Top Gjirokaster Walking Tours

Tour 1 – Old Bazaar, Cfaka, Dunavat & Ali Pasha Bridge Step into the heart of Gjirokastër on this enchanting walking tour. Wander through the historic Old Bazaar, explore the ancient houses of Cfaka, and traverse scenic hills to reach the iconic Ali Pasha Bridge. Experience the perfect mix of history, tradition, and natural beauty, and uncover hidden corners of the city that few visitors ever see on this unforgettable 3-hour journey. Tour 2 – UNESCO Castle & Zekate House Discover the magic of Gjirokastër with a local guide on this immersive walking tour. Explore the bustling Old Bazaar, ascend to the UNESCO-listed Castle for breathtaking views, and visit the beautifully preserved Zekate House, an Ottoman-era masterpiece full of stories and legends. This tour offers a truly unforgettable experience, letting you feel the city’s history, charm, and unique atmosphere like a local.

This private tour showcases a rarely-discussed aspect of life in Gjirokaster, Albania during the Cold War. Visit the Cold War Tunnel, used by the political leaders of the time, as well as the City Castle's prison building. Hear stories and confessions of the people who lived and worked during this difficult period in Albania's national story.

Unearth Gjirokastër, Albania's stone city nestled in the rugged south. A UNESCO gem, it echoes with history, cultural treasures, and a majestic castle. Walk cobbled streets with stories, visit the castle, old bazaar, Skenduli house, and ethnographic museum. Taste authentic local cuisine in this enchanting UNESCO World Heritage site.

THIS IS THE ONLY LITERATURE TOUR IN ALBANIA. It will be lead by experts in the field of literature or by well-known critics. It introduces untold and unwritten stories seen by a local prospective. This tour impresses participants with Ismail Kadare's childhood, memories and influences. He wrote those books because he lived in such an interactive and controversial environment. All the stops of this walk can attach his readers with the starting point of his early writings. We offer unique local characters and their unknown lives for the visitors, characters that inspired Kadare to describe "secrets" from his angle of the world. This is a tour not only about literature but also about history, architectures, war, co-living, facts and thoughts. The way this tour engages your mind introducing quotes from Kadare's books is deep and thrilling. You understand that Kadare's books aren't just ordinary literature.

We will explore the unknown part of Gjirokaster, the magic of the town that every tourist skips. We start from “Cerciz Topulli Square” and head towards The “Old Bazaar”. It is the first neighborhood outside the castle and lies along beneath the its walls. The characteristic cobblestone the orthodox church and some of the oldest houses are the most beautiful elements. After passing the stream of Nanxa (where they are building a new street), we reach the neighborhood of “Cfaka”. Here we will pass by some first monument category houses, a rebuild mosque and then reach the last neighborhood “Dunavat” where we will find a tekke of the Bektashi Order. It is a beautiful combination of Nature and old houses before arriving to “Ali Pasha Bridge”, a remaining of the aqueduct build more than 200 years ago to bring water to the castle. It takes approximately 3 hrs and you should be prepared to walk on a not so comfortable terrain. So put on your sneakers and join us to this back in time trip.

Discover the magic of the city with this walking tour. Led by a local guide, start from Cerciz Topulli Square and continue towards the Old Bazaar. Meet local artists to learn about traditional methods of cultural craft creation. Unlock the historic Castle of Gjirokastra and learn about local history while wandering through its magnificence. Finish at the medieval fortress known as Zekate House to explore how the wealthy lived.

Antigonea , also transliterated as Antigonia and Antigoneia, was an ancient city in Chaonia, Epirus, and the chief inland city of the ancient Chaonians. It was founded in the 3rd century BC by Pyrrhus of Epirus, who named it after one of his wives, Antigone, daughter of Berenice I and step-daughter of Ptolemy I of Egypt.