Around Albania Culture Tour — Self-Launched (8 Days)

Land at Tirana International Airport (Nënë Tereza) and take the Rinas Express airport bus into the centre (~300 Lek / £2.70, roughly every hour) rather than the ~€12-15 taxi — though a taxi split between two people is a fine fallback if you land late. Check into a hostel or family-run guesthouse in the Blloku or Pazari i Ri area. In the afternoon, do the old centre on foot: Skanderbeg Square, Et'hem Bey Mosque, the Pyramid, the colourful Pazar i Ri market and the Bunk'Art 2 Cold War bunker (GetYourGuide or direct ticket ~£4). Free walking tours run daily from Skanderbeg Square (tip-based, ~£5-8 tip) and are a good orientation. Dinner of tavë kosi or byrek plus a beer: ~£8-10.

🚌Rinas Express airport bus ~£2.70 each way; all sightseeing on foot

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in central Tirana (dorm £12-16, private double £22-30)

• →Self-guided walk of Skanderbeg Square, Et'hem Bey Mosque and the Pyramid
• →Bunk'Art 2 (book online or on arrival, ~£4)
• →Optional tip-based free walking tour of Tirana

Take an early furgon (shared minibus) or bus from Tirana's North/South bus terminal to Kruja, ~1 hour, 200-300 Lek (~£2-3). Walk up to Kruja fortress (V-VI century, free to enter the grounds; Skanderbeg Museum inside is ~£3) and browse the old bazaar — the best place in Albania to buy a handmade qeleshe or rug. For lunch, skip the tour-group restaurant and grab a plate of tavë dheu at a small bazaar eatery (~£5). Then furgon/bus back down to the main road and on to Shkodra (~2 hours total, ~£4). Settle into a guesthouse near Gjuhadol and spend the evening walking the Venetian-influenced centre, Kole Idromeno pedestrian street and the Rozafa fortress viewpoint (free, open access).

🚌Tirana–Kruja furgon £2-3; Kruja–Shkodra bus ~£4; local walking

🛏Family guesthouse or hostel in central Shkodra (£12-18 dorm, £22-30 private)

• →Kruja fortress and Skanderbeg Museum (~£3)
• →Kruja old bazaar
• →Rozafa fortress and Shkodra city-centre walk (free)

Bus from Shkodra back via Tirana to Durres (~2.5-3 hours, ~£5). The Roman amphitheatre (II century AD) is right in the city centre — ticket ~£3, and you can also see the medieval walls and the Venetian Tower. Wander the port promenade and grab a quick lunch of fresh seafood or a byrek (~£5). Then take a bus or furgon to Berat (~2 hours, ~£4). In the afternoon, climb to Berat fortress (free, IV century BC origins) and walk the cobbled old quarters of Mangalem and Gorica, ideally catching the sunset from Gorica bridge. Instead of the operator's set agro-tourism lunch, drop into a small family taverna for local wine and raki (~£8-10).

🚌Shkodra–Durres bus ~£5; Durres–Berat bus/furgon ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Mangalem/Gorica old town, Berat (£14-18 dorm, £22-32 private)

• →Durres amphitheatre ticket ~£3
• →Durres town centre and port promenade
• →Berat fortress, Mangalem and Gorica quarters (free)

This is the long transfer day. Take an early bus to Elbasan or directly to Pogradec (ask at the Berat bus terminal the day before; connections usually involve a change in Elbasan, total ~5-6 hours, ~£8-10). Break the journey at Driloni Park (a riverside spring park just outside Pogradec — reachable by local furgon, or ask your driver to drop you) and at Tushemisht village on the Lake Ohrid shore, where you can swim and have a lakeside lunch of koran (Ohrid trout, ~£7-9). Continue by furgon to Korca (~1.5 hours, ~£3). Evening: walk the boulevard, see the Orthodox Cathedral, browse the old bazaar, and — as the operator's itinerary suggests — try local Korca beer with qofte in one of the beer gardens (~£8-10).

