Members save more on over 100,000 hotels worldwide
Unlock member discounts
Unlock exclusive discounts and inclusions
Members only pricing
Bonus hand-picked inclusions
Albania and Montenegro - Small Group - 03 Apr 2027 to 30 Oct 2027
Operated by Trafalgar
Tripcode: 4YALMM27
Overview
Destination:
Albania,
Croatia,
Montenegro,
Duration:10 days
Type:Group tour (max 45)
Travel Period
April 2027 - October 2027
Across three Balkan countries, you hear cafe chatter in Tirana and trace tiers of white façades, wooden balconies and windows climbing above the Osum River in Berat. Along the Albanian Riviera, you’ll follow mountain roads curling above the Ionian Sea, passing rocky coves and villages tucked into the slopes. In Montenegro, you’ll enter Kotor’s deep natural harbour with stone walls beside the water and mountains rising sharply behind them. In Croatia, you’ll continue towards Mlini, where terracotta roofs sit between green hills and the deep blue of Župa Bay.
Iconic Experience
- Tirana: Colourful façades and broad boulevards define Tirana’s cityscape, alongside reminders of Albania’s complex past. Cross the expansive Skanderbeg Square, notice the city’s mix of Ottoman and modern architecture, then see the angular Pyramid of Tirana, now transformed into a public cultural space.
- Berat: Meet Gladiola in her 250-year-old Ottoman-era home in UNESCO-listed Berat. As you sample rose juice, rakija and Turkish Delight, hear how she’s part of a growing movement of women in heritage tourism. By sourcing from local female producers, Gladiola helps create economic opportunities for women in rural Albania and preserves traditional skills through community support and storytelling. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.
- Through Krujë’s old town, stone-paved lanes lead past timber-fronted shops displaying woven textiles and traditional crafts. Look up to Krujë Castle on its rocky hillside, a stronghold associated with Skanderbeg, before browsing the historic bazaar and taking in views across the surrounding landscape.
- Budva: Spend the day exploring the picturesque town of Budva.
- Kotor: Enjoy some time in the morning discovering the wonders of Kotor.
Highlights:
Standard inclusions
- 9 Breakfast (B)
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- Many meals and daily breakfasts included
- City orientation tours
- Audio headsets are provided throughout your holiday to enhance your included sightseeing experiences
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries
- Extensive variety of Choice Experiences
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilised.
Itinerary
Expand all 
Collapse all
Collapse allBegin Your Journey in Tirana
Arrive in Tirana and make your own way to the hotel, where you can drop your bags and settle in. Later, meet your Travel Director and fellow small group travellers for an orientation of the local area, passing façades painted in saffron, lime, burgundy and blue beside older villas. Plane trees spread their branches across many of Tirana’s streets, while Mount Dajti climbs beyond the city to the east. Tonight, you may choose to head out for dinner with your fellow travellers and trade first impressions of Albania’s capital over the table.
Explore Tirana’s Landmarks and History
With your Travel Director, explore Tirana on foot, crossing the pale stone sweep of Skanderbeg Square and following Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit through the heart of the capital. At the Pyramid of Tirana, you’ll trace its broad concrete slopes, scattered with small rooms in bright red, blue, yellow and green. Your free time might be spent over the warmth of an Albanian coffee, or underground at Bunk’Art 2, where the city noise fades away behind heavy concrete doors and narrow corridors lead through rooms once built to shelter Albania’s political elite from nuclear attack. Tonight, you can explore independently or join an Optional Experience dinner and taste the flavours of Albanian cooking.
Albania’s Heritage: Berat to Gjirokastër
Leaving Tirana with your Travel Director, you’ll travel through central Albania, vineyards and farmland spreading across the hills on the road to Berat. Here, meet Gladiola in her 250-year-old Ottoman-era home for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, sipping fragrant rose juice and fiery rakija with soft Turkish delight as she shares the customs passed through her family. You’ll also hear how she works with female producers, helping women earn through heritage tourism while traditional skills continue in the hands of the people who practise them. In UNESCO-listed Berat, follow the Osum River beneath the arches of Gorica Bridge and wander Mangalem, where rows of white Ottoman houses and dark timber windows spread across the hillside. In Gjirokastër, you’ll follow the sloping cobbles of its old bazaar past small workshops, carved wooden shopfronts and slate-roofed houses.
Journey Along Albania’s Ionian Coast
Along the Albanian Riviera, you’ll follow the coast towards Porto Palermo, with the Ionian Sea stretching below the road and olive-covered slopes folding towards the water. Perhaps explore the fortress of Ali Pasha on its rocky peninsula, passing through thick walls and vaulted chambers. In Himarë, your free time is yours to spend along the seafront, with fishing boats bobbing offshore and the scent of grilled seafood drifting from nearby tavernas. Continue to Vlorë, set between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, with the Karaburun Peninsula reaching into the water and mountains sweeping inland behind the city.
