Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Corfu - Gjirokastra - Permet - Berat - Llogora National Park - Saranda
100% customisable for you
Rise and shine because your trip begins today with an early morning direct flight from London to Corfu. Upon arrival, you’ll be privately transferred to your hotel, set within easy reach of the island’s historic heart.
Ease into your surroundings and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. If energy allows, head into Corfu Old Town for a first wander: Venetian architecture, pastel-coloured buildings and narrow cobbled lanes give the town its distinct character. It’s best explored without agenda, but we can arrange for a local guide to accompany you. Afterwards, settle into a café on the Liston or tuck into a relaxed dinner nearby.
After breakfast, take your early morning transfer to Corfu’s port before boarding the ferry for the half-hour journey across the Ionian Sea to Sarande in Albania. It’s a short crossing, but one that feels like a genuine shift, with Greek blues giving way to Albania’s more rugged palette as you approach the mainland.
On docking, you’ll be met by your local Albanian guide and private driver, heading inland to Gjirokastra on a one-hour drive. Arriving at this hilltop town feels like you’ve stepped back in time: slate-roofed houses tumble down the hillside, streets are cobbled and elderly ladies sell lacework and dried herbs. If you’re feeling energetic, hike up the hilltop to see the medieval Gjirokastra Castle and its panoramic views, before settling down for dinner and your first taste of Albanian cuisine.
This morning, check out and meet your private driver and local guide to Antigonea National Park, a scenic journey of around two-and-a-half-hours. The drive itself is part of the experience, passing through rolling green hills, open pastures, wooded pockets and ruins that hint at the region’s long history.
On arrival, explore the archaeological site by foot, wandering amongst the remains of the ancient city built in 295 BC. A picnic lunch follows (weather permitting), before continuing on to the small and pretty town of Permet. Set beside the Vjose River and backed by the White Mountains, it’s known for its gliko fruit compotes and fiery raki (the local moonshine) – both well worth sampling once you’ve settled in.
Continue your journey north this morning with a scenic 4x4 drive from Permet to Berat. The route climbs into the mountains, before dropping down towards the Osumi Canyon, where dramatic rock formations and tumbling waterfalls create a striking change of scenery. Along the way, pause at local farmhouses to taste honey produced in the surrounding hills (you might find a jar or two makes its way back into the car with you…).
From here, carry on to Berat and arrive in the early evening after a total drive-time of roughly five hours. Check into your next hotel, then venture out to explore one of the Balkans’ best-preserved Ottoman cities.
Whitewashed houses stack neatly along the hillside, earning Berat its nickname, ‘City of a Thousand Windows’. After supper, wander across the bridge for views back towards the illuminated old town, or ask your guide to take you to downtown Berat to join the nightly passeggiata, where the whole town turns out in its finest to stroll and gossip as the sun sets.
This morning, head up to Berat Castle, a fascinating place to explore and a piece of history that feels very much alive – families still live within its walls in traditional houses, as they have done for centuries. While here, also be sure to visit the Onufri Museum, dedicated to the 16th-century iconic Albanian painter (meant in its truest sense, as in a painter of icons) whose richly coloured works are among Albania’s most important artistic treasures.
Afterwards, continue by private transfer to Apollonia, once one of the Roman world’s most significant cities and strategically situated along the famous Via Egnatia – the great road that connected Italy with Constantinople. Enjoy lunch in a charming small restaurant set among the ruins and surrounded by beautiful views. Take time to tour the site before departing for Llogora National Park, arriving in the early evening after a scenic drive through pine-forested valleys.
Llogora National Park offers some of Albania’s most striking scenery, where pine-covered mountains drop dramatically towards the Mediterranean. Today, set out on a guided hike directly from your hotel, following a narrow woodland trail that climbs steadily to a mountain pass with wide views out across the sea. Totalling around five hours, it’s not overly demanding, but there are uneven stones and some rough ground en route. Along the way, birdsong and wildflowers provide peaceful company through thick forests and lush open meadows. At the pass, pause for a picnic lunch prepared by your hotel – take some binoculars with you to spot birds and boats far out at sea.
After lunch and a spot of sunbathing, trace your steps back down and arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon. There’s time for a hot shower and a rest before heading out for supper nearby, where hearty Albanian dishes (fresh stews are a highlight), generous pours of red wine, a splash of raki round off a rewarding day outdoors.
Leave Llogora National Park this morning and wind your way back down the mountain towards the coast, following a scenic road with plenty of excuses to stop and admire the views. Little coves and quiet harbours pop up along the way – if you want to stop for a swim, just ask your guide.
Along the way, you’ll stop for lunch at a well-chosen local fish restaurant, before arriving at Butrint for an afternoon tour of the site. Set among wetlands and woodlands, UNESCO-listed Butrint is one of Albania’s most impressive archaeological treasures and among the most significant in the Balkans. First settled by Greek colonists in the eighth century BC, it reveals layers of history through remarkably intact theatres, colonnaded streets and temples.
Later, return to Saranda for your final night in Albania and a chance to reflect on the journey so far before you return to Corfu tomorrow.
This morning, take a short transfer to the ferry port and cross back to Corfu, where you’ll be met and taken to your hotel in Corfu Old Town for the last night of your trip and a chance to return to familiar streets with fresh eyes. The remainder of the day is free for a final wander and a leisurely dinner. Take your time choosing where to eat – Corfiot cooking still has a few surprises left…
Today you’ll be transferred to the airport in good time for your three-and-a-quarter-hour flight back to London, arriving in the afternoon (hopefully with a few jars of honey or bottles of raki intact, too).
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
ENQUIRE NOW
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
ENQUIRE NOW
Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
