4-Days Ferry Tour to Valbona Village , Kosovo and Albanian Seaside

Day 1 Tirana - Shkodra

1. 1

   Tirana

   2 hours

   In Tirana you will visit the main Boulevard in the center, the Gallery of Arts, the Skanderbeg square, the main Boulevard, the
   Mosque, the Bunker, the Pyramid, Mother Theresa square, blloku area which is also the most frequented area of the city, the national park of Tirana. The Tour in this city will be easy and interesting exploring the history of how the city was changed from the Dictatorship Time until the modern time

2. 2

   Kruja Castle

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   The ancient city of Kruja was the stronghold of Albania’s national hero, Skanderbeg, who successfully fought off the Ottomans for 25 years in the 15th century. A museum dedicated to
   Skanderbeg, designed by Enver Hoxha’s daughter, sits within the citadel walls. The small bazaar is probably the best place to buy handmade products & objects- wooden carpets, handcrafted
   pots, in Albania.

3. 3

   National Gallery of Art

   1 hour

   Tracing the relatively brief history of Albanian painting from the early 19th century to the present day, this beautiful space also holds temporary exhibitions. The interesting collection includes 19th-century paintings depicting scenes from daily Albanian life and others with a far more political dimension, including some truly fabulous examples of Albanian socialist realism. The entrance of the gallery is not always open, so if there are any exhibitions at the time of your visit you can enter inside the gallery

4. 4

   Blloku

   1 hour

   is an upmarket area in Tirana, Albania. It is widely known as an entertainment destination with its boutiques, shops, restaurants, trendy bars, pubs, and cafes. The area is part of the neighborhood of Tirana e Re in southwestern Tirana. During the peak summer months, its trendy bars transfer along the Albanian Riviera.
   It became very attractive after the fall of Communism in Albania because during the communist period it was a restricted residential area for the members of the Albanian politburo, ordinary Albanians would not be allowed in. On most maps it was unmarked. Blloku you can still find the residence of Albania’s communist leader Enver Hoxha.
   In blloku neighberhood you will spend you free time for lunch or for caffe

5. 5

   Enver Hoxha Pyramid

   1 hour

   Designed by Enver Hoxha's daughter and son-in-law and completed in 1988, this monstrously unattractive building was formerly the Enver Hoxha Museum and more recently a convention centre and nightclub. Today, covered in graffiti and surrounded by the encampments of Tirana's homeless, its once-white marble walls are now crumbling, but no decision on whether to demolish or restore it has yet been reached.
   The pyramid is during our sightseeing and we will stop 10 minutes for explination

6. 6

   Xhamia Et'hem Bej

   1 hour

   This is one interesting attraction located in the Skanderbeg square, This mosque is built during the 17 century and you will get the full history when you come for your visit,

7. 7

   Muzeu Historik Kombetar

   1 hour Admission ticket not included

   The largest museum in Albania holds many of the country's archaeological treasures and a replica of Skanderbeg's massive sword (how he held it, rode his horse and fought at the same time is a mystery). The lighting might be poor, but fortunately, the excellent collection is almost entirely signed in English and takes you chronologically from ancient Illyria to the postcommunist era. The collection of statues, mosaics, and columns from ancient Greek and Roman times is breathtaking. The admission of entering in the museum its not included in the price

8. 8

   Shkoder

   1 hour

   This multifaceted city has had a traditionally rich artistic life and an enormous contribution to the Albanian culture. Shkodra is the cradle of the most important Albanian poets, like Migjeni, painters like Kol Idromeno and Edi Hila, and photographers, the Marubi Family. Shkodra houses the haunting Marubi National Photography Museum, which displays the first photo taken in Albania, and the Venice Art Mask Factory, where a local master produces the same intricate masks used in the Venice carnivals and Las Vegas shows. A city of myths and legends, the foundations of the famous Castle of Shkodra are said to be held by the body of Rozafa, the beautiful young mother who sacrificed herself for it. You will find that this naturally beautiful city has an abundance of mirrors in the Adriatic Sea, the Lake of Shkodra and the Buna River. Otherwise called the “city of bicycles,” the city’s views are best admired while pedaling in the open air.
   You will have free time and overnight in this city.