Vlorë in Full: Coast and Countryside
Vlorë is yours to enjoy as you please, whether that means staying close to the city or heading out across the water. You might choose a speedboat trip into Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park towards Haxhi Ali Cave, where light shimmers across the water inside a limestone chamber carved by the sea. On Sazan Island, Mediterranean vegetation curls around abandoned buildings and tunnels from its years as a restricted military base. Back in Vlorë, you can join an Optional Experience at a local farm and vineyard, tasting Albanian food and wine among the fields where they’re produced.
Northern Albania: Vlorë to Krujë
Leaving Vlorë, you’ll travel north towards Krujë, watching the land lift towards the slopes of Mount Kruja. With your Travel Director, wander through its 17th-century bazaar, brushing past woven carpets, polished copper and carved wood as filigree jewellery and hand-worked crafts fill the narrow shops. Follow the old lanes towards the fortress, once Skanderbeg’s stronghold against the Ottoman Empire, and pause where the land falls away towards the plains and the distant deep blue Adriatic. With free time in Krujë, you can return to the bazaar, step inside one of the fortress museums or keep wandering through a town of timber balconies, weathered walls and mountain air.
Cross Into Montenegro and Explore Budva
Cross into Montenegro and arrive in Budva on the Adriatic coast, where you’ll follow your Travel Director through narrow lanes enclosed by medieval walls, passing red-tiled roofs, small squares and glimpses of the shimmering Adriatic between the buildings. In your free time, choose a table for lunch, browse the old town or slip into the sea for a swim. Travel on to the Bay of Kotor, where steep green slopes descend towards deep blue water and small settlements trace the shoreline.
Weave Through Historic Kotor
With your Travel Director, you’ll weave through Kotor’s UNESCO-listed old town, moving along narrow lanes that open into tucked-away courtyards framed by palaces, churches and shuttered buildings. Pause beneath the twin towers of St Tryphon Cathedral, one of the Romanesque churches that has stood here for centuries, and trace the fortified walls as they zigzag high above the town towards the fortress. In your free time, you can drift between church doors and shaded passageways, or head higher along the old defences as Kotor’s rooftops and the blue sweep of the bay spread out below.
Follow the Serpentine Road to Croatia
From Kotor, you’ll follow the Serpentine Road through a succession of hairpin bends, watching the water fall farther below as the road coils into the mountains. In Cetinje, Montenegro’s former royal capital, you can walk beneath linden trees past grand former embassy buildings. Your free time might take you inside King Nikola’s Palace, where furnished rooms, portraits and personal belongings offer a more intimate look at Montenegro’s royal family. Crossing into Croatia, continue towards Mlini on the Adriatic coast, where terracotta roofs and cypress-covered hills frame Župa Bay. You may choose to round off your trip over dinner with your fellow travellers at a local restaurant.
End Your Balkan Journey in Mlini
After breakfast in Mlini, it’s time to say goodbye to your Travel Director and fellow small group travellers. Ten days have carried you from Albania through Montenegro and into Croatia, with mountain roads, old towns and the Adriatic woven through the journey.
Dates
Select a date or submit general enquiry
Operator
Trafalgar
The best of the world unlocked for you. Imagine unmissable experiences you’ve always dreamed of, getting to know the locals and having everything taken care of every step of the way. Here's what you'll experience: Must-sees to local secrets: Visiting bucket list sites are a highlight of travelling, however, travelling on your own can make them hard work. Don’t queue with other sightseers for hours, with Trafalgar our experts unlock doors – think exclusive access to the Vatican out of hours or a tour of Versailles and its grounds with an expert. This, coupled with the intimate glimpses and hidden gems our local specialists show you, are the life-changing experiences that make you feel like an insider, not a tourist. One-of-a-kind experiences: Thanks to our global network you’ll unlock local access to communities and people around the world. Our 100+ Be My Guest experiences are a signature Trafalgar exclusive, where you will enjoy the hospitality of locals as you are welcomed into their homes to hear their stories and learn about their cultures. In every destination, you’ll also enjoy unique “Stays with stories” accommodation: more than just a place to rest your head, they are part of the heritage and fabric of the communities you visit. Responsible travel at heart: When you choose Trafalgar, you are choosing to make your travels a force for good and support our goal to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®. We recognise our responsibility to ensure we make a positive impact on the planet we call home, the people we visit, and the rich wildlife we find. We ensure that the impacts of our business and your travels are positive in two ways: through our TreadRight Foundation, and our 5-year sustainability strategy How We Tread Right.
Important Information
*Terms and conditions
Please note: We are proud to be an independent agent to travel providers of hotels, flights and other related services. We are not a tour operator. Details and information on the offer are provided by 3rd party businesses and although we do our best to verify the information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy on all occasions. These offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.
For more information, please see Terms of Use
Book now
Need help?
Price from
$3,525
$3,384
*
Member price from
$3,384*
per person twin share
9 nights
Check departuresCan't find the answer you're looking for? Get in touch with our friendly Travel Consultants.
Call 1800 850 888Speak to one of our friendly consultants, available during business hours.
Mon to Fri · 9am - 5pm AEST
Speak to an expert in-store
Prefer to plan in person? Make an appointment at our Travel Store to speak with one of our experts
4ac1f7c469378a40d2600f3a6156f5fc
150086
Tour
© 2026 Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) All rights reserved.