9-Day Albanian Coastline Adventure with Beaches, Rafting and Kayaking

• Fly to Tirana Airport in Albania and go directly to Vlora City.

Accommodation and dinner in Vlora.

• After breakfast, explore the beautiful Karaburun Peninsula by speedboat, including the Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park. This is the only reserve of its kind in the country, and little is yet understood about the park's biodiversity.
• Visit the mysterious cave at Haxhi Aliu, used by traders and smugglers for millennia and now a national monument.
• Snorkel in a remote bay, sunbathe on an untouched beach, and then enjoy a picnic lunch on the sand.
• After lunch, depart straight for Himara.

Accommodation in a guesthouse in Himara.

Dinner included.

• After breakfast, explore along the southern coast of Albania through Himarë and Saranda. The small beach of Porto Palermo is certainly one of the favourite destinations for tourists. Only one hour from Saranda city, the colour of the sea in this bay is simply unbelievable. It is perfect for swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or snorkelling. So bright, crystal clear, and blue, it seems unreal. It contrasts strongly with the sun-burned coastline, creating spectacular views.
• Prepare for paddling in Porto Palermo Bay and kayaking for about 3 hours.
• Enjoy a local fish lunch in a traditional restaurant.
• Visit Porto Palermo Castle. Sometimes known as the Castle of Ali Pasha, it was probably built by the Venetians when they used to rule the area. It connects to the mainland by a narrow strip of land and used to serve as a Soviet submarine base. The castle of Porto Palermo is fascinating, and the area's history could take up many days of reading.
• After lunch, continue to Saranda.

Dinner and accommodation in the Saranda area.

• After breakfast, head to another coastline near Saranda city. Only 13 km from Saranda, you can reach the amazing beach bays of Kakome by car or by boat. 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, while the variation of the blue sea and the surrounding greenery make it a true paradise.
• Prepare for kayaking and stand-up paddling in the crystal waters of the Ionian Sea.
• Enjoy a picnic lunch during your sportive activities.

Accommodation and local dinner in Saranda.

• See how the hot sun welcomes 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 or the Amazon, but on the Bistrica River. Just five kilometres from Saranda, there is your gate to an experience that is quiet, yet still wild and challenging, in the rafting. This half-day tour will disconnect you from people, cars, noises, and the city's heat; in exchange, you will 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 lunch in Gjirokastra city.
• Visit Gjirokastra Castle after lunch. Gjirokastër Castle (Albanian: Kalaja e Gjirokastrës or Kalaja e Argjirosë) is a fortress in Gjirokastër, Albania. During Ottoman rule, it was historically known as Ergiri, while local Greeks referred to it as Argyrokastro, a name also applied to the castle. Gjirokastër Castle is situated at a height of 336 metres. The castle dominates the town and overlooks the strategically important route along the river valley. It is open to visitors and contains a military museum featuring captured artillery and memorabilia of the Communist resistance against German occupation, as well as a captured United States Air Force plane to commemorate the Communist regime's struggle against the imperialist western powers.
• After the visit, go straight to Permeti city.

Accommodation and dinner there.

• After breakfast, start rafting on the Vjosa River, one of Europe's last free-flowing rivers, with class III rafting.
• Prepare for waves up to four feet and narrow passages that send the boat shimmying and water gushing over the sides. The Vjosa River's entire 270 km course is wild, untamed, and adorned with beautiful canyons, braided river sections, islands, and oxbows.
• Have a local lunch after rafting. Permet is a city known for many tourist attractions and thermal springs that are highly curative and recommended by doctors. These thermal springs are situated on the banks of Langarica Canyon and attract hundreds of tourists from around the world every year. Langarica Canyon is about 200 metres from the thermal springs and features altitudes varying from 30 to 150 metres.
• Through the rocks of the impressive canyon flows the Langarica River, known by locals as "the blessed river". Langarica Canyon is surrounded by the forests and mountains of Danielle and Shqeri and joins the Vjosa River further on. The natural panorama along Langarica Canyon is stunning and untouched by the human hand. It changes through the seasons and gives this area a colourful and expressive scenery of nature. Inside the canyon are many caves, a variety of trees and aromatic bushes, and thermal springs formed by sulfur waters streaming from the caves.
• Visit the thermal baths, and then depart straight to Skrapari.

Accommodation and dinner there.

Camping site.

• If you have a taste for adventure and are curious about wild Albania, then join us. We depart from the beautiful UNESCO heritage city of Berat and head out across the wilderness of the Osumi Canyons in Skrapar.
• Enjoy rafting, which provides magnificent scenery as you float by the canyon walls and makes for a memorable experience. Eight waterfalls, a cathedral, unspoiled nature, and the soothing sounds of running water combine to create a truly unique trip.
• Enjoy a local lunch after rafting, then depart for Berat.

Accommodation and dinner there.

• After breakfast, visit one of Albania's most magnificent mountain ranges the traditional way.
• Witness the blessings of the natural harmony of the elements and the Holy Mountain of Tomorr on the back of a sturdy mountain mule, just like the mountain people of times past. During ancient, Roman, and medieval times, Mount Tomorr was considered the Olympus of the Illyrians, the region's original people. Tomorr was considered the fairy house of the region and a divine oracle of the nation.
• Experience a traditional Albanian village and be treated to seasonal, regional cuisine.

• After breakfast, depart for Tirana and visit Skanderbeg Square, Et'hem Beu Mosque, and the Clock Tower.
• Visit the New Bazar, Tabak's Bridge, and the old castle of Tirana.