Tours/Tirana/From Tirana: Private Apollonia and Berat UNESCO Private Guide/Car
Viator · Private tour

From Tirana: Private Apollonia and Berat UNESCO Private Guide/Car

5.0(8)Tirana1 hour
VIATOR5.0(2)TRIPADVISOR5.0(6)

Description

Apollonia and Berat are the historical highlights of Albania. Apollonia is an impressive archaeological park with ruins from the Greek & Roman times. During the Roman empire, Apollonia was a great and important city. And it was famous for its school of philosophy. Berat is a historical city in Albania, which is on the UNESCO world heritage list. In Berat, you will explore the historical neighborhoods of Mangalem, Gorica & Kala. You will visit Berat Castle and the Museum of Iconography. In the late afternoon, you will have some free time to shop for souvenirs, take pictures & stroll through the cobblestone streets. Hotel pick-up in Tirana, transportation and all entrance fees are included.

Tour Options

From Tirana: Private Apollonia and Berat UNESCO Private Guide/Car
  • Pickup included

Itinerary

Admission included120 min

Apollonia is an archaeological park in center of Albania. In the ancient times, Apollonia was an important Greek city. The city was founded in 588 BC by Greek colonists from Corfu and Corinth. However, it was during the Roman period that the city of Apollonia really flourished. In the 4th century AD, Apollonia was an important economic city and trade center. The city was known for its famous school of philosophy. Cicero, a famous Roman public speaker, called Apollonia "a great and important city". And the city was also one of the most important gateways to the Via Egnatia, which was a Roman trade route through the Balkans. The ruins of Apollonia were re-discovered in the beginning of the 19th century. The park is set of a hilly plateau and it is surrounded by calming nature.

Admission included60 min

The Berat Castle is an enormous fortress called "Kala" on the top of the hill in Berat. From the castle, you will have amazing views in all directions and see the historical town and river below. Within the castle walls, you will see a village-like neighbourhood, called Kala. Until this day, some people are still living within the castle walls. The castle dates back to the 13th century and there are many Byzantine churches within the walls and one Ottoman mosque.

Admission included30 min

The Museum of Iconography is a museum with religious painting from several Albanian monasteries. The museum is located within the castle walls in the largest church on the premises, called "the Church of the Dormition of St. Mary". The museum is named "Onufri" after the Albanian fresco and icon-painter.

120 min

Then in the afternoon, we will visit the Mangalem & Gorica Quarters. These are the traditional neighbourhoods build on the side of the hill. You will see hundreds of little white Ottoman-style houses. From the bottom of the hill, it looks like the little houses are stacked on top of each other. Therefore, Berat is called "the city of a thousand windows". In short, Berat is a very romantic city with an Italian atmosphere.

Highlights

Entrance fee to Apollonia Archaeological park
Entrance fee to the Castle of Berat
Private tour guide in the Apollonia Archaeological Park and Berat city
Entrance fee to the Museum of Iconography 'Onufri'
Hotel pick-up and drop off in Tirana
Private transportation with a/c vehicle

What's included

Included
Entrance fee to Apollonia Archaeological park
Entrance fee to the Castle of Berat
Private tour guide in the Apollonia Archaeological Park and Berat city
Entrance fee to the Museum of Iconography 'Onufri'
Hotel pick-up and drop off in Tirana
Private transportation with a/c vehicle
Not included
Gratuities
Lunch
Dinner

Traveller Ratings

5.0
8 reviews
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8
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Important Information

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Reviews(8)

D
Doctor78
July 31, 2026
A must tour for history and culture buffs!

Very glad we did this trip with Jack. The tour takes to two historically important cities. We are a family of 5 with our youngest, 8 years old. We all enjoyed it very much. First, pre-tour communication was early enough and clear. Jack did a wonderful job through out the tour. He arrived on time and took the time explaining history at each site. He even made an extra stop at a hidden Roman era archaeological site. Being a history buff myself, I really appreciated it. Thanks to Jack and Manon for the memories. I wish they offered more tours to other archaeological sites too (Butrint, Byllis). Highly recommended.

Operator response

Hi Shakir, Thank you so much for the lovely review! It was nice to meet you and your family and we wish you a lot more beautiful travel adventures together. Kind regards, Jack and Manon Albania Tour Guide

S
Shakir_B
July 31, 2026
A must tour for history and culture buffs

Very glad we did this trip with Jack. The tour takes to two historically important cities. We are a family of 5 with our youngest, 8 years old. We all enjoyed it very much. First, pre-tour communication was early enough and clear. Jack did a wonderful job through out the tour. He arrived on time and took the time explaining history at each site. He even made an extra stop at a hidden Roman era archaeological site. Being a history buff myself, I really appreciated it. Thanks to Jack and Manon for the memories. I wish they offered more tours to other archaeological sites too (Butrint, Byllis). Highly recommended.

Operator response

Hi Shakir, Thank you so much for the lovely review! It was nice to meet you and your family and we wish you a lot more beautiful travel adventures together. Kind regards, Jack and Manon Albania Tour Guide

D
D2227THdavidc
July 5, 2026
Just what we had in mind for our extra days in Albania . . .

