Ancients and Ottomans - Apollonia and Berat

It's my first time in Europe, and getting to see Albania with Toni was truly a pleasure. I was nervous about going solo, but I left feeling like I made a friend not only in Toni but in the people he spoke with along the way. He's knowledgable, passionate, and fun. He made me feel like a local even though I speak no Albanian, and made sure to give me the historical context for everything we saw and did. I can't recommend him enough. If I could give more stars I would! Thanks Toni for an unforgettable day!

We have just completed a seven-day guided tour of Albania organised by Albanian Trip. This included visits to Ohrid in North Macedonia, the old towns of Berat and Gjirokastër returning to Tirana along the Ionian and Adriatic coasts, staying in Sarandë and Vlorë. The scenery was stunning, with steep, jagged hills, and old towns built into the hill sides and the return along the coast was through attractive villages and over high passes had fantastic views.

Our guide, Ervin Budo, not only spoke excellent English and had an extensive knowledge of the many fascinating historic sites we visited but was also a careful driver which was particularly reassuring given the steep and narrow roads on some of the routes through the mountains. In the towns and sites we visited we saw the influence of Greek, Roman and Ottoman building, as well as the legacy of Ali Pasha. Ervin also showed us around Tirana, with visits to Bunk Art 2 and the Block which helped explain the transition from the previous communist era.

The hotels were clean and comfortable, and in several cases family run, all in great locations and most equating to a UK 3 star standard. The Mangalemi hotel in Berat deserves special mention as it was particularly well renovated, had welcoming staff and excellent food. The cost of eating out is much lower than in the UK, although top quality food comes at a slightly higher price - we had a very good traditional Albanian meal at Mullixhiu in Tirana and excellent seafood in Sarandë and Vlorë.

Albanian Trip were easy to deal with from our first contact and were quick to answer any questions. Our tour was largely pre-planned, but also very flexible; Ervin was patient and very accommodating – always happy to tailor the itinerary to match our interests, including an unplanned visit to a winery. Ervin’s knowledge and local contacts certainly made our visit run very smoothly and gave us a deeper understanding of the country. We would certainly recommend a visit to Albania using Albanian Trip.

Per Latham

Alison Porter

The experience was incredible its a must for anyone wishing to understand the history of the country

This was an exceptional trip up into the hills of Apollonia to seek out Greek ruins, Byzantine churches, museums and excavations, each of which were incredibly impressive, followed by a wonderful tour of Berat and some excellent local cuisine.

The amount of history, insight, food and culture that the host was able to pack into a single day far exceeded my expectations.

I've since booked further trips with them, each of which has been fulfilling beyond measure. Highly recommend this tour company, and this tour in particular.

Our experience with Albanian Trip was outstanding from first contact with Mr. Elton Caushi by email to arriving at our destination. Mr. Caushi responded promptly and throughly to our initial inquiries. He provided us with all of the information necessary to make a confident booking decision. Our driver, Mr. Ervin Budo, was excellent. He arrived on time, was friendly, helpful and courteous. He is a very safe driver and has a kind disposition. His English is excellent and we were very comfortable to be in his care.

Albanian Trip provides an excellent service at a fair price and we will call on them again when we come to Tirana. We highly recommend Albanian Trip to others who are looking for a car and driver or guide for a trip in Albania.

We are happy with the service provided and for their all around professionalism.

I selected Albanian Trip because they offer really interesting and unique tours in Albania and also offered the possibility of a group tour, which, as a solo traveler on a budget, was appealing to me. The more people that sign up, the cheaper the tour will be per person. No one else signed up for the tour, so I enjoyed a private tour of Ancients and Ottomans with Elton, one of the owners of the company. He was a very informative and personable guide and I learned a lot about Albanian culture and history. I am hopeful Albanian Trip can tap into the growing hostel network in Tirana to be able to offer group tours to the increasing number of backpackers making their way to Albania. I'd love to see their tours more accessible to more travelers!

Our stay in Tirana was awesome, thanks to Albaniantrip.com. Elton and Vilma responded promptly to all my inquiries via email and FB messenger so convenient!! Ancients and Ottomans full day tour with Irvin as our guide was the BEST choice. We were picked up from the Lobby at our Hotel, the vehicle was very roomy and comfortable.

Irvin was local and had tons of information about Albania as well as connections with the local people everywhere we stopped. It was very interesting to learn about his experiences in Albania as well about the sites that we visited. He took care of entrances, local guide at the museum all details and more were covered. We had a very special visit with a local resident in OLD Berrat, sweetest little lady who graciously cooked a meal from her local supplies, we purchased some of her hand knitted wool slippers :) He even made a stop in Durres for a night view of the Roman amphitheater, which wasn’t part of our tour and a true delight. We left behind our thermos, the next day it had been delivered to the front desk at the hotel, they go above and beyond! I highly recommend Albaniantrip.com services and tours Irvin was an awesome guide!!

Vilma and Elton were excellent about communication for my tour to Apollonia and Berat. My guide was local and had tons of information about Albania. It was very interesting to learn about his experience growing up during the communist Albania as well about the sites that we visit. He even made a stop in Durres which wasn’t part of my tour but it was a very nice city port.

Berat was the highlight of my tour.

Thanks for a great time in Albania!

A group of us were in Albania for the Wales game but wanted to see more than just the football so booked a tour on our 'spare day'. The booking process was very easy and Ervin met us at our Hotel to start our day. From the beginning Ervin & our driver were great to get on with and we were all soon chatting like old friends as we learned about the recent history of Albania on the drive to Apollonia. The tour was so much more than we expected, unrushed with lots of information and enthusiasm. When we stopped for lunch in Berat it was in a family run cafe and though the owners had only got married the day before they were great hosts, filling our table with all manner of delicious local dishes, not just what we ordered from the menu.

The highlight for me was stopping in the middle of nowhere to see a cold war bunker which was maintained by the ancient Jamal on the corner of his land. Such a lovely guy, he introduced us to his donkey and joined us for a group photo (attached to this review) before waving us on our way like we were family. It was so endearing to see such enthusiasm after what he must have endured in the recent past of his country.

When I go away I always try to book guided tours & this tour was by far the best I have experienced, if/when I return to Albania I will surely plan my holiday around some tours with Albania Trip. Thanks guys.

It was a fantastic tour, informational, polite and fun! If I am ever in Albania again, I will seek out the same company and guide!