the finest examples of late Albanian Socialist Realism in the country, depicting the resilience of the people in their fight against invasion and occupation throughout the centuries, and dominates Skanderbeg Square. The exhibits within the museum give great insight into Albania’s intriguing past and recent history up to the present day.We also visit Et'hem Bey Mosque, one of the oldest buildings in the city. Closed under communist rule, it reopened as a house of worship in 1991 despite opposition from communist authorities. We also explore an area known as Blloku on foot, where villas were once occupied by members of The Politburo (former leading sect of the Party of Labour of Albania) but which is now the lively centre of Tirana’s nightlife where trendy bars, cafés, and fashionable clubs can be found.Comfortable Hotel Day 2 Visit Elbasan Fortress en route to Pogradec, offering views across Lake Ohrid. After breakfast, we begin our drive to Pogradec (approx. 3 hrs. drive), but en route we make a short stop to visit the fortress of Elbasan. A city influenced by various cultures including Serbs and more importantly Italians, the fortress here dates back to the 15th century. The fortifications originally incorporated twenty-six towers equidistantly spaced from each other along the length of a nine-metre high wall; today the ruins can be seen along the southern wall which remains more or less intact.Our final destination for today is one of the most charming resorts in Albania, Pogradec, thanks to its position on beautiful Lake Ohrid with clear waters and mountain views. Keep your eyes peeled for Orhrid trout (known as ‘Koran’ in Albania), a species endemic to the lake. We go for a scenic walk at Drilon Park on the far side of the lake, to discover the waterways and ornamental plants and trees that make up this special ecosystem.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Transfer to the artists' village of Voskopojë; continue to Korçë. This morning we continue driving for about an hour to reach Voskopoja Village (formerly known as Moskopole) an important and well-known centre of art where many talented Albanian painters chose to practice their profession. The village has suffered over the years, as many of its treasures were stolen during the second half of the 18th century and this continued during the world wars. We take a 40 minute walk to visit one of the oldest churches representing Voskopoja religious art.Another short drive (approx. 30 mins.) takes us to the largest city of south-eastern Albania, Korçë, which sits at the foot of Moravia Mountain, 800m above sea level. This city became an important trading and handicraft centre in the 18th Century and has also been referred to as ‘the city of museums’, being home to the National Museum of Mediaeval Art and Archaeology, the Museum of Education (where the first Albanian School was opened in 1878), and the new museum of ‘Bratko Collections’ displaying antiquities from the Far East. Our visit to Korçë includes the National Museum of Mediaeval Art and Archaeology, Mirahori Mosque (one of the oldest in the Balkans) and the famous church 'The Resurrection'. Korçë has been an important religious centre for Orthodox Christians. It's also worth trying the famous local beer whilst in the city.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Drive via the mountain village of Ersekë to Përmet, famous for its food and wines. Our drive through the mountains today is truly spectacular as we enjoy sweeping views across the Gramos and Nemercka Mountains. Along the winding route, we enjoy a short stop in Ersekë, which at 1050m is the highest town in Albania. This 17th century town is surrounded by beautiful green pastures of the Gramos Mountains. Continuing onwards to beautiful Përmet, we make a quick stop at the old bridge of Benje village, and the hot springs, where we have time to relax and swim. After quite a long day (approx. 5 hrs. drive in total) we arrive in Përmet, situated in the heart of the white mountains on the Vjosë River. This evening you’re sure to be in for a treat as Përmet is famous for its food and wine, including 'gliko' sweets and raki.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 To Gjirokastër via the characteristic village of Dhoksat. Drive to the beautiful town of Gjirokastër (approx. 2 hrs. drive), calling in at the traditional village of Dhoksat en route for a home-cooked lunch. In the afternoon we enjoy a guided visit around the famous town of Gjirokastër. Set on a mountain slope, the cobbled streets wind their way between old houses with interesting architectural features including mediaeval towers. The castle is the main feature and stands like a balcony over the town offering wonderful panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. We visit the ethnographic museum which is the house of Albania's former dictator Enver Hoxha.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 6 Visit 'The Blue Eye' natural water spring; travel to Butrint and on to Sarandë. In the morning we have a short journey (approx. 