Saranda, Ksamil and Gjirokastra UNESCO -From Tirana/Durres/Golem
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Tirana, Albania
- 12 to 15 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Pick up and drop-off from Tirana City
- Pick up and drop-off from Durres and Golem
- Air Conditioned transportation to the destination locations
- English-speaking guide throughout the entire tour
- Digital tour booklet in your selected language
- Road fees
- Snacks and drinks
- Museum / Castle entrance
- Boat trips and/or Kayaks rent
- Sunbeds
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
The tour guide will send the photo of the Van and also the live location to make it easier to see when the tour guide is closer to your location
Operating hours.6:15 am
Itinerary
1
Tirana
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Gjirokaster
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Saranda
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Ksamil Beach
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
5
Ksamil
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Tirana (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Kindly note that this tour is not suitable for children under 4 years old
- Not recommended for travelers with knee problems.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 52 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 154 reviews
Marion_D, May 2026
It is a very long day. Frequent comfort stops, 2 hours in 2 destinations 30mins in Saranda. The mini bus wasn’t very comfortable the seats were narrow with hardly any leg room. However the guide, Khaljdi was very good and knowledgeable, and interacted with everyone.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you! We’re glad you appreciated Khaljdi’s knowledge and interaction 😊 We also take note of your comments regarding comfort and seating.
Brian_M, Apr 2026
Had an awesome day today with Gazi seeing a beautiful historic town as well as the great beaches in the south. Highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you! We’re really happy you had an awesome day and enjoyed the tour 😊
Sean_T, Apr 2026
What a day!
Astriti was a wonderful driver and guide.
He was a great mix of professional, fun and engaging and really made the day one to remember.
Knowledgable and able to keep the whole group engaged for a very long day - I wish all tour guides could be more like him!
The locations - it’s a long day due to the distance covered but it’s absolutely worth it!
Beautiful locations, great scenery and a nice mix of locations - I must give this trip and Astriti 5/5!
Thanks again.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you! We’re really happy you enjoyed the experience, the beautiful locations, and Astriti’s guiding. It means a lot that the long day felt worth it and memorable for you. 😊
Neehar_V, Apr 2026
Had a fun time, great trip, the guide Klajdi was exceptional in receiving and showing us all the places.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you! We're so glad you had a fun time and enjoyed Klajdi’s guidance. Hope to see you again soon! 😊
DrPreet_S, Mar 2026
Trip booked for 6.15 am, but started at 5.55 am. Bledjan (our drive and guide) was very lively and was adept at time management. He took us to Gjirokaster first, then a brief stop at Ksamil and then some more time at Sarande. The ascent to the Gjirokaster castle (400 ALL entry ticket) was worth it, and the views from there are good as well. From Ksamil, one can view Korfu island. Sarande beach was lively (fortunately not overcrowded as this is the off-season period). The vehicle was comfortable. Albeit most of the time was spent travelling from one place to another, the south of Albania is very beautiful. Perhaps a bit more guidance (rather than verbal instructions) about the local places in Gjirokaster would have helped. Something for the tour company to ponder upon. Bledjan ensured we were back to Tirana on time. A long day with an early start, but definitely worth it. Would suggest a good night's sleep before you take this trip and some good walking shoes.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you! We’re happy you enjoyed the beautiful south of Albania and Bledjan’s lively and well-organized guidance. We hope to see you on another tour soon 😊
Suzette_L, Mar 2026
It was longer than about 8 hours of drive total, but the transportation vehicle was old. The engine was noisy. Besides, the middle sliding door was not open from inside. We had to wait until our driver/guide opened the door every time when we need to get out of the car. The car was dirty outside, so the photos we took came out not good since the windows dirty. The driver/guide said many things but hardly hear what he said since his voice was low. A microphone should be needed or he should speak louder. We didn't really have a pleasant day trip due to these two things.
Zev_E, Mar 2026
Very good trip. Well-organized and worth the money. Driver/guide kept things going and got us home before seven. Highly recommend.