9. 9

   Rozafa Castle

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   Due to its strategic location, the hill has been settled since antiquity. It was an Illyrian stronghold during the rule of the Labeates and Ardiaei, whose capital was Scodra.[1]
   During the Third Illyrian War the Illyrian king Gentius concentrated his forces in Scodra. When he was attacked by the Roman army led by L. Anicius Gallus, Gentius fled into the city and was trapped there hoping that his brother Caravantius would come at any moment with a large relieving army, but it didn't happen. After his defeat, Gentius sent two prominent tribal leaders, Teuticus and Bellus, as envoys to negotiate with the Roman commander.[2] On the third day of the truce, Gentius surrendered to the Romans, was placed in custody and sent to Rome. The Roman army marched north of Scutari Lake where, at Meteon, they captured Gentius' wife queen Etuta, his brother Caravantius, his sons Scerdilaidas and Pleuratus along with leading Illyrians.[3]

Day 2 Shkodra - Ferry ride - Valbona village (Ferry Ride and Hiking Tour day Optional)

1. 1

   Komani Lake

   2 hours Admission ticket included

   Early in the morning, you will depart to Valbona National Park. Your breakfast will be served in small take-out boxes. First, we will arrive and depart to Valbona village by the ferry to Koman lake, one of Albania's undisputed highlights is this superb three-hour ferry ride across vast Lake Koman, connecting the towns of Koman and Fierzë. Lake Koman was created in 1978 when the Drin River was dammed, with the result that you can cruise through spectacular mountain scenery where many incredibly hardy people still live as they have for centuries, tucked away in tiny mountain villages. Unfortunately, the scenic beauty is rather marred by the thousands of plastic bottles and other rubbish floating in the lake. In places this rubbish forms 'islands' so big they're virtually a shipping hazard.
   The Ticket of the ferry Trip will be included in the packet

2. 2

   Valbona Valley National Park

   2 hours Admission ticket included

   The Valbona Valley is one of rivers, spectacular waterfalls, and endless forests under the shade of the surrounding high peaks. In this spectacular setting, organic, farm-fresh products and clear air seemingly add years to your life. This natural wonder offers a rare sense of tranquility and beauty, that is not to be missed by those looking for the most awe-inspiring of Albania’s natural treasures.

Day 3 Valbona - Gjakova - Prizren (Kosovo) - Kruja

1. 1

   Prizren

   2 hours

   Clinging to the slopes of the lush Sharr Mountains, and divided by the river Lumbardh, Prizren, including its modern suburbs, was home to about 180,000 people in 2011, making it the second largest city in the country, after Pristina, the capital. The majority of the population is ethnic Albanian. Kosovo's Turkish, Bosniak and Gorani community is focused in Prizren as well. As such, the standard bi-lingual street signs in Albanian and Serbian are complemented here by Turkish, which can be freely used particularly in the old town, and with other Albanians. The local Serbs vacated the city in the aftermath of the Kosovo War of 1998–99, when Kosovo was de facto detached from Serbia, with their charred houses standing derelict on the upper streets leading to the fortress.

Day 4 Kruja - Durres Seaside (Relaxing by the Adriatic Sea)

1. 1

   Kruja Castle

   2 hours Admission ticket included

   Kruja is just 32km away from Tirana and very close to Tirana International Airport. This historic city is 608m above sea level and offers an open vista to an amazing panoramic view.
   The name and the importance of the city are closely related to the 25 years of activity of our national hero, Skanderbeg, who in the fifteenth century made Kruja a bastion of uncompromising resistance against the Ottoman. The Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg Museum is situated inside the castle walls, which date back to the fifth and sixth centuries A.D.
   The museum itself was inaugurated in 1981. Within the walls of the castle are also the Ethnographic Museum and the Dollma Tekke. Near the castle’s entrance is a traditional market, which dates back to the period of Skanderbeg. Here, tourists can find Albanian craft products such as embroidered items, carpeting, silver objects, copper, alabaster, filigree, traditional clothing, antiques at the traditional Old Baazar of Kruja

2. 2

   Durres Amphitheatre

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   The Amphitheater of Durrës remains one of the most majestic of the ancient world and one of ten most beautiful Roman amphitheaters. Widely recognized among enthusiasts of Antiquity, it is a pearl of the Balkans that is slowly making its way out of the shell. Discovered relatively recently, in 1966, its unearthing occurred in a slightly comical way by Vangjel Toçi. Legend has it that Vangjel, an archaeologist and resident of Durrës, happened upon a fig tree which had fallen a few meters below ground level. Curious and inquisitive, he insisted that the area undergo excavations. Rightly so, for underneath was lying the long sought-after Amphitheater.