30 mins) to visit the ‘Blue Eye’, an area where seven artesian wells (natural springs) rise. Named after the largest spring, the water descends to depths of over 50m as it infiltrates the pale-coloured surrounding rock. We then continue to the UNESCO World Hiritage Site of Butrint (approx. 1 hr. drive), a sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine, founded in the 4th century BC. Worshippers came to the sanctuary and left symbolic objects or money for the gods and priests in the belief that they would then be healed by the sacred waters. We spend the night in the city of Sarandë, which is a stark contrast to the tranquil towns we have stayed in so far.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 To Vlorë via Porto Palermo Bay to visit Ali Pasha Castle. In the summer we can swim and sunbathe at the small beach here. A change of scenery today as we travel through the spectacular Albanian Riviera. We spend time at Porto Palermo Bay and visit Ali Pasha Castle, which was once one of the most important military bases during the cold war. There is a small beach here, suitable for swimming, sunbathing and relaxing in an unspoilt corner of the Mediterranean during the summer months.From Porto Palermo Bay, we wind our way up the coast enjoying views to Corfu and miles of olive groves and pine forests, stopping for lunch en route to the popular destination of Vlorë, where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in 1912. We arrive in the afternoon and there is time to relax before we explore this vibrant large town. (Total driving time today is approx. 3.5 hrs.)Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 Visit Apollonia and Ardenica Monastery; drive to Berat. We start our journey north today and stop at the wonderful ruins of Apollonia (approx. 1.5 hrs. drive). Originally occupied by the Illyrian tribes and then the Greek colonists from Corfu and Corinth around 600BC, Apollonia flourished in the Roman period and was home to a renowned school of philosophy but began to decline in the 3rd century AD when its harbour started silting up as a result of an earthquake. We continue inland to the Monastery of Ardenice, built by the Byzantine Emperor in 1282 (approx. 40 mins. drive). The monastery became famous as the national hero of Albania, Gjergj Kastriot (Skanderbeg), married Donika Arianiti here in 1451. Another highlight is the Church of Saint Mary set within the monastery, which reveals frescoes from famous Albanian painters. Finally, we transfer further inland to the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site of Berat (approx. 1.5 hr. drive), where we spend a night in the oldest district of the town.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 9 Guided tour of UNESCO site of Berat; continue to amphitheatre and port of Durrës; Continue to Krujë. This morning we enjoy a guided tour around the old district of Berat, with its pretty white buildings perched on the hill amid pine forests. We walk through the narrow cobbled streets and finally reach Berat Castle on the slopes of Mount Tomorr, where we are rewarded with breath-taking views (and begin to understand why it is known to Albanians as 'The City of a Thousand Windows'). Within the castle walls are dwelling houses and the Onufri Museum (Museum of Iconography), which we will visit.From Berat we drive to the port of Durrës (approx. 2 hrs. drive), the second largest city in Albania and famed for housing the largest amphitheatre in the Balkans. The amphitheatre dates back to the 2nd century AD, seats 15,000 people and contains an early Christian crypt with rare wall mosaics. The city was colonised by colonists from Corinth and Korkyra in 627 BC and was named Epidamnus, but later became Dyrrachium. We then drive to the famous mediaeval citadel of Krujë (approx. 45 mins. drive), where Albania's national hero, Skanderbeg, led the resistance against the Ottomans. He kept them from crossing into Western Europe for 25 years, earning the title "Champion of Christ".Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 10 Tour of Krujë; visit the ethnographic museum and wander through the bazaar. After breakfast we’ll have a tour of Krujë. We will visit the Skanderbeg Museum, a rich ethnographic museum inside the castle, and enjoy inspirational views out to the Adriatic Coast. We have time to wander through the mediaeval bazaar full of souvenirs and handicrafts. Those travelling on the group flights will be transferred to Tirana airport for your flight back to London (approx. 45 mins. drive). Meals included: Breakfast
Albania No visa required for most nationalities, including UK passport holders, most other EU nationalities, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand.
Hotels We spend each night in a different 3 or 4-star hotel or pension with good service, amenities and en suite rooms. Each night we will be situated within walking distance of local attractions and a variety of choice for restaurants to eat in the evening. The accommodation ranges from comfortable modern properties to older properties bursting with character.