Reza_R, Feb 2026
Rather longish drive however it was beautiful and Bledi is one of the best guides ever. Very knowledgeable and a good sense of humour. He made us try the best Burek in Albania. The monastery enroute was peaceful and beautiful.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your feedback! 😊 We’re happy you enjoyed the journey, the peaceful stops, and Bledi’s guidance. Hope to see you again! 🌿✨
MarianneIves_S, Feb 2026
Our tour to Ardenica Monastery and the UNESCO city of Gjirokastra was excellent! We learned so much while laughing the entire time. Bledjan showed us Albania in a completely different light with his deep knowledge of the culture and history. To top it all off, he even shared his talent for rapping on our way back to Tirana! What a truly lovely and memorable day.
My husband and I highly recommend this tour and Bledjan as your tour guide.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your fantastic review! 😊 We’re thrilled you enjoyed the tour, Bledjan’s knowledge, and his fun personality (rap included 😄). So glad it was a memorable day for you both! 🌟
Elisa_G, Dec 2025
Today we visited the Ardenica monastery and the UNESCO town Gjirokastra with this tour. It was wonderful. From Tirana to Gjirokastra we enjoyed the Albanian landscape and our guide told us interesting facts about the places, about the Ardenica Monastery and about Gjirokastra. In Gjirokastra we also saw the bazar, the castle and we had some private time, we decided to taste some local food. It is really a trip that I recommend, thanks Bledjan for the great tour!
Joseph_M, Dec 2025
Gjirokastër is absolutely worth the long drive from Tirana, absolutely gorgeous historical city! Unfortunately I don’t feel there’s enough time in the city, but that can’t really be helped if you’re coming from Tirana due to the distance. Bledi was a fantastic guide too, he was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour and brought an interesting local perspective to the stories of the region we travelled through!
Maxine_W, Dec 2025
Good day out.. Noel was our tour guide. Full of knowledge about the country. Nothing was too much trouble and he was nice and polite. Its a long day but some nice views on the journey.
Elise_D, Nov 2025
A long drive from Tirana but very worthwhile. I'm so pleased that I did this trip during my stay in Albania. Gjirokaster town and castle were beautiful and very interesting to visit and the mountains of southern Albania were very impressive too. I also enjoyed the stops at Ardenica Monastery and the river in the mountains. Ervin was a great guide! I feel like I saw a lot on this trip. A fantastic day!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re delighted you enjoyed Gjirokaster, the mountains, and the stops along the way. Ervin is thrilled to hear your kind words! 🏰🏞️
Michael_L, Nov 2025
SmartTourAlbania is a great tour company, I’ve booked them for two tours now and they’ve been wonderful with pickup and transportation. I really enjoyed that the bus was big and had AC (which is great after much walking). I didn’t know what to expect, but the city and castle were an amazing experience. You could almost feel the spirit and energy of the Albanian people while you’re on the castle overlooking the city. The views were breathtaking and felt simply magical. The castle and city have a unique energy to it that you can feel. You won’t regret this if you come to Albania.
Bledi our tour guide also kept us entertained throughout the whole 13 hour day. He always had a smile on his face and made sure we were attended to. I am very happy with the trip and the experience provided by the tour company, and it was extremely affordable compared to other tours!
Deena_H, Oct 2025
Such a great experience. Our tour guide Klajdi was very knowledgeable and shared very interesting facts about Albania’s history and culture throughout the drive and walk in detail. Girokäster was beautiful to explore and the Blue Eye was truly spectacular. I highly recommend this experience and thank you for making it so enjoyable!
Dale_D, Oct 2025
This is a 14 hour tour, door to door, so be prepared for four stops, two for food and restroom, and two for the sights. Most of the day is on a bus.
However, the bus is extremely comfortable, the driving safe, the guide Bailey friendly and informative.
The places we stopped to visit were great. 2.5 hours at gjirokastra, and 1 hour at blue eye.
I enjoyed my day and recommend the trip.
