TITLE

JEEP SAFARI MOUNTAIN PILURI COMBINE WITH HIMARA BEACH SARANDA – LUKOVE – BORSH - QEPARO – PILUR – HIMARE – PORTO PALERMO –SARANDA By collect all the participates for the jeep safari from the hotels the start of this adventure after the instruction will be from Lekuresi Castle point. Driving by the main road always to the coast side next to the Ionian sea and passing from several Albanian village which looks typical Mediterranean architecture, our first coffee break will be to Borch village, to the fall water coffee stop. Coffee or soft drinks included. Leaving from Borsh, passing from Qeparo village and destination will be the mountain village from where the Albanian Polyphony was create. This village is call PILUR and is situated 950 m vertical from the level of the sea. From Qeparo to Pilur almost the driving will be OFF ROAD and 99% up hill driving. To Pilur we will have the opportunity to visit the church of Saint Maria, walking around the village, meat local people and enjoy the local dish just home made. The dish will be including. After the local dish and enjoyable view which is very clear ,from the top we can see all the Ionian island drive down hill to Himara beach. Stay for aprox 2-3 hours to the best beach of the Ionian coast of Albania. Round noon on our departure from Himara, on way to Saranda will visit the Castle of Porto Palermo, the second biggest NAVY BASE during the Communist system. This Castle was build from the 15-th Century ( Venetian period) and later on was complete during the 18-th Century ( Ottomans period) On our return back to Lekuresi point from where the bus will transfer you back to the hotel.             Rafting in the Osumi Canyon The trip takes place in the Canyon of Osumi, one of the most beautiful places in Albania where we will explore the river and its stunning surroundings with incredible rock formations and waterfalls by raft. This trip explores the Osumi Canyon in its entire length of about 12km. We start this guided rafting trip upstream of the Hamulli Bridge and end at the descent at the Bridge of Çorovoda. We run this trip only with high levels of water, from March to May. This is Osumi Canyon at its very best! The beauty of the canyon is enhanced by a series of waterfalls, each more beautiful than the last. The abundance of water makes rafting smooth and fun! Intinerary: 10:00: Participants meet at Çorovoda rafting base (1,5 hour south of Berat) and will be driven to Hamull in OA vehicles on 16 km of village road. 11:00: Briefing, intro to rafting 11:15: Start of rafting trip at Hamull 14:15: End of rafting trip at Çorovoda What to bring: Please make sure you bring a bathing suit, a towel and a pair of (closed) water shoes or trainers. All other equipment is provided for (Neoprene, helmet, spray jacket, life-vest and paddle).         Pogradec-Saint Naum-Ohrid   Visit Ohrid Lake- the Blue Pearl of Balkan Meeting point at the hall of the hotel. Drive towards Pogradec, a city dominated by Ohrid Lake, surrounded by fields nestled before picturesque mountains. Continue to the monastery of Saint Naum, perched on a craggy outcrop above the lake. St Naum was a healer and miracle-worker of the 10th century, whose works can be seen depicted in frescoes inside the chapel which is itself dedicated to archangels Michael and Gabriel. Admire the frescoes and elaborately carved iconostasis, venture outside to the springs of the Black Drim River nearby which spill into Lake Ohrid. Optional lunch in a local restaurant Drive towards Ohrid. Guiding tour includes the visits of the statue of St. Cyril and Methodius, and it continues to the Lower gate, the National Museum of Ohrid, the Church of St Sophia, the Roman amphitheatre, the Upper gate, St Clements’s Church of the Holy Mother of God Most Glorious, The Icon Gallery, Tsar Samoil’s fortress, Plaoshnik and it ends in a walk through Ohrid’s marketplace. Turn back to the hotel in Durres.   This picturesque town is rich with historical monuments including Rozafa Castle, founded by the Illyrians and rebuilt by the Turks and Venetians, the Turkish baths and mosque. In Shkoder you will visit:

• The Archeological and Ethnographical Museum (an old characteristic house where wood and other traditional motifs are used.)
• The Catholic Cathedral ( in 19 century was the largest one in the Balkans),
• Sightseeing of the city. Visit the traditional road build at the beginning of the xx-th century, which bears the distinctive architectural characteristics of the museum area.
• The Rozafa Castle, founded in 3th century BC, built in a rocky hill and surrounding by the three rivers Drini, Buna and Kiri

