1-Day Apollonia and Ardenica Tour from Durres with Monastery Visits

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Explore Apollonia, founded in 588 BC and taken by Aristotle as a model in his analysis of oligarchy
• 02 Discover one of the most important ancient centres of Roman times on the Via Egnatia
• 03 Visit the monastery and archaeological museum at Apollonia, where excavation finds are displayed
• 04 Admire the magnificent interiors of Ardenica Monastery, including frescoes by the Zografi brothers
• 05 See the chapel where Gjergj Kastrioti Scanderbeu is said to have married

Discover two of Albania's most remarkable cultural and spiritual sites on this day trip from Durrës. Explore the ancient city of Apollonia, a Greek colony with a strong Illyrian character and one of the country's most influential classical centres, known for its unique blend of monuments, archaeology, and landscape. Then visit the magnificent Ardenica Monastery, a rarely visited hilltop sanctuary admired for its 18th-century interiors, richly decorated iconostasis, golden pulpit, and frescoes by the Zografi brothers. Together, these sites offer a memorable journey through Albania's ancient, medieval, and religious heritage.

Today, inside the church, you can admire paintings from 1743-1745 by Albanian artists such as Konstandin and Athanos Zografi and Konstandin Shpataraku.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 1 Day

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Fier, Apollonia (Illyria)

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Apollonia and Ardenica Heritage Tour

• In the morning, we depart for the ancient city of Apollonia, one of the most important ancient centres in Roman times, located on the famous Via Egnatia. The Roman Emperor Augustus Octavian himself studied there, a testimony to the city's development and its cultural importance.
• We visit the ruins, including the library, as well as a nearby 14th-century monastery that was later turned into an archaeological museum, where objects from the excavations are displayed.
• After visiting Apollonia, we continue to the Monastery of Ardenica. Ardenica Abbey Church dates back to the Middle Ages, with a stone at the entrance bearing the date 1417. The first building belonged to the beginning of the 18th century.
• Today, inside the church, you can admire paintings from 1743-1745 by Albanian artists such as Konstandin and Athanos Zografi and Konstandin Shpataraku. It is also said that our National Hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Scanderbeu, was married in the chapel of this monastery.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• Entrance ticket to Apollonia/Ardenica
• Pick up inside the city of Durres

What's Not Included

• Personal expenses
• Food/drinks

Know before you go

• Because of its distinct and separate Illyrian and Greek communities, it was a vital stronghold in Caesar's civil war with Pompey and important in early Christian history, with its bishop attending the councils of Ephesus and Chlalkis in 431 and 451 AD.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

PFCF+Q4C, Pojan, Albania

Tour start

PFCF+Q4C, Pojan, Albania

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.