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Enjoy Rafting, Kayaking, Hiking In The Balkan Peninsula For 3 Days
  • Tour Category

    Private Tour

  • Tour Types

    Adventure Sports, Kayaking, Whitewater Rafting

  • Duration

    3 Days

  • Activity Level

    Easy

  • Language

    English

Description

Explore Albania and the Vjosa, Europe’s last wild, free-flowing river, by rafting it with local activists. Disconnect from people, cars, noises and the city's heat; you’ll get pure adrenaline. With this rafting experience in the middle of the jungle, you’ll feel ages and fight with the wilderness of the trees. Prepare for waves up to four feet and narrow passages that send the boat shimmying and water gushing over the sides at Vjosa River. With the drive to the Gjirokastra, walk around this ancient city as there are plenty of pit stops to fulfil the appetite for history.  

Highlights
  • Experience the rafting with the local activists
  • Prepare for waves up to four feet and narrow passages at Vjosa River
  • Explore the wilderness of the trees and jungles in Albania 
  • Day 1: Sarande: Kayaking, Stand up paddle , Rafting, Sunset expand_more
    • Meet your hosts at Saranda Harbour at 9:45. 

    • Travel with a minivan to Kakome Bay, only 13 km from Saranda. The beach has a stretch of 1 kilometre of sand with a small port in the middle. The bay used to be home to an army base, and access might be limited during some periods. It has fine white sand and gravel; the variation of the blue sea and the surrounding greenery make it a true paradise.

    • Visit the St. Mary's Monastery. The building contains numerous architectural and decorative elements, such as arches, columns, frames, window sills, etc., made of carved stone. High stone walls and a well-protected entrance gate surround the monastery complex.

    • Try kayaking and stand-up paddling in the crystal water of the Ionian Sea—picnic lunch during your sportive activities.

    • Depart to Saranda at 16.00 for rafting in the Bistrica River and Jonian Sea and sunset views.

    • Travel with a minivan to Bistrica River for about 30 min.

    • Enjoy 2-2,5 hours rafting and swimming into Saranda's river and the Ionian Sea.

    • Enjoy the sunset. The rafting trip is your weapon at the same time, your shield…and it’s not over yet! Going to the sea coast of Saranda in the Ionian Sea is your gateway to infinity, space, freedom and quietness. You will feel lost for centuries; with the raft in the middle of the jungle, you’ll experience ages, fight with the wilderness of the trees, embrace the adrenaline, and do it. So it starts with cold water, and it ends with it. The hot sun welcome’s you into the crystal clear water of the Bistrica River. You go back in time as the crawling trees, bushes, blue water, and sun are all you see around you. No, you are not in the jungle, nor the Amazon but in the river of Bistrica. Five kilometres from Saranda, it is your gate to experience as quiet but still wild and challenging in the raft. A half a day tour will disconnect you from the people, cars, noises and the city's heat; in exchange, you’ll get pure adrenaline. Nature, the lush wilderness, the bushes that struggle with you and the cold water will challenge you to think of a way out.

    • Eat dinner of traditional dishes of Saranda, and get accommodation in a guesthouse.

    For the present activity, you should love the outdoors, have good health, and have consulted the doctor during the year. Kids over 14 years old are very welcome.

  • Day 2: Permet: Rafting on the Vjosa River expand_more
    • Eat breakfast; then, the minibus will pick you up and take you to the small town of Permet (a 3-hour drive).

    • Feast on lunch, and you’re in for an adrenaline-fueled afternoon as you go rafting on the Vjosa River, one of Europe’s last free-flowing rivers. Its 270 km course is wild, untamed, and adorned with beautiful canyons, braided river sections, islands, and oxbows.
      The Vjosa River is a class III rafting course.

    • Prepare for waves up to four feet and narrow passages that send the boat shimmying and water gushing over the sides.

    • Wind into the evening, and you’ll visit the Thermal Baths of Benja and hike to the Canyon of Lengarica, where you can relax and swim in their natural waters.

    • Head to a local hotel for the evening in Permet, where you can enjoy a traditional dinner of Permet.

    2,5 hours rafting, 3 hours hiking & swimming, 4 hours driving

  • Day 3: Gjirokastra: Hiking the historical sites of Gjirokastra expand_more
    • Wake up this morning, and you’ll be taken on a short hike around the village. 

    • Drive to Gjirokastra after being collected from the guest house and walk around this ancient city, as plenty of pit stops are sure to fulfil your appetite for history.

    • Time to say goodbye after lunch as you head back to the seaport for your forwarding journey to Corfu airport. You can decide whether you will spend your last hours at the beach of Saranda or Corfu before flying back home (the ferry departs at 16:00). 

     2 hours hiking

What's Included
  • Rafting on the Vjosa River

  • Guided hiking, kayaking and stand up paddle, snorkelling

  • Guided cultural sightseeing

  • 2 nights accommodation

  • Rafting, kayaking and snorkelling equipment

  • Meals during the trip

  • Local professional certified English-speaking guides

  • All transfers in Albania, including pick-up from Saranda harbour

  • All taxes, insurances and licenses relative to the trip

What's Excluded
  • The trip fare doesn’t include coffee or any drink except water. You’ll have extra activities (optional tour) if you choose them, and you’ll probably feel like tipping your guides at the end of a fabulous trip, though you won’t need to pull out your wallet every few minutes on your Albania adventure tour!

What to bring
  • Breathable lightweight waterproof gear (Goretex, Sympatex, etc.)

  • Wind-stopper jackets

  • Small backpack with rain coverage

  • Snorkelling equipment

  • Cap

  • Sunblock

  • Mosquito repellent

  • Headlamp

  • Hiking poles

  • Water bottle

  • Sunglasses

  • Sunblock

  • Other recommendations are a camera, mobile phone, and personal medicine if required (please inform your guide in case of emergency)
Know before you go
  • Please be aware that you must wear long trousers and hiking boots for the hike on day 1.

Flexibility

  • Please note that the itinerary is subject to change based on weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances. We’re flexible, and none of our itineraries is written in stone, so if you have a particular interest you’d like to include, or you need to leave a trip earlier or join later (at a pro-rated fare), just let us know. We can almost always make it happen. Likewise, all adventure travel requires a certain amount of flexibility, and we sometimes have to make minor changes to the activities because of weather and availability. Still, we have plenty of options up our sleeves.

Attention

  • Kindly keep all your clothes and personal belongings in a backpack, which can be easily transported.

Accomodation

  • You’ll spend your first night in a comfortable twin room at a BnB in Saranda. All rooms are air-conditioned with a TV and seating area. The rooms also offer free WiFi.

  • On your second night, you will stay at a homestay in Permet, where you can exchange stories with the local residents.

Meeting Point

Saranda, Albania

Cancellation Policy

For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -

Refund of 80% of the tour price.
Price Details
Persons
1 To 4 EUR 450 Per Person

This is a private tour

Starting From

Fromss

see details
USD 499 / person