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South Albania Half-day Tour: Explore Blue Eye, Lekursi Castle, Ksamil with a Local guide
5.0
22 Ratings
Sarandë
Embark on a half-day tour of South Albania with a local guide. Explore the stunning Blue Eye, Lekursi Castle, and Ksamil while learning about the culture and traditions of the region. Capture unforgettable moments and discover hidden natural gems.
Embark on a half-day tour of South Albania with a local guide. Explore the stunning Blue Eye, Lekursi Castle, and Ksamil while learning about the culture and traditions of the region. Capture unforgettable moments and discover hidden natural gems.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- The Blue Eye - The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) is a stunning water spring and natural wonder located near Muzinë in Vlorë County, southern Albania. This popular tourist destination features crystal-clear blue water that emerges from a depth exceeding fifty meters. Although divers have reached fifty meters, the true depth of the karst hole remains…
- The Blue Eye - The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) is a stunning water spring and natural wonder located near Muzinë in Vlorë County, southern Albania. This popular tourist destination features crystal-clear blue water that emerges from a depth exceeding fifty meters. Although divers have reached fifty meters, the true depth of the karst hole remains unknown. The Blue Eye is among the most breathtaking sights in Southern Albania and makes for an easy day trip from Saranda. Conveniently, it is also en route to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gjirokastra (also spelled Gjirokastër), the sister city of Berat.
Visiting both the Blue Eye and Gjirokastra in a single day is quite feasible if you are staying in Saranda or Ksamil. Alternatively, if you have more time, you can explore them separately.
- Lekuresi Castle - Lëkurësi Castle (Kalaja e Lëkurësit) is a historic castle ruin located in Lëkurës, southern Albania. Perched on a strategic hill, it offers commanding views of the town of Saranda and the islands of Ksamil. The castle was constructed in 1537 by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who sought to control the harbor of Saranda and the road connecting it to Butrint after attacking Corfu.
- Plazhi Ksamilit - Ksamil boasts numerous beautiful beaches, and the operator is eager to share a personal favorite.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Local guide
- Bottled water
- Entrance fees
- Snacks
- Private transportation
- Local guide
- Bottled water
- Entrance fees
- Snacks
What's Not Included
- Personal expenses
- Personal expenses
Additional Information
I hail from Saranda, and my fervor for greeting visitors as a local guide is unmatched.
Presently, I have curated exclusive experiences that beautifully blend various elements, such as understanding our customs and traditions, exploring nearby archeological sites, and unveiling nature’s concealed gems.
Each visit to these sites will significantly…
I hail from Saranda, and my fervor for greeting visitors as a local guide is unmatched.
Presently, I have curated exclusive experiences that beautifully blend various elements, such as understanding our customs and traditions, exploring nearby archeological sites, and unveiling nature’s concealed gems.
Each visit to these sites will significantly enrich your travel experience, providing numerous picturesque moments.
The crux of this experience lies in unravelling delightful hidden gems that you’ve never encountered before, ensuring a thoroughly enjoyable time.
- Traveler must have their own facemasks and gloves due to the risks of Covid-19
Location
Sarandë
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
5.0
(22 Ratings)
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1 star
S4866rxlucyh
Jun 4, 2025
Highly recommend - Highly recommend
We originally booked to paddle board around the islands in ksamil but due to my partner having a bad back we had to cancel. Instead of cancelling completely we changed our booking to visit the blue eye. Wow it was amazing. Such a beautiful place. Ari picked us up from our hotel and told us lots of interesting things about Albania. He was very friendly, on our way home we told him we were heading to Tirana the next day and we didn’t have transport. He was so kind and helped us arrange our transport. We will definitely do tours again in the future, hopefully manage to paddle board next time 🤞🏼
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erin_l
Apr 11, 2025
Fantastic tour and exceptional guide - This was a wonderful tour thanks to my fantastic guide, Ari. I just had one day in Sarande, taking the ferry in from Corfu, and wanted to make the most of it. Ari messaged with me before my arrival to coordinate a pick-up location, customized the tour to my needs, and then gave a great lesson in Albanian history and culture during our time together. He was so friendly and full of interesting facts about the locations we visited. For me, the Blue Eye was truly exceptional and worth the tour in and of itself, but the views from Lekuresi Casle and the gorgeous blue waters of Ksamil were also lovely. If you just have a day in Sarande, I highly recommend this tour and I enthusiastically endorse Ari as a guide. Thanks, Ari!
Review provided by Viator
Gayle_h
Nov 12, 2024
Half day tour in South Albania - We very much enjoyed this tour. Our guide was super and we loved talking with him about history, culture and politics!! The Blue Eye was amazing and the views from Lekursi Castle are unsurpased. We had a bit of a mixup finding each other at first (our fault) but we were rescued in no time. Very fun tour.
Review provided by Viator
Rebecca_b
Jul 1, 2024
Fun day in Albania - We had a wonderful half day tour with Ari. He was an incredibly knowledgeable, fun guide who kept us interested and entertained. We learned a lot about Albania and saw some beautiful sites. The best was our seafood lunch on the water. We highly recommend this tour and Ari!
Review provided by Viator
851heleneb
Jun 4, 2024
Most interesting day excursion with a knowledgable guide. - We would highly recommend this excursion. The driver was friendly, considerate and very knowledgeable. He tailored the tour to our needs and where we wanted to go. A very interesting tour and great day excursion checking the sites of beautiful South Albania. Guide was fluent in English,
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gilliancr7562rw
Apr 14, 2024
Spectacular day trip to Southern Albania - Ari was amazing, fantastic day. Got to see amazing sights and learn so much about Albanian history.
Ari’s personable and kind nature was very apparent and made my husband and I feel comfortable and looked after. Gjirokastra was a particular highlight, with the castle and the views of the old town. We stopped at a restaurant there recommended by Ari and this did not disappoint! Food quality spectacular and service very friendly with generous portions and exceptional value for money.
Blue eye spring not to be missed.
Mountains and valleys beyond stunning. What an amazing country, so glad we took time to travel from Corfu to visit for the day. Definitely recommend this tour!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fabionl2024
Mar 24, 2024
Do this tour. Thank me later! - Me and my girl decided to do this tour in Sarande. It was a pleasant experience to discover the coolest places that this city has. I would recommend to any of you to visit these places within a halfday trip with Private Tours Albania company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
505perpariml
Mar 24, 2024
Wonderful half day tour - This was really a wonderful trip around Saranda city.
We visited the Blue Eye, Lekrusi Castle and Ksamil.
The view of each spot was spectacular.
Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable.
We highly recommend it!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rominah974
Feb 7, 2024
A Must Do - We did the halfday trip with Ari to the blue eye water spring as we heard it is a must do.
The water of the spring was crystal clear and so beautiful.
Ari told us that there are a lot of dragonflies but we couldn't see them because it was too hot for them.
However the tour was really worth it and we loved the coffee time with are while discussing about his loved country.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_r
Nov 4, 2023
Great short adventure near Sarandë! - A great trip! We had a limited time being cruise ship guests to the area and our friendly tour guide was great at making sure we were back in plenty of time as indicated on the tour timings. A really nice potter about 3 lovely spots and well worth it for us to make the most of our short time docked in Sarandë. Absolutely loved the blue eye, worth the journey out - it was stunning and our guide kindly bought us a drink in the cafe at the site. Would recommend, you'll be in good hands! (Picture of us and our guide in the blue eye photo).
Review provided by Viator
