Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Adriatic Coast: Dubrovnik, Kotor, Tirana and the Albanian Riviera
10 days from Dubrovnik to Corfu: two nights each in Dubrovnik, Kotor and Himare on the Albanian Riviera, with Budva, Shkoder, Tirana, Berat and Butrint on the way south.
10 days · Dubrovnik to Corfu · up to 12 guests
Minceta tower, the high point of the Dubrovnik walls Photo: Jules Verne Times Two, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Min%C4%8Deta_Fortress,_Dubrovnik,_Croatia_(PPL2-Enhanced)_julesvernex2.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Dubrovnik to Corfu
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
About 2 to 3 hours a day on foot, much of it on polished stone streets and steps in Dubrovnik, Kotor and Berat. The two hardest walks are the Dubrovnik walls (about 2 km with many steps) and the Kotor fortress (about 1,350 steps and 260 m of climb); each has a shorter choice. Travel days drive 2 to about 3.75 hours, plus border crossings.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 760 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Dubrovnik city walls at opening time, before the cruise passengers arrive
- A small boat from Perast to Our Lady of the Rocks in the Bay of Kotor
- Kotor's fortress climb in the cool of the early morning, with the bay below
- Budva's walled old town before the beach crowd, then the coast road into Albania
- Rozafa castle above Lake Shkoder and the Marubi photography archive
- Bunk'Art 2 and the House of Leaves in Tirana
- Berat's castle quarter in the late-afternoon light
- Two nights in Himare, then Butrint in the morning and the ferry to Corfu
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 760 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik Airport to your hotel near the Old Town
- Dinner
- Stay in Dubrovnik
- Drive about 30 min
Evening
Fly into Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) at Cilipi, about 20 km south-east of the city, in time for the evening meeting: plan to land by about 4 pm (the exact latest arrival is confirmed with your final itinerary). A driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the drive of about 30 minutes along the coast, with the walled Old Town coming into view as the road drops towards it. We choose a hotel within walking distance of the Old Town and name it when we confirm your dates, so the evenings here are on foot. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the days ahead: the two border crossings, the walking in the old towns and the ferry at the end. Then we walk in through the Pile Gate and down the Stradun, the Old Town's main street, as the day visitors leave and the stone turns gold, and sit down together to a welcome dinner of Dalmatian dishes.
Included
- Pick-up at Dubrovnik Airport (DBV)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening walk through the Pile Gate and along the Stradun
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Dubrovnik: the walls at opening
Dubrovnik city walls and Old Town
- Breakfast
- Stay in Dubrovnik
We are at the wall gate when it opens, at 8 am in season, while the stone is cool and before the cruise passengers walk up from the port. The circuit is about 2 km with many steps, and takes about two hours at an easy pace: the sea side looks down on rocks and swimmers, the land side climbs to the round Minceta tower, the highest point, for the view over the roofs. Back on the ground, a licensed local guide walks you through the Old Town that the Republic of Ragusa built: the Rector's Palace, the Sponza Palace, the Franciscan monastery and its old pharmacy, and the Orthodox Church of the Holy Annunciation on Od Puca street. The Old Town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1979.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice, and the afternoon is free: swim at Banje beach, take the boat to Lokrum island, or ride the cable car up Mount Srd for the view.
Included
- Dubrovnik city walls at opening, with your guide
- Old Town walk with a licensed local guide: the Rector's Palace, the Sponza Palace and the Franciscan monastery
- The Church of the Holy Annunciation
Optional experiences
- Boat to Lokrum island (price shown at booking)
- Mount Srd cable car (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Walk the sea-side half of the walls only and leave by the next exit, then meet the group for the Old Town walk.
More active option: In the late afternoon, walk up Mount Srd by the zigzag path, about an hour and 400 m of climb, and ride the cable car down.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot in the morning, with many steps on the walls and little shade.
