Home > Tours > The Soul of Southern Albania - Food, History & Experience
Duration
8 Days
Group Size
12 people
Availability
April - November
Destination
South Albania
Experience southern Albania in a week-long journey where history, culture, and gastronomy intertwine. Walk through centuries-old streets, taste traditional and modern dishes crafted with local ingredients, and participate in hands-on cooking, wine tasting, and artisan workshops that reveal the rich heritage and resilient spirit of the region.
Explore living history from Cold War-era homes to ancient ruins and Byzantine churches, while engaging with local storytellers, musicians, and families who share their traditions and crafts. Each day blends authentic cultural encounters with refined luxury, creating a deeply immersive experience where every taste, sight, and story leaves a lasting impression of
Albania’s soul.
Terms & conditions
Duration: 8 days / 7 nights (Sunday–Sunday)
Group Size: Minimum 3, Maximum 12
Pricing per Person:
3 participants: €3,490 (Low Season – April & November: €3,141)
4–6 participants: €3,200 (Low Season: €2,880)
7–12 participants: €2,850 (Low Season: €2,565)
Inclusions:
• Luxury accommodations (3 - 4 -5star hotels & boutique stays)
• All meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, tastings
• Private guided tours in English
• Transportation in comfortable vehicles with luggage handling
• All itinerary activities: historical & cultural visits, hands-on cooking workshops, wine/raki/gin tastings, artisan demonstrations, outdoor experiences, music & dance performances, chef-led masterclasses
• Airport transfers (flights arriving before 13:00, departing after 13:00, options: 12:00 or 14:00)
Optional / Extra:
• Additional private airport transfers outside standard schedule: €100/person
Exclusions:
• International flights
• Personal expenses
• Tips
• Optional extras
Payment & Booking:
• 30% deposit to secure booking
• Full payment required 30 days before arrival
Cancellation Policy:
• Up to 45 days before arrival: full refund minus €100 admin fee
• 30–44 days before arrival: 50% refund
• Less than 30 days: non-refundable
2026 Tour Calendar (Sunday–Sunday):
• April (Low Season, 10% Discount): Sun 12 Apr – Sun 19 Apr; Sun 26 Apr – Sun 3 May
• May: Sun 10 May – Sun 17 May; Sun 24 May – Sun 31 May
• June (until mid-June): Sun 7 Jun – Sun 14 Jun
• September: Sun 13 Sep – Sun 20 Sep; Sun 27 Sep – Sun 4 Oct
• October: Sun 11 Oct – Sun 18 Oct; Sun 25 Oct – Sun 1 Nov
• November (Low Season, 10% Discount): Sun 8 Nov – Sun 15 Nov; Sun 22 Nov – Sun 29 Nov
Itinerary
Guests will be welcomed at Tirana International Airport and transferred to Gjirokastra, where they will settle into a boutique hotel in the heart of the historic city. After a short rest, a guided stroll through the Ottoman bazaar will introduce them to the city’s atmosphere, with a stop for coffee or tea accompanied by a warm introduction to the week’s program.
In the evening, guests will gather for a welcome dinner and meet the dedicated team who will guide them through the journey — including drivers, local guides, and coordinators. The highlight of the evening will be an exclusive culinary presentation by a renowned chef who has developed over 60 modern recipes inspired by Albanian tradition. Each dish served will be paired with a story, offering a first insight into the rich gastronomy of Southern Albania.
After breakfast at the hotel, the day begins with a guided visit to the Cold War Tunnel — a stark underground reminder of the paranoia and secrecy of Albania’s communist era.
From there, guests will step into a private home, where local women share personal memories of life during communism. Around a humble family table, visitors will cook alongside their hosts, recreating recipes born out of scarcity and creativity: simple yet delicious dishes such as savory cornbread with cream or the nostalgic “7-lek biscuits.” Using original kitchen tools, wood stoves, and tableware preserved from the period, this experience offers a rare, first-hand perspective on resilience, daily struggles, and the resourcefulness of women who kept their families nourished through difficult times. Guests will actively participate in preparing and enjoying this evocative meal together with the family.
After a short rest at the hotel, the afternoon continues with a visit to the House Museum of Musine Kokalari, one of Albania’s most emblematic women — a writer, intellectual, and dissident who endured more than 37 years of imprisonment and exile under the communist regime.
In the evening, a truly unique experience awaits. Guests travel to the ancient site of Adrianopolis, the ruins of a 2nd-century city, before meeting the Basha family at their donkey farm in the fertile Drino Valley. A gentle walk with the donkeys across soft terrain, guided by the family, introduces the symbolic and healing role of donkey milk from antiquity to modern times. Guests will witness a milking demonstration and taste the milk paired with freshly baked bread prepared with donkey milk, served in an open-air tent as the sun sets over the valley.
