1-Day Tour in Blue Eye, Monastery, Gjirokaster and Lekursi Castle
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Saranda, Albania
- 6 to 8 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- In-person guide is licensed or certified
- Lunch
- enternerace to blue eye€0.50 per person
- enternerace to gjirokastra castle (optional)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
1
Monastery of Saint Michael
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
The Blue Eye
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Gjirokaster Castle
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Lekuresi Castle
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 77 reviews
Zach_J, Mar 2026
Our driver was fantastic! We loved our experience and had plenty of time to enjoy the locations he took us to. The overall experience was very welcoming and we had a great time. Would recommend to anyone who wants to explore South Albania.
Sergio_M, Nov 2025
Communication was fast and clear from the moment we booked. Pick-up was on time everything went smoothly and we learned so much. I’ve traveled a lot and this agency stands out for their professionalism and friendliness. 🥰
Daria_K, Nov 2025
It's really great experience ! Nice places, great road, different views, unforgettable experience😍 I like that you have free time to walk and visit different places. I'm ready to recommend it without any doubts ☺️
Olivia_H, Nov 2025
I booked just to fill a day but it turned into one of the best memories of my vacation. Every stop had something unique from history to nature to great coffee spots. The guide’s passion really showed. Worth every minute!
Jana_H, Oct 2025
I didn’t expect to fall in love with this region so much. The views, the food, and especially the people made this tour unforgettable. Our guide shared local stories that you won’t find on Google it felt like discovering a secret side of Albania
Markus_R, Oct 2025
What stood out for me was the genuine kindness. It didn’t feel like just a business — more like being welcomed by friends who really love their country. The guide’s pride in Albania was contagious, and it made the whole trip extra special. Highly recommended if you want more than just sightseeing.
Sasha_K, Oct 2025
Good store to take in some of the main local sights, good value for money. Self directed in each location, would recommend
Charlie_C, Sep 2025
Very enjoyable day out with activities done in the perfect order to avoid busy times. This tour covers off most of the places and landmarks close to Sarande in a full day tour, at a great price. Would highly recommend .
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the flow of the day and that the order of the visits made it more comfortable. Wonderful to hear you felt it was good value and worth recommending — it means a lot to us!
Febie_T, Sep 2025
Our experience was beyond words. Our guide
is very knowledgeable and gave us enough time to explore the sights. He even recommended some traditional food in Albania. The tour consist of small group in a van which I like the most. I would highly recommend to book your tour with them.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted you enjoyed the balance of exploring time, the guide’s knowledge, and the recommendations for traditional food. It’s great to hear you liked the small group atmosphere — and we truly appreciate your recommendation!
Caroline_H, Sep 2025
This was a very well-organised tour with lots of variety. It caters for lovers of nature, history and traditional Albanian life. The Blue Eye, Lekursi Castle, St. Nicholas's Monastery, and Gjirokaster all boast breathtaking views. The Blue Eye national park also provides for people with limited mobility or those travelling with children as you have the opportunity to rent an ebike or take the train. Doing the ebike option also affords the opportunity to do some kayaking along the river. For those who are feeling more energetic, you can walk to the Blue Eye and take in the stunning scenery along the route. There is also the possibility to have lunch/coffee at one of the lovely restaurants/cafes on arrival. All in all, it was a lovely day out. Our guide/driver Ilmi was warm, friendly, welcoming and informative. The only thing missing was a dip in the sea to cool off after spending so much time under the hot sun.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for such a detailed and thoughtful review! We’re delighted you enjoyed the variety of the tour and that each stop — from the Blue Eye and St. Nicholas Monastery to Lekursi Castle and Gjirokastër — left such a strong impression. It’s wonderful to hear that Ilmi’s warmth and knowledge made the experience even better. We appreciate your kind words and your suggestion about cooling off after the heat — it’s a great idea! We truly value your feedback.
Jafar_H, Sep 2025
Excellent the guide spoke reasonably good English. He kept us informed and gave us plenty of advice. He was knowledgable and courteous.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind feedback! We’re happy to hear you found the guide knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful throughout the day. We truly appreciate your review!
Christine_C, Sep 2025
The tour started at 9AM and ended around 5:30. At the blue eye and gjirokaster, we had a lot of time to explore on our own. Our guide provided brief introduction to each destination and answered questions.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed the balance of free time to explore and the guidance provided at each stop. Wonderful to hear you had a fulfilling day with us!
HANANE_O, Sep 2025
It was a beautiful experience , the guide was so friendly , so explicative , i had such a great day thanks for everything
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted you had such a great day and that the guide made the experience friendly and enjoyable. We truly appreciate your feedback!
Joanne_S, Sep 2025
This was a great day out and very good value. The tour guide was very accommodating and friendly with lots of information about the places. You are able to spend a good amount of time in Gjirokaster and the blue eye, which makes a relaxed day. Very good driver, I highly recommend this tour for a great variety of interesting places to visit. Very enjoyable.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the relaxed pace of the day and the time spent at both Gjirokastër and the Blue Eye. Wonderful to hear you felt well taken care of by the guide and driver. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Arun_H, Aug 2025
Excellent tour to beautiful places in comfortable vehicle with adequate time given at each place to explore. Many Thanks !!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you very much for your kind words! We’re glad you enjoyed the beautiful places, the comfort of the ride, and the time to explore each stop. We really appreciate your feedback!
Almudena_G, Aug 2025
Gjirokaster is well worth a visit.