Not only was our guide wonderfully knowledgeable, he was a careful driver and punctual withal. The vehicle was scrupulously clean and in excellent condition—obviously maintained with great care. At lunchtime, he retired discreetly after pointing out a couple of inexpensive but first-rate restaurants (superb salads, ice cold beer!). He was thoughtful and proactive about opportunities for photography. And, knowing our interest in antiquity (we had booked a day trip to Apollonia and Berat), he added a stop at an off-the-beaten-track Roman ruin outside Elbasan, which we had entirely to ourselves late on a fine summer’s day.

Operator response

Hi, Thank you so much for the lovely review. You are wonderful people and it was our pleasure to welcome you here to Albania. We wish you many more beautiful travel adventures and experiences. Kind regards from Albania, Jack and Manon Albania Tour Guide

E
Elaine W
August 18, 2025
Absolutely wonderful!

We took 2 tours with this company, both full-day experiences, this one which was 12 hours long, and a second one to Apollonia and Berat for 10.5h. First off, we wanted to relax, rather than have the stress of figuring it out all for ourselves. Jack and Manon do this perfectly! I found their tours online, loved their intinararies, but wasn't sure whether they could pick us up from our hotel in Durres or which tours were best to pick for our interests. I contacted them to ask, and Manon got back to me quickly with great insight and said of course they could pick us up from Durres. Their English is excellent, so no issues there! Our guide was Jack for both days, and he's the best guide to have for such long tours! As another reviwer said, he's very non-taxing company - which sounds odd, so to explain: he's a very kind and relaxing presence that puts you at ease. There was a lot to see and do in each tour, but it never felt rushed with Jack. He guided us through with placid efficiency and well-placed insight. He made sure we got to see everything smoothly and in good time - I'm not sure how much work that takes behind the scenes, because Jack is so good at doing it it looked effortless! He's truly a master at giving the tour that fits the time available, giving information without being at all overbearing or intrusive, while still being sensitive to our needs, ensuring we got chances to stretch our legs during long car rides, stock up on water, find toilets, etc. Both tours required long drives, which, being tired from jumping from city to city with jet lag, we largely slept through - which was a nice way to rest between stops. Jack let us sleep, and it was easy to feel at ease in the car with him! It's a comfortable car with good leg room for tall people, and Jack is a very safe driver! Apollonia is well worth the visit, even in the heat! The history of this region is so complex, it's brilliant to see parts of it for yourself! Berat too is just beautiful, from the castle on top of the mountain to the city down in the valley. This tour was a great addition to the Girokaster one we took! Huge thanks to Jack and Manon for creating our experience!

Operator response

Hi Elaine, Thank you so much for leaving this amazing review. It was so lovely to meet you and we wish you a lot of beautiful travel adventures in your future! Kind regards, Jack and Manon Albania Tour Guide

E
Elizabeth_V
June 22, 2025
Beautiful Apollonia and Berat

Interesting trip to ruins of Apollonia and then later to Byzantine city of Berat. Our tour guide, Jack, was great. There's lots of walking, so bring good shoes and drink plenty of water in the summer. The iconography museum at Berat castle was impressive. This is an all-day excursion but gives you a chance to see some of the Albanian countryside and learn about the layers of history of the Albanian people.

Operator response

Hi Elizabeth, Thank you so much for the 5* review. I am glad to hear you enjoy your tour of Apollonia and Berat. It was so lovely to meet you and I wish you many more beautiful travel adventures in your future. Kind regards, Jack Albania Tour Guide

L
LuvsLierna
June 2, 2024
Wonderful Experience

My husband and I went on the three-day Albanian Riviera transportation and sightseeing trip. It could not have gone more perfectly. The communication beforehand was excellent. Manon explained everything in advance and responded very quickly and thoroughly to the list of questions I had. Jack picked us up at our hotel in Tirana and off we went. He was so enjoyable to spend time with. He explained everything we were going to see and do and gave just the right amount of information on the sights. That said, he has a deep knowledge of history and was happy to go into depth when asked. My husband and I usually go on our own when traveling but this time, we were so happy we had a guide. We would never have learned as much or have been as comfortable traveling if we had done it without Jack. Albania is a beautiful country and we are so happy we saw what we did. Thank you, Jack and Manon, for teaching us about your country. We wish you great success with your business. Elaine and Joe P.S. Jack is an excellent and careful driver. I always felt safe!

Operator response

Hi Elaine & Joe, Thank you so much for the lovely review. It is was great to meet you in Albania and our pleasure to show you around our country. We wish you all the best. Kind regards, Jack and Manon Albania Tour Guide

P
PepperoniFR
July 18, 2022
Very interesting visit

We had a great day visiting the site of Apollonia and Berat with Jack. The places are beautiful and the anecdotes that follow our visit are essential to understand these places. I would recommend a visit with them, it will be a good experience :)

Operator response

Thank you so much for your nice review. It is lovely to hear you enjoyed your visit to Apollonia and Berat with Jack. We wish you a wonderful rest of your trip through Albania. Kind regards, Manon & Jack Albania Tour Guide

R
richarddH9390NX
July 17, 2021
Excellent

it was a very interesting tour, i learned a lot. I am just sad, because i didn´t have a lot of time to visit another places, but i reconized, that albany hat a lot of things to offer, i looking forward to come again :)

Operator response

Hi Richard, Thank you so much for your lovely review. It is great to hear you had an interesting tour in Albania & you learned a lot! We hope you will have the chance to come back to Albania to explore more of the country soon! Kind regards, Jack & Manon Albania Tour Guide

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