From Sarande: Blue Eye, Butrint, Ksamil & Lekuresi Castle Tour
Badge of Excellence
Saranda, Albania
- 6 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Discover several points of interest in the Sarande area on this full-day excursion. Alongside a guide, head to Butrint National Park to see the ruins and then head to Ksamil Beach for free time to purchase lunch and enjoy the sea. Then, visit the Blue Eye water spring tucked away in the dense, green forest and end your day exploring the Ottoman Lekuresi Castle.
- Learn about the history of the region from your guide
- Enjoy round-trip transfers from your Sarande hotel
- Choose from several tour times to suit your schedule
What's Included
- Proffesional tour guide
- Pickup & drop off
- All entry Tickets(Premium Ticket only)
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- WiFi on board
- Bottled water
- Meals.
- Train ticket in Blue Eye(6euro)
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Butrint National Park
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Plazhi Ksamilit
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
The Blue Eye
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
4
Lekuresi Castle
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infant seats available
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 146 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Lynda_I, Jul 2026
It was an enlightening trip - if you enjoy history and culture, you would love this. Also it is mixed to sights and wonders of nature. Santi was a great tour guide - knowledgeable and flexible in coordinating the trip to suit the needs of the visitors. She was helpful beyond the tour with tips on where to go and drivers for our next destination.
Highly recommended.
Terry_B, Jun 2026
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and answered everyone's questions. The driver was safe and considerate of the road and his passengers.
The tour covered some of the major surrounding areas of Saranda and Ksamil. The Blue Eye cove was beautiful and we should have taken the opportunity to walk around here more, but the heat was up to 35+ by then.
All in all a good trip.
raaugustine, May 2026
All three locations are worth visiting and the most interesting was the archeological site, Butrint. I have always had excellent expriences with Viator and recommend using them and visiting these sites but, for this location in Saranda, Albania, I would suggest that Viator use a diffenent local tour company. Our guide, Santi (sp?) was very knowledgeable, friendly and flexible, however, I did have some significant issues with the local tour company contracted by Viator. I was booked for a 8:30 am tour but we were late boarding the bus although it was there. It was almost 9:30 before we left. The tour guide shared information she was given by a tour manager who was at the pick up point. To my knowledge, all passengers for the 8:30 am tour were ready. We were waiting for a group the manager claimed were having issues tendering to the pick up point. Two different ships were involved. Passsengers stated it was the responsibility of guests to get to the meeting point on time and didn't feel we should wait for more than a short time. One passenger spoke to the manager and indicated he was quite rude. We discovered that the 8:00 am group was also waiting and would be part of our group. I want to add that this was a small group excursion. The guide explained that leaving late was not her decision to make and we understood that. Finally, our bus left but then returned to the pick up point as the "late" individuals were on their way. Close to 9:30 am, a group arrived and were put on our bus. Many passengers, believing that that were just late were quite upset with the supposedly late group although one passenger made the situation very unpleasant. We later learned that, we had at least 3 groups with different tour times. There were scheduled for 8:00, 8:30 and 9:30. It turned out that the group that was supposedly late were not late and some shared their ticked that indicated a 9:30 tour. We ultimately found out that the local tour company decided to combine the groups and use two small busses. There were several passengers that chose the early tour so they would have time to explore the port area before having to tender back to the ship. The dishonesty of the local manager caused for some initial group tension when that should never have happened. Finally, our bus left and, to make matters worse, stopped at a gas station for fuel! That was completely unacceptable. We had sufficient time at the first two locations but the last location, at the castle, had to be shortened to get passengers back to the port. My group should have returned by 3:30 pm and got back by 4:00 pm. The tour guide did the best she could but I still felt that she, due to the misinformation she was given and passed along to us, had to deal with some very frustrated passengers through no fault of her own. I place the full responsibility on the local tour company but believe Viator should know what happened and would hope that, for future excursions, they would used another local company because the sites are well worth visiting.
Lesley_G, May 2026
In port for one day with a cruise on our first visit to Albania- wanted to see as much as possible and this trip covered many different aspects- ruins, beach, and geography!
Unfortunately a slow start as they merged 4 different tours start times into one, so we wasted time waiting for the last group to arrive.
