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Sarande and Ksamil Tour: Blue Eye, Gjirokastër, Lekuresi
4.8
34 Ratings
Saranda
Explore Blue Eye, St. Nicholas Monastery, Gjirokastër, and Lekuresi Castle in a day. Dive into Albanian culture and nature with a local guide.
Explore Blue Eye, St. Nicholas Monastery, Gjirokastër, and Lekuresi Castle in a day. Dive into Albanian culture and nature with a local guide.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Monastery of Saint Michael - One of the oldest and largest churches of the Byzantine era and one of the world’s pearls of Byzantine architecture, St. Nicholas Monastery is located in the south of the Mesopotam village in the outskirts of Saranda, very close to the ancient city of Finiq. The monastery is thought to have been built in 1224 or 1225….
- Monastery of Saint Michael - One of the oldest and largest churches of the Byzantine era and one of the world’s pearls of Byzantine architecture, St. Nicholas Monastery is located in the south of the Mesopotam village in the outskirts of Saranda, very close to the ancient city of Finiq. The monastery is thought to have been built in 1224 or 1225. It was once enclosed by a circular wall which is today only partly preserved. Its double apse makes it unique in its genre, and some researchers have advanced the hypothesis that this was due to the monastery being used by two religious rites (Catholic and Orthodox).
- The Blue Eye - The “Blue Eye” (Albanian: Syri i Kaltër) is a water spring and natural phenomenon occurring in the village of Muzinë in Finiq municipality, southern Albania.[3] A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river can be seen from a depth of more than fifty metres. Divers have descended to fifty metres, but it is still unclear what the actual depth of the karst hole is
- Gjirokaster Castle - Gjirokastra, is also known as the stone city, and has been protected by UNESCO since 2005. It is one of the last Ottomans -style cities left in the Balkans
- Lekuresi Castle - Lekursi Castle (Kajala e Lëkurësit) is a castle on Lekursi Hill, just behind Saranda with an amazing view over the town and bay, making this the most popular and iconic viewpoint of Saranda.
What's Included
- Licensed or certified in-person guide
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Licensed or certified in-person guide
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- enternerace to blue eye
- enternerace to gjirokastra castle (optional)
- Lunch
- enternerace to blue eye
- enternerace to gjirokastra castle (optional)
Additional Information
Visit 4 different places in one day on this tour from Sarande and Ksamil. Explore the St. Nicholas Monastery Church, marvel at the Blue Eye, stroll through the city of Gjirokastër, and admire the views from Lekuresi Castle.
Immerse yourself in Albanian culture and nature on a full-day tour. Discover 4 fascinating locations in just one day with your local…
Visit 4 different places in one day on this tour from Sarande and Ksamil. Explore the St. Nicholas Monastery Church, marvel at the Blue Eye, stroll through the city of Gjirokastër, and admire the views from Lekuresi Castle.
Immerse yourself in Albanian culture and nature on a full-day tour. Discover 4 fascinating locations in just one day with your local guide. Admire the spectacularly clear waters of the natural Blue Eye spring. Pause for reflection at the St. Nicholas Monastery Church in Mesopotam. Step back in time on the streets of Gjirokastër and at Lëkurësi Castle.
Location
Hotel Vila Duraku
Rruga Naim Frashëri
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
(34 Ratings)
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David_t
Jul 11, 2025
Great introduction to Albania - Good value trip with friendly guide who gave a little information about each place we visited. Just the right balance of time allocated. Perhaps 30 minutes extra in Gjirokaster but still enough time to visit the castle, have some lunch and grab a souvenir.
Review provided by Viator
Megan_s
Jul 9, 2025
We had a fantastic... - We had a fantastic experience on our tour in Albania! Traveling with our 9-month-old, we were so impressed with how professional and well-organized everything was. The tour guide made everything smooth and stress-free, and we truly appreciated the thoughtful balance between planned activities and free time to relax and explore on our own. It was the perfect combination for our young family – we especially liked Gjrokaster, a very beautiful place with great food.
Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Harshitha_s
Jul 6, 2025
The guide was super... - The guide was super informative, friendly and very understanding. He didn't rush anybody and showed us all the places patiently
Review provided by Viator
Veronica_m
Jul 4, 2025
Amazing tour! - Amazing tour with very interesting information and the perfect time at each spot! I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Saranda or Ksamil.
Review provided by Viator
Steven_p
Jun 18, 2025
A great tour fitting in some amazing highlights from Saranda - Our tour guide, ilmi, was great addition to this tour. A really nice guy, knowledgeable, friendly and helpful with places to go in the free time we had on the tour. Some really nice places to visit with a good amount of time at each one to see everything.
Review provided by Viator
Dolatwr
Jun 2, 2025
Great way to see some of Albanias points of interest - Had a fab day out. Our guide was brilliant sharing information about the different places and dropping us off close to the point of exploration (which still involves a walk but at least we were as close as possible). We had an interesting day and would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_k
Jun 24, 2025
Main attraction good, rest well - You don't need the monastery, at the black eye and in gjirokastra you have enough free time to see everything relaxed. That's good. The castle at the end was quite nice because of the view but the tour guide has to give up a time and not leave it to the "flow" that everyone will be back on the bus sometime by themselves. Germans then stand there stupidly for 15 minutes because they don't want to be late. You can't do that!
Review provided by Viator
Dionysios_t
Jun 10, 2025
The driver was attentive... - The driver was attentive and friendly. The driving time between stops is short. Highlight of the tour is Gjirokaster. We were not allowed to swim in the Blue eye.
Review provided by Viator
Marie
Jun 6, 2025
Interesting tour - Interesting tour to four unique places. Fun to experience the surrounding mountains and see more of Albania. Nice and engaging guide even if he talked a little too fast. Just enough (8 pcs) in air-conditioned minivan. Just enough time in each place. Great value!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zoe_n
Jun 3, 2025
Lovely day - This is a worthwhile tour with some stunning scenery, we loved the village and castle, our tour guide was very helpful and knowledgeable,
Review provided by Viator