Albanian Trip
The Lepidopterist Tour of Albania
We had our very first lepidopterist tour of Northern Albania in the summer of 2016 and it was a lot of fun! For those who are unsure, the northern part of Albania is an enchanting land of mountains, valleys, beautiful traditions and interesting folklore! (And yes, there are lots of butterflies and moths!)
In 2016 we had a surprising adventure with a fantastic bunch of butterfly and nature connoisseurs who helped us learn and understand so much about our natural world! With endless enthusiasm, persistence and hard work we enjoyed the company of some of the most dedicated lepidopterists ever.
If you believe this sounds like something you’d love to do, please message us! If you have a small group ready to go, this is great, otherwise we will be putting out feelers to see who is interested! We will work out the dates when we know how many people are in your group and what time you can come – of course, summer is best! We’ll be most happy to arrange longer stays if you’re interested in Albanian mountains, beach or cities, but please see the general itinerary below!
The activities on each day will mostly revolve around butterfly and moth adventures but we can also add on excursions to dive into other parts of Albanian heritage and history. For now, we are listing just a general idea of where we will be staying each night. The day’s activities will vary:
Itinerary
Day 1
- Meet in Tirana in the morning.
- Drive to Shkodra. Lunch in Shkodra and then on to the beautiful deep valley of Theth. Overnight in Theth.
Day 2
- We’ll explore and adventure around the area of Theth, visit the village and take time to see what butterflies and moths we find around. Overnight in Theth.
Day 3
- We’ll hike to a nearby meadow with the presence of a lot of insects, butterflies, springs and views of stunning wild mountains all around. Back to Theth for the overnight.
Day 4
- Transfer back and exploration of the shores of the large and beautiful Lake of Shkodra. Visit the Rozafa Castle in Shkodra. Overnight in Shkodra.
Day 5
- Early departure to Koman. Take the ferry and cross to the eastern side of the huge artificial but beautiful lake. Drive to Valbona. Check in at hotel. Overnight in Valbona.
Day 6
- Full day exploring the meadows and the fields of Valbona. More than 50 kinds of butterflies can be expected to be found only in this part of Albania in the months of June, July and eventually August. Overnight in Valbona.
Day 7
- Finish up with morning plans.
- Depart for Tirana for flight home or transfer elsewhere (we’d be happy to discuss this!)
Price:
Starting from 699.0 Euros/per person (single supplement 149.0 euros/person.) The final price will depend on number of participants in the tour.
Payment Options: We accept bank transfers, PayPal and we have a debit terminal/POS available at our Castle Kiosk Tourist Office in order to accept Debit, VISA and Mastercard payments (please keep in mind that 5% of the total will be added for the latter option.) We can also accept cash payments where applicable.
Price includes:
- All expenses for your guides/driver.
- Fuel and AC car/minibus/4WD rental depending on terrain.
- Local taxes.
- 6 Nights in Standard double rooms in charming small local hotels.
- All breakfasts, picnic lunches and dinners too. It will include lunch until day 7 when we expect to get to the area of the airport of Tirana. We’ll be happy to extend our services in case need will be.
- VAT tax.
Will the trip happen in 2021? How did it go on 2017?
Hi Philip! Apologies for having had your email unanswered.
Well if we will have Covid19 let people travel again, there is a good chance we will run the tour again. It’s always been great. We customized this tour for a German Lepidopterist and Nature Society last year. It was a success. Let us know if we can help with more..
Best regards
Elton