The fascinating old centre of Gjirokaster is on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Largely medieval, with some lovely architecture to admire, reflecting the town’s wealthy past, it is built on a hill overlooking a valley and mountains. This interesting museum will give a good impression of the way of living in Albania during the Ottoman period.
On our way back to Saranda, we will pass from the national park Syri I Kalter. In this peaceful forest, we will walk (15 min) to the crystal clear spring called Blue Eye, where 900 m3 water per minute is coming from deep down the earth. If time permits, there will be a short coffee break at the restaurant next to the fast streaming river in the park, before heading back to the port of Saranda.
Schedule & prices
Runs
Every day
Start times
9:15 AM
Next available
Thu, Oct 8
Adult (ages 1–90)
$35
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 7.
Tour Options
Tour Gjirokaster,Blue Eye & Lekursi Castle
Pickup included
Itinerary
Gjirokaster
120 min
First stop is in Gjirokaster (Old Town)
Defined by its castle, roads paved with chunky limestone and shale, imposing slate-roofed houses and views out to the Drina Valley, Gjirokastra is a magical hillside town described beautifully by Albania's most famous author, Ismail Kadare (b 1936), in Chronicle in Stone. There has been a settlement here for 2500 years, though these days it's the 600 'monumental' Ottoman-era houses in town that attract visitors. For Albanians, the town is also synonymous with former dictator Enver Hoxha, who was born here and ensured the town was relatively well preserved under his rule, though he is not memorialised in any way here today.
The Blue Eye
Admission included90 min
Second Stop: Blue Eye. Albania’s famous Blue Eye (Syri i kaltër) is a water spring and natural phenomenon that each visitor should witness. A popular tourist attraction, the beautiful light turquoise river stuns with its beauty.
Located near Muzinë in Albania’s Vlorë County, you’ll want to rent a car to get to the famous Blue Eye. After following the signs and crossing the bridge (where you’ll pay a small fee), you’ll come across a parking spot and a footpath that leads to the Blue Eye. You’ll first be enchanted by the surrounding dense forest and the beautiful light blue river that flows through this natural paradise. The Blue Eye is located beneath a small metal balcony that was built so you can get a closer look. Even though swimming has been prohibited via signs, it doesn’t really prevent people from jumping right into the ice-cold water.
Lekuresi Castle
Admission included30 min
Third stop: Lekuresi castle
Finally, explore Lekuresi Castle, offering panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
What's included
Included
Booster seat
Air-conditioned vehicle
Entrance- Blue Eye
Not included
Gjirokaster Castel entry (optional)
Train ticket in Blue Eye
Pickup Locations & Times
Free pickup is available in Saranda and Ksamil. Please be at your designated pickup point 20–30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Pickups in Ksamil are scheduled slightly earlier to ensure an on-time departure from Saranda and to account for seasonal traffic. Our team will contact you via WhatsApp with your exact pickup details before the tour.
Traveller Ratings
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
4.9
181 reviews
5
165
4
10
3
6
2
0
1
0
How it compares in Saranda
No. 4 by number of reviews among 169 tours in Saranda
Starting price $35 is 47% below the typical $66 for tours of similar length in Saranda
Excurgo comparison of 169 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
Important Information
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
1+ days before100% refund
0–1 days before0% refund
Frequently asked questions
How long does Tour Gjirokaster,Blue Eye & Lekursi Castle take?
Tour Gjirokaster,Blue Eye & Lekursi Castle lasts about 6–7 hours. The itinerary has 3 stops.
How much does Tour Gjirokaster,Blue Eye & Lekursi Castle cost?
Prices start at $35 per person for this Saranda experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
What days does Tour Gjirokaster,Blue Eye & Lekursi Castle run?
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 9:15 AM.
Can I cancel Tour Gjirokaster,Blue Eye & Lekursi Castle for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, pickup is offered. Free pickup is available in Saranda and Ksamil. Please be at your designated pickup point 20–30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Pickups in Ksamil are scheduled slightly earlier to ensure an on-time departure from Saranda and to account for seasonal traffic. Our team will contact you via WhatsApp with your exact pickup details before the tour.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 26 participants.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Is Tour Gjirokaster,Blue Eye & Lekursi Castle worth it?
Travellers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 181 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Leka Tours & Car Rentals.
