Trip Snapshot
- Dates: 25–31 May 2025
- Travellers: Gordon, Nicole, Hamish (15), Euan (13), Fergus (10)
- Distance driven: ≈ 520 km loop
- Ideal ages: 8 +
- Total spend (May 2025): ≈ £2 950 ex-flights (see cost box)
Highlights
Ionian-blue swimming at Jalë ▪ Rafting Europe’s last wild river ▪ Ottoman rooftops of Berat ▪ Butrint’s Roman amphitheatre ▪ Sunset steak in Dhërmi
Route Map
Cost & Logistics
- Car hire: £111 (VW Jetta, 7 days)
- Fuel: approx £??
- Accommodation: €347 total
- Rafting: €35 pp (group-rate)
- Entry fees: Butrint 1 000 lek / Amphitheatre 300 lek
- Weather: 22–26 °C daytime; sea 18 °C
Day-by-Day Itinerary
> Day 1 – Tirana → Berat
PM Pick up VW Jetta at TIA (£111/7 days). Drive to Berat, settle into Guest House Iljesa. Terrace dinner at Restaurant Klea (lamb in soured milk, bill €64).
> Day 2 – Rafting the Vjosa
Morning drive to Përmet; leave bags in car and hop straight into Funky Guest House minibus. Raft Grade II-III rapids (€35 pp). Lukewarm soak at “Benjë Hot Springs” under Kadiut Bridge. Dinner at Antigonea (wild boar; bill €68). Private 2-bed apartment, €60.
> Day 3 – Cold-War bunker & Gjirokastër old town
11 am guided tour of hillside bunker (rooms stripped but guide engaging). Check in Kale Guesthouse rooftop suite (€65). Lunch at Taverna Panorama Zhuli (€35). Castle cannons, Skenduli House vs richer Ethnographic Museum (kids preferred the latter). Dessert stop at Kalimera Patisserie. Dinner at Bon Appetit (carbonara 450 lek).
> Day 4 – Blue Eye Spring & Ksamil beaches
Drive south: brand-new roads, pay-train 300 lek to glacier-cold spring (no swimming). Lunch fallback at Bar Restaurant Luna. Hotel switch to Villa Abedina suite (€86/2 nts). Paradise & Lori beaches; dinner at family-run Fisherman’s Grill (whole octopus 650 lek).
> Day 5 – Butrint ruins & mussel farm lunch
Early Butrint visit (amphitheatre, statues). Lunch over Lake Butrint at Mussel House. Afternoon kick-about on empty beach; wraps & kebabs at Grill House & Gyros (350–450 lek).
> Day 6 – Porto Palermo, Jalë & Dhërmi sunset
Stop at triangular fortress (300 lek). 90 mins on turquoise Jalë Beach. “Mr Chicken” pit-stop en route to Dhërmi. Check in Xheko Rooms (€63). Dinner at Luciano (filet mignon 2000 lek, pistachio soufflé 600 lek) watching the sky turn rose-pink.
> Day 7 – Durrës & Tirana city-taster
SH8 north via 5 km Vlorë tunnel, “Perfect Picture” viewpoint. Durrës amphitheatre (900 lek family). Il Maestro Napoli pizzas (€6-8). Ice-cream wander. Tirana: park at Toptani, Bunk’Art 2 (boys shocked by border kills), Skanderbeg Sq., Pazari i Ri fridge-magnet. Cheap skewers at Shtëpia e Birrës King Pils, browse slick Tirana Castle lane, easy airport drop-off.
Family Tips
- Get a some Lek in cash as soon as you arrive – inland towns often don’t accept Euros or cards.
- Withdraw in larger amounts and check charges – charges are per withdrawal (not a percentage) and vary from 500-1000 lek, depending on bank machine.
- Ksamil is a pure beach town: if it’s grey, you’ll run out of things to do—pack cards, games, books.
- Download Google Maps offline for remote areas: “Vlore County” + “Gjirokaster County”.
Kid Verdicts
Fergus (10): “Rafting felt like the water slide of the world—just colder!”
Euan (13): “Bunk’Art counted how many died escaping—mad.”
Hamish (15): “Filet mignon for €20? UK steak nights are ruined now.”