Tirana Inn
Hotel
Days 1, 6
Albania: South to North - 6 Days (Tirana, Kruje, Berat, Gjirokaster & Butrint)
Six days from the Ionian to the Alps. Six days with a private vehicle and driver, family guesthouses and a guide at Butrint and in Theth.
Cypress & Stone
Runs this trip
Walking / cultural tour
Six days from the Ionian to the Alps
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Skanderbeg SquareAlbania built around a hundred and seventy thousand concrete bunkers under Hoxha. Berat castleBerat's castle has families living inside the walls, which is unusual for a UNESCO site and the reason it feels like a town rather than… Gjirokaster castleGjirokaster's houses are fortified Ottoman towers with slate roofs, and several are open with the families still in them.
Itinerary
Albania built around a hundred and seventy thousand concrete bunkers under Hoxha. Two of the largest are now museums of the period.
Tirana, KrujeHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer into the centre
- 1 hrs3:00 PM — up to the castle town and its bazaar
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationTirana Inn
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Hotel night
- Bunk'Art entry
LANDMARKS Skanderbeg Square Bunk'Art Kruje bazaar Start point Tirana, Tirana International Airport (TIA), Albania 00:00 - 23:59Berat's castle has families living inside the walls, which is unusual for a UNESCO site and the reason it feels like a town rather than a monument.
Tirana, BeratHow the day runs
- 3 hrs9:00 AM — south through the hills
- 3 hrs1:00 PM — up to the castle, which is still lived in
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationBerat Lodge
Included Activities
- Castle and museum entries
- Guesthouse night in the old quarter
LANDMARKS Berat castle Mangalem quarter Onufri museum Gjirokaster's houses are fortified Ottoman towers with slate roofs, and several are open with the families still in them.
Berat, GjirokasterHow the day runs
- 3 hrs9:00 AM — further south towards Greece
- 1:30 PM — the castle, the bazaar and a Zekate house
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationGjirokaster House
Included Activities
- Castle and Ottoman house entries
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Gjirokaster castle Skenduli house Old bazaar Butrint was Greek, then Roman, then Byzantine, then Venetian, and Corfu is two kilometres across the water.
Gjirokaster, Butrint, KsamilHow the day runs
- 2 hrs8:30 AM — down to the coast
- 0 hrs1:00 PM — up to the islands and the beaches
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationKsamil Courtyard
Included Activities
- Butrint entry with a guide
- Guesthouse night at Ksamil
LANDMARKS Butrint Roman theatre Ksamil islands Corfu across the strait Theth has a lock-in tower where men under blood feud could shelter, which the Kanun — customary law — provided for into the twentieth century.
Ksamil, Tirana, ThethHow the day runs
- 5 hrs7:00 AM — the long run back up the country
- 3 hrs2:00 PM — north into the Albanian Alps
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationTheth Lodge
Included Activities
- Transport
- Guesthouse night at Theth
LANDMARKS Theth Albanian Alps Lock-in tower The Theth Blue Eye is a spring pool at the head of the valley, and it is about eight degrees all year.
Theth, TiranaHow the day runs
- 3 hrs7:30 AM — the walk to the Theth Blue Eye
- 3 hrs1:00 PM — back down for the flight
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationTirana Inn
Included Activities
- Guided walk
- Transfer to Tirana airport
LANDMARKS Blue Eye of Theth Grunas waterfall
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Hotel night
- Day 1Bunk'Art entry
- Day 2Castle and museum entries
- Day 2Guesthouse night in the old quarter
- Day 3Castle and Ottoman house entries
- Day 3Guesthouse night
- Day 4Butrint entry with a guide
- Day 4Guesthouse night at Ksamil
- Day 5Transport
- Day 5Guesthouse night at Theth
- Day 6Guided walk
- Day 6Transfer to Tirana airport
- Day 1 · 1 nightTirana Inn
- Day 2 · 1 nightBerat Lodge
- Day 3 · 1 nightGjirokaster House
- Day 4 · 1 nightKsamil Courtyard
- Day 5 · 1 nightTheth Lodge
- Day 6 · 1 nightTirana Inn
- Day 1Tirana to TiranaTransfer into the centre
- Day 1Tirana to Kruje3:00 PM — up to the castle town and its bazaar
- Day 2Tirana to Berat9:00 AM — south through the hills
- Day 3Berat to Gjirokaster9:00 AM — further south towards Greece
- Day 4Gjirokaster to Butrint8:30 AM — down to the coast
- Day 4Butrint to Ksamil1:00 PM — up to the islands and the beaches
- Day 5Ksamil to Tirana7:00 AM — the long run back up the country
- Day 5Tirana to Theth2:00 PM — north into the Albanian Alps
- Day 6Theth to Tirana1:00 PM — back down for the flight
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Berat Lodge
Lodge
Day 2
Gjirokaster House
Hotel
Day 3
Ksamil Courtyard
Hotel
Day 4
Theth Lodge
Lodge
Day 5
What you'll eat
5 breakfasts and 5 dinners across 6 days, at the lodges you sleep in. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 6.
- DinnerServed on days 1–5
- BreakfastServed on days 2–6
10 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
3.9/5
Based on 19 reviews
Review summary
Food3.6/5
Guide3.9/5
Itinerary3.7/5
Transport3.7/5
Accommodation3.9/5
Tour operator3.7/5
Sort by:Recommended
4
R
Rohit Verma – Pune2026-06-08 · Verified booking
Well paced over 6 days with enough free time to not feel herded.
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3
V
Vikram Bose – Ahmedabad2026-06-08 · Verified booking
Hotels were a step below what I expected for the price. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones.
Reply from Cypress & Stone
Thank you. We've taken the point about the transfer and are reviewing it.
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5
K
Karan Shah – Ahmedabad2026-06-08 · Verified booking
Albania done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones.
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3
S
Sameer Khan – Mumbai2026-06-08 · Verified booking
Too much time on the coach and not enough at the places we'd come for. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing.
Reply from Cypress & Stone
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
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1
D
Divya Reddy – Kolkata2026-06-08 · Verified booking
Too much time on the coach and not enough at the places we'd come for.
Reply from Cypress & Stone
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
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4
S
Sameer Khan – Hyderabad2026-05-08 · Verified booking
Albania done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Would book with them again.
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5
V
Vikram Bose – Kochi2026-05-08 · Verified booking
Everything was arranged properly — transfers, entries, all of it. No hesitation recommending them.
Reply from Cypress & Stone
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to see you on another trip.
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5
D
Dev Chatterjee – Delhi2026-05-08 · Verified booking
Everything was arranged properly — transfers, entries, all of it. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves. Would send friends their way.
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Questions people ask
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