An Alternative Tour - Tirana & Albania

I had high hopes for this tour with Ashlee and it completely blew my mind!! Tirana has so many layers. And the way he weaves together the city’s history, architecture and art into a single narrative is just brilliant. Visiting the Thanas Papa museum was incredible and learning how different regimes shaped architecture in Biloku gave me a whole new perspective. My favor part was stopping at a small local cafe for raki and watching the neighborhood regulars watch a football game. Fun!! To top it all off, Ashique gave us a comprehensive list of local recommendations for the rest of our trip around Albania.

We really enjoyed this tour, highly recommend!

Very informative, more unfiltered view of Tirana and an insider of how Modern Albania society works

Most Tirana tours focus on the main attractions like Skanderbeg Square and Bunk’Art, but this experience was completely different. It took me through neighbourhoods I never would have explored on my own and gave me a genuine insight into everyday life in Tirana, as well as the lasting influence of the Communist era. What I really enjoyed was learning about the city’s murals, architecture and urban planning. There was so much thought behind how different areas have developed, and I came away with a new appreciation for how Tirana has been designed to encourage community life, with lots of public spaces where people can gather and spend time outside their apartments. It’s the kind of perspective you simply wouldn’t get from walking around by yourself. As someone who enjoys urban photography, I also loved the opportunities to take photos throughout the tour, so I’ve uploaded a few from the day. I’d highly recommend this tour if you want to experience a side of Tirana beyond the usual tourist sights.

I was really looking forward to this tour wish Ashique and I gotta say it was worth it! There is so much to this city the history, the local culture the art the architecture, all of it combined in a way that tells a story that is fascinating to say the least! The Muesum of Thanas Papa is a real treat, Blloku and the history of the different regimes that influenced the local way of life and building desings, and a local café with some nice raki and old men watching the game! Ashique was an amazing guide, connecting art, history and architecture into a beautiful story of city. He also gave some really good recommendations of where to go in the city as well as other cities in Albania. 10/10 would recommend!

Great alternative tour given by Ashique. It brings you to places you would never think of. It’s a good way of exploring less touristy areas whilst discovering architecture and art.

This was a great experience and very different to the usual walking tours. Ashique brought a unique perspective, routed in an urban planning and architecture background. We visited traditional neighbourhoods that I would not have found otherwise. My favourite parts were our visit to the sculpture studio of Thanas Papa, now run by his son Besart, also an accomplished sculptor, and lunch in a very local cafe. The tour gave me an appreciation of Tirana that I would not have experienced otherwise. Thanks Ashique!