Main Highlights

Day 1

Arrival at Tirana International Airport. Transfer to your hotel. A short introductory tour of the city and its main cultural sights. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight stay in Tirana.

Day 2

Visit to the Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Ardenica; built by Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos in 1282 to commemorate his victory against the Angevins. Visit to the Saint Mary Monastery in Apollonia, situated within the ancient city of Apollonia; built sometime between the 10th and 12th centuries. Visit to the St. Mary's Monastery in Zvernec Island, within the Narta Lagoon. Overnight stay in Vlore.

Day 3

Visit to the St. Nicholas Monastery in Mesopotam, thought to have been built in 1224. Its double apse makes it a unique religious sight. It enabled the church to be used simultaneously by catholic and byzantine worshipers. Visit to the St. Mary Church in Peshkopi; initially built in 614 and rebuild in its current form in the 11th century. As the oldest church in the Drino valley it has a striking Byzantine architecture. Visit to the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Labove. It is one of the most representative examples of Byzantine architecture in Albania. The church dates to the reign of Emperor Justinian, who is thought to have built the church in memory of his mother. Up until 1989 the church hosted a fragment of the True Cross donated by the Emperor. Overnight stay in Gjirokaster.

Day 4

Visit to the city of Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which houses numerous Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches, including: St. Theodore Church; St Michael’s Church; Dormition Cathedral; The St. Mary of Blachernae Church; and The Holy Trinity Church – built in the 13th century, it stands right below the ancient city-walls and is one of the best-preserved byzantine structures in the city. A visit to the Museum of Byzantine Icons that features 173 artefacts on-display from the Albanian Churches and Monasteries Fund. Return to and overnight stay in Tirana.

Day 5

Checkout after breakfast. Free time until airport transfer.