Into Montenegro: Perast and Kotor
Dubrovnik to Perast, then Kotor
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kotor
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
We leave Dubrovnik at about 9 am and drive south past Cavtat to the Montenegrin border; summer queues here can add an hour, so the morning is kept light. Past Herceg Novi the road follows the shore of the Bay of Kotor, a deep, winding inlet between steep mountains, to Perast, a small town of stone palaces built by sea captains. From the waterfront a small boat takes us out to Our Lady of the Rocks, a man-made islet that Perast sailors raised from a reef, boatload of stone by boatload, with a church full of 17th-century paintings.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Perast. Then it is twenty minutes to Kotor, where we check in for two nights. In the late afternoon, when most cruise passengers are back on their ships, your guide and a local guide walk you through the old town's squares to the Cathedral of St Tryphon, consecrated in 1166.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Drive from Dubrovnik to the Bay of Kotor with your guide
- Boat from Perast to Our Lady of the Rocks
- Sit-down lunch in Perast
- Kotor old town walk with a local guide and the Cathedral of St Tryphon
Free time: Evening free in Kotor
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot on flat stone streets; the boat to the islet takes about 10 minutes each way.
Kotor: the fortress early, then a free afternoon
Kotor fortress climb and old town
- Breakfast
- Stay in Kotor
Morning
An early breakfast, then at about 7:30 am we start up the path to the Fortress of St John, while the cliff behind the town is still in shade. The walls zigzag up the mountain for about 1,350 steps and 260 m of climb, past the small Church of Our Lady of Remedy about a third of the way up, to the fortress at the top, where the whole inner bay opens out below. Allow about two and a half hours there and back at an easy pace. The Kotor walls and the bay are part of the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor on the UNESCO list since 1979. Late in the morning your guide takes you into the Maritime Museum, in an old palace, for the story of the bay's sailors.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free: lunch in a square, a swim along the shore towards Dobrota, or a boat trip on the bay.
Included
- Kotor fortress climb with your guide, entry included
- The Maritime Museum of Montenegro
Optional experiences
- Boat trip on the Bay of Kotor (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Climb only as far as the Church of Our Lady of Remedy, about 20 minutes up, for a view over the roofs, and meet the group in town.
More active option: From the fortress, carry on through the back window in the wall to the old Ladder of Kotor mule path for a longer walk with your guide, about an hour more.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2.5 hours on uneven stone steps with little shade after mid-morning; bring water.
Budva, then the coast road into Albania
Kotor to Budva, then Bar and the border to Shkoder
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Shkoder
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Kotor at about 8:30 am and drive half an hour over the hill to Budva, whose walled old town sits on a small headland. At 9 am, before the beach crowd, a local guide walks you through its lanes to the citadel and the churches of St John and the Holy Trinity.
Afternoon
A little further south we stop at a viewpoint over Sveti Stefan, the walled islet village that is now a private hotel, and sit down to lunch by the sea. In the afternoon the road runs past Bar and inland to the Sukobin and Murriqan border, where we cross into Albania, and on to Shkoder by about 4 pm: about 3.25 hours of driving in all, broken by the guided walk and lunch.
Evening
In the early evening your guide walks you along Kole Idromeno, Shkoder's pedestrian street of painted houses and cafés, and we sit down together to our first Albanian dinner.
Included
- Budva old town walk with a local guide
- Sveti Stefan viewpoint
- Sit-down lunch on the Montenegrin coast
- Evening walk on Kole Idromeno street in Shkoder
- Dinner in Shkoder
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot on flat streets; the border crossing is usually 30 to 60 minutes.
Rozafa castle and on to Tirana
Shkoder to Rozafa castle, then Tirana
- Breakfast
- Stay in Tirana
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive a few minutes to Rozafa castle, arriving at opening, on a rocky hill where the Buna river leaves Lake Shkoder and the Drin joins it. Your guide tells the legend of Rozafa, the young wife walled into the foundations, as you walk the ruins of walls, a church turned mosque and the Venetian keep, with the lake and the mountains of Montenegro behind. Back in town, the Marubi National Museum of Photography shows pictures taken by the Marubi family studio from the 1850s on, a rare record of Albanian life before the communist years. Then we drive about 100 km, 1.75 hours, south to Tirana.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice on arrival. In the afternoon your guide walks you across Skanderbeg Square, into the painted Et'hem Bey Mosque, and down into Bunk'Art 2, a Cold War bunker built for the Interior Ministry, now a museum of the police and secret police.