Good modern comfortable transport. A guide who spoke good English and ensured the group stayed together. The cafe at the Blue Eye was great for a quick snack and very reasonably priced.
Some in the group claimed they didn’t know about the €6.50pp fare for the little train to the Blue Eye but it was in the tour details.
A good day out.
Patricia_P, May 2026
Great combination of nature and history. Our guide, Santi, spoke perfect English and Greek I believe. Was well educated in the history of Butrint, and of her homeland.
Only suggestion would be, you might need to bring a sandwich or something easy to carry as there was only a brief, quick stop to grab a bite to eat!
Stephanie_H, Apr 2026
This excursion was quite disorganized. For example, we were first put on a black Mercedes van for this excursion. Then, they later told us to get out of the van and go to the red bus, as we were put on the wrong tour. So then we sat in a red van and waited. Another couple joined, and then they told us to get out of the red van and go to the white one. Not a good customer experience at all, as we were bounced to 3 different vehicles - very chaotic!
So on the white van I specifically spoke to two different tour guides to confirm the tour and that the one we booked had 4 stops/destinations. They said yes. We did the Blue Eye, then Lekuresi and then she said they’re switching guides. Another guide led the Butrint tour. I asked again about the stop at Ksamil to see the beaches and get lunch. She said no. Two other couples also said the same thing. However, she said she didn’t know what we were talking about, and there wasn’t time at this point anyway. So we never did get to have lunch or see the beach. It was a very frustrating experience, despite numerous efforts to ensure they had us on the correct tour. We paid for a tour with 4 stops, and time for lunch, and only saw 3 stops, with no lunch. No apologies or acknowledgment by the tour guide, or the company.
Audrey_L, Mar 2026
Should have been a small group. When our van was full, we should have left instead of waiting for other vans to be full. Other than that it was fine.
Darrel_T, Mar 2026
The sites were nice but what was supposed to be a small group tour ended up with a 20 passenger mini-bus and three vans with only one guide. Because everyone didn’t get off the ship together because it is a tender port, we had to wait quite a while for the rest of the group. Many in the group weren’t aware of all the walking that needed to be done and weren’t up to it. Our guide did give information as best as possible at each stop but it would have been nice to have some narration on the drive.
Shannon_J, Mar 2026
This was not a small group as advertised.
43 people
1 tour guide
Our 8am tour started at 9am
Because we had to wait for all 43 to show up.
Diane_S, Mar 2026
We booked a small group specifically- we ended up with 45 people among two minibuses, a small bus and a private car with ONE English tour guide. He was nice but I paid for a small group!! Check out the photo-all 45 were our small group!
Mark_H, Mar 2026
We booked as a small group. However there were about 40 in our group. Apparently they convert to very large groups when a cruise is in port. No narrative during long car rides or at Blue Eye.
Tracy_H, Oct 2025
Butrint is fascinating!! Our guide was friendly and very knowledgable. Blue Eye is more beautiful in person than in the photos. I love combining ancient history and natural beauty. We enjoyed a beautiful spot for a coffee and a brief wade in the Ionian Sea.... stunning!!! Views of the city from Lekursi Castle did not disappoint. Albania was a special stop on our cruise itinerary.
Claudia_R, Oct 2025
The tour started a little late, and with inconvenients that were solved. They drop us off at the hotel.
Butrint ia a place worth visiting, interesting and the explanations of Tony helped to know more details of the site.
The Blue eye is a wonderful place, you have to walk for 20 mins to get to the Eye, or you can take a train (€3 per person, one way)
Ksamil is a nice beach where they take you a little time to have something for lunch but in a hurry.
Elisabeth_B, Sep 2025
This was a disappointment. The tour was changed from 9am to 10am, which in our case was lucky because the ferry from Corfu was running 45 minutes late. Once we got on the bus we spent the next hour crawling through Saranda traffic picking up other passengers. Once we were on the road we heard nothing about the plan for the day. Our guide spoke excellent English and was knowledgeable but not very communicative. There was a stop at a beach hotel near Ksamil where we had a drink, but there was no food service and no stopping in Ksamil. Tony, our guide, never mentioned a lunch stop, even though it was a a full day tour.
Butrint was worth the long drive, but, honestly, you don’t need a guide there. There are informative signs everywhere in various languages. You could easily walk around for an hour or two by yourself.
