Albania · May 14 - 14 2025

10 Day Albania Expedition

From Mountain Villages to the Albanian Riviera, the Bustling Capital of Tirana & Beyond

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Description

Overview

Hermetically sealed for nearly five decades, Albania is shrouded in mystery to most. Under the lengthy communist dictatorship led by Enver Hoxha, the country was effectively isolated from the outside world.

The brutal dictatorship and extreme surveillance that went on under Hohxa have undeniably shaped the history and culture of the country.
Albania began to emerge in 1990s coming out of seclusion and quickly embarked to find its identity.
With a coastline that could easily be the most beautiful in all of Europe, a mountainous hinterland offering premier trekking, and quirky cities like Tirana, Sarandë, and Shkodër, Albania is a diverse and beautiful nation that offers a myriad of adventures.

Highlights

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Albania's Fascinating History

Ruled over by dictator Enver Hoxha for 5 decades, Albania has a peculiar modern history owing to Cold War paranoia. Citizens lived under extreme surveillance and the nation is home to hundreds of thousands of bunkers.

The Beautiful Albanian Riviera

With nearly 500 km of coastline, Albania is a hidden gem for those who love beautiful and rugged beaches.

A Derelict Military Base on Sazan Island

Sazan Island, located in the Bay of Vlorë was constructed to withstand military attack and at its zenith housed 3000 soldiers. Home to countless bunkers and tunnels, we'll get to explore the long forgotten strategic island in the Ionian Sea.

Delicious Cuisine

Albania sits at the crux of culinary delight with influences from the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and the Middle East.

Itinerary

Tirana

Day 1: Arrive in Tirana

Arrivals into Tirana throughout the day today. You will be transferred to the hotel upon arrival at the airport. If you arrive earlier in the day, you can use this time to begin exploring this vibrant and quirky capital city.
At 18:00 we plan to have a quick welcome meeting to go over the expedition and to meet your fellow travelers. Following the meeting, there will be an optional dinner with the group over traditional Albanian food.
Enjoy dinner back at a lovely homestay for the evening before drifting off to sleep.

Not Included

Meals

Tirana | Kruje

Day 2: Tirana & Kruje

After breakfast, we’ll begin our walking tour of Tirana. The tour will start with visits to the Bunk’art 2 Museum and the House of Leaves, both of which give a fascinating overview of what life was like in Albania under Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship, which spanned 5 decades.
For lunch, we will drive to nearby Kruje, where we will have an opportunity to visit the Castle of Skanderbeg, Albania’s national hero.
In the late afternoon, we’ll explore Tirana’s Old Bazaar.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Tirana | Shkodër

Day 3: Shkodër Day Trip

In the morning, depart for a day trip to Shkodër, a smaller city sat on the shores of Lake Shkodër which straddles the Albania-Montenegro border. We will take time to explore what Shkodër has to offer as well as visit the famous Rozafa Castle.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Gjirokaster

Day 4: Gjirokaster

Today we leave Tirana behind, bound toward the south to visit the ancient city of stone in Gjirokaster, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here we will have the chance to visit both the Argjiro Castle and Skenduli House, which date back to the 13th and 18th centuries, respectively.
Finally, we will continue onto Sarandë, our home for the next 4 nights as we explore southern Albania.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Zhulat | Fushebardhe | Sarandë

Day 5: Zhulat, Fushëbardhë & Sarandë

Today, we head toward the Albanian hinterland to trek in nature and visit the villages of Zhulat and Fushëbardhë. In the evening we’ll return to Sarandë.
After returning to Alovaddin, you’ll descend and transfer to Iskanderkul Lake, a legendary spot in Tajikistan folklore tied to Alexander the Great (locals claim his horse drowned here, adding to the mystery of its shifting turquoise hues). You’ll spend the evening by this iconic lake, with the water shimmering beneath the cliffs of the Fanns, transitioning into a deep calm under the glow of sunset.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Butrint

Day 6: Butrint

Heading further south, we’ll explore the UNESCO World Heritage site and the ancient city of Butrint today. Among the most important archaeological sites in Albania, Butrint was first a Greek polis and later a Roman city.
On the way back to Sarandë, we’ll make a stop to visit Lekursi Castle before having a free afternoon to explore Sarandë.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Hidden Waterfall | Tatzat

Day 7: Hidden Waterfall & Tatzat Village

Today will take us to explore the beautiful Hidden Waterfall and the partially ruined ancient village of Tatzat. In the afternoon we’ll dine on a local lunch with a wine tasting.
On the way back to Sarandë, we’ll make a stop to visit Lekursi Castle before having a free afternoon to explore Sarandë.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Albanian Riviera

Day 8: The Albanian Riviera

Albania has become known for its stunning coastline, and today is the day we’ll get to explore it. We will work our way up the coast toward Vlorë, making stops in Borsh, Porto Palermo, Palase, Qeparo, Himare, and Llogara Pass.
On the way back to Sarandë, we’ll make a stop to visit Lekursi Castle before having a free afternoon to explore Sarandë.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Sazan Island | Vlorë

Day 9: Sazan Island & Vlorë

On our final full day on the Albania Expedition, we’ll board a boat in the Bay of Vlorë to explore the mysterious island of Sazan.
Sazan was closed off to the world for decades, as it housed a military base that featured over 3000 bunkers built to withstand nuclear attack. During the 1990s, the base began to fall into disrepair and now sits mostly abandoned.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Vlorë | Tirana

Day 10: Transfer Back to Tirana & Departures

Today we make our way back to Tirana from Vlorë. We’ll make some stops along the route back.
We plan to make it back to Tirana by the late afternoon. As such, we suggest only selecting return flights that depart after 18:00.

