Private Tour

Blue Eye, Gjirokaster & Lekures | Private & Small Group Tours

Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

Planning your holidays by your own selves makes it harder for you to visit the whole highlights of a country.

The reason I choose to offer different types of CUSTOMIZED experiences is to show you the best of my beautiful country from a local's perspective.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Specialized infant seats are available

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Traveler must have their own facemasks and gloves due to the risks of Covid-19

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Private transportation

Pickup and drop off

Local guide

Bottled water

All entrance fees

Snacks

Personal expenses.

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Experience Gjirokastra

The ancient Ottoman town of Gjirokastër, a UNESCO World Heritage site, will be our next stop. We will go to the castle, which looks over the whole town and the rest of the Gjere mountains. visit the museum and listen to the history of this marvelous city. After some photography of the landscape, we will proceed to the 17th century Ottoman bazaar, which offers the perfect opportunity to buy some locally-inspired souvenirs. Another 18th/19th Ottoman structure, Skenduli house, has been preserved ever since it was taken from the wealthy Skenduli family at the start of communism in Albania. A 10th generation family member will show us around and explain all of its quirks.

4 hours • Admission Included

Lekuresi Castle

The final stop is back in Saranda where I will take you to my favourite place to enjoy the breathtaking landscape as the sunsets. If you like, this can include swimming or eating locally grown fruits with some drinks, making for an unforgettable day.

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Options

Small Group Tour

Duration: 7 hours 30 minutes
Round Trip: Pick up Ksamil or Sarande Blue Eye Gjitokaster Lekursi Castle Drop off Ksamil / Sarande
SUV 4x4 | AC & Music on Board
Pickup included

Saranda-Saranda | Private Tour

Duration: 7 hours 30 minutes
Round trip: 1-Saranda 2-Gjirokaster 3-Sarande
SUV 4X4 | AC & Music on Board
Pickup included

Tirana -Sarande | Private Tour

Duration: 9 hours 10 minutes
Transfer and Tour: Beside the tour this is also a transfer. The tour starts from Tirana and it ends in Sarande or Gjirokaster.
SUV 4X4 | AC & Music on board
Pickup included

Tirana - Tirana | Private Tour

Duration: 12 hours: Due to the large distance we will have to drive 2.5hours until the first stop and 2.5hours from the last stop to Tirana.
Round Trip: 1-Tirana 2-Gjirokaster 3-Sarande 4-Tirana
SUV 4X4 | AC & Music on Board
Pickup included

Reviews

4.91

44 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Best Tour in South Albania
batom2025,
Jun 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Very good service of the Company. This was the highlight of our holidays in Albani. We had a paddle tour with our guide and he suggested us a day trip to Gjirokaster , a UNESCO site which was absolutely magnificient. You should try this tour. Note: book in advance. They are almost full in the summer and you'd badely find seats.
It was an amazing experience!
xhuljos2025,
Mar 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Ari was an excellent guide in Gjirokastra! Knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about the city’s history, Ari made the tour engaging and memorable. Highly recommend for an insightful and enjoyable experience!
Ari is the best
Todd K,
Oct 12, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
Ari is everything you would want in a guide. Very knowledgeable, very friendly and easy going. Flexible to meet your needs. Great guy.
Excellent tour! I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Helen S,
Sep 29, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
This is such a fantastic tour! Ari is an amazing guide and he kept my 2 teenage kids and myself entertained for the whole day. He is extremely knowledgable and adapted our trip to our needs. We took the tour from Tirana to Sarande which was a great way to make the trip without needing to do the drive myself while also seeing so much on the way. Thank you so much Ari!
Tour of South Albania
Andrew S,
Sep 25, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
Ari, our guide, was fantastic. Gave me a proper history lesson on the drive and had plenty of other knowledge during the day. All 3 locations were worth the time. Blue Eye has a train for those worried about the walk. My favourite part was gjirokaster bazaar, lovely place to walk around, and definitely take Ari's recommendation for lunch.
An outstanding private tour of Southern Albania
Robert T,
Sep 11, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Ari is the only guide you need for Southern Albania - he is the most thoughtful, interesting, helpful and practical guide possible. Nothing was too much trouble as he effortlessly guided me through the complicated but fascinating history of his country, answering questions patiently and in a most captivating manner. He also expertly guided his trusty Nissan through the challenging streets of Gjirokaster! I would not hesitate to recommend this tour, particularly as Ari has such a passion for his job. I wish I could give more than 5 stars!
Best tour of Albania, hands down!
Kory V,
Aug 19, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
Ari is an amazing tour guide. Informative, kind, patient, funny. It was truly a treat to go on this tour and spend the day exploring the beautiful country of Albania. Thank you so much Ari for all of the memories and information about Albania. I learned and experienced so much in just one day. Highly recommend!
Definitely a Must Do in Sarande!!!
GoPlaces06076966277,
Jun 30, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
My family and I did a tour to Blue Eye, Gjirokaster and Lekursi Castle. All these places are must see. Our guide Valentina was very professional, talkative and very knowledgeable. We adored her passion and her love for her country. We would highly suggest this tour with Valentina.
Ari is the Best Guide in Albania
ReviewerMaryland1,
Jun 23, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We actually did a 3-day tour of Albania with Ari of A Tour to Remember. If you want a supremely knowledgeable, kind, fun, safe guide to share his deep love for his country with you, Ari is your tour guide. We were 2 couples, MDs and Ph.D.s all, and there wasn’t a question we asked that Ari couldn’t answer or a subject on which we engaged, from Dia Lipa, to Enver Hoxha-era bunker technology, to world religions, to Albanian pandemic-era vaccine perspectives and public health (and many more) which Ari didn’t lead the charge. He showed us breathtaking scenery and shared fascinating history and local customs during our time together. He was the perfect ambassador for Albania. Please feel free to message me if you have questions. I so very highly recommend booking with Ari!
Great trip, great guide!
eia3177,
Jun 7, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
10/10 recommend. We had limited time in the Saranda region and wanted to focus our tour in just the blue eye and Gjirokastra - Ari was able to customize a trip that fit our needs. Both locations were incredible - a must see. He is extremely personable and very easy to talk with. We enjoyed learning about the places we were visiting and Albania as a whole with him as he is very knowledgeable. Couldn’t recommend booking with him enough!