Evening
The evening is free in Blloku.
Included
- Rozafa castle with your guide
- The Marubi National Museum of Photography
- Tirana walk: Skanderbeg Square and the Et'hem Bey Mosque
- Bunk'Art 2
Easier option: Ride to the upper car park at Rozafa and stay on the flatter paths inside the walls.
Free time: Evening free in Tirana
Activity: About 3 hours on foot, with a steep, rough path at Rozafa and flat streets in Tirana. The Marubi Museum and Bunk'Art 2 close on Mondays; if your departure puts this day on a Monday, we swap the order of days 6 and 7 or the museum visits within them, and tell you before you travel.
Tirana to Berat's castle quarter
Tirana to Berat
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Berat
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
A slower morning in Tirana. After breakfast your guide takes you into the House of Leaves, the building where the communist secret police ran its surveillance, now a museum of how it listened to its own people, then up the steps of the Pyramid, built as a museum to Enver Hoxha and reopened in 2023, for the view across the city.
Afternoon
We leave at about 11:30 am and drive about two hours south to Berat, where we sit down to a late lunch in the old town. At about 4:30 pm, once the day-trip coaches have gone back to the coast, we climb to the Kala, the castle quarter where families still live among Byzantine churches. Your guide takes you into the Onufri Museum to see icons by the 16th-century painter known for his deep red, and to the walls as the light turns warm over the Osum river.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- The House of Leaves museum
- The Pyramid of Tirana
- Sit-down lunch in Berat
- Berat castle quarter with your guide
- The Onufri Museum
Easier option: Ride up to the castle gate by van instead of walking the steep cobbled lane.
More active option: Walk up from Mangalem to the castle on the old cobbled path, about 25 minutes uphill, and walk the full circuit of the walls.
Free time: Evening free in Berat
Activity: About 2.5 hours on foot, with steep, uneven cobbles in Berat. The House of Leaves and the Onufri Museum close on Mondays; on a Monday departure pattern we swap the day order so every museum in the plan is open.
Over the Llogara Pass to Himare
Berat via Vlore and the Llogara Pass to Himare
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Himare
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
Before we leave, cross the Gorica bridge after breakfast for the classic view of Mangalem's rows of windows climbing the hill; Berat's old town has been on the UNESCO list since 2008.
Afternoon
At about 9:30 am we drive west through Fier and south to Vlore, the port where Albania declared independence in 1912, and along the Bay of Vlore to a sit-down lunch by the water. In the afternoon the road climbs through pine forest to the Llogara Pass, a little over 1,000 m up, where we stop for coffee and the view down the whole Riviera coast. Then it drops in tight bends to Dhermi and runs on to Himare, arriving at about 4 pm: about 175 km and 3.75 hours of driving in three parts.
Evening
We stay two nights in Himare, close to the sea, with time for a swim before a free evening on the waterfront.
Included
- Morning walk to the Gorica bridge in Berat
- Sit-down lunch on the Bay of Vlore
- Coffee stop on the Llogara Pass
Free time: Evening free in Himare
Himare: the old town, Porto Palermo and the beach
Himare old town and castle, Porto Palermo, then the beach
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Himare
- Drive about 45 min
A day to slow down.
Morning
After breakfast the van takes the group a few minutes up the hill to old Himare, a village of stone houses and Orthodox churches inside the walls of its castle, on a ridge with long views along the coast. Your guide explains how this Greek-speaking corner of Albania kept its own ways through Ottoman and communist rule. Then we drive about 15 minutes south to Porto Palermo, where a small fortress linked to Ali Pasha of Tepelena stands on a headland in a sheltered bay, and walk through its dark rooms and up to the roof.