Anil_K, Oct 2025
Excellent trip. Gjirokaster castle is unique. If travelling to Albania must see this castle. Tour organisers are good.
Aline_S, Oct 2025
The tour was good; our guide, Ervin, was very kind and shared some interesting facts about Albania with us. The only problem is the way back to Tirana it took 5 hours, bear it in mind!!
Seema_S, Oct 2025
Our guide Bledi was good and helpful!
It can be a long and tiring trip though from Tirana, so plan accordingly.
Lynne_M, Oct 2025
It’s a seriously long trip made easier by a fabulous guide. If you don’t get a good guide I think it could be a different story.
Jaime_G, Oct 2025
This was a great experience, be prepare to be on the road and do a lot of walking, set the day for this, you will not regret. The company very communicative
Charlene_B, Sep 2025
Our guide Bledi was so amazing! He knows everything about the history of Albania. It was perfect, I highly recommend.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled that you enjoyed the tour and appreciated our guide’s knowledge of Albania’s history. Creating memorable and informative experiences is always our mission, and we hope to welcome you back soon for another amazing adventure!
twchew, Sep 2025
Very knowledgeable and helpful guide. Excellent communication via messaging before tour too. Though we experienced car trouble, it was replaced promptly to enable trip to continue smoothly.
James_T, Sep 2025
Great experience. Astrid our driver and guide was terrific. Very knowledgeable, affable and helpful. Smaller group which is nice
Maria_B, Aug 2025
Ervin was such a good guide, especially compared to the tour I took next day. He was enthusiastic about the culture of his country and adapted to what the group wanted to see. He was also knowledgeable of what we saw, be it the river while driving there or the heritage of the city. Timing was just perfect, punctual to the minute as foreseen. He also helped having some nice photos, for which I am grateful. I would go again with him anytime again.
Sibel_S, Aug 2025
This trip is highly recommended! It was filled with a lot of great experiences in historic Girokäster, and not least the scenic Blue Eye. But with our very skilled guide Klajdi, who could tell us a lot about Albanian history and culture, we became very knowledgeable about Albania in addition to the sights on this trip. Thank you very much for an unforgettable experience!
Collette_D, Jul 2025
This was our favourite tour and we booked 5 in 5 days which was too much travelling. The travelling time and distance covered made this a very long day. Plenty of rest/toilet breaks there. This place was beautiful and we had enough time to explore without being rushed. The restaurant recommended by the guide was lovely.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad this was your favorite tour and that you enjoyed the beautiful sights and the recommended restaurant. We appreciate your note about the long travel and will keep it in mind for future planning. Hope to see you again soon!
STG_S, Jun 2025
Very nice and fun excursion, Mr Bledi explained everything to us in great detail and made the history lesson very interesting, I will 100% recommend.
thelmataj, Jun 2025
The tour guide was excellent. He suggested where to eat and what to eat. He bought us strawberries on the way and also took us to a famous pie place on the way back
DanielaBeatrizDe_M, May 2025
Amazing experience. 5 stars. Recommend!
- very knowledgeable and informative guide tour, which is algo a very fast but safe driver! Thank you Antonio, you are amazing!
- nice stops on the way to break down the journey
- we were worried we wouldn't have enough time to visit the monastery or the market/bazaar or that we would be rushed the whole day, but it was super relaxed and there is time for everything
- the Gjirokaster castle is definitely worth a visit
- monastery and riverside park stops are a nice extra
- flexible and efficient picks ups/drop offs. But WiFi/roaming is definitely needed to be in touch with driver throughout
- comfortable vehicle with air con (but no wifi)
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour, the stops, and the relaxed pace we strive to offer. It means a lot to us to provide a safe and comfortable experience while sharing the beauty of our country. We appreciate your feedback about WiFi and staying connected with the driver. We look forward to welcoming you again on another great adventure with our team!
From $46.62
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Saranda, Ksamil and Gjirokastra UNESCO -From Tirana/Durres/Golem
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