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Gjirokaster Heritage: Explore Ottoman Era
4.8
50 Ratings
Sarandë
Embark on a city tour of Gjirokaster, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and explore its splendid architecture. Then, venture to the Blue Eye, a crystal clear spring in a peaceful forest, before returning to Saranda.
Embark on a city tour of Gjirokaster, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and explore its splendid architecture. Then, venture to the Blue Eye, a crystal clear spring in a peaceful forest, before returning to Saranda.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Gjirokaster - The journey begins in Gjirokaster (Old Town). Characterized by its impressive castle, streets paved with robust limestone and shale, and grand slate-roofed houses overlooking the Drina Valley, Gjirokastra is a captivating hillside town vividly depicted by Albania’s renowned author, Ismail Kadare (b. 1936), in “Chronicle in Stone.”…
- Gjirokaster - The journey begins in Gjirokaster (Old Town). Characterized by its impressive castle, streets paved with robust limestone and shale, and grand slate-roofed houses overlooking the Drina Valley, Gjirokastra is a captivating hillside town vividly depicted by Albania’s renowned author, Ismail Kadare (b. 1936), in “Chronicle in Stone.” This area has been inhabited for 2500 years, but today, it’s the 600 ‘monumental’ Ottoman-era houses that draw visitors. For Albanians, the town is also linked with former dictator Enver Hoxha, who was born here and ensured its preservation during his rule, although he is not commemorated here today.
- The Blue Eye - The second stop is the Blue Eye. Albania’s renowned Blue Eye (Syri i kaltër) is a water spring and natural wonder that every visitor should experience. A favored tourist spot, the stunning light turquoise river captivates with its beauty. Situated near Muzinë in Albania’s Vlorë County, renting a car is recommended to reach the famous Blue Eye. After following the signs and crossing the bridge (where a small fee is required), you’ll find a parking area and a footpath leading to the Blue Eye. Initially, you’ll be mesmerized by the surrounding lush forest and the beautiful light blue river flowing through this natural haven. The Blue Eye is located beneath a small metal balcony designed for a closer view. Although signs prohibit swimming, they don’t entirely deter people from diving into the icy waters.
- Lekuresi Castle - The third stop is Lekuresi Castle. Conclude the journey by exploring Lekuresi Castle, which offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Private transportation
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees
- Train ticket in Blue Eye
- Entrance fees
- Train ticket in Blue Eye
Additional Information
The captivating historic center of Gjirokaster is recognized on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Predominantly medieval, it boasts beautiful architecture that showcases the town’s affluent history. Perched on a hill, it offers views of a valley and mountains. This intriguing museum provides a wonderful insight into life in Albania during the Ottoman era….
The captivating historic center of Gjirokaster is recognized on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Predominantly medieval, it boasts beautiful architecture that showcases the town’s affluent history. Perched on a hill, it offers views of a valley and mountains. This intriguing museum provides a wonderful insight into life in Albania during the Ottoman era.
On the return journey to Saranda, the route will pass through the national park Syri I Kalter. In this tranquil forest, there will be a 15-minute walk to the Blue Eye, a crystal-clear spring where 900 cubic meters of water per minute emerge from deep within the earth. If time allows, a brief coffee break can be enjoyed at the restaurant beside the swiftly flowing river in the park, before continuing back to the port of Saranda.
Location
Leka Tours & Rent a Car Sarande
Rruga Mitat Hoxha
This is our agency physical location.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(50 Ratings)
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1 star
N4010hcdanas
Oct 20, 2025
100% recommendation - We had to change our original plans for the day and were very spontaneous about the tour - actually too late. Nevertheless, we passed the office to see if the tour had already begun. There we arrived a quarter of an hour late. Immediately, the employee called his colleagues. To make the tour possible, the tour group came by again and took us with them. We had a wonderful tour, saw a lot and were happy to get an insight into the country and its history in this way. We didn’t have to worry about transport and organisation, but we were able to discuss details individually time and again. We are impressed by the hospitality and warmth we have experienced!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marci_p
Oct 19, 2025
Lots of driving! - What a day with Jona! She is just precious! The drive from the port was quite long but we enjoyed the castle. Then the drive to the Blue Eye was insane! Take your Dramamine before this tour! The Blue Eye was pretty but be sure to take the train for €5 if you cannot walk a couple of miles. Then we drove another 20 minutes to Lukersi (spelling??) for a quick overlook and back to the ship. Total time was 9:00 am to 3:15 on the ship. Long day but overall we saw and learned a lot. Just take your Dramamine!
