"West Illyria Route” Albania Wine Tour

Airport transfer to hotel in Tirana. Overnight at Freddys Hotel 3* or similar

We will start the day with the visit to Kantina Skenderbeu where we will try different types of wine & our famous Skanderbeg Brandy. Then you will be transferred towards the city of Durres. Durres, otherwise known as antique Dyrrah, due to its geographic and climatic position took a strategic place on the eastern shores of the Adriatic and in the region of southern Illyria. The tour of the Durres Old Town will include the ruins of the town forum, roman baths, city center, town hall, Roman Amphitheater, byzantine walls, Venetian tower and roman Forum. Visit Skanderbeg Cantine (Winery). Wine/Raki test. Then proceed for Tour of Tirana City. It starts with a visit at Skanderbeg Square, followed by a stop at the Mosque of Et`hem Bey, built in 1793. The Opera House (National Theatre of Opera and Ballet) looks over Skanderbeg Square. A walk in the main boulevard provides a close sight of the City Hall and a number of Governmental buildings In the evening, we’ll have dinner at a traditional restaurant and then explore the nightlife of Tirana, walking in the ex-block area where the villas of the communists leaders are still standing next to trendy boutiques, expensive jewelry shops and active local pubs. Possibility to have dinner in a traditional restaurant with a rustic setting and a first taste of Albania’s culinary delights. The cuisine of central Albania also has Ottoman & Italian influences. Overnight in Nano Resort in Mullet Village or similar.

Early wake up in the Morning and see the daily morning farm work with the Farm people. Breakfast, we will drive to Tirana. Few km from Tirana we will stop to visit a Bio farm and a bio winery (Uka Farm) where we can have lunch in the farm and we will try some different bio wines. Continue to Fushe Kruja to see Zgjedhesh Ruins. Drive to Kruja–one of the biggest cities in Northern Albania is the “City of history” and best known as the hometown of Albanian’s National Hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. Visit to the Castle, Skanderbeg Museum. After the visit of the castle, it is free for you to explore Kruja’s old bazaar with authentic and antique shops. Overnight at Hotel Panorama Kruje, or similar .Possible to organize a traditional night with folk music & Dancers.

This morning after brekafast drive to Lezha where will visit the Memorial of Skanderbeg – visits of the Castle. After that we will proceed to Rapsodia Restaurant where you will have a master cooking class with world renowned chef Alfred Marku, lunch and rakia degustation. 

Afterwards we will drive to the Village of Fishta where we will visit the Kallmet winery, where we can try some different wine from the unique Kallmet grapes, We can proceed to visit the most famous farm in that regions ‘’Mrizi i Zanave’’ farm & Restaurant where we will walk around the village area, meet with local people etc. Drive to Shkodra and Overnight at Hotel Tradita or similar, Here you can try the finest way of cooking and enjoy a rich traditional Dinner at Tradita G&T Restaurant 

After breakfast, we will have a visit to Shkodra old town. Shkodra has been an important city for Albania over 5,000 years (based on a Polish archaeological expedition). Once part of the Venetian empire, Italian influence is everywhere evident in Shkodra, as we tour the town. Including the old town, the Catholic cathedral, the Rozafa Castle. Drive to Rreshen for making a visit and decocting wines in one of the best Albanian winery’s Winery Arberi, where we will try different red, white wines & Raki Kallmet, Shesh i Bardhe, Kallmet Riserva, Raki Rrushi. Then drive to Rubik, to visit the Info-Kulla and Shelbuemi Church in the 11th Century. We will stay overnight at Ethno Hotel Marubi (or similar), where we can try a traditional chicken on the spit and other traditional dishes.

 After breakfast, we will continue to the beautiful city of Berat. On the way you stop in the charming Çobo Winery settled scenically at the base of Mount Tomorri, in the rolling hills that surround the city of Berat for a traditional Albanian wine tasting. The tour will include an extensive viewing of the wine making process and detailed explanations that paint a glowing picture of the family’s history and the origins of their wines. After the tour of the grounds, guests are invited to share a glass of wine and exchange stories with a member of the Çobo family while enjoying a variety of homemade Albanian cheeses and locally-grown olives. Then you leave the winery and head towards Berat. This city is one of the oldest and the pride of Albanian architecture. Berat, known as the city of ’one thousand windows’ is a treasure of Albanian history, culture and a testament to the country’s tradition of religious harmony. Overnight in Berat in Rezidenca Desaret 4* or similar.

After breakfast at the hotel you will start your tour of Berat. The three major neighborhoods of the old city are Mangalemi, Gorica, and Kala where the castle itself is located. You will start your tour with the castle area. Visiting the ’Kala’ involves a steep walk up a cobbled path, but those who make it to the top will be rewarded with a fine view of the surrounding area. You will visit the Museum of Iconography ’Onufri’ which bears the name of the renowned fresco- and icon-painter Onufri, who has left a rich inheritance. This museum is located within the cathedral of St. Mary’s Assumption. You will also visit the Red Mosque, recognized by its lonely minaret and St. Trinity Church. After the fortress, you will visit the Mangalemi quarter and the National Ethnographic Museum. This museum is located in one of the most characteristic and interesting houses of the town, a rich assemblage of traditional objects (more than 1000) and is one of the greatest examples of Berat’s long history and culture. After the tour we will have free time for a stroll in the city streets and return to Tirana. Overnight at Hotel Freddys 3*  in Tirana or similar. 

 Departure airport transfer in Tirane (B)