Afternoon
We are back in Himare by about 1 pm, and you have the afternoon to yourself: swim at Spile beach in town or at Livadhi a short walk north, sit over a long seafood lunch, or join the walk to Gjipe.
Evening
In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner by the sea.
Included
- Himare old town and castle with your guide
- Porto Palermo castle
- Farewell dinner in Himare
Optional experiences
- Seasonal boat trip along the coast to beaches and sea caves (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Stay at the beach or the hotel all day and skip the old town and Porto Palermo.
More active option: Afternoon van ride to the trailhead near Dhermi and a walk of about 30 minutes each way down a stony track to Gjipe beach, at the mouth of a canyon, with your guide.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot in the morning on stony paths and steps.
Butrint, then the ferry to Corfu
Himare to Butrint, then Saranda and the ferry to Corfu
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 2.5 h
We leave Himare at about 7:30 am, earlier than any other day because the ferry sets the timing, and follow the coast road south past Borsh and Lukove, then through Saranda to Butrint, about 85 km and two hours. We arrive at about 9:30, before the heat. Butrint, on the UNESCO list since 1992, was lived in for more than two thousand years, and a local guide shows you its layers in woodland by the Vivari channel: a Greek theatre, Roman baths, a 6th-century baptistery, a great basilica, Venetian walls and the hilltop castle with its small museum.
Afternoon
Then we drive to Saranda port for the scheduled ferry to Corfu, a crossing of about 30 to 40 minutes; sailings run mostly from the morning to the early afternoon and change by season, so the exact time is confirmed with your final itinerary. Lunch is a sit-down meal timed around the sailing, by the sea at Ksamil or Saranda before it, or in Corfu Town after it. On Corfu a transfer takes you to Corfu Airport (CFU), about 3 km from the port, or to a hotel in Corfu Town. Greece is one hour ahead of Albania.
Included
- Butrint National Park with a local guide
- Sit-down lunch at Ksamil, Saranda or Corfu Town, timed around the ferry
- Ferry from Saranda to Corfu
- Transfer from Corfu port to Corfu Airport (CFU) or a hotel in Corfu Town
Optional experiences
- Extra nights on Corfu (price shown at booking)
Easier option: At Butrint, stay on the lower paths by the theatre and the baptistery and skip the climb to the castle museum.
Activity: About 2 hours on foot at Butrint on paths and uneven ground, much of it in shade. The ferry time is confirmed with your final itinerary; do not book a flight out of Corfu until then, and allow at least three hours between the ferry landing and your flight, or add a night on Corfu.
- Dubrovnik2 nights
- Kotor2 nights
- Shkoder1 night
- Tirana1 night
- Berat1 night
- Himare2 nights
- Corfuend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May, June, September and October bring warm days and fewer people; the sea is warm enough to swim from about late May. July and August are hot, often over 35°C inland, and Dubrovnik, Kotor and the Riviera are at their busiest, so on those departures the walking starts earlier and the afternoons are free.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Dubrovnik, Kotor and Albania in one trip without a new hotel every night
- A mix of walled old towns, Cold War history and a couple of days by the sea
- Short drives with the borders handled for you
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a fair single price
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: the old towns are steep and paved with polished stone, with many steps
- A beach holiday: the Riviera gets two nights, not a week
- Mostar, Sarajevo, Durmitor or Gjirokaster, which our other Balkan trips cover
- Travellers who need to fly home from Dubrovnik or Tirana on the last day
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Dubrovnik2 nights
- Kotor2 nights
- Shkoder1 night
- Tirana1 night
- Berat1 night
- Himare2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights in central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard: 2 in Dubrovnik, 2 in Kotor, 1 in Shkoder, 1 in Tirana, 1 in Berat and 2 in Himare on the Albanian Riviera
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Dubrovnik Airport (DBV)
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group from Dubrovnik to Saranda
- Boat from Perast to Our Lady of the Rocks
- Ferry from Saranda to Corfu
- Transfer from Corfu port to Corfu Airport (CFU) or a hotel in Corfu Town
