Page 45 - Guaranteed-Departures-2022
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and Slavic culture.                                    Overnight in Saranda: Hotel Brilant 4* - or similar
        Visit Old Town, St. Bogorodica Perivlepta Church, St Sophia Cathedral and the
        stunning St. John Kaneo Church (outside only).         Day 6: Saranda – Butrint – Saranda/ Albania (40km – 1h30min)
        Enjoy a boat ride on this extraordinary lake           Breakfast at the hotel and drive for 40 min to Butrinti Archaeological Park
                                                               This impressive walking tour will stir your imagination about the ancient word
        Afternoon visit to a monastic complex, known for its rich history of orthodox   during the peak of the Roman power and the classical Greek mythology. Under
        religion, some of the painting achievements and wood carving, displayed within   the Byzantine Empire, Butrint became the center of a bishopric in Epirus Vetus.
        the church of St. Naum, a priest and scholar with a famous legacy.   Start the visit with the Asclepius temple, theatre, Roman portico and baths, early
                                                               Christian baptistery, byzantine basilica, defensive walls and their impressive
        Overnight in Ohrid: Hotel SU 4* - or similar           gates.
                                                               Time for lunch and free afternoon in the beach
        Day 4: Ohrid – Berat (North Macedonia – Albania) (195km – 4hrs)
        Breakfast at the hotel, check out and depart towards Berat/Albania, with stop   Overnight in Saranda: Hotel Brilant 4* - or similar
        en route for refreshments (Please note border procedures).
        Upon our arrival, we’ll have time for optional lunch or Tour & Wine testing in   Day 7: Saranda – Gjirokastra – Tirana (Albania) (290km – 5h30min)
        Cobo winery                                            Breakfast at hotel. We’ll drive (1 hr 15 mins) to the medieval town of Gjirokastra.
                                                               Stop en route to visit Blue Eye Park, which is a karst spring located on the
        Wine testing at COBO Winery (Optional)                 western slopes of Mount Mali Gjerë in Albania. The water in the inner source is
        The Çobo Winery currently consist of several cultivated vineyards, a spacious   a very dark blue, like the pupil of an eye, and a lighter color of blue as an outer
        kulla (a form of traditional Albanian architecture), and the winery itself, and a wine   ring - the iris, which gives the impression of a blue eye
        presentation room, elegantly constructed and furnished in the Berat style. A tour   Continue driving to Gjirokastra (40 min)
        of the facilities includes an extensive viewing of the wine making process and
        detailed explanations, punctuated by alternating poignant and comic vignettes   Start with the walking tour of Gjirokastra. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site,
        that paint a glowing picture of the family’s history and the origins of their wines.   the old town is famous for being a well-preserved Ottoman style town, with
                                                               its fortress overlooking the entire city and the old houses that lean against the
        Our  visit  to  Berat  medieval  town,  listed under  UNESCO  Heritage,  will start   slopes of the hills with their beautiful old wooden facades. Visit the Castle and
        from the Fortress. Berat is known as the “City of thousand windows” or “City   explore the old town and the bazaar, with its characteristic shops and great
        of windows one above the other”. The town is composed of 3 parts; Gorica,   opportunity to interact with local folks.
        situated on the far side of the river; Mangalem, situated on the fortress side of   After typical lunch, proceed driving to Tirana
        the river and the Residential quarter within the fortress known as Kalaja. The
        old part of the city has some religious buildings like mosque and Byzantine   Overnight in Tirana: Hotel Colosseo 4* - or similar
        churches. Visit The Fortres and Onufri Museum situated inside Orthodox
        Cathedral of the Dormition of St. Mary                 Day 8: Tirana (Albania)
                                                               Today, after our breakfast at the hotel, we’ll start the walking tour of Tirana - the
        Overnight in Berat: Hotel Grand White City 4* - or similar   main Italian influenced boulevard, the National Historic Museum, the Bunker1,
                                                               Pazari i Ri (New bazar - where you can see a green market, fishops and also
        Day 5: Berat – Vlora – Albanian riviera – Porto Palermo – Saranda   taste artisanal ice creams)
        (Albania) (235km – 5h30min)                            Transfer to Dajti Mountain, which will start with the ‘boarding’ in the cable car.
        Breakfast, check out of your hotel. Departure to Saranda, with several stops
        en route for pictures and refreshments. Enjoy  the scenic  mountain  ride,   Amazing tour of Dajti Mountain National Park. Just 25km east of Tirana is Mt
        descending the rocky shore and pristine beaches of Ioanian Sea, offering photo   Dajti National Park (1611m). A sky-high, Austrian-made cable car, Dajti Express,
        opportunities of the natural landscape, unique village settings, and fortresses  takes 15 minutes to rise to (almost) the top. It’s a scenic trip over bunkers,
        Visit the Castel of Ali Pasha Tepelena in Porto Palermo. Continue driving to   forest, farms and hilltops. Experience the breathtaking cable car ride up to the
        Saranda (50 km)                                        “Dajti balcony,” a natural plane formation at an elevation of 1200m, offering
                                                               spectacular views over Tirana to the Adriatic Sea.

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