Albania

Hike, Packraft and Snorkel

10

Packraft through Ulza National Park, snorkel in the Adriatic Sea and gorge-walk at Osumi.

Itinerary

Day 1: Explore Tirana

You'll be collected at 1 pm from Tirana airport - most people like to arrive early so that they can explore this colourful capital. In the evening, you'll meet your fellow travel companions over a night of traditional Albanian food, in the heart of the city.

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Today is a relaxed day of PAckrafting through the crystal-clear waters of Ulza National Park. In the afternoon, you'll head to Tina and Artan's house for a delicious meal, made using locally sourced ingredients from their farm. Afterwards you'll head over to your guesthouse in Vlora, on the Adriatic coast.

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Jump onto your speedboat and head to the Karaburun Peninsula - you may even see some turtles, seals and dolphins.

We will bring the snorkelling equipment to have a short exploration of Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park - the only reserve of its kind in the country, and home to some amazing marine life. Afterwards, you'll head to the beach for relaxation time with local lunch included.

In the evening you'll stay in the Berat UNESCO world heritage site, with it's picturesque white Ottoman houses. A traditional Albanian dinner is all part of the experience!

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Today you discover the Osumi Canyon - known as one of the most spectacular gorges in Europe.

You'll walk or sunbath depending on the water levels, along the river Osum. The scenery is a dramatic contrast of unspoiled pine forests and steep cliffs. There are also some river jumps for those who want! In the evening, you'll visit the Alpeta Winery for dinner and some wine tasting.

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After breakfast, you hike the rugged trails through the Tomor Mountains. The trek starts high up, and the views are spectacular! Enjoy a local lunch, after heading over to the Bektashi Tekke of the mountain.

In the evening we'll all head back to Berat, with some time to explore the town a little more and check out some of the local restaurants.

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Descend 360m underground into the Cave of Pellumbas, and check out the spectacular stalagmites and stalactites! After lunch in a local village, you'll head back to the airport for 6 pm.

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Have a question?

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Rated 5.0

10 verified reviews

Fábio
Fábio

(Sep 2022)

The trip was really good! Tons to do, a lot of good food and the tour guide was really nice. I totally recommend. My only advice for the tour people is to be a bit more clear of what we need to take with us on each day based on what we will do.

Giulia
Giulia

(Aug 2022)

Very good, well organized and the guide and the driver were very nice to us. Hotels and restaurants were much more than expected, very good quality. I would improve the communication though. Some activities were not fully described and turned out to be far away from the reality (snorkeling day was simply a day at the beach). Also, no additional info from the guide the day of the activities, and sometimes it turned out to be bad handled while a good communication on what to expect would have helped a lot. Besides this, which is a point to improve, the experience was amazing and we had great days. Recommended for sure.

Caroline
Caroline

(Jun 2022)

Very enjoyable trip but not exactly as described. I'm grateful that the trip ran with only me and another couple. The advantage was that we all were high energy, nobody slowed down the group and we were all interested in similar things. We also all fit into one vehicle with a wonderful driver. However, only after arriving at the harbor did we learn that we didn't have enough people to take a boat to the cave we were supposed to explore--so the day's activity was jut a swim at the beach and a bit of snorkeling. The pack rafting was in a stunning canyon that opened on to farm land and we had an amazing lunch at a farm where the couple had prepared a feast of almost all homegrown food. However, the actual paddle was only about an hour. There was a lot of driving--the plus side being that we saw a lot of the country, the downside was a lot of sitting in a vehicle. The hikes were longer and to a cool cave and to a shrine on a mountain top. Our guide was an ever optimistic, energetic young man who has worked hard to become qualified in everything from kayaking to canyoneering to paragliding. The only problem was that, a few times, he apparently didn't get the memo from the local tour company that had contracted him--fortunately, he could call them but that was sometimes after the fact of a problem. Skyhook contracted out the local tour company--maybe too many connections, like a game of telephone. But overall, the accommodations, care and concern, food, good company, etc was great. But for a trip titled "Active Albania" it was a bit light on some of the activity. Apparently it's advertised as 5-85 yrs but perhaps it should really be marketed as 15-70 (where exceptions can be made) and I would have loved to add canyoneering into the mix!

Jessica
Jessica

(Apr 2022)

Wonderful trip , if you want to try of a variety of activities , kayaking, hiking , boat trip there is something different everyday . It’s not very challenging if your fit , but certainly enough to be rewarding for all fitness levels. The tour guide Aldo was knowledgeable, caring and funny. The food is incredible (and I don’t eat meat ) every meal is a feast , quite a lot of booze (decent stuff) was thrown in too, which made the whole trip very good value. How I could drink that much raki and not have a hangover (just the last night ) remains a mystery , but we are told it’s organic !