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, from Dubrovnik to Corfu, with licensed local guides in Dubrovnik, Kotor, Budva and Butrint
Activities
- Dubrovnik city walls and an Old Town walk, Dubrovnik
- The Church of the Holy Annunciation, Dubrovnik
- Our Lady of the Rocks, Perast
- Kotor old town walk and the Cathedral of St Tryphon
- Kotor fortress climb
- The Maritime Museum of Montenegro, Kotor
- Budva old town walk and the Sveti Stefan viewpoint
- Rozafa castle, Shkoder
- The Marubi National Museum of Photography, Shkoder
- Skanderbeg Square, the Et'hem Bey Mosque and Bunk'Art 2, Tirana
- The House of Leaves and the Pyramid, Tirana
- Berat castle quarter and the Onufri Museum
- Himare old town and castle
- Porto Palermo castle
- Butrint National Park
Meals
- Breakfast daily (9)
- 5 sit-down lunches, on days 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10
- 3 dinners: welcome dinner in Dubrovnik, dinner in Shkoder, farewell dinner in Himare
Not included
- International flights to Dubrovnik and from Corfu
- Visa or travel authorisation, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 2, 4, 6 and 9 and dinners on days 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities: the Lokrum boat, the Mount Srd cable car, boat trips on the Bay of Kotor and the Riviera, beach loungers
- Nights on Corfu after the trip
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 760 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Dubrovnik to Albania trip price include?
Nine nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, five sit-down lunches and three dinners, a private vehicle and driver from Dubrovnik to Saranda, the boat to Our Lady of the Rocks, the ferry to Corfu, transfers at both ends, your See Sight Tours guide throughout and every visit in the plan, including the Dubrovnik walls, the Kotor fortress and Butrint.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to hear the guide in the narrow lanes of Kotor and Berat, to board the small boat at Perast together and to sit around one table at lunch. Coach tours on this coast carry far more.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome dinner in Dubrovnik to the ferry to Corfu, across both land borders. Licensed local guides join us in Dubrovnik, Kotor, Budva and at Butrint, where local rules or the sites ask for them, and our own driver stays with the group to Saranda.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately. Expect 2 to 3 hours a day on foot on polished stone and steps. The hardest walks are the Dubrovnik walls, about 2 km with many steps, and the Kotor fortress, about 1,350 steps up. Both have a shorter choice, and you can ride to Berat's castle gate by van.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 760 more, shown before you book, with no surprise later. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and with 7 to 12 guests nobody eats alone unless they want to.
When is the best time to travel from Dubrovnik to Albania?
May, June, September and October are the most comfortable: warm days, a sea warm enough to swim from about late May and fewer people in Dubrovnik and Kotor. July and August are hot and busy; on those departures the walking starts earlier and the afternoons are free.
How does booking work and how much does it cost?
The small group starts from CAD 4,485 per person sharing a room, taxes included; private trips start from CAD 8,075. Send your preferred dates as an enquiry. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, drivers and ferry.
Do I need a visa for Croatia, Montenegro and Albania?
Canadian and US passport holders do not need a visa for this trip. Croatia and Greece are in the Schengen area, Montenegro and Albania are not, and the EU's Entry/Exit System registers your passport when you enter Croatia and Greece. We confirm the rules for your passport, including any ETIAS requirement, when you book.
Why does the trip end on Corfu, and how do I get home?
Butrint is close to the Greek island of Corfu, so a ferry of about 30 to 40 minutes from Saranda saves a five-hour drive back to Tirana. Sailings follow a seasonal timetable, mostly morning to early afternoon, and we confirm yours with the final itinerary. Then we take you to Corfu Airport or a hotel in Corfu Town; book your flight once the ferry time is set.
How long are the drives and the border crossings?
No day drives more than about 3.75 hours. We cross two land borders, Croatia to Montenegro on day 3 and Montenegro to Albania on day 5; summer queues can add an hour, so those days have a light plan, a sit-down lunch and a guided stop on the way.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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