            Tur ne Unesko   Day 1 : Arrival. After arriving in Tirana airport or in Durres ( depending on groups) Departure to Berat. Accommodation and overnight in Berat.   Day 2: BERAT After breakfast we will visit Berat. Visit the Castle, built on a rocky hill on the left of the Osumi River. Berat Castle in its current condition, even though it has sustained some damages, remains a magnificent site which attracts a great number of visitors.The population of the fortress was Christian, and had more than 20 churches (most of which were built during the XIII century). There is also one mosque, built after the Ottomans conquered Berat. The only reamains that survive today are parts of the foundations and the base of the minaret. Visit the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, which has been restored and today is the musem dedicated to Onufri, the greatest fresco painter of the sixteenth century in Albania. Here you can find art works made by Onufri, his son Nicholas, and other fresco painters. There can be found a large number of icons and silver works with religious themes (sacred vessels, icons, silver book covers etc.). Visit the King’s Mosque (built in the 15th century during the Ottoman occupation), visit the tomb of Ali Abbas, which is on top of Mount Tomori. Today is the largest pilgrimage site of the Bektashi sect in Albania. Departure to Gjirokastra. Arrival, accommodation and overnight in Gjirokastra.   Day 3 : GJIROKASTER Gjirokastra is one of the most famous sites of Albania, inscribed as a UNESCO city since 2005! It is often known as "the Stone City" and its most distinctive feature is the silvery-coloured limestone which gives the city its distinctive character. Gjirokastra is famous for its Ottoman-style fortified tower houses, which are stacked up the hillside and reached by winding pathways. Virtually all the houses seen today were built in the early 19th century, especially after 1811 when Ali Pasha made the city a hub of trade and communications in the region. Their size and position demonstrates the wealth of Gjirokastra and its landowning families. What to see : Streets: The old main street climbs the hilly terrain towards the old bazaar, where the paved roadways and stepped sidewalks are lined with coffee houses and restaurants. Gjirokastra Castle: One of the biggest castles in Albania, which represents magnificent and well preserved constructions in the country. Its origins go back to the 4th century AD and it was greatly extended by Ali Pasha in order to protect the growing town. Raises high on the top of a hill, it provides the possibility for visitors to cast a glance on the most interesting landscape of the city and the nearby area and Drinos valley. The Festival of the Folkloric Arts from all parts of Albania use to be organized continually there. National Museum of Armaments: (housed inside the castle) where various arms from the Neolithic period until the Second World War are displayed. Ethnographic Museum: In the home that was the birthplace of Enver Hoxha. The house has four floors, all of which are open to the public. The rooms are arranged as they would have actually been used and are decorated with numerous household items, folk costumes and cultural artefacts typical of a wealthy Gjirokastra family of merchants or Ottoman administrators living in the 19th Century. Driving toward Sarande. Accomodation, dinner and overnight in Saranda.   Day 4: BUTRINT After breakfast driving toward Butrint. Butrint, ancient Buthrotum , is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in southwest Albania. Situated on the Straits of Corfu, and surrounded by a picturesque lagoon, it is one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the Adriatic region. The city served as a port from Hellenistic to Ottoman times. Following twelve years of archaeological excavations and major investment in site management, the site and its museum make it an exceptionally attractive place to visit. The site has been occupied since at least the 9th century B.C., but legends hint to the city's foundation by Trojan exiles. What to see : Defences - the earliest defensive circuit encloses only the acropolis and belongs to the 7th/6th centuries BC. The post-antique defences formed additions to the Hellenistic circuit and belong to three successive phases: 2nd half of 9th century; 11th/12th centuries and the Venetian period (15th century). Theatre - is one of the best-preserved ancient theatres in Albania, with 19 tiers of seating and a capacity of 5,000 spectators. It was first built in the 2nd half of the 3rd century BC; the stage building belongs to the Roman period. Baptistery - with its total-immersion baptismal font set in a circular building decorated with columns and mosaics, is one of the finest of its kind. It is ascribed to the middle of the 6th century AD. Basilica - stands next to an entrance through the defences guarded by two towers. It has three aisles and measures 20.15 18.33 m. It was built at the beginning of the 6th century AD, underwent subsequent rebuilding and was still functioning as a church until the 18th century. Archaeological Museum - is housed within the Venetian castle on the acropolis. The finds displayed here illustrate the history of occupation at Butrint and its surroundings from the earliest times until the Middle Ages. The museum is arranged chronologically and thematically and is extremely well laid out and labelled (in English and Albanian). Turning back, transfer.