Eagles to Black Mountain Albania/Montenegro

Arrival in Tirana

Arrival at Tirana International Airport.

Transfer to hotel & check-in

Skanderbeg Square

Tirana's vast central square, the symbolic heart of the capital.

Et'hem Bey Mosque

An 18th/19th-century mosque known for its delicate frescoes on the interior and exterior walls.

Ottoman Clock Tower

A historic 19th-century clock tower near Skanderbeg Square, one of Tirana's oldest structures.

Tirana's pastel façades

A stroll past Tirana's colourful pastel-painted building façades, a distinctive feature of the capital's character.

Bunk'Art 2

A Cold-War era nuclear bunker beneath the city streets, converted into a museum on Albania's communist history.

Dajti Ekspres cable car, Mount Dajti

A cable car ride up Mount Dajti for a panoramic view of Tirana against the mountains, timed for golden hour.

Blloku quarter, evening free

A free evening in Tirana's buzzing Blloku quarter, known for its cafes, bars and nightlife.

Overnight stay in Tirana

Breakfast at the hotel

Drive to Kruja

A drive from Tirana to Kruja, the mountain stronghold of Albania's national hero Skanderbeg.

Kruja Old Bazaar

A walk through the cobbled Old Bazaar of Kruja, lined with woodcarvers and antique dealers.

Kruja Castle

The historic hilltop fortress of Kruja, Skanderbeg's stronghold against the Ottomans.

Skanderbeg Museum

A museum within Kruja Castle dedicated to national hero Skanderbeg.

Durrës Roman Amphitheatre & seafront

A visit to the 2nd-century Roman Amphitheatre in Durrës, the largest in the Balkans, followed by a stroll along the seafront.

Arrival in Berat

Late-afternoon arrival in Berat, the UNESCO-listed 'Town of a Thousand Windows'.

Mangalem quarter & Gorica Bridge evening walk

An evening walk through Berat's Mangalem quarter and across the Ottoman Gorica Bridge as the hillside windows light up.

Overnight stay in Berat

Breakfast at the hotel and Check-out

Berat Castle

A morning ascent to Berat Castle, a fortress still inhabited today, with Byzantine churches scattered inside its walls.

Onufri Iconographic Museum

A museum of Byzantine religious icons housed within Berat Castle, named after the renowned 16th-century painter Onufri.

Drive to Gjirokastra via the Vjosa Valley

A scenic drive south through the Vjosa valley to Gjirokastra, Albania's second UNESCO-listed town, built entirely in grey stone.

Gjirokastra Castle

The imposing hilltop fortress of Gjirokastra, notable for its gun gallery.

Gjirokastra Old Bazaar

A walk through Gjirokastra's Old Bazaar.

Ottoman tower-house, Gjirokastra

A visit to a traditional Ottoman-era tower-house in Gjirokastra, showcasing period architecture and lifestyle.

Drive to Saranda, check in

A drive over the hills to the Ionian coast, checking in at Saranda, which faces Corfu across the water.

Overnight stay in Saranda

Breakfast at the hotel

Butrint National Park

A UNESCO World Heritage site where a Greek theatre, Roman baths, a Byzantine baptistery and a Venetian tower stand layered together in a lagoon-side forest.

Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër)

A spring of astonishing sapphire-blue water bubbling up from an unmeasured depth.

Ksamil Islands

An afternoon at Ksamil, with powder-white coves and small offshore islets set in transparent turquoise water, with time to swim.

Ksamil islands boat trip

An optional boat crossing to the small offshore islets off Ksamil.

Sunset walk, Saranda promenade

A return to Saranda for a sunset walk along the seafront promenade.

Overnight stay in Saranda

Breakfast, check out

Breakfast at the Saranda hotel followed by check-out ahead of the long transfer to Montenegro.

Albanian Riviera: Borsh, Himara, Dhërmi

A drive north along the Albanian Riviera with photo stops at the beaches of Borsh and Himara, and the whitewashed hillside village of Dhërmi.

Llogara Pass

A climb through the spectacular Llogara Pass, where the road switchbacks to 1,027 m through pine forest with the Ionian Sea dropping away below.

Drive north to the Montenegro border

A long drive north via Fier, Lushnjë and Shkodra towards the Albania-Montenegro land border.

Albania-Montenegro border crossing

Crossing the land border from Albania into Montenegro.