The day concludes with a refined dinner in the nearby Dropull region. A celebrated local chef presents a curated menu that highlights the flavors of Southern Albanian cuisine blended with the traditions of the Greek minority community living in the area. Each dish is paired with carefully selected local wines made from ancient varietals, offering an elegant finale before returning to the hotel in Gjirokastra.
The morning begins in the heart of Gjirokastra’s bazaar, where guests will take part in one of the city’s most cherished rituals — the making of stone-brewed coffee. This centuries-old tradition unfolds slowly: coffee beans roasted over an open fire, then hand-ground on stone before being brewed to perfection. Guests are invited to participate in each step of the process before savoring the unique flavors of this symbolic drink.
Following this, a cultural presentation brings to life the artistry of traditional costumes. Intricately embroidered garments, some dating back centuries, will be displayed and explained in detail. Guests will then have the chance to wear these costumes during a professional photo session, creating a lasting keepsake of the day.
Late in the morning, the journey continues to a family-run vineyard in the lush hills of Lunxhëria. Here, passionate winemakers will guide guests through their vineyards and explain the production process, before hosting a wine tasting paired with freshly prepared organic dishes sourced directly from the farm.
After lunch, a scenic drive of about 45 minutes brings the group to Labova e Kryqit, home to a remarkable 1,000-year-old Byzantine church — one of the rarest and most significant monuments of its kind.
That evening, accommodation will be at a high-standard guesthouse with modern comforts and a swimming pool, offering both charm and relaxation. Dinner will be an immersive experience, featuring the enchanting voices of the polyphonic singers of Libohovë. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, isopolyphony is both haunting and powerful. Guests will not only listen but also be invited to join in traditional dances, accompanied by expert explanations of this rare and treasured musical form.
A leisurely breakfast at the guesthouse is followed by the journey toward the Albanian Riviera. Along the way, guests stop at the historic Mesopotam Monastery, a thousand-year-old monument of Byzantine devotion and artistry.
The journey continues to Butrint National Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guided by an expert, guests will explore the ruins of this extraordinary ancient city — said in legend to have been founded by Aeneas after the fall of Troy. Beyond its rich archaeological layers, Butrint is celebrated for its exceptional natural habitat, home to rare bird and animal species listed in the Red Book of endangered wildlife. The entire lagoon is also recognized as a protected Ramsar wetland site.
From the ancient stones, the experience shifts to the water. Guests embark on a traditional boat ride across the lagoon to observe mussel beds. Alongside local fishermen, they will take part in gathering and cleaning mussels, before enjoying a rustic, authentic seafood lunch prepared directly on site. Recipes passed down through generations reveal how the people of Butrint have relied on these waters for nourishment since antiquity — a fact supported by archaeological evidence.
In the afternoon, the journey continues to Saranda, where guests check into a high-standard seaside hotel offering pool and spa facilities. Before dinner, a short private visit to the Saranda Art Gallery offers a unique cultural encounter. Here, a painter who has lived and worked through both the communist period and modern Albania presents his works, offering an intimate reflection on art as both resistance and testimony under dictatorship.
Dinner is a refined seafood experience, showcasing the finest catch of the day, brought ashore by small fishing boats and crafted into exquisite dishes by a master chef. The evening concludes by the sea, with the option to enjoy a glass of wine under the stars, accompanied only by the sound of the waves.
An early start takes the group inland, departing at 8:00 a.m. for a spectacular drive along the Riviera and through the dramatic Llogara Pass. This four-hour journey winds through pine forests and breathtaking mountain roads, opening to panoramic views of the Ionian coast before descending toward the heart of Albania.
By midday, guests arrive in the historic quarter of Mangalem in Berat, the “City of a Thousand Windows” and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, a traditional lunch is served, featuring age-old recipes prepared with local herbs, spices, and seasonal products — a true testament to the city’s culinary heritage. Traditional desserts of the region, prepared slowly and with care, complete the meal.
In the afternoon, energy permitting, guests may explore the Onufri Museum within Berat’s medieval citadel. Housed in the Church of the Dormition of St. Mary, the museum is dedicated to the works of Onufri, Albania’s most renowned 16th-century iconographer, famous for his vivid use of red hues and expressive figures. Alongside his masterpieces, the museum also displays icons and liturgical objects spanning centuries, offering a rare insight into Byzantine and post-Byzantine sacred art.
