1-Day Tour in Blue Eye, Monastery, Gjirokaster and Lekursi Castle
Description
Visit 4 different places in I day on this tour from Sarande and Ksamil. Explore the St. Nicholas Monastery Church, marvel at the Blue Eye, stroll through the city Gjirokastër, and admire the views from Lekuresi Castle. Immerse yourself in a Albanian culture and nature on a full-day tour.Discover 4 fascinating locations in just 1 day with your local guide.Admire the spectacularly clear waters of the natural Blue Eye spring. Pause for reflection at the St. Nicholas Monastery Church, Mesopotam.Step back in time on the streets of Gjirokastër and at Lëkurësi Castle.
Tour Options
Itinerary
One of the oldest and largest churches of the Byzantine era and one of the world’s pearls of Byzantine architecture, St. Nicholas Monastery is located in the south of the Mesopotam village in the outskirts of Saranda, very close to the ancient city of Finiq. The monastery is thought to have been built in 1224 or 1225. It was once enclosed by a circular wall which is today only partly preserved. Its double apse makes it unique in its genre, and some researchers have advanced the hypothesis that this was due to the monastery being used by two religious rites (Catholic and Orthodox).
The "Blue Eye" (Albanian: Syri i Kaltër) is a water spring and natural phenomenon occurring in the village of Muzinë in Finiq municipality, southern Albania.[3] A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river can be seen from a depth of more than fifty metres. Divers have descended to fifty metres, but it is still unclear what the actual depth of the karst hole is
Gjirokastra, is also known as the stone city, and has been protected by UNESCO since 2005. It is one of the last Ottomans -style cities left in the Balkans
Lekursi Castle (Kajala e Lëkurësit) is a castle on Lekursi Hill, just behind Saranda with an amazing view over the town and bay, making this the most popular and iconic viewpoint of Saranda.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(113)
It was a lovely trip, well-paced. Even though we visited 4 places, it didn’t feel rushed. We got to Blue Eye at 10am and beat the crowds, which was excellent. I recommend taking the train to the spring as it’s quite a walk and there’s no shade. We had 2.5 hours in Gjirokaster, which was enough to visit Gjirokaster Castle and have a quick snack. The castle is magnificent and definitely worth a visit! I highly recommend this tour.
Very good tour with excellent guide. Great value for money. Good length of time in each place to explore on your own
It was a day well spent. We enjoyed every bit of it . The tour was great, very patient and helpful with different people from different backgrounds. The drivers were brilliant.
Tour guide Angelino and driver were great! Pleasant and personable. Air conditioned bus. Clear directions and expectations. Highly recommend
Great experience. The guides were super knowledgeable but let us explore plenty on our own also. We had a great time.
collection on time. Gino (tour guide) and driver were both friendly and nice. Pleasant trip overall. Website says max 8 people but this isnt the case - I would say max around 18 people as thats the limit on the mini van.
I loved the walk. Angelino and the Shameful Driver get together. Great explanations, attentive, all in perfect time. Besides the air conditioning, the play list and the bus wifi are wonderful!!
The amazing trip started with the Monastery of Saint Nicholas before moving on to the Blue Eye, then to Gjirokastër, which was a beautiful stone village. The mountain range along the way was absolutely spectacular. We ended the tour at Lëkurësi Castle near Sarandë, which was the final destination and had absolutely phenomenal panoramic views for taking photos. Our two guides, Angelino and Aemil, were absolutely wonderful!
Great experience, friendly guides, beautiful locations. Learned and experienced alot about Albania in one day
Great tour- goes to 4 places no added visits to carpet factories etc. Free time to get lunch and walk around. No hassle and beautiful scenery