The tour is very well organized. Communication via WhatsApp is fluid. Highly recommended.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for your kind review! We’re glad you found the tour well organized and appreciated the smooth communication. Happy to hear you enjoyed Gjirokastër — thank you for recommending us!
SveinErik_F, Jul 2025
Well organised tour, everything according to schedule, in comfortable minibus. Friendly guide always prepare to answer questions. This tour gives you several interesting places, the highlights were The Blue Eye and Gjirokaster. I reccomend seed the cold war tunnels in Gjirokaster if interested in this time periode. It s enough time exploring the city.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your great review! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour, found it well-organized, and appreciated the guide’s friendliness. The Cold War tunnels are a great tip for others — and we’re happy you had enough time to explore Gjirokaster. Hope to see you again! 😊
David_T, Jul 2025
Good value trip with friendly guide who gave a little information about each place we visited. Just the right balance of time allocated. Perhaps 30 minutes extra in Gjirokaster but still enough time to visit the castle, have some lunch and grab a souvenir.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad you found the trip good value and well-paced. Great to hear you enjoyed Gjirokaster — we’ll definitely consider your suggestion for a bit more time there. Hope to see you again soon! 😊
Megan_S, Jul 2025
We had a fantastic experience on our tour in Albania! Traveling with our 9-month-old, we were so impressed with how professional and well-organized everything was. The tour guide made everything smooth and stress-free, and we truly appreciated the thoughtful balance between planned activities and free time to relax and explore on our own. It was the perfect combination for our young family – we especially liked Gjrokaster, a very beautiful place with great food.
Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear you had a fantastic experience, especially while traveling with your little one. It’s great that the balance of activities and free time worked well for your family, and we’re happy you enjoyed beautiful Gjirokaster. We truly appreciate the recommendation and hope to welcome you again someday! 😊👶🇦🇱
Harshitha_S, Jul 2025
The guide was super informative, friendly and very understanding. He didn't rush anybody and showed us all the places patiently
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much! We’re happy to hear you felt relaxed and well taken care of during the tour. Your kind words mean a lot — hope to see you again soon! 😊
Veronica_M, Jul 2025
Amazing tour with very interesting information and the perfect time at each spot! I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Saranda or Ksamil.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the tour and appreciated the timing and information. Thanks for the recommendation — we’d love to welcome you again! 😊🇦🇱
Steven_P, Jun 2025
Our tour guide, ilmi, was great addition to this tour. A really nice guy, knowledgeable, friendly and helpful with places to go in the free time we had on the tour. Some really nice places to visit with a good amount of time at each one to see everything.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you so much! We’re happy to hear Ilmi made your experience even better with his knowledge and friendly attitude. Glad you enjoyed the stops and had enough time to explore—hope to see you again soon!
Dionysios_T, Jun 2025
The driver was attentive and friendly. The driving time between stops is short. Highlight of the tour is Gjirokaster. We were not allowed to swim in the Blue eye.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad you found the driver friendly and appreciated the short travel times. Gjirokaster truly is a highlight! Regarding the Blue Eye, swimming is currently not allowed to help preserve its natural beauty. We appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoyed the experience overall!
Zoe_N, Jun 2025
This is a worthwhile tour with some stunning scenery, we loved the village and castle, our tour guide was very helpful and knowledgeable,
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour, especially the village and castle. It’s great to hear our guide made the experience even more special with helpful insights. We appreciate you joining us!
Bianca_P, Apr 2025
Ilmi was a great guide, knowledgeable and ensured we had a great time
The included sights were amazing, it was much easier and personable to get around with a small group
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you! We’re glad you had a great time with Ilmi and enjoyed the small group experience. Hope to see you again!
Julia_H, Apr 2025
A huge thanks to our guide ilmi hasani for a great experience. He is very friendly and knowledgeable, and ensured that we had enough time at all of the tour destinations. Thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Blue Eye, Gjirokaster town & castle.
Also stopped at the monastery, Lekursi castle and to view one of the infamous war bunkers. Managed to see & learn so much in one day!
Would definitely recommend this tour. Excellent value for money too. Thanks again
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you so much! We’re glad you had a great experience with Ilmi and enjoyed all the amazing stops. Really appreciate the recommendation—hope to see you again!
Alona_F, Mar 2025
Plenty of time given to explore each place. We went during low season so the train from the entrance to the blue eye is not available. You have to walk about 15 to 20 mins but shouldn't be a problem.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed your visit. Hope to see you again! 🙂
Alberto_B, Sep 2025
Incredible excursion with the best guide in the world.
We have loved the truth that for that price it is gifted.
The sites are beautiful and the guide goodism
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Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your amazing words! We’re delighted you enjoyed the beautiful places and that our guide made the day so special. We truly appreciate your kind feedback and recommendation!
Beatrice_B, Sep 2025
Great activity with a good group. The guide was nice and very professional. I give the maximum rating because the day was really great and for the cheap price it was a good surprise!
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Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you very much for your wonderful feedback! We’re so happy you enjoyed the day, the group, and the guide’s professionalism. Delighted to know it felt like such a great experience and a pleasant surprise for the price. Your top rating means a lot to us!
JOSEBLAS_B, Jul 2025
Comfortable and agile transportation. Very cool places like the Blue Eye by nature or Gjirokastër to buy souvernirs and eat.
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Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you so much for your feedback! We’re glad you enjoyed the comfort of the transport and the beautiful stops, from the Blue Eye to exploring Gjirokastër. Happy to hear you had a great experience with us!
From $43.42
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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1-Day Tour in Blue Eye, Monastery, Gjirokaster and Lekursi Castle
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