From Berat, the journey continues just 30 minutes to the lush hills of Roshnik village, home to
Agrotourism Alpeta, where the group will be welcomed into a family-run farmstead known for
its hospitality, authenticity, and dedication to sustainable practices. Set among vineyards and olive groves, Alpeta is a pioneer of the agrotourism movement in Albania, combining comfort with a truly local experience.
After a short rest, guests are invited to a private tasting session of the farm’s wines and raki, guided by the winemakers themselves. For those eager to engage further, a hands-on cooking class follows, lasting two to three hours. Under the guidance of the hosts, participants will learn the secrets of traditional dishes before sitting down together to enjoy the dinner they have prepared — a warm and immersive conclusion to a long but deeply rewarding day.
The journey continues eastwards with an early morning departure towards Korçë, a four-hour drive through ever-changing landscapes that gradually unfold from the coastal valleys to the cultural heart of southeastern Albania.
Our first stop is at Birra Korça, the oldest brewery in the country, founded in 1928. Here, guests are guided through the historic brewing halls, where Italian expertise once met the pure waters of the Morava mountains to create Albania’s very first beer. A private tasting follows, including the brewery’s two classics – the crisp Korça Blonde and the smooth Korça Dark – accompanied by small bites of local delicacies.
Lunch is enjoyed in one of Korça’s traditional restaurants, where the city’s warm atmosphere and famous serenades set the tone. Those who wish may also visit the National Museum of Medieval Art, home to more than 7,000 icons and treasures that represent one of the richest collections of Byzantine art in the Balkans – a rare cultural gem.
In the afternoon, the group travels deeper into the mountains, towards Leskovik and the acclaimed Melesin Distillery. Recently named by Time Magazine as one of the “World’s Greatest Places 2024,” this restored industrial building has been transformed into a sanctuary of fine spirits. Here, Italian distilling mastery blends with local botanicals and mountain herbs, reviving an almost forgotten tradition of refined Albanian drinks.
After settling into the elegant suites, guests are invited to a private presentation of Melesin’s signature craft – the first Albanian artisanal gin – followed by a guided tasting. Dinner is a true highlight: a fine-dining experience featuring wild game from the surrounding forests, paired with seasonal produce and complemented by the distillery’s exclusive wines, produced in a limited edition of only 3,500 bottles per year. The evening closes with stories, flavors, and a sense of intimacy that only a place like Melesin can offer.
Overnight stay at Melesin Distillery, where contemporary luxury meets mountain authenticity in an unforgettable atmosphere.
The day begins with a late, leisurely breakfast before heading toward the tranquil Benja Thermal Baths. Tucked at the foot of the dramatic Nemërçkë-Dhëmbel mountains and beside the 18th-century Kadiu Bridge, these natural sulfur pools offer a moment of deep relaxation.
Guests may soak in the mineral-rich waters, believed for generations to ease skin and joint ailments, while enjoying the serenity of the Vjosa Valley and the soft murmur of the surrounding river.
From this peaceful interlude, the journey continues to Përmet, where a rare culinary experience awaits. Guests participate in the making of gliko, traditional fruit and vegetable preserves,
guided by some of Albania’s most renowned local women. From wild-harvested fruits to the delicate transformation into syrupy sweets, this centuries-old craft reveals the region’s culinary heritage in its most authentic form.
Lunch is hosted at Trifilia, a charming traditional restaurant, where at least five original recipes are presented by the chef. Among them is the famous kacoopi sauce, a shepherds’ specialty prepared by aging milk in sheepskin for months with meticulous care. The meal is elegantly paired with Permet’s Moskat raki and the rare white wine Debina, offering guests a true taste of the valley’s gastronomic identity.
In the afternoon, the group travels along the majestic Vjosa River through the Kelcyra Gorge, admiring soaring limestone cliffs and lush vegetation. The journey concludes at Hotel Uji i Ftohtë in Tepelenë, a riverside retreat combining modern luxury with natural beauty. Elegant rooms, balconies with scenic views, a serene spa, and fine dining provide a perfect setting for the final night of the tour.
The evening is celebrated privately, with the choice of a local polyphonic ensemble or soft Albanian and international music, creating an intimate, unforgettable atmosphere. The chef presents a modern interpretation of local cuisine, blending tradition and contemporary techniques in a live demonstration, allowing guests to connect with the flavors, history, and culture of southern Albania one last time.
Overnight at Hotel Uji i Ftohtë, where the calm of the Vjosa Valley and refined comfort create the perfect conclusion to a week of cultural, culinary, and sensory discoveries.
After a final leisurely breakfast, guests journey back to Tirana, enjoying the last glimpses of southern Albania’s rivers, mountains, and valleys. Reflections on a week filled with culinary delights, cultural discoveries, and intimate experiences accompany the drive.
