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Ksamil, Blue Eye & Boat Day Trip from Tirana

Would rather have a shorter day and more beach time? See the same day without the boat →

5.063 Google reviewsDay trip from Tirana, Durrës or Golem

This is the longer, fuller version of the southern day, for people who want the boat as well as the beach. The extra hour buys you a trip out to the Ksamil islands and the coastline south of them by boat, which is the only way to see the bays between Ksamil and the Butrint channel.

Itinerary

For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.

  1. 04:00

    Pickup and the drive south

    Hotel pickup in Tirana, Durrës, Golem or Qerret and south in the dark, with a breakfast stop at first light.

  2. 08:30

    The Vjosa river

    A short stop on the braided gravel flats. No dam on this river along its whole length, which makes it the last of its kind in Europe.

  3. 10:00

    The Blue Eye

    In through the plane trees to the spring, where cold water pushes up through a shaft nobody has reached the bottom of.

  4. 11:30

    Ksamil and the island boat

    Beach time first, then an hour on the water: the three islands, the channel towards Butrint, and the bays you cannot reach on foot.

  5. 15:00

    Saranda and Lekursi

    The promenade with Corfu across the strait, then up to the castle terrace for the view back over the whole bay.

  6. 16:30

    North over Llogara

    The Riviera road through Himarë and Dhërmi, then the pass at 1,000 metres with the sun going down over the sea.

  7. 20:00

    The last leg

    Dinner stop near Vlora. Back on the Durrës coast around 22:00 and Tirana by about 22:30.

Experience & Highlights

  • A boat hour around the Ksamil islands and the southern bays
  • The Vjosa, the last undammed river in Europe
  • The Blue Eye karst spring
  • Swimming and lunch at Ksamil
  • The Llogara Pass on the evening drive north

Full Description

On the way down we stop at the Vjosa, the last wild river in Europe, where it runs wide and braided over pale gravel with no dam anywhere along its 270 kilometres. Then the Blue Eye, a karst spring nobody has measured the bottom of, and the colour that gets it on every poster in the country.

Ksamil is the long stop: swim, eat, and take the boat out to the islands and the bays beyond. We come home over Llogara with the sun going down into the Ionian. Sixteen hours door to door, and the most you can physically see of southern Albania between two sunrises.

What's included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tirana, Durrës, Golem and Qerret
  • Air-conditioned transport
  • English-speaking guide
  • Blue Eye park entry
  • One-hour island boat trip at Ksamil
  • Bottled water

Not included

  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner stops
  • Sunbeds and umbrellas at Ksamil (about €5 to €10)
  • Alcoholic drinks

Good to know

  • Sixteen hours door to door. This is the longest day trip we run and we would rather you knew that before you book it.
  • The island boat runs in calm water only. If the sea is up we extend the beach time and refund €10.
  • Bring a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen and a hat. There is little shade on the boat.
  • Runs June through September. In May and October the boat does not operate and we run the shorter southern day instead.

Good questions, honest answers

What is the Vjosa river and why stop there?

It is the last large river in Europe with no dam anywhere along its 270-kilometre course, declared a national park in 2023. It runs wide and braided over pale gravel rather than in a single channel, which is what an undammed river looks like and is increasingly rare to see.

How long is the boat trip at Ksamil?

About an hour, out around the three islands and south towards the Butrint channel. It gets you to the bays that have no road access and it is the part most people remember. In rough seas it does not run and we refund €10.

Should I pick this or the shorter southern day trip?

Take this one if you want the boat and do not mind a sixteen-hour day. Take the shorter one if you would rather have more time on the beach at Ksamil and get back an hour earlier. The land stops are otherwise the same.

Plan the rest of your trip

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