🚌Berat–Pogradec bus via Elbasan ~£9; Pogradec–Korca furgon ~£3; local furgons to Driloni/Tushemisht ~£2

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in central Korca (£12-16 dorm, £22-30 private)

• →Driloni Park spring (free)
• →Tushemisht village and Lake Ohrid shoreline (free)
• →Korca Orthodox Cathedral and old bazaar walk (free)
• →Optional Korca beer garden evening

There's no direct public bus on this scenic route, so book a shared transfer through your Korca guesthouse (~£25-35 per person split between 3-4, cheaper than a private car) — or take the long public route via Tepelena and Vjosa valley (~6 hours, ~£9) if you're patient. Ask your driver to stop at Farma Sotira agro-tourism (a working farm near Leskovik famous for its organic produce and homemade raki) for a farm breakfast or lunch, and at Leskovik to see the communist-era concrete bunkers dotting the hillside. Then descend to the Benja thermal baths near Përmet — free public pools of warm sulphur water, with a local restaurant serving traditional food nearby (~£7). Arrive Gjirokastra in the evening and eat at a family kitchen restaurant in the old town (~£8).

🚌Shared private transfer Korca–Gjirokastra via Leskovik/Benja ~£28-32 (or public bus ~£9)

🛏Guesthouse in the Gjirokastra old town (£14-18 dorm, £25-35 private)

• →Farma Sotira agro-tourism stop and tasting
• →Leskovik bunker photo stop
• →Benja thermal baths (free; small parking fee)

Morning exploring Gjirokastra on foot: the old town's slate-roofed Ottoman houses, the XIV-century fortress (ticket ~£3, includes the captured aircraft and weapons museum), and the XIX-century bazaar for souvenirs. Then take the bus or furgon down to Saranda (~1-1.5 hours, ~£3.50). Leave your bag at the hostel and get a local bus or shared taxi out to Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) spring park — entrance ~£2.50, with a walkable trail and icy 10°C water that's genuinely for the brave. Alternatively book a Blue Eye half-day tour via GetYourGuide if public transport is sparse (~£20-25 including transfer). Back in Saranda, walk the seafront promenade, swim at the town beach and head out in the evening for cheap seafood on the promenade (~£9).

🚌Gjirokastra–Saranda bus ~£3.50; Blue Eye excursion on local bus/shared taxi ~£4-6

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Saranda (£15-20 dorm, £25-35 private in summer)

• →Gjirokastra fortress ticket ~£3
• →Gjirokastra old town and bazaar walk
• →Blue Eye spring park entrance ~£2.50
• →Saranda promenade and beach (free)

Get the local bus or furgon to Butrint early (~30-40 min from Saranda, ~£2). The archaeological park (UNESCO-listed, Greek, Roman and Byzantine layers) is ~£6-8 entry and takes 2-3 hours — much cheaper and easier than a group excursion and you can self-guide with the park's audio app. Afterwards, hop a furgon back and pick up the coastal route north: buses run Saranda–Himara–Vlora along the spectacular Albanian Riviera road, with stops at Borsh's beach and Qeparo, and a lunch stop in Himara (~£7). If you're using a shared minibus, ask for a photo stop at Llogara Pass for the panorama over the Ionian. Arrive Vlora in the evening for a final seafood dinner at a trattoria on the waterfront (~£12).

🚌Saranda–Butrint local bus ~£2; Saranda–Vlora coastal bus/furgon ~£6-8 (5-6 hours with stops)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Vlora (£15-20 dorm, £25-35 private)

• →Butrint Archaeological Park entry ~£6-8
• →Ionian coast stops at Borsh, Qeparo and Himara
• →Optional Llogara Pass viewpoint stop
• →Ali Pasha fortress exterior (free)

Morning bus or furgon from Vlora back to Tirana (~2.5-3 hours, ~£4-5), timed for your flight — if you're flying out mid-afternoon you'll want to leave Vlora before 09:00 to allow buffer. If you have extra hours in Tirana, the National History Museum (~£3) or a final coffee on Blloku is a good way to close the loop. Rinas Express bus to the airport ~£2.70, or taxi ~£12-15. No visa is needed for UK, EU, US, Canadian or Australian passport holders for stays under 90 days — but always double-check with the Albanian embassy before you fly, as rules can change.

🚌Vlora–Tirana bus ~£4.50; Rinas Express airport bus ~£2.70

🛏None (departure day)

• →Optional National History Museum in Tirana (~£3)
• →Final coffee/souvenir stop in Blloku