The Via Egnatia
From Albania to Thessaloniki

• Trace a legacy of Roman ingenuity and engineering that supported ancient trade routes along the Via Egnatia

• Explore an exceptional range of UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites, from the ruins of Butrint to Byzantine churches in Ohrid and superb early Christian mosaics in Thessaloniki

• Discover a region of the Balkans that is emerging from a turbulent history, transforming into a vibrant cultural and often-overlooked destination

• Survey a great wealth of Greek, Roman, Venetian and Byzantine history and its impact on modern-day Europe

• Discover small towns steeped in the history of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and early Christianity

• Appreciate varied landscapes, from lakes to national parks and the Adriatic coast

Friday 05 September – Arrival in Tirana