Next we headed for the Blue Eye, which is over the mountain from Butrint— another long ride. Once we arrived, we were marched up the road. Turns out there was a train, but you have to pay for it, which several of us would have been happy to do. It was now 3pm. My husband was feeling faint from not eating so I bought him some juice along the 15 minute walk. The Blue Eye is underwhelming, a lovely blue spring. My husband and I bought a ticket to ride the train down to the entrance where there was a restaurant. Our guide told us we had 25 minutes before moving on. Another long drive to the “Castle” which is a scenic overlook. Back to Saranda by 5:45pm. Too much driving around in a bus for too little.
Kevin_H, Sep 2025
Very worthwhile trip. Loved Butrint and guide escorted us to tell us what about we saw. Stunning Ksamil beach stop for lunch before worthwhile visits to Blue Eye and Castle
Melissa_P, Sep 2025
If you are looking to see everything in one day and get great photos, this is the tour for you. If you are looking to learn anything about Albania, don’t do this tour. The description of the tour states “As you explore, your guide provides information on the history and culture of Albania for a well-rounded experience.”
The guide does not provide any information nor speaks during the drives to the sites so just know this coming in.
There is another guide that gives the tour at Butrint and that is great! Definitely the best part of the day!
Lunch is outside Ksamil, at Laguna Beach. It’s ok, but note that you cannot split checks at one table. The blue eye is nice and the Castle has great views!
Agnidhar_A, Sep 2025
Really fun day trip from sarande covering all main stops with a lunch break in Ksamil. The blue eye was really beautiful and the castle at sunset with its views were magical. The guide was very friendly and assisted with all questions along with ensuring we had a separate guide inside butrint archeological park. The only issue I felt is they can include swimming in blue eye a bit and ensure there can be enough time at all spots given they are not that far and maybe start the tour earlier and finish a bit later given there is plenty of daylight in the summer. Overall definitely recommend this tour if you don’t want the hassle of driving place to place and deal with parking etc for sure.
Howard_G, Sep 2025
Tony was a great guide. Interesting stops , don’t expect much from Sarande as a tourist destination. It is definitely not developed for tourism. The van we were sent was incredibly uncomfortable and had seen better days and had minimal to no air conditioning. At times felt like we would pass out from the sweat and elevated temperature. Also it might be good to warn guests about what is not included such as the train and lunch at blue eye which only accepted cash Lets or Euros - so if you had no cash you are forced to walk 20 Minutes uphill under the blazing sun or sit at the entrance and miss the blue eye entirely. By the way the Blue Eye was very underwhelming and poorly represented in the tour photos and descriptions. On the positive side Tony was great and the views from the castle were very nice. Don’t bother with this tour if you have high expectations from a tour company or aren’t interested in seeing a developing country that’s not quite ready for tourists.
Akshay_A, Sep 2025
This was the ships first time in Saranda Albania. It was a tad bit confusing because you had to “tender” to port, meaning the boat is too big to get close to the dock and you would need to take a smaller boat to reach. Nevertheless, I got my tender ticket early so that I would be able to make my tour time. Upon arriving at port, I was able to find my name on a clipboard rather easily and was whisked along with a group to start my tour. The first tour guide, Toni, he was great. Explaining things, providing directions. About half way through though, we had to get another tour guide because apparently one had either called out or no showed for another group. While this young girl was very pleasant, she didn’t talk much snd left the group wondering at times what we were about to do. Nevertheless, the tour in Saranda was decent. You do see some pretty sites! Be prepared to walk up and down hills, have 6€ on you for a train ride at the “blue eye,” and bring snacks as there is very little time for “lunch.”
Also, the vans used for the excursion are a bit older so the AC units don’t work as well they used to.
Would I still recommend? Absolutely if only for the fact that the cruise ship excursions were on the same trip and cost double if not more than the cost of the Viator trip.
Dennis_W, Sep 2025
Booked this tour a month ahead of time. Got to the meeting point on time. We sat on a hot nasty bus for over an hour for some unexplained reason while the guide and driver chatted on their phones. We finally got started and the guide explained absolutely nothing. She refused to talk because “the bus had a broken microphone”. Umm ok but once we got to the first stop she explained nothing again. The bus wouldn’t go over 30Km. Absolute waste of time considering the sites themselves would have been cool. Save your money and book a car or another company.
