1-Day Tour in Blue Eye, Monastery, Gjirokaster and Lekursi Castle
Description
Visit 4 different places in I day on this tour from Sarande and Ksamil. Explore the St. Nicholas Monastery Church, marvel at the Blue Eye, stroll through the city Gjirokastër, and admire the views from Lekuresi Castle. Immerse yourself in a Albanian culture and nature on a full-day tour.Discover 4 fascinating locations in just 1 day with your local guide.Admire the spectacularly clear waters of the natural Blue Eye spring. Pause for reflection at the St. Nicholas Monastery Church, Mesopotam.Step back in time on the streets of Gjirokastër and at Lëkurësi Castle.
Tour Options
Itinerary
One of the oldest and largest churches of the Byzantine era and one of the world’s pearls of Byzantine architecture, St. Nicholas Monastery is located in the south of the Mesopotam village in the outskirts of Saranda, very close to the ancient city of Finiq. The monastery is thought to have been built in 1224 or 1225. It was once enclosed by a circular wall which is today only partly preserved. Its double apse makes it unique in its genre, and some researchers have advanced the hypothesis that this was due to the monastery being used by two religious rites (Catholic and Orthodox).
The "Blue Eye" (Albanian: Syri i Kaltër) is a water spring and natural phenomenon occurring in the village of Muzinë in Finiq municipality, southern Albania.[3] A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river can be seen from a depth of more than fifty metres. Divers have descended to fifty metres, but it is still unclear what the actual depth of the karst hole is
Gjirokastra, is also known as the stone city, and has been protected by UNESCO since 2005. It is one of the last Ottomans -style cities left in the Balkans
Lekursi Castle (Kajala e Lëkurësit) is a castle on Lekursi Hill, just behind Saranda with an amazing view over the town and bay, making this the most popular and iconic viewpoint of Saranda.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(120)
Nicely organised tour. Nature and history, thoroughly enjoyed the day! Tour guide Ilmi was friendly and knowledgeable. We were given enough time across the activities. Traditional food at Gjirokaster restaurants tasty. From our experience as a family, walking to blue eye is uphill, walking back is easier. Consider this if you wish to use the road rail/train. Another thing…. buying entrance tickets at Gjirokastër castle is 100 lek more than online price, buy tickets accordingly if you wish to climb up for the castle. The tickets are not included in the package cost.
Perfect organization, several boarding points offered in the city. Tours in French language would be Appreciated
Great tour, pace and guides were excellent, had the knowledge but was self led so it was up to us to dictate what we were doing at each location, just how I like to do a tour.
This trip was amazing and they gave us enough time to explore each of the areas. I highly recommend it
Great day out, plenty of free time to explore the different stops, guide was very knowledgeable, would definitely recommend
Absolutely the best. Exciting sights, incredibly cute and skilled guide and even the ride was pleasant with a really good driver. There are many tourists in many places but it is worth seeing this side of Albania.
Very nice tour guide. Very hot in the summer. Thankfully the bus had AC. About 3 hours of driving and a lot of windy roads. Last castle was my favorite.
It was a lovely trip, well-paced. Even though we visited 4 places, it didn’t feel rushed. We got to Blue Eye at 10am and beat the crowds, which was excellent. I recommend taking the train to the spring as it’s quite a walk and there’s no shade. We had 2.5 hours in Gjirokaster, which was enough to visit Gjirokaster Castle and have a quick snack. The castle is magnificent and definitely worth a visit! I highly recommend this tour.
Very good tour with excellent guide. Great value for money. Good length of time in each place to explore on your own
It was a day well spent. We enjoyed every bit of it . The tour was great, very patient and helpful with different people from different backgrounds. The drivers were brilliant.