Tess
Tess

(Apr 2022)

We had a wonderful adventure holiday, our guide Aldo was fantastic. Really informative, fun and cared about our welfare! We loved it! Thanks you so much x

FAQs

Included:

  • Guides (English speaking)
  • Accommodation in guesthouses and hotels
  • Food as per the itinerary
  • Airport transfers
  • Local transportation
  • Packrafting, snorkelling and river hiking equipment

Excluded:

  • International flights
  • Tips for guides
  • Any visa fees
  • Travel insurance

A moderate level of fitness is required, along with the ability to swim.

The groups are a maximum of 16 people.

You will stay in guest houses and hotels, which vary in standard and facilities: some may be without air conditioning, English speaking staff and require you to use stairs. However, they are locally run with traditional character and in fantastic locations to allow you to fully optimise your time.

Albania is a developing country and the infrastructure is not as reliable as what you would expect at home. Hotels generally have intermittent Wi-Fi and showers.

Rooms are on twin or triple sharing basis.

Single supplement is available for 30EUR per night. This is payable directly to the lead guide upon arrival.

Yes of course! We get lots of solo travellers on the trips. Before you go, be sure to join the Facebook group, so you can meet the other people on your trip.

The guides can arrange a taxi to collect you from Tirana airport for 20 EUR.

If traveling between Nov – Mar, then the weather can be colder. Ensure you bring warmer clothes if traveling then. Temperatures can vary in different regions.

Documents

• Passport

• Visa if applicable

• Travel insurance details

• Boarding passes for flights

• Wallet

Footwear

• Comfortable hiking boots

• Trainers or sandals

Bags

• Small backpack (35L)

• Rucksack or similar for the rest of your gear

Clothing

• Breathable, light-weight waterproof clothing

• Breathable, light-weight t-shirts & trousers for hiking

• Underwear

• Socks

• Fleece

• Shorts

• Cap or hat

• Wind stopper jacket

Other

• Cash

• Credit/Debit card

• Camera (Battery packs and storage)

• Ear plugs

• First aid kit (Optional for personal medication)

• Sunscreen and lip balm

• Plugs and chargers

• Reusable water bottle

• Travel towel

• Watch with alarm (You can use the alarm on your phone)

• Sunglasses

• Toiletries

• Insect repellent

No experience necessary. The guides cater for all abilities.

We can't advise you on this, but we recommend you check at http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx.

The trip is for over 16's. Anybody under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Winter season (Nov – Feb)

Winter in Albania can vary in temperature. In Tirana the average temperature is around 4 – 12 degrees Celsius, with some rainfall. However, this temperature can drop a lot lower in the mountain regions of Berat.

Shoulder (Mar – May & Sep - Oct)

Temperatures in Tirana are quite pleasant at this time of year, with an average of around 16 – 24 degrees Celsius. Rain is infrequent.

High Season (Jun – Aug)

June to Aug in Tirana can be hot. The average temperatures can be between 25 – 32 degrees Celsius, with little/no rain.

Albanian food is hearty and healthy, usually based around meat and vegetables much of which is seasonal and sourced locally. Popular dishes include turkey or lamb served with a local bread known as Kulac. The guides cater to most dietary requirements - just let us know before you go.

Every traveller is different, and the amount people spend will vary. Some people will buy lots of souvenirs, whilst others will not buy any at all. It is worth considering your own spending habits to allow for any shopping, tipping or extras you may want to buy.

Start: You will be collected from Tirana airport at 1 pm on day 1 of your itinerary. You can arrange a collection at a different time for 20EUR. If you would prefer to meet the group in Tirana, then please meet at the Artistic Guest House .

End: The guides will take you back to the airport for 6 pm, on day 6 of your itinerary. 

We would recommend using Albanian Lek, which is the local currency. Most places will accept Euro's, but you are likely to get a worse rate with everything you buy.

Albania has a strong tipping culture – It is customary and even expected to tip in places such as bars and restaurants. At the end of your trip, if you feel that your guides did an outstanding job, then tipping is also expected and appreciated. A good rule of thumb is around 30 – 50 euros per week.

Activities on this trip include kayaking, hiking, snorkelling, cave exploring and river hiking, or rafting depending on the water levels. You have the option to skip any of the activities if you wish.

Albanian is the official language of Albania. However, many people speak English, Italian or Greek.

Islam is the official religion with much of the population being Muslim.

All countries require a valid passport, with a minimum of 6 months validity.

To date, UK and USA nationals do not require a visa to enter Morocco for the purpose of tourism, up to a 3-month period.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/albania/entry-requirements

Please contact your local embassy to check the visa requirements for your nationality, as the above information could have changed from the time of writing this.

Please contact your local embassy to check the visa requirements for your nationality.

Some of the accommodations offer a laundry service at a charge.

Your head guide is Blerina

All trips on Skyhook are run by small, hand-picked local guiding companies. For this trip your guides run Active Albania, based in Tirana.

By booking through Skyhook you'll be joining a small-group trip. This can make it nice and sociable (you'll be added to a group chat after booking), and guarantees great value for money!

Blerina