The 13 Castle Tours in Tirana That Earn Their Price

1.Berat city UNESCO tour, the Castle & Belshi lake- From Tirana

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 804 reviews · 9 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $12Our pick

Spend a full day traveling from Tirana to Berat, with a short photo stop at Belshi Lake, guided time inside Berat Castle, the optional Onufri Museum, and a walk across Gorica Bridge. English-speaking guides such as Paola, Klajdi, Arber, and Fjona lead the group. Pickup, transport, and castle admission are included.

“Fjona was amazing! She shared so much knowledge about Albania with us and was very friendly and helpful. The tour itself was comfortable and paved well. Had a great time, especially in Berat.”

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2.Kruja castle, the old Bazaar & Sarisalltik- Departure from Tirana

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 592 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $24

This 7 to 8 hour day trip from Tirana combines Sari Salltik’s 1,176-meter Bektashi shrine with Kruja Castle and its old bazaar. An English-speaking guide, often Bledi, Ervin, or Klajdi, handles the history, mountain drive, hotel pickup, and return. You get guided sightseeing plus free time for lunch, museums, photos, and shopping.

“Great tour. Great guide. Lots of free time to explore Kruja castle. Good communication around pickup”

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3.Savor Albanian Cuisine Cooking Class with Mama Nina Berat Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · 3 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $48

Meet Mama Nina inside Berat Castle for a hands-on Albanian cooking class lasting about three hours. With help from English-speaking translator Mikael, you prepare dishes such as baklava, baked eggplant, meatballs, savory pies, and fërgesë, then sit down to eat together. The small group is limited to eight people.

“This was the most memorable of my time in Albania. First off, we were cooking in a castle called Berat (I think). There’s a small village of people who live there so it was very welcoming. The kitchen was outdoors which was also very nice. The weather was very windy during this time but did not effect our cooking experience. There was a translator present as our main chef did not speak much English but she was very nice & thorough. Coming from a chef, this experience has elevated my palate!! We made some baked egg plants covered with a tomato’s sauce mixture (vegan friendly) - we made pork meatballs…”

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4.Kruja Castle ,Sari Salltik & Durrës fromTirana

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 30 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $84

This 8 to 9 hour small-group trip from Tirana combines Kruja Castle, the Skanderbeg Museum, Kruja’s old bazaar, the Sari Salltik shrine, and Durrës’ Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, and coastal sights. Hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, and a guide such as Adi, Adnan, Ali, Besnik, or Skerdi are included. Lunch is optional.

“Great all-day trip to explore some of the other sides of Albania! Kruja is up in the mountains and Durres is by the sea so you get to see a little of everything! Our guide Adi was wonderful! Great with communication and right on time so we could get going right away. He showed us through kruja and some of the less known parts of the castle grounds which was great getting away from the crowds. Admission into the castle (which is really a musuem) is not included but only 5€ and very worth it. Adi came in with us and gave us a guided tour inside, which was great…”

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5.Day tour of Berat UNESCO city , castle and Belshi Lake

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $38

Travel from Tirana, Durrës, or Golem to Belsh Lake and Berat, Albania’s UNESCO-listed city. Walk through the inhabited castle, see Orthodox churches and Ottoman homes, and eat a traditional meal in a seven-generation family house. The tour is offered in English, with pickup and groups of up to 20.

“That tour was amazing, so was the guide. We've been able to see a lot of things, being taught a lot about history and everything with laughs plus an amazing meal!”

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6.Cave of Pellumbas, Canyons & Castles hiking tour includes lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 17 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $118

Join a small-group day from Tirana to Pellumbas Cave, known as Black Cave, with headlamps, a local lunch, Erzen River canyons, and Petrela Castle. The hike suits moderately fit walkers, but the cave floor can be slippery. Guides such as Jimmy are happy to slow the pace and help with bags and photos.