Drive to Kotor

The final stretch of the journey into Montenegro, arriving in Kotor in the evening.

Check in, overnight in Kotor

Hotel check-in in Kotor for the overnight stay, marking the start of the Montenegro leg of the tour.

Breakfast at the hotel

Kotor Old Town guided walking tour

A guided walking tour of Kotor Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Sea Gate & Clock Tower, Kotor

Kotor's historic main entrance gate and adjoining clock tower.

Cathedral of St. Tryphon

Kotor's Romanesque cathedral, dating to 1166, one of the city's most important landmarks.

Church of St. Luke, Kotor

A small round Orthodox church within Kotor Old Town.

Maritime Museum (Grgurina Palace)

A museum on Kotor's seafaring history, housed within the baroque Grgurina Palace.

San Giovanni Fortress climb

An optional climb up the fortification trail to San Giovanni Fortress — 1,350 steps, about 90 minutes return, best done early with good footwear and water.

Drive to Perast

A 20-minute drive along the bay to Perast, a single-street baroque town of sea-captains' palazzos.

Our Lady of the Rocks

A local boat crossing to Our Lady of the Rocks, a man-made island church with silver votive plaques and a famous embroidered icon.

Return to Kotor and overnight stay

Return to Kotor at leisure for the overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel

Kotor Serpentine

An ascent of the Kotor Serpentine, 25 numbered hairpin bends climbing out of the Bay of Kotor, with a stop at the viewpoint above the bay.

Njegoš Mausoleum, Lovćen National Park

A climb of 461 steps through a rock tunnel within Lovćen National Park to the Njegoš Mausoleum at Jezerski Vrh (1,657 m), the tomb of Montenegro's poet-prince, with a 360-degree panorama.

King Nikola's Palace

The former royal palace of King Nikola in Cetinje, Montenegro's old royal capital.

Cetinje Monastery

A historic Orthodox monastery in Cetinje, housing important religious relics.

Cetinje's former embassies avenue

A walk along Cetinje's quiet avenue lined with the buildings of former foreign embassies from the country's era as capital.

Budva Old Town

Budva's walled Old Town, with its citadel, marina and narrow lanes.

Sveti Stefan viewpoint

A photo stop at the viewpoint over Sveti Stefan, the islet-hotel considered the most photographed frame in Montenegro.

Overnight stay in Kotor

Drive to Ostrog Monastery

Breakfast, check-out, and a drive north through the Zeta valley to Ostrog Monastery, a 17th-century shrine built directly into a vertical white cliff 900 m above the plain, and the most visited pilgrimage site in the Western Balkans.

Ostrog Monastery - Upper Monastery & cave chapels

A visit to the Upper Monastery and cave chapels of Ostrog; modest dress with shoulders and knees covered is required.

Morača Monastery & Canyon

A drive through the Morača Canyon, stopping at the 13th-century Morača Monastery to see its historic frescoes.

Drive to Kolašin, check in

Continuing to the mountain town of Kolašin, with hotel check-in and the evening free.

Overnight stay in Kolašin

Breakfast at the hotel

Djurdjevica Tara Bridge

A drive to and visit of the Djurdjevica Tara Bridge, a landmark arched bridge spanning the Tara River Canyon.

Zipline over Tara River canyon

A zipline crossing over the dramatic Tara River canyon with panoramic views.

Žabljak & Black Lake circuit

A visit to Žabljak, the highest town in the Balkans at 1,450 m, and an easy 3.5 km walking circuit of Black Lake (Crno Jezero) beneath the Međed and Savin Kuk peaks.

Lunch in Žabljak

Lunch in Žabljak, at own cost.

Return to Kolašin

Return drive to Kolašin in the late afternoon for the overnight stay.

Breakfast at hotel and check out

Drive to Podgorica

Breakfast, check-out, and a drive to Podgorica, approximately 1.5 hours.

Millennium Bridge, Podgorica

A modern cable-stayed bridge that has become a landmark of Podgorica.

Stara Varoš (Old Ottoman quarter)

Podgorica's old Ottoman quarter, Stara Varoš, including its historic clock tower.

Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ

Podgorica's grand Orthodox cathedral, one of the largest in the region.

Transfer to Podgorica Airport as per departure of your flight

Transfer to Podgorica Airport in time for the departure flight, concluding the tour.