Included

Breakfast

What's included

  • Meals as noted on itinerary
  • English speaking guide
  • Pack animal support
  • Accommodation on twin room sharing basis in Dushanbe
  • Eco tax
  • Transportation from the Samarkand-Panjakent border to Artuch
  • Transportation from Alovaddin Lake to Iskanderkul
  • Transportation from Iskanderkul to Dushanbe
  • Night in homestay in Haft Kul
  • Tajikistan visa fee (if applicable)
  • Personal kit and equipment
  • Sleeping bag (rental available)
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Travel insurance
  • Tips to local staff
  • Tent (rental available)
  • Night in guesthouse at Iskanderkul (additional fee)
  • Night in hotel in Dushanbe following the tour (additional fee)

Hosts

Nicole Smoot

Expedition Lead
Nicole Smoot is a travel adventurer and photographer born and raised in the Alaskan mountains. She enjoys bad taxidermy, post-soviet bunkers, spelunking, and homemade wine. Nicole’s adventures include surviving a bear attack, a glacial cave collapse, and utilizing a ceasefire to move a tour through Northern Afghanistan. She became the first foreign woman to summit Shah Foladi Mountain. Additionally, she has discovered and cataloged petroglyphs, cave drawings, and glacial cave location data.

Nicole maintains a proprietary network across Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. She has consulted for various Ministries of Tourism and NGOs on tourism development. Despite the challenges, Nicole gravitates to regions often overlooked due to geopolitical strife and lack of tourism infrastructure. Her photography can be seen in National Geographic, Alaska Airlines Magazine, Lonely Planet, and at The.Adventures.Of.Nicole on Instagram.

the.adventures.of.nicole

Extras & Options

Single Supplement

Single Supplement

Opt for a private room. Subject to availability.

FROM $840.00/pp
This add-on will be available at checkout to add to your order.
View available Dates

FAQs

With a low crime rate and welcoming population Tajikistan is generally a safe country to visit. Visitors should exercise regular precautions they would anywhere in the world while traveling in Tajikistan.

The most common problems a traveler may face include corruption, altitude sickness, and stomach upset.

In terms of natural disasters, Tajikistan is prone to earthquakes.

This 5 Day Fann Mountains Expedition will begin at the border coming from Uzbekistan at the Samarkand-Panjakent Crossing and end in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

This 7 Day Fann Mountains expedition is rated as challenging and rugged. This means that we will be tent camping each night of the expedition, sleeping in primitive camps, and will be trekking for long hours at higher altitudes. We will have several nights without access to showers, so it can be a bit uncomfortable for some.

You can expect long days of trekking, up to 18 kilometers | 11 miles (7-10 hours) at the longest. As mentioned in the itinerary, we will trek over high mountain passes, the highest just over 3800 meters. We will have pack animal support for the trek to carry food and tents, but you should still expect to carry a pack with roughly 5-10 kg of weight each day.

Most visitors from western countries can enter Tajikistan with either the Tajik e-visa, visa on arrival, or may enter visa-free. Some nationalities will need to apply for a Tajik visa issued by an embassy or consulate to enter the country. You can read an overview of Tajikistan’s visa policy here but it would still be wise to check with your nearest Tajik consulate or embassy as visa schemes are always subject to change. Note that if you will be entering Tajikistan visa-free and you will be staying in the country for more than 10 business days, you must register with OVIR. We will handle this process for you after you’ve checked into the hotel on the first day.
To join any Safar Expeditions departure you will need to carry an active travel insurance plan. Be aware that the remote nature of the Fann Mountains poses very real challenges in the event of medical emergencies and serious illnesses and injuries. Because of this, it is recommended to select an insurance plan that covers both medical care and evacuation. We recommend using IATI travel insurance for medical coverage and an evacuation plan from Global Rescue. Prescriptions and over-the-counter meds are usually possible to find in Dushanbe, but we still recommend to make sure to bring any meds you need or may need with you.
The Tajik Somoni (TJS) is the official currency of Tajikistan. The value of the Somoni fluctuates a little but seems to have steadily stayed around 9-12 TJS to $1 USD for the past few years.
Yes, we do provide a suggested packing list and preparation guide for our Fann Mountains expedition that can be viewed here.

The food you’ll encounter during your time in Tajikistan will be simple and tasty.

Please let us know of any dietary restrictions or allergies in advance so that we can accommodate your needs.

Please let us know of any dietary restrictions or allergies in advance so that we can accommodate your needs.

It is possible to purchase a Tajik SIM card in Dushanbe, with T-Cell and Megafon being the best local carriers. Once we begin our trek in the Fanns, we won’t have access to the internet from Sarytag to Artuch, where we’ll have Wi-Fi (for a fee) for the evening at the base camp. Again we won’t have any internet access until we depart Lake Alovaddin back toward Dushanbe. Once we begin the trek we will not have access to electricity. I highly recommend purchasing a solar charger and external batteries to bring with you to keep your electronics charged out here.
Yes, a minimum of 2 passengers will need to be on this expedition in order to run. If the minimum isn’t reached, we will contact you about the potential to still operate the trip but at an additional charge or you will be given the option to cancel and your deposit/payment can either be returned to you or applied toward a different expedition of your choosing.