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Reviewed April 2018 anita norman Trip: Highlights of Albania EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS This trip really did exceed expectations. Much better than we thought it would be. Beautiful country, somewhere we knew nothing about, leaves you feeling you want to know more.... What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Too many to choose. The hotels were excellent as was the food.The mountains, the views, lake Ohrid, learning about the history of Albania,the 'blue eye' swimming in the natural springs, you can go on and on...Soft spot for Berat, beautiful place would like to have stayed longer. The hotel there was 5 star - excellent. What did you think of your group leader? Edjon 'Ed' everything you could possibly want in a guide. Knowledgeable and passionate about his country, warm, friendly and professional.You would be hard pushed to find a better guide. Excellent. A guide like Edjon makes you realise no matter have much you travel, how little you know....always things to learn, wonderful. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Don't change too much money when you arrive. At the moment it is still very cheap here, especially in the mountains.If you have a few spare euros laying around it might be worth taking them with you as around Berat/Tirana prices are often priced in Euros ( exchange rate poor) but it might save you changing anymore cash into Lek later in the trip. A couple of the places we were down to visit as free to visit appear to be now charging a fee. Look at alternatives to the flight Exodus offer. Is there anything else you would like to add? Couple of points: Exodus this is a great holiday. But I do have a couple of question for you : You recommended Broken April to read, an excellent book but this trip does not take you to the north so the book does not relate to this trip. This trip could be improved by including Shkoder Castle. Which would link in with the book and give a better overall view of Albania. Also more time in Tirana to visit the museums that would also give you a better understanding of the more recent history of this country as the trip is built more around their past history, not their most recent. Finally although the coastline is beautiful, the two places we stopped overnight on the coast could have been any Mediterranean holiday resort and that time could have been better spent at some of the other places like Shkoder/Tirans and Berat. These thoughts are just feedback, we loved this trip.
Reviewed April 2018 Sue Widdowson Trip: Highlights of Albania Fabulous trip! A guide book can only tell you so much and as I didn’t know anybody else who had been to Albania I really had no idea what to expect. We had a fabulous tour guide, Edjon, which helped make this holiday one of the best I’ve done with Exodus. He knew everything about EVERYTHING Albanian and related the country’s history with knowledge and passion, and most importantly an understanding on long bus trips of when to leave his group in peace to doze! The scenery is spectacular. I’ve never seen so many beautiful little churches and Gjirokaster and Kruge in particular were lovely. Hotels and breakfasts were all of a good standard. None of the hotels had tea/coffee making facilities but all had hairdryers. By day seven I still had money left from the £100 I’d changed into lek and that was after drinking wine with dinner every night! It’s not all beautiful countryside, white stone buildings and UNESCO sites but so much of it is that it’s definitely a place worth visiting. I loved it. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Too many to name! What did you think of your group leader? Far and away the best tour leader I’ve ever had. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take a kettle
Reviewed April 2018 Vittoria Doyle Trip: Highlights of Albania Comprehensive look at Albania We travelled around most of Albania learning its history and seeing its wonderful scenery, eating the foods and meeting the people. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing Berat as we drove in. Just beautiful. What did you think of your group leader? Ed was amazing. His knowledge was exceptional. His enthiusiasm for his country took you along with it. Would love to travel with Ed again. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Its quite a tiring trip purely in terms of the fact that you have only one night in every place. But bus journeys are not exceptionally long. Maybe go a day beforehand, as some of our group did and see a bit more of Tirana.
