The 5 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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