From Tirana/Durres/Golem: Saranda, Ksamil and Blue Eye Day Trip
Description
Discover the best of southern Albania on a day trip from Tirana. Explore Saranda, relax on the beaches of Ksamil, and visit the breathtaking Blue Eye spring.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start your day with an early morning pickup from your hotel in Tirana or from a meeting point in Durrës or Golem. Sit back and relax as your professional tour guide takes care of everything, sharing interesting facts about Albania and the places you will visit along the way.
Ksamil is one of Albania’s most famous seaside destinations, known for its white beaches and crystal-clear waters. In Ksamil you will have a 1.5 hours free time so you have time to swim, relax on the beach, enjoy food or drinks with a sea view, take photos to the hand of Ksamil or join a boat trip (optional) to visit the nearby islands. Before your free time begins, the tour guide will clearly explain all available options and assist you if needed.
After Ksamil we head to Saranda, one of Albania’s most popular coastal cities, beautifully located along the Ionian Sea. Upon arrival, the guide will introduce the city and its highlights before you enjoy the free time to explore the seaside promenade, relax by the waterfront, enjoy a coffee with a sea view, take photos, or experience the lively atmosphere of this charming coastal destination.
After your free time in Gjirokastër, we continue to the Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër), one of Albania’s most remarkable natural attractions. Surrounded by lush greenery, this stunning spring is famous for its deep turquoise waters and mysterious depth. Here, you will have 1.5 hours of free time to walk through the nature park, admire the crystal-clear spring, take photos, enjoy the peaceful surroundings, or relax at one of the nearby cafés.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: PICK UP: If you select the hotel pick-up option, please note that in some cases, you may be kindly asked to walk a short distance (1–10 minutes) to a nearby main street. IMPORTANT: You’ll receive the final tour details via email and WhatsApp the night before the tour starts. Pick-up times may slightly change depending on the schedule, so it’s very important to check our message. LANGUANGE: The tour is conducted only in English with a live tour guide. Other languages are available only in the digital booklet, not spoken during the tour. MOBILE DATA ROAMING: On the tour day, all communication will be via WhatsApp, so please make sure your phone have mobile data/roaming enabled. FITNESS LEVEL: Participants should have a basic level of fitness to comfortably complete the tour. DURATION: During the summer high season, this tour may take longer due to traffic, so please plan for a full and extended day experience PICK-UP TIME MAY CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL BOOKING TIME!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The tour guide will send the photo of the Van and also the live location to make it easier to see when the tour guide is closer to your location
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Kindly note that this tour is not suitable for children under 4 years old
- Not recommended for travelers with knee problems.
Reviews(253)
It was a great experience. All the 3 places were amazing and worth going to but we feel Saranda can be cut short to give us more time at Blue eye. Antonio (Tony) our guide was really amazing. He taught us a lot about Albanian history, culture, food and what not ! He was amicable, helping and keeping us all right on time. He is a great guy 👍👍
Antonio was our guide, he was knowledgeable and charming with his deliveries.I had a wonderful experience ,met awesome people in the group. Wished we had more time at the Blue Eye instead of Saranda. All round great value for money and memorable experience. Need I mention, A* won a free tour draw on the tour and she gave it away to me🤩😍. So, here I come again😄😃
I had an amazing experience on my full-day tour from Durrës to Saranda and Ksamil Blue Eye, all thanks to our incredible guides, Fiona and Tony. From the moment we set off, both of them went out of their way to make everyone feel comfortable, especially solo travellers like myself. Their knowledge about Albania, its history, and hidden gems was impressive, and they shared fascinating stories at every stop. During the trip, we ran into a small issue with the bus, but Fiona and Tony handled it with absolute professionalism and calm. They kept everyone informed, managed to resolve the situation quickly, and made sure the group stayed comfortable and upbeat. Their friendly, approachable style and attention to every detail turned what could have been a stressful moment into just another memorable part of the adventure. Everything was really cheap. To enter Blue Eye, it was 200 Lek, the return train ride was 600 Lek. That’s about all the admission fees I needed to pay. As I am English speaking, it was very easy to communicate with Fiona and Troy as they also spoke English well. The whole day was packed with beautiful sights and was well-organized from start to finish. I couldn’t have asked for better guides. Highly recommended!
I had a Very Nice experience with Smart Tour. The guide Antonio is good and professionnel. I really like and enjoy my day ! I recommande this trip !
Trip was long but worth it. Driver did amazing job, and the guide was awesome, very impressive that he remembered everyone names from the first meet and greet. Enough and plenty of times for all 3 locations to enjoy. Ksamil is very beautiful. This tour gave highlights to area I probably won’t go on my own.
Long ,but a rather unforgivable bustrip. With good vibes. The guides were helpful and shared lots of funfacts about Albania.
Great tour to the Blue Eye, Sarandë, and Ksamil! Although we had an issue with the bus in the morning and it had to be changed, the tour guide handled the situation professionally and kept everything organized. The trip was enjoyable, the destinations were beautiful, and the overall experience was excellent. Highly recommended!
If you enjoy the beach, then this tour is a perfect day trip from Tirana. While it was a long day, the coach bus had great ac, and we made stops along the way for bathroom breaks. Paola was a terrific guide showing us around the various stops we made on this tour.
Everything was perfect, we had a very beautiful day. The guide was very friendly and well organized!
I had an absolutely amazing trip yesterday to Ksamil, Sarandë, and the Blue Eye. From start to finish, everything was perfectly organised and exceeded my expectations. Our guide was exceptional—friendly, incredibly knowledgeable, and full of interesting facts and local history. Their wisdom and passion for the area made the experience so much more meaningful and enjoyable. A special mention also goes to our driver, who was professional, courteous, and drove safely throughout the journey, allowing everyone to relax and enjoy the stunning scenery. The views were simply breathtaking—truly out of this world. The crystal-clear waters of Ksamil, the beautiful coastline of Sarandë, and the magical Blue Eye are places everyone should experience at least once. I highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting Albania. It was an unforgettable day filled with spectacular sights, great company, and excellent service. Thank you to the guide and driver for making it such a memorable experience!
