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Apollonia & Durres History & Local Food
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15 Hours
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Max People : 15
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Pickup: 07:30 AM
Description
Quick answer: This is a single-day guided tour from Tirana combining a visit to one of Albania’s most significant ancient Greek and Roman archaeological sites Apollonia with a fish-based countryside lunch and a guided afternoon walk through the ancient ruins of Durrës, all from €69 per adult. The tour is led by both a dedicated Tour Director and an on-site archaeologist at Apollonia, with private motor coach transport, a coffee break, and all museum and site entrance fees included.
Who This Tour Is For
Apollonia is one of the most impressive and least-crowded ancient sites in the Balkans. Founded by Greek colonists in the 6th century BC and later flourishing under Roman rule, it was a city important enough to attract Julius Caesar’s attention during the civil war and to be the place where the future emperor Augustus studied. Today its archaeological park is set in open countryside near Fier, with a monastery, a museum, and a remarkable collection of standing ruins that most visitors have entirely to themselves.
This tour pairs Apollonia with Durrës, already familiar from the Kruja day tour, but approached here as the natural second stop on a route that traces Albania’s ancient history from the Greek colonial period through to the Byzantine era. It suits history enthusiasts, archaeology lovers, and travelers who want a quieter, more scholarly counterpart to the more popular city and nature tours.
Tour Highlights
• Guided tour of Apollonia Archaeological Park with an on-site archaeologist
• The Temple of Artemis, the Odeon, and the Triumphal Arch at Apollonia
• Apollonia’s on-site monastery museum and its collection of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine artefacts
• A fish-based lunch with wine at a local countryside restaurant near Apollonia
• The Roman Amphitheatre and Byzantine City Walls of Durrës
• The Venetian Tower, Byzantine Forum, and Roman Thermal Baths of Durrës
• Street art among the ancient ruins of Durrës
• A coffee break with a panoramic view over Durrës
Good to Know Before You Book
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Duration |
1 day |
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Starting price |
From €69 per adult |
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Departure point |
Tirana |
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Pickup |
Available |
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Transport |
Private motor coach |
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Lunch |
Fish-based with wine, included |
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Best for |
History enthusiasts, archaeology lovers, cultural travelers |
Price table
1 Person 125 Per person
2 - 2 Person 70 Per person
3 - 3 Person 65 Per person
4 - 4 Person 63 Per person
Notes
Tour price:
Tour price currency is set to be paid in euros. The price is quoted per person per tour, all-inclusive, and is always updated to ensure you get the best price; we are 100% guaranteed.
Children Policy:
0 - 05.99 Free of Charge.
6 - 11.99 pay 50% of tour price.
12 & + pay full tour price as an adult person.
If your tour includes flight tickets, then an extra charge for a child rate may apply.
Deposit and Payment:
A Full payment is required at the time of confirming your booking and can be paid by credit or debit card (Visa/Mastercard) via a payment link that will be sent to you.
Tour Voucher:
After confirming your tour, we will email you a travel voucher with final confirmation and contact details of your tour manager, customer care, and additional information for your convenience. Please print this voucher and bring with you.
Cancellation Policy:
Liberty Travel doesn’t charge a cancellation fee for tours and excursions cancelled for force majeure or reasons beyond control. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund minus any administrative fees.
Price Includes
Private deluxe motor coach transportation throughout
Tour Director and on-site archaeologist guide at Apollonia
Fish-based lunch with wine at a local countryside restaurant
Coffee break in Durrës
Guided sightseeing and all museum and site entrance fees
Price Excludes
International flights
Gratuities
Personal purchases
Any meals or drinks outside the included lunch and coffee break
Itinerary
After departure from Tirana, the tour heads southwest toward the Apollonia Archaeological Park near the village of Pojan. The guided visit is led by an on-site archaeologist rather than a general guide who walks the group through the park’s main monuments: the Temple of Artemis, the Odeon (a small covered theatre used for musical performances and civic gatherings), the Triumphal Arch, and the wider ruins of this once-prosperous Illyrian and Roman city. The on-site museum, housed inside a medieval monastery within the park, provides additional context on the finds excavated across the site over the past century, including mosaics, sculpture, coins, and everyday objects from the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods.
Lunch is at a local restaurant in the countryside surrounding Apollonia a fish-based meal with wine, reflecting the region’s proximity to the Adriatic coast and its tradition of fresh seafood. This is not a tourist-facing venue but a genuinely local setting, and the meal is fully included in the tour price.
The afternoon is spent in Durrës, Albania’s main port city and one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban centres in the region. The guided walking tour takes in the Byzantine City Walls, the Venetian Tower, the Byzantine Forum, the Roman Thermal Baths, and the Roman Amphitheatre one of the largest in the Balkans, dating to the 2nd century AD and still partly embedded in the fabric of the modern city. The route also includes Durrës’ street art district, where large-scale murals have been painted around and among the ancient structures. A coffee break with a panoramic view over the city is included before the group returns to Tirana.
Location
FAQs
The day combines a guided archaeological visit to Apollonia covering the Temple of Artemis, the Odeon, the Triumphal Arch, and the on-site monastery museum with a fish-based countryside lunch near Apollonia and an afternoon guided walk through the Roman and Byzantine ruins of Durrës, finishing with a coffee break and a panoramic view of the city before the return to Tirana.
Apollonia was founded by Greek colonists in the 6th century BC and became one of the most significant cities in the ancient Illyrian and later Roman world important enough for Julius Caesar to use it as a base during his civil war campaigns, and for the future emperor Augustus to study there as a young man. Today its archaeological park is one of the most atmospheric ancient sites in the Balkans, and unusually uncrowded for a site of its significance.
Yes. A fish-based lunch with wine at a local countryside restaurant near Apollonia is fully included in the tour price, as is a coffee break in Durrës.
Yes. All guided sightseeing, museum entry fees, and site entrance fees at both Apollonia and Durrës are included in the tour price.
Both tours end with an afternoon in Durrës, but they take very different routes to get there. The Kruja & Durrës tour focuses on Albania’s medieval and Ottoman heritage the castle, Skanderbeg Museum, and Old Bazaar while this tour heads south to the Greek and Roman world of Apollonia. The two pair well together for travelers with more than one day available.
The tour departs from Tirana, with hotel pickup available. You will be contacted in advance with specific pickup details.
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