“We should first start by saying a big thank you to Jimmy for being such a positive and helpful guide throughout the trip. He was very communicate and offered to carry our heavy bag and was happy to make as many stops as we needed so we can take photos. The hike to the cave itself is slightly long, however it can be done by people of all ages (as we have seen during the day). Once you get to the cave, you will need to be very careful since the cave itself is very slippery. We followed Jimmy's instructions and with his help we managed to avoid slipping. If…”

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7.5-hour Tour Kruja Castle and Old Bazaar from Tirana

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 16 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $84

Leave Tirana at 9:00 am for Kruja with an English-speaking guide and a small group of up to 20 people. Visit the 400-year-old bazaar, castle grounds, Skanderbeg Museum, and Sari Salltik Mosque. Transport takes about 30 to 45 minutes each way. Hotel pickup costs an extra €10 per booking.

“Went on a day trip to Skanderbeg’s home town Kruja. It was very interesting and the guide Basi was very knowledgeable. Thanks a lot!”

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8.Shkodra from Tirana: Day Tour of castle, city & Skadar Lake

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $114

Travel from Tirana to northern Albania with a driver-guide, visiting Rozafa Castle, Shkodër’s historic center, the Buna and Drini rivers, and Skadar Lake. Ilir has earned special praise for clear English and lively explanations of Albania’s past and daily life. Hotel pickup, transport, city touring, and castle entry are included.

“Thanks to our guide, Ilir, for making this such a memorable day. He made history come alive and gave us a better understanding of Albania's past and present.”

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9.Hiking to Pellumbas Cave and Petrela Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $156

From Tirana, hike about an hour through forest and mountain scenery to Pellumbas Cave, then visit Petrela Castle. The small group has up to seven people, with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide such as Heldi or Riges, transport, a torch, water, and entrance fees included.

“You have a wonderfull (mountains, river) scenery along the path towards (and also backwards) the cave. The cave is impressive in dimension and (rock) formation. Heldi is a great, reliable guide and could tell you quite a lot things about nature and history of albania. He was very helpfull and assisted whenever you asked it. Only he could have gone deeper with into the cave.. Pick up and drop off were prefect.”

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10.Day Tour From Tirana : Ksamil (3h), Blue Eye Lekursi Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 15 hours (approx.) · from $72

Leave Tirana at 6:00 am for the Blue Eye spring, then enjoy about three hours of free time in Ksamil for swimming, beaches, and lunch. Finish at Lekursi Castle above Saranda. An English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, and parking are included. Guide Giulio is noted for answering questions throughout the journey.

“The guide was the best ever. Guilio He knew the answer to every question asked. And we asked about 1000.”

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11.From Tirana and Durres, Kruja Old Bazaar and Castle Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7 reviews · from $60

Travel from Tirana, Durres, or Golem to Kruja with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and air-conditioned transport. Visit Skanderbeg’s castle and museum, browse the Old Bazaar, then reach the Sari Salltik shrine for mountain views. Guide quality can vary, so this tour suits travelers who value easy transport and a compact introduction to Kruja.

“The tour guide was not engaging and rushed us through the tour. They did not give much description or history of what we were seeing. I understand it was a last minute booking but we were very disappointed in the experience and pricing for the private tour.”

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12.Wine Tasting day in Berat (Visit to the Berat Castle & Lunch included)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · from $115

Visit Berat Castle with guide Toni Simsia, hear the story of its Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques, then enjoy an Albanian lunch and a four-hour tasting at Cobo Winery. The tour starts and ends at Hotel & Restaurant Castle Park Berat, costs $115.68 per person, and accepts mobile tickets.

“I recently attended a wine tasting and lunch activity at Cobo's picturesque winery, and it was an exceptional experience. The setting was stunning, with rows of grapevines stretching out under a clear blue sky. The tasting session was informatRead more”

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13.2 Days Tirana, Berat and Castle of Berat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $369

Travel from Tirana to Mount Dajti, Durres, and Berat on a private two-day tour led by Samuel. Visit museums, taste burek, ride the Dajti cable car, see Berat Castle and the Onufri Museum, and enjoy included breakfast and air-conditioned transport. Lunch and dinner cost extra.

“This tour was the highlight of my trip to Albania. Berat is so unique and breathtaking. I would totally recommend this company to anyone who is thinking on taking a tour in Albania as they were quite professional and their guide, Samuel, had in depth knowledge of the history Read more”

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