Albania holidays

Holidays to Albania pair city sightseeing in up-and-coming Tirana and coastal Durres with chill time in sleepy inland towns like Saranda and Lin.

Alluring Albania

Albania’s not a member of the tried-and-tested holiday club, so you can expect a real untapped to-do list. The country’s mountain-backed coastline, known as the ‘Albanian Riviera’, has national parks and scenic coastal roads in its locker. Our escorted tours take you there, and throw in loads of the country’s other must-sees for good measure. TUI Tours will take you to traditional family homes for dinner, through UNESCO-ranked towns, and into the emerald-coloured vineyards of one of the country’s oldest wine makers. And the roster of ancient buildings is in such good condition, it’s as if they’ve been kept in bubble wrap.

Towns with character

There’s a real charm to Albania, with lakeside villages and whitewashed towns spread around the countryside. And a TUI Tour takes the hassle out of skipping between them. Berat’s built for history buffs, with Byzantine churches and a castle that looks like it’s on loan from Game of Thrones. Gjirokaster lines up another fairy tale castle, plus a sprinkling of dainty Ottoman houses. Cute cobbled lanes connect the dots, and it’s all wrapped in a UNESCO-branded bow. Tirana, the capital, ramps things up. It’s got museums squirrelled away in former military bunkers, plus a one-time Soviet neighbourhood that’s been upcycled into the city’s trendy nightlife hub.

Scenic surroundings

Albania cosies up to the Adriatic Sea, between Montenegro and Greece, and the coastal vistas are just as impressive. In the picturesque Llogara National Park, you’ll see the sheer Ceraunian Mountains rearing up behind you. We take care of all the transport, too, so reaching the most out-of-the-way spots is a doddle. Get involved in local life in Saranda, where you can pick fruit and veg in pea-green fields. In the east, away from the coast, you can watch fishermen bob out onto Lake Ohrid from the sleepy village of Lin. The border with Macedonia runs right down the middle, so a boat trip ticks off two countries in a single hit.