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Durrës Amphitheatre & Old Town Walking Tour

5.063 Google reviewsHalf day from Durrës, Golem or Tirana

Durrës is 2,700 years old and wears it badly, which is part of the appeal. The Roman amphitheatre held something like 15,000 people, was lost under the city for centuries, and was rediscovered in 1966 by a man digging a garden. Half of it is still under the apartment blocks above. The excavated half has a small Byzantine chapel with wall mosaics tucked into one of the vomitoria.

Itinerary

For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.

  1. 09:00

    Meet at the Venetian Tower

    Or hotel pickup in Durrës and Golem. Tirana pickups leave at 08:00 and add an hour each way.

  2. 09:20

    The Roman amphitheatre

    Down into the bowl, past the excavated tiers, into the Byzantine chapel with its gold-ground mosaics.

  3. 10:20

    Byzantine walls and the forum

    The surviving stretch of city wall, the round Venetian bastion, and the circular forum with its columns.

  4. 11:15

    Archaeological Museum

    Hellenistic and Roman finds from the city and the necropolis, including the Beauty of Durrës mosaic.

  5. 12:15

    Coffee on the promenade

    Finish on the Volga seafront. From here the beach is a ten-minute walk and the afternoon is yours.

Experience & Highlights

  • The largest Roman amphitheatre in the Balkans
  • The Byzantine chapel and its wall mosaics inside it
  • Byzantine walls and the Venetian Tower
  • The Archaeological Museum and the Beauty of Durrës
  • Flat, shaded and finished by lunchtime

Full Description

From there we walk the Byzantine wall, the Venetian Tower on the corner of it, and the forum with its ring of columns. The Archaeological Museum on the seafront holds the best collection of Roman and Hellenistic material in the country, including the Beauty of Durrës mosaic and a room of terracotta votives.

It is a short, flat, shaded walk and it costs almost nothing, which makes it the obvious morning for anyone on the Durrës or Golem beaches who has had enough sun. We finish on the Volga promenade with a coffee.

What's included

  • English-speaking guide
  • Hotel pickup in Durrës and Golem
  • Bottled water

Not included

  • Amphitheatre entry (€2)
  • Archaeological Museum entry (€3)
  • Coffee and lunch
  • Tirana pickup (available, €8 per person)

Good to know

  • The amphitheatre floor is uneven Roman brick and there are steps down into it. Flat shoes help.
  • The Archaeological Museum closes on Mondays. On Mondays we extend the walk along the walls instead.
  • The whole route is flat and much of it is shaded, so it works even in the middle of August.
  • Runs year-round every morning, with an extra 16:00 departure in July and August.

Good questions, honest answers

Is Durrës worth visiting for the day?

For a half day, yes. The Roman amphitheatre is the largest in the Balkans and the Archaeological Museum is the best in Albania, and both sit within a ten-minute walk of the beach. As a full-day destination it is thinner, so most people pair this morning with an afternoon on the sand.

How big is the Durrës amphitheatre?

It held roughly 15,000 people when it was built in the 2nd century, which makes it the largest in the Balkan peninsula. Only part of it has been excavated: the rest is still under the apartment blocks that were built over it before anyone knew it was there.

Can I do this tour from Tirana?

Yes, with an 08:00 pickup and an €8 supplement for the transfer. Durrës is about 45 minutes from the capital on the motorway, so it works comfortably as a half day with a beach afternoon on the end of it.

Plan the rest of your trip

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