Overview
€240 total for your group · 12 hours · departs from Durrës or Golem or Tirana or Vlorë
Gjirokastër is the stone city of the south: slate-roofed tower houses climbing to a huge castle, a UNESCO old bazaar, and the birthplace of both the dictator and the country's best-known novelist. The day trip covers the castle, the bazaar and the Skenduli house, with free time for lunch and souvenirs, from Tirana, Durrës or Golem and back in twelve hours.
Tour facts
Highlights
- Gjirokastër castle on the ridge, one of the largest in the Balkans
- The UNESCO old bazaar of slate-roofed Ottoman tower houses
- The Skenduli house, a 300-year-old tower house open to visitors
- Free time in the bazaar for lunch and souvenirs
Gjirokastër is a long way south, which is why the day runs to twelve hours: pickup in Tirana, Durrës or Golem, the drive down the coast and inland, and the return in the evening. The visit itself is the castle, one of the largest in the Balkans, on the ridge above the town; the old bazaar below it, the UNESCO-listed core of slate-roofed Ottoman houses; and the Skenduli house, a tower house some 300 years old that shows how the families of the city lived behind their stone walls.
There is free time in the bazaar for lunch and for the shops before the drive back. The air-conditioned vehicle and the guide are included; entries and lunch are paid on the spot.
The route
Pickup in an air-conditioned vehicle and the drive to Gjirokastër, with a stop on the way.
Visit of the castle, the UNESCO old bazaar and the Skenduli tower house with the guide.
Free time in the bazaar.
Drive back and drop-off at the pickup place, end of the tour.
What's included
- Transfer with AC vehicle
- Visit of Gjirokaster
- Guide
Not included
- Entry tickets
- Food and drinks
Good to know
Photos from this tour
Questions travelers ask
Why does the tour take twelve hours?
Gjirokastër is in the far south, so most of the day is the drive there and back from Tirana, Durrës or Golem; the visit and free time in the town fill the middle of the day.
What is visited?
The castle, the old bazaar and the Skenduli house, with the guide, then free time in the bazaar.
Are the entries included?
No. The price covers the air-conditioned vehicle and the guide; the castle and house entries, lunch and drinks are paid on the spot.
Can it be combined with the Blue Eye?
This day is Gjirokastër only. The Blue Eye spring is covered by the Blue Eye, Saranda and Ksamil day trip and by the multi-day tours.
Photo credits
- Gjirokastër castle Albania 2018 5 by Karelj · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gjirokaster, castle 2 by Krzysztof Dudzik-Górnicki (User:ToSter) · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gjirokastra - teils verfallende Steinhäuser 2 by malenki · CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2011 Gjirokastra, Twierdza 04 by Marcin Konsek · CC BY-SA 4.0
Other options
- Beach
- Private tour
- Difficulty: easy
- Culture · Food · Nature
- Private tour
- Difficulty: easy
- Beach · Culture · Food
- Private tour
- Difficulty: easy