Reviews(181)
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
P
PhilipJPrice
September 28, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Great tour especially when its lead by an excellent tour guide.
We very much enjoyed the tour. We had an absolutely wonderful guide. She gave plenty of information and always kept us updated about everything, especially regarding the time and place to pick us up at our meeting point. This gave us a real sense of security and peace of mind throughout the trip. She made sure that everything went smoothly and, above all made the whole experience very enjoyable. We could not have asked for a better guide. She spoke very well in English. Her unique approach by creating a Whattsap group ensabled us to track where she was and to send us loads of written information that we could read.
D
dionpluto
September 27, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Worth to visit but beware of org/infrastructure
Pros
- Amazing guide Jona. Friendly, positive and has lots to share
- Smooth pickup and org
- All is worth to visit
Cons
- The tour was for 3 mini-buses so was the guide switching the buses
- Beware you'll need to climb the hills / pay extra for the train that stinks like smoke all the time to get to the Blue eye and see how some crazy tourists swim right next to the sign that it's prohibited to swim there
F
Freedom15629500905
September 24, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Great day well organised
Fantastic day trip. Multiple pickup and drop off locations made it very convenient. The minibuses were very comfortable with air conditioning. Our guide Jona was lovely. Very knowledgeable, helpful and so bubbly. We were constantly given choices which allowed the day to go at our pace. Never felt rushed.
The sights were amazing and the whole day was great value. So pleased we did this.
P
pattranitk2023
September 19, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Highly recommend for anyone visiting Sarandë/southern Albania for the first time
Several pickup points in Sarandë and mini-vans with AC. The driver was less talkative but it was okay.
The guide was very pleasant, clear, and engaging. Repeated important information several times regarding collection time and place.
2 hours are spent in Gjirokaster, 1.5 hours in Blue Eye and 20 minutes in Lekursi castle. In Gjirokaster, there was barely enough time if you chose to go on a war tunnel/bunker tour (which was not included in this guide but was a recommendation from the guide). Otherwise, there was enough time for the other places.
G
Giscol01
September 19, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Awesome
Gjirokastër is such a cute and well perserved two. Blue eye gorgeous and the view from Lekusi castle spectacular. An amazing day, made even more amazing with our lovely guide Jona. She was a pleasure. 10/10
S
SyCami
September 18, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
A fabulous day out
A really lovely tour. Jona the guide was so good. She was knowledgeable, funny and very helpful and accommodating. The driver of our very comfortable minibus, Arber, was amazing and navigated the winding roads and hills with such skill we felt relaxed and safe.
The only problem was we drove from Himare and arranged for pick up at Vodafone Shop in Sarande. There was absolutely no parking and we missed our pickup time. But Jona was fantastic and arranged to meet us at another much more convenient location.
It was a long day but we saw so much and it was really interesting, beautiful and definitely worth seeing. It was excellent value for money.
G
G5582UR_
September 18, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Blue eye trip
I am very grateful for this trip, because everything was organised very well. Cost was fair, and lection was detailed and full of good jokes
G
GayeG733
September 17, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Great value for the money
I’m not really a tour person, but there were a couple of places I wanted to see around Saranda so I booked this tour through Leka Tours. The tour guide we had was Jona and she was amazing! Her English was excellent and she was so knowledgeable. Sometimes that can be boring but Jona has a great sense of humour which made it more interesting. When we first started the tour, she asked everyone if we had any commitments after the tour or if we could be flexible. Nobody had any other commitments and were flexible so the tour that was supposed to end at 4 didn’t end until 6. This tour was great value for the money. I would highly recommend this tour and hopefully you will be lucky enough to have Jona as your guide.
L
liaaX2593JW
September 17, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Blue Eye is a tourists trap
Blue Eye is not blue anymore, quite green when we visited, It is a tourists trap, the hike is nice, but too many people are standing above/around the underground stream viewing platform and we did not get chance to get there. Extremely crowded and nothing to see.Loved the Tour of Gjirokaster castle and it was a lovely overnight stay.
Lekursi Castle also a good stop with the beautiful views but mostly a restaurant and event space.
K
klausrX6639QJ
September 17, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Nice excursion
The tour was very entertaining and interesting. The tour guide Jona explained everything well and was also very critical of her country. We were able to gather many impressions.
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