Ksamil or Saranda: Gjirokaster Old Town, Blue Eye & Lekursi
Description
Discover southern Albania on a guided full-day tour from Saranda and Ksamil. Start your journey with a visit to Lekursi Castle, where you will enjoy panoramic views over Saranda, the Ionian Sea, and the surrounding coastline. Continue to the famous Blue Eye, a natural wonder with crystal-clear water and unique deep springs. Next, explore the historic city of Gjirokastër. Visit the castle and enjoy free time in the Old Bazaar, where you can walk, shop, and experience local culture. This tour combines nature, history, and culture in one comfortable day trip with transportation and a local guide.
Tour Options
Itinerary
From there we can create an idea how big is the city of Sarande. Great view for pictures.
We have an option betwen taking a small train or walking around 20 min to arrive at the spring. Once we arrive there our guide will show us around and after that we have free time to explore the area individually or olso having a cup of coffe near crystal fresh water.
Enjoy free time to explore the UNESCO-listed town of Gjirokastra at your own pace. You can stroll through the charming old bazaar, visit the impressive castle, explore traditional museum houses, or relax and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(32)
Great tour, views of the mountains, amazing water and beautiful and peaceful town. It is great to enter the cold refreshing waters of the Blue Eye, but note, current is very strong and swim is forbidden for a reason. Stay safe and maybe only enter for a short walk where water is very shallow in the permitted area. Blue colour water could be way more deeper and more “sparkling” than you think. I look forward to see these landscapes again !!!
Thank you so much for your rating and kind words. We are really happy that you enjoyed this tour.
The tour was very varied due to the different spots. On-site, everyone can decide for themselves how they want to spend their time. The tour guide was very friendly and also offered us water. The rides were very pleasant. Through the three different spots, you get an overview of the country within one day. If you want to look around more closely at the Blue Eye or in Gjirokaster, you could also easily spend half a day at each place. The little information the tour guide provided during the drive between the stops was very interesting. The tour is highly recommended if you want to see many different places within one day and perhaps are not in Albania for very long.
Thank you so much for your rating and kind words. We are really happy that you enjoyed this day trip and hope to see you agin in Albania.
We paid €30 each for transportation, I think, because the only time we had a guide was at the castle, which, by the way, doesn't have much to see besides the view; the Blue Eye is nothing extraordinary; we had to walk 20 minutes in the sun because the train that took us to the spring wasn't included (600 lek round trip); then on the way back we took the train, but it's super poorly organized; we practically had to "fight" to be able to get on the train; the free time in the old town was nice, but once again, no guide to take us to the important spots, and we had to pay to visit the castle and the tunnel.
We're sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations. However, we would like to clarify that everything included in the tour is clearly described before booking. The tour price covers exactly the services listed in the itinerary, and no additional services were charged. The Blue Eye train is not included in this tour, and this information is clearly stated in the tour description, as is the walking distance to the spring. Entrance tickets to attractions, where not included, are also specified in advance. The free time in the Old Town is intentionally provided so guests can explore at their own pace. This stop is not a guided walking tour, and this is reflected in the tour description. We always strive to provide clear information before booking so that guests know exactly what to expect. We appreciate your feedback and wish you all the best on your future travels.
Great day with our guide Ledjon. We were in a small group, which allows for getting all the explanations. We also have plenty of free time (2 hours at the Blue Eye and 3 hours in Gjirokastër). We were able to eat in Gjirokastër at Odaja, family-style and inexpensive Albanian cuisine. We really enjoyed the visit to Gjirokastër Castle (bring cash in Lek or Euros, as credit card payment is not available). The day is very well organized, I recommend it.
Thank you so much for your rating and recomendation. We are really happy to hear that you enjoyed this day trip.
The trip goes to good locations but the timings were excessive. 20 minutes at the fort, 90 minutes at the Blue Eye and 150 minutes in Gjirokastër would be sufficient.
Thank you for your feedback. We understand that every traveler has different preferences. Our itinerary is designed to offer a relaxed experience, allowing guests enough time to explore each destination at their own pace, enjoy lunch, take photos, or simply unwind without feeling rushed. Many of our guests appreciate having extra free time. Based on the consistently positive feedback from the vast majority of our guests, we are confident that our current itinerary offers the right balance and will continue to operate it as designed.
Our guide was super instructive.
Thank you so much for your rating,we are really happy that you enjoyed the tour.
Great trip! Longer day than expected but 3 hours in Gjirokastra was worth it
Thank you so much for your rating,we are really happy that you enjoyed this tour.
Very enjoyable trip, guide was very informative and helpful
Thank you so much for your rating,we are really happy that you enjoyed this tour.
Good information about meeting place, time etc. friendly and really informative driver/guide on the trip. Exciting places and appropriate time to explore.
Thank you so much for your rating.We are really happy to hear that you enjoyed this activity.
This tour was amazing!!! I love that it was a smaller group and more intimate compared to the larger more crowded tours. The guides were prompt and fun. Very friendly family owned business. They gave great recommendations for site seeing and food, my mother and I enjoyed thoroughly!
Thank you so much for your rating and kind words,we are really happy to hear that you enjoyed this day trip. Thank you!
