Ancients & Ottomans (Berat and Apollonia Day Trip)

This tour is designed for those who want to learn about Albania’s Ottoman past and see the largest ancient ruins here – all in one day!  Don’t forget your camera!
Very few places in the Balkans have retained such a clear representation of the Byzantine and Ottoman era as Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been given the title Town of Thousand and One Windows (although nobody seems to have actually counted!) There’s quite a beautiful Byzantine heritage left, too -throughout the town and the castle.
Not very far from the shore of the Adriatic lies the impressive ancient town of Apollonia. It’s the largest archaeological site in Albania and seems to have been one of the most important towns in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.  It’s a romantic, pleasant and interesting place to visit and offers a very elegant collection of objects, all presented inside a beautiful Orthodox monastery built before the 12th century AD.
Itinerary:
  • Depart Tirana around 9:00 for Berat (approx. 2 hour drive.)
  • Get keys to explore the exquisite little chapels of the fortress (with its ancient legends and stunning views of mountains!); visit the Onufri Museum to see the beautiful paintings here.
  • Delicious local cuisine for lunch in the fortress.
  • Walk to the lower part of the town and visit the two traditional neighborhoods on both sides of the river -Mangalemi and Gorica (which have winding cobblestone paths and lots of places to explore!)
  • Drive to Apollonia (approx. 1.5 hour drive.)
  • Our guides will give you a lot of information and bring you to the most secret places of this fabulous archaeological site!
  • Transfer back to Tirana (approx 2 hour drive.)
Price and Information:
This tour is offered as a private tour! 
Please use this contact form to sign up – it will provide us with all the information we need from you including your pick-up address, number of people, date and any special requirements. Once we receive your information, we will quote you the price based on your individual booking.
Private tours can be done any day of the year according to your needs.  For private tours we can offer pick-ups in Tirana or from another spot like Durres (the price will change if the pick-up is outside of Tirana.)
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.

The price will include:

  • All expenses for your guide/driver.
  • Fuel and AC car rental.
  • Entrance fees.
  • Local taxes.

Apollonia

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