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Albania holidays with Cox & Kings
Albania has a landscape of staggering beauty: rugged mountains, snow-capped for much of the year, tower above white sandy beaches and green mysterious valleys.
Besides incredible scenery, Albania also has a number of superb historical sites. Roman, Ottoman and, for a short period, Italian rule have all left their mark on the land. Ancient burial mounds, amphitheatres, castles and mosques are all to be found here.
Yet this country remained under wraps for much of the 20th century, isolated under Enver Hoxha and his Stalinist state. Over this time the people and the landscape remained cut off from the outside world, until the fall of Communism in 1991. The country is now a delight to explore with its majestic scenery and timeless Albanian culture.
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Key facts
- Capital Tirana
- Currency Lek
- Flying time from London 3 hours
- Official language(s) Albanian
- Time difference +1 GMT
- Visa requirements Visas not required for UK passport holders
Top things to do in
Try to count ‘Hoxha Mushrooms’
During the height of the Cold War, the leader of Albania, Enver Hoxha commissioned his military to build over 750,000 concrete fortifications around the country. This have been christened by locals as ‘Hoxha's Mushrooms’ due to their shape and size.
Visit the Skanderberg Museum, Kruja
Akin to a shrine for the national hero, this museum houses artefacts from Skanderbeg’s life including armour, paintings and lively murals of battle scenes. The building itself was designed by Enver Hoxha’s daughter and son-in-law.
Admire Lake Ohrid
Visit Lake Ohrid, one of Europe’s deepest and oldest lakes, and combine a trip to Albania with a quick stop across the border in Macedonia. Lake Ohrid stretches along the Albanian border with Macedonia and has been named a Unesco world heritage site. Visit the town of Ohrid on the Macedonian shore. This ancient settlement has been dubbed the ‘Macedonian Jerusalem’ as it once had an incredible number of churches.
Explore Apollonia
These scenic ruins on the coastline south of Durres were once the buildings of a great city-state and Roman trading port, founded in the 5th century by the Greeks. Military and natural disasters drove the inhabitants out to re-establish themselves further in south in what is now the city of Vlora.
See Gjirokaster Castle
The birthplace of Enver Hoxha, Gjirokaster has a fantastic castle set up high on a hilltop. A fortress has occupied this high point since the 12th century but much of the construction today dates from the 19th century. During the communist era it was used as a prison. A US Air Force jet which was shot down during this period was displayed here as a sign of Albania’s strength against western powers. It remains here to this day, along with several museums which now occupy the buildings.
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Read more"The Iguacu falls were probably the high spot, closely followed by Corcovada. The Manaus experience was very special too.
Mrs Vivienne Taylor"
"The actual sites that we set out to see &nadash; Aphrodisias was a great surprise and Ehpusus was quite wonderful.
Mrs Siggers"
"Varanasi is an assault on all senses - people, sound, noise smell, colour - and it is also a very spiritual place despite the huge crowds. Unmissable.
Mrs Christine Love"
"The opportunity to see the Taj Mahal, on two occasions, ie at sunset and at sunrise. This was all the more poignant for us as we saw the Taj Mahal, firstly, on Valentine's Day and, secondly, on my 60th birthday. It was perfect and well done for organising it on key dates!!
Mrs Wendy Emmott"
"Difficult to choose between the tracking and finding of desert elephants in Damaraland, and the safari drive in Erindi, where we saw a host of different animals and witnessed a kill (two cheetahs on a springbok). Both expeditions were enhanced by the jeep drivers who showed enthusiasm, persistence and knowledge.
Ms Sarah Dearman"
"The visit to Easter Island was really the highlight of the holiday - an experience not to be missed.
Mr Timothy Marsh"
"This tour vividly demonstrated the benefits of using a reputable travel agent, without whom we would probably still be stranded amongst the riots!
Mr Hearsum"
"Walking in the snow at the bottom of the mid Atlantic Ridge, with the Eur-Asian tectonic plate on one side and the American plate on the other side of the valley. Also seeing the Northern Lights was an absolutely amazing, primeval experience, which ranked with seeing Wolves, Bears and Buffaloes in the wild in Yellowstone on a different adventure. Always wanted to do this, along with walking through a real Arctic storm, which we did.
Mr Philip Butler"
"We thoroughly enjoyed our visits to Havana and Trinidad. Trinidad in particular was small and colourful with lots of music and good restaurants. We had a dance at our morning coffee/cocktail stop which was fun and enjoyable. The thing we will remember most about our trip to Cuba was the music everywhere at all times and of course the cocktails!
Mr David Graham"
"Apart from the beauty of Costa Rica as a whole, I really enjoyed the Panama Canal trip and then visiting the Miraflores Locks the following day. Having learned about it as a child, it was just great to experience it 'for real'. It was fascinating to see everything working in virtually the same way as it has done for the past 100 years! I found the the museum/information centre excellent.
Ms Merryl Graham"
"We have recently returned from our honeymoon in Japan and just wanted to let you know what an absolutely fantastic time we had! Our guide was fantastic, the accommodation in Tokyo and Kyoto was first class and the ryokan on Miyamira Island was an amazing experience. The trip was certainly the holiday of a lifetime, which was perfect as it was our honeymoon.
Mr & Mrs Turner"
"Seeing Petra for real was wonderful, as was the Wadi Rum driving experience.
Mrs Elspeth Dick"
"We are experienced travellers and always looking for something a little different. We thought Ethiopia Odyssey was beyond our expectations and to see so many different Unesco World Heritage Sites in one holiday was exceptional. The wildlife content was unexpected and to see so many different types during such a short holiday was surprising. Would recommend Cox & Kings to others and congratulate them for putting together our holiday - the literature and the tour manager were first class.
Mr David King"
"There was not one defining moment. It was simply the gradual build up of excellent day after excellent day.
Mrs Patricia Morton"
Travel in Europe
Find out more about what you can expect from travelling in Europe – from internal flights to accommodation standards and local transport.
Flying in style in Europe
Learn more about the airlines we use to fly to Europe, chosen for reliability and good service; as well as any available upgrade facilities.
Documents & health information for Europe
Before travelling to Europe, please read more about the entry requirements for each country, as well as any general health advice.
Climate in Albania
Discover the temperatures and rainfall you can expect when visiting the main areas of Albania, along with the best time to travel.
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© Cox & Kings 2021