Reviewed April 2018 Russell Millns Trip: Highlights of Albania Albainia 2018 a brilliant trip giving us a great out look of the country going from city to villages mountains and the sea. the only criticism i have was the hotel in permeti was cold no heating but still a nice hotel. the guide which started the trip with was very helpful with the information about his country it was sad for him to find that his grandmother was very ill and had to leave us to go back to his family i send my regards to ed and his family .the second guide we had was again fantastic. the churches and icons are fantastic to look at ,the food was wonderful and vearied.a big thank you to our driver that took us around the country with great skill and he always had a smile on his face. overall veiw i have of the trip was the country of Albainia is a lovely place to go to and has changed my impressions of the place and people What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? going for a walk up the hill in permeti and seeing the church of saint mary and looking at the icons inside What did you think of your group leader? both of our group leaders were brilliant Do you have any advice for potential travellers? just go it will open your eyes to a wonderful country Is there anything else you would like to add? no
Reviewed April 2018 Katherine Holt Trip: Highlights of Albania Albania is a hidden gem! This trip offers an excellent introduction to the varied and interesting country that is Albania. Amazing mountain vistas, coastal views, friendly mountain towns and authentic villages. Food is fantastic, wine is good and plentiful and raki also available in a range of 'flavours' for those who like it! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I enjoyed seeing long-forgotten frescos in churches previously abandoned during the communist era. I also found the concrete mushroom bunkers scattered everywhere a poignant reminder of the recent history of this amazing country. What did you think of your group leader? We had two leaders as Ed unfortunately had to leave mid-way through. Ed - super passionate about his country, really gave a compelling impression of what it was like to live through recent history with stories of his family, friends (he has many...). I was really sad to lose him so soon. However Erion was an incredible replacement! He had to pick up half way through - a difficult job, but he is such a professional guy. Knowledgeable and able to explain complex subjects in a really clear way. I learnt a lot about Albania from Erion and he was also good company and very funny guy. I think we were lucky in the end to have two guides - Ed was very much 'heart and passion' and Erion was very much 'educator and friend'. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Order wine by the 0.5 litre rather than the glass as its better value! Is there anything else you would like to add? Some more opportunity for walks would have been good.
Reviewed February 2018 Claire Sheriff Trip: Highlights of Albania Highlights of Albania Excellent trip, excellent Guide, excellent country! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Excellent trip, excellent Guide, excellent country! What did you think of your group leader? Excellent trip, excellent Guide, excellent country!
Reviewed February 2018 Claire Sheriff Trip: Highlights of Albania Highlights of Albania Excellent trip, excellent Guide, excellent country! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Excellent trip, excellent Guide, excellent country!
Reviewed February 2018 Claire Sheriff Trip: Highlights of Albania Highlights of Albania Excellent trip! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Our guide. He has so much knowledge and was super interesting!!
Reviewed October 2017 Dennis Jenkins Trip: Highlights of Albania Highlights of Albania This was an excellent tour with a lot covered in the 10 days enabling us to understand the difficult times Albania has gone through as well as opening up the many things it has to offer as a destination. It was a busy trip but did not feel rushed at any of the places we visited as it has not yet fully embraced mass tourism (although some places like Butrint no doubt get very busy in the summer months). What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? There were many but the mountain scenery is stunning and there is plenty of it! Also the food was very good especially the excellent, wholesome lunch we had at the village house. What did you think of your group leader? Edjon was really excellent. Obviously very passionate about his country, he made every effort to make sure we saw as much of Albania as he could and gave us a thorough understanding of how the country existed under a very repressive regime and how it is now trying to move forward. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Go now before it changes too much. Also, very little time is spent in Tirana if you take the group flight via Vienna. If you take the direct flight from Gatwick a day earlier, by staying an extra night in Tirana, it gives you nearly a full day to explore the city yourself and also more time in Kruja at the end as it doesn't depart until around 9pm. Is there anything else you would like to add? Although the lunch at the local house was excellent in every way and the family very welcoming, it did not really represent a typical local village home. Also, to cover as much as we did later in the autumn could prove difficult with the shorter day lengths. Maybe extending the tour by a couple of days would help. Certainly, 2 nights in Berat would be well worthwhile.
Reviewed September 2017 Janet Gibbons Trip: Highlights of Albania Highlights of Albania A wonderful trip to a country emerging from very difficult times, accompanied by a good group and fab guide. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Most days there were great experiences. Berat and Gjorokastra were stunning cities, beautiful mountainous scenery, the Blue Eye, the icon museum at Korce, having lunch with a lovely family in Dhoksat, archeological ruins at Butrint, etc. I could go on. And then there was friendly welcome from the Albanian people. What did you think of your group leader? Klodi was an exceptional guide. Passionate about and proud of his country, extremely knowledgeable and professional, caring and very good company with a great sense of humour! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Nothing in particular. Is there anything else you would like to add? Changing hotels every night might seem daunting but it was a thoroughly enjoyable and quite relaxing. Moving on was not a problem. I would thoroughly recommend this trip. Albania has so much to offer.