At the second stop the other customers on the tour were getting upset as she still would not explain anything. We had no idea about the sites we were visiting.
It got so bad that a lady in the back of the bus started reading from Wikipedia.
Aimee_S, Sep 2025
My group is currently stuck on a bus with no microphone, so we cannot hear the guide even when she speaks, which is rare. The bus is not equipped with a microphone at all, so there is no way for the guide to communicate clearly with the group inside the vehicle. This is not a technical failure but a lack of proper preparation or equipment by the tour operator. It makes it nearly impossible to hear the guide’s commentary during transit.
This was supposed to be a tour of Butrint, Ksamil, and Blue Eye, but we never stopped in Ksamil to see the beach or have lunch there. Instead, we are eating at a convenience café near Butrint, which was a letdown.
The tour guide was friendly but clearly uninformed. This feels more like a bus transportation service than a genuine guided tour.
Important to note, Blue Eye has only one women’s toilet, which is insufficient for the number of visitors.
When visiting destinations, the guide doesn’t provide time limits or directions, and we are now sitting on the bus with no idea of the next stop, the order of the itinerary, or the reasons behind it.
Overall, this tour was frustrating and not what I expected. Be aware of these limitations when booking.
Jane_D, Sep 2025
This day trip was well worth the money! Tony our guide was so knowledgeable. He made this experience so memorable and gave us information that we won’t forget. Not sure what we expected but was far better than we had imagined. Top tip - cover yourself in mozzy repellent before you leave for the ruins.
Karen_H, Sep 2025
Bit of walking to do but well worth it . Guide tony brilliant and tour very interesting, would have missed a lot of history had I travelled to places without a knowledgeable guide. Fabulous day thankyou
Jay_H, Sep 2025
Excellent and informative tour getting to see main attractions of Serenda! Toni was very friendly and knowledgeable about the sites
David_L, Aug 2025
You get to see all the main sights in one trip.
Our guide, Tony, spoke super English and was very knowledgeable and friendly.
Great driver Jesse, he was needed on some of those roads!
CatherineAponte, Jul 2025
A great tour, well organized and very knowledgeable tour guide. The amount of time at each location was enough to get pictures and explore.
Jolene_P, Jul 2025
Excellent tour. The sites at Butrint were very interesting and our tour guide was very knowledgeable. He made the tour much more engaging. The Blue Eye was underwhelming to be honest. Not much to see there.
Kingson_C, Jul 2025
I usually give constructive reviews. So, please take this positively.
All well went except at Butrint. Butrint was supposed to be the highlight of my trip but it was disappointing. There was so much rush by the guide from one point to another. We didnt get enough time to walk on our own inside the complex, or take pictures. We were just running from one spot to another. Undoubtedly, the guide was very knowledgeable but wish he could give us some free time to enjoy the complex on our own.
David_K, Jun 2025
Tony was a great guide…and best to go with a tour because I wouldn’t want to drive on the roads here. Pick-up and drop-off at our hotel, received highlights of all the places, including entrance fees. We only had to pay the €6/person to ride the train from the entrance of the Blue Eye park to the actual spring head waters. (The train is one of those “kiddie trains” used for tours around city streets.)
Perfect amount of time in all the places, but no time for lunch built into the schedule…so eat a good breakfast or bring snacks. Plenty of time to get a drink, but not a sit-down lunch. Again… our guide Tony was great.
Michael_C, Jun 2025
The guide’s knowledge was extensive and he could answer any questions we had. He was able to impart historical information in an engaging way
From $39.11
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
From Sarande: Blue Eye, Butrint, Ksamil & Lekuresi Castle Tour
146
6 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$39.11
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Water Tours
- Nature and Wildlife Tours
- Full-day Tours
- Cruises & Sailing
- Outdoor Activities
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Private and Luxury
- Saranda
- Water Tours - Gjirokaster
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Gjirokaster
- Full-day Tours - Gjirokaster
- Water Tours - Corfu
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Corfu
- Full-day Tours - Corfu
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Ioannina
- Full-day Tours - Ioannina
Attractions in Saranda, Albania
More attractions near Saranda, Albania