Tour to Butrint Unesco Site - Blue Eye-Ksamil and Lekursi Castle
Description
Discover the best of southern Albania on this carefully planned day tour from Saranda, combining history, nature, and stunning coastal views in one unforgettable experience. Travel in comfort with a professional local guide as you visit the region’s top highlights. Explore Butrint National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site), where ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine ruins blend within a rich natural landscape. Continue to the famous Blue Eye Spring, known for its crystal-clear turquoise waters and peaceful forest surroundings. Walk the scenic path or take the optional train for easier access. Enjoy a panoramic stop at Hartë Bay, where your guide introduces the small Ksamil islands and their stories, followed by free time in Ksamil to admire its crystal-clear waters. End at Lekursi Castle with breathtaking views over Saranda, the Ionian Sea, and Corfu. This well-organized tour is ideal for cruise visitors, with guaranteed on-time return.
Tour Options
Itinerary
If you visit Saranda, you should make a stop at Lëkursi Castle. This fortress construction dates back to the 16th century and is in a square with two round towers sitting diagonally. Its tricky position on a hill of about 300 meters in height and its picturesque views of Saranda, the Butrint Lagoon, and even the island of Corfu make this destination a tourist preference. Besides that, inside the fortress, you will find one of the best-known bars and restaurants in Saranda, which also offers the sunset’s most beautiful view.
Albania’s famous Blue Eye (Syri i kaltër) is a water spring and natural phenomenon that each visitor should witness. A popular tourist attraction, the beautiful light turquoise river stuns with its beauty.You’ll first be enchanted by the surrounding dense forest and the beautiful light blue river that flows through this natural paradise. The Blue Eye is located beneath a small metal balcony that was built so you can get a closer look.The Blue Eye is a water spring with extremely light blue water bubbles in a more than 50-metre deep pool. You’ll be mesmerized by how clear the water is, to the point that you’ll be able to see straight to the bottom.Divers have attempted to descend into the Blue Eye to calculate its actual depth but it’s still unclear how far the mysterious hole really goes. (We have to walk by foot for 30 min to reach the destination so take any bottle of water )
A scenic stop at the stunning Hartë Bay, where you’ll enjoy breathtaking views over the Ionian Sea. From this panoramic point, your guide will introduce the small islands just off the coast of Ksamil, explaining their formation, history, and local stories. It’s the perfect moment to relax, take photos, and appreciate one of the most beautiful coastal landscapes in southern Albania.
Butrint is an important UNESCO site in Albania which is also incredibly popular. It’s one of the biggest and best places to see while on your holiday to Albania. If you’re staying in the nearby city of Saranda, or maybe even closer in Ksamil , then you simply cannot leave without making a stop here! Within Butrint National Park you will see very well-preserved ancient buildings, such as the Butrint theatre which seats over 2500 people. It is still used today from time to time for events. There’s also the Temple of Asclepius as well as an Acropolis, columns, a beautiful floor mosaic (includes medallions of 69 churches), a 6th-century basilica, Lions gate and even a Castle. These Butrint ruins will provide you with an incredible view of Lake Butrint, Butrint beach and the surroundings. You will see when wandering around Butrint National Park that some of the buildings are still deep underground. Some locals believe that Butrint was actually the sunken city of Atlantis.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We can provide hotel pickup and drop-off. We can also pick you up at Saranda port if you are visiting the town by a cruise ship as our office is 5 min from the port or any other location like Ksamil or Delvine . *Minimum number of travelers per booking is 2. *For solo travelers there is an extra charge.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(61)
Very glad we chose this. Our guide Mariglen was friendly and enthusiastic as he took us around these three lovely bits of the Albanian coast. Butrint is fascinating, and there is so much there that it’s useful to have personal commentary and some cultural context. It’s a full 6-7 hours with a fair bit of walking up and down steps, and there aren’t many places to eat (it’s mostly sit-down restaurants which you won’t have time for) so pack a lunch if you think you might need a boost.
Thankyou
The tour covered several amazing locations — Lekursi Castle, the Blue Eye, and Butrint — and each stop was worth the visit. The schedule was well‑organized, and the transportation was comfortable. I especially enjoyed the mix of history, nature, and scenic views. A great way to experience the highlights around Saranda in one day. Mariglen was friendly, knowledgeable, and kept the day running smoothly.
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A great job covering a lot of Albania. We spent a lot of time in the van but we managed to see a lot of different sites. We enjoyed the history. Our guide was knowledgeable and patient with our large group.
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The guide was very knowledgeable about Albania's ancient and modern history, we really enjoyed listening to all his stories and had a wonderful time in Butrint. And the Blue Eye was stunning! We travelled in a small group of 5 and were very well looked after throughout the trip - we highly recommend the tour to everyone.
Thankyou
This is kind of a hard port to find the correct guide, but we finally found ours. Klajdi ("Clydie") was great: experienced driver and licensed tour guide with good English, we had no trouble understanding and gleaning a lot from him. The castle is more of a view point since very little historic remains that hasn't been rebuilt into a restaurant/event venue. Despite not great weather, the view of our ship in the harbor was awesome. Pay extra for the little train to and from the Blue Eye Spring or plan for a hilly walk back to the site. Loved, Loved the Butrint ruins even in the rain. Highly recommend this small group excursion
Thankyou
Well organised trip, affordable way to get around all three sites. Butrint was highlight for us - many other trips miss this off which is why booked this one.
Thank you very much for your kind review
This is an excellent tour. Our guide, MariGlen was exceptional. He is very knowledgeable about his country and its history. I highly recommend using this company. I might add that visitors to Albania need to exercise patience at times. This country is very new to tourism and large crowds can overwhelm them quickly. MariGlen did an excellent job of keeping us all together during a few trying times. Take this tour!
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The guide was very friendly and concerned about his guests. He gave a lot of information about the destinations, without losing sight of the tight window.
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This was a perfect shore excursion. Klajdi had contacted us to organise the meeting point a couple of days before and also sent us a photo of himself so that we could recognise him! He was very friendly and spoke perfect English. There were 6 of us in the group and Klajdi made sure that all of the group could manage the paths and steps etc. He was great at explaining what we were seeing and the history. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the castle, Blue Eye and Butrint. Thankyou
Thank you very much for your kind and detailed review! We’re really happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour, the destinations, and the small group experience. It means a lot to us that you appreciated our guide, the comfortable transportation, and our communication.
Butrint rich in history , Blue Eye a mgaical natural spring and Lekursi such an amazing view from the top Thats all you need in Saranda😉and this tour covers all your desires!
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