DURRES, ALBANIA

Visit one of Albania’s oldest cities – Durres, before enjoying a panoramic city tour of Tirana.

Our first visit on our tour is to one of the biggest and exquisite monuments that survived from ancient Durres, the Roman amphitheatre. Next, we visit the Archaeological Museum, which will allow us to discover how the ancient city may have looked. Next we re-board our tour coach for the drive to Tirana, where upon arrival we can enjoy a panoramic coach tour of Albania’s capital city. Situated between the Ishm River and Erzeni River, Tirana is an ancient city built on the site of a Byzantine fortress.

Following our panoramic tour, we will visit the National Historical Museum, which houses collections about the complexities of Albanian life as well as exhibits of the country’s long and varied history. The impressive large mosaic on the front of the museum shows ancient Illyrians, Albanian nationalists and anti-axis guerrillas fighting for Albanian freedom. We shall then stop at a local restaurant for lunch, before re-boarding our tour coach for the return journey to Durres and our awaiting ship.

TOUR NOTES: This tour involves a moderate amount of walking, some of which will be over steep and cobbled ground. There are some steps inside the amphitheatre, approximately 18 steps from the bus stop to the National Historical Museum, and approximately 20 steps between each floor at the museum (there are three floors in total). Places of interest may be operated in a different order to that described. Lunch includes one bottle of water per person. Please note that toilet facilities may be basic. Please note that some of the roads we travel on in Albania are likely to be very bumpy and uneven.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2009 CANARIES & MEDITERRANEAN CRUISES