Dubrovnik to Corfu in 9 Days: Coastal Balkans Tour through Montenegro & Albania

Arrive in Dubrovnik at your own pace. The trip officially begins with a welcome meeting at 6:00 PM, so the day is free to explore the old town inside its famous walls, walk the ramparts, or take the cable car up Mount Srd for the view over the Adriatic. Optional add-ons include the Game of Thrones filming-locations walk, the War Photography Museum, and a sunset sailing trip. Your guide leaves a note at the hotel about the exact meeting time and place.

Today follows the Montenegrin coast. The first stop is Kotor, a walled medieval town at the head of the Bay of Kotor, ringed by steep mountains, where you can climb part of the fortress walls or visit St Tryphon’s Cathedral. The drive continues south to Ulcinj, an old seaside town near the Albanian border with a long beach and a strong Albanian character. Overnight in Ulcinj.

Cross into Albania and drive to the capital, Tirana. In the afternoon your leader runs an orientation walk through the centre, including the Blloku district that was once closed to ordinary citizens, and you visit Bunk’Art 2, a museum built inside a Cold War bunker that tells the story of Albania’s secret police and isolation years. The evening is free to try Tirana’s lively cafe and restaurant scene.

A full free day in Tirana. Popular options are a half-day trip to Kruja, a hilltop town with an Ottoman-era bazaar and a castle linked to the national hero Skanderbeg, browsing the city’s street markets, or simply settling into a cafe. Your leader can help arrange a Kruja excursion or point you to the National History Museum and the Sky Tower viewpoint.

Drive south to the coast, climbing over the Llogara Pass, where the road switchbacks down from pine forest to the blue of the Ionian Sea. Himare is a relaxed beach town on the Albanian Riviera with a small old quarter and castle ruins above it. The afternoon and evening are free for the beach, the old town lanes, or a seafront cafe.

An included speedboat trip along the Riviera reaches coves and beaches that are hard or impossible to get to by road: Pigeon’s Cave, Crystal Bay, the dramatic Gjipe Beach below its canyon, and Pirate’s Cave, with stops to swim in clear water along the way. The rest of the day is free to rest on the beach back in Himare.

Head inland to Gjirokaster, a UNESCO World Heritage town of grey stone houses with slate roofs stacked up a hillside. A local guide walks you through the old bazaar, the grand Zekate tower house, and the hilltop fortress with its views over the Drino valley, finishing with a Turkish coffee brewed on the stone in the local style. Optional visits include the house of writer Ismail Kadare and the Ethnographic Museum.

Drive down to the Albanian coast and cross by ferry to the Greek island of Corfu. Your leader gives an orientation walk through Corfu Town, with its Venetian fortresses and arcaded streets. The rest of the day is free to explore the old town, the seafront, or sites like the Mon Repos summer palace and the Palaiopoli archaeological site.

The trip ends after breakfast in Corfu with no further activities, so you can fly home or stay on to enjoy the island. Extra nights in Corfu can be arranged in advance if you want more island time.