Review provided by Viator
Tricia_e
Sep 18, 2025
Must do - From the minute I booked this tour I had communication with the tour guide and company they were very professional and helpful trying to ensure our meeting point was not too far away and convenient for us. We were picked up on time and then proceeded to a meeting point where all the small collection vehicles to get on a bigger bus but based on numbers the tour guide made a wise decision to utilise the smaller buses and a car which was very comfortable and clever based on some of the roads. Jona our guide was informative and considerate each person input which was great. I didn’t know what to expect but I so loved the day the sites the places we visited the time we had at each location. I would have loved to have been able to have more time for a cocktail at the last stop but was very happy with the experience
Review provided by Viator
Grandtour405731
Sep 16, 2025
Sarande bus trip - Wonderful experience. Fantastic tour guide. Jona was her name. So friendly and informative. Only 12 people so perfect size.
Sites were amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Krystia_k
Sep 14, 2025
Full day tour visiting the necessary highlights - We really enjoyed our tour with Jona. We were picked up in a private van with a max of 6 passengers so it was very comfortable. While we were not in the van with Jona she did a good job of sharing info with us at Gjirokaster castle. I'm not one for a full day of listening to someone drone on and on about things so I appreciated the history highlights and then allowing us to wander to get our pictures. It was nice that she also asked the group about how much time we wanted in the village so the tour felt less rigid. We enjoyed having time to wander around the Blue Eye as we pleased. You finish the tour at Lekuresi Castle. We highly recommend staying there to get a table and drinks to watch the sunset. It gets very busy so getting there early is crucial. One thing to note, this is a FULL DAY tour (ending around 5:30pm). We were surprised to learn that but luckily we didn't have anything book so we were able to be flexible.
Review provided by Viator
M928vrsarat
Sep 11, 2025
Perfect tour - From start to finish, our tour with Leka Tours was simply excellent. Everything was perfectly organized – comfortable transport, a friendly guide, and plenty of time to enjoy each stop.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meganrann2023
Sep 7, 2025
Fun and informative tour - Great day out for our family of 5 (couple and 3 adult children). We appreciated the good communication prior and Leka Tours facilitating our pick up in Ksamil for a very reasonable extra cost. Our guide, Jona, and driver were both excellent. The three sights we visited were all great, although we all felt we spent way too long at the Blue Eye. There is quite a lot of walking involved and we would highly recommend wearing sensible shoes! Also, whilst our tour was advertised as being 6 hours long, it wound up being just over 8, so be aware if you have time constraints.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ladycderby
Sep 5, 2025
Great trip - We went over to Saranda from Corfu for a couple of nights and booked this trip. We were so happy that we did. It was well organised with good WhatsApp communication and our guide was incredibly helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. We packed so much in to our day and had plenty of time at each stop. We would highly recommend booking and taking in these fabulous sites in beautiful Albania
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stefan
Sep 2, 2025
Wonderful - Very nice trip! Well planned and organized! With enough time to see the sights. Very nice guide. 4 wonderful places to get to know Albania better.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Violeta_l
Sep 8, 2025
It was a tiring day. It... - It was a tiring day. It was supposed to last 5-6 hours, but it lasted for 8 hours.
The three destinations were too far apart, we were mostly in the car.
We were split in four cars and received no information during the whole roadtrip, it was just our family and a repeating 10 song playlist for the whole day, we ended up knowing them by heart.
Pay attention to the fact that the entrance to the Gjirokaster castle must be paid on the spot, as well as the transportation to the Blue Eye (train or moto, free on foot… 5km)
Even though the guide was very nice, it was not enough to compensate for the long day. Sadly, it felt like we lost the day.
We were supposed to be 15 people, but there were about 40 people and only one guide… poor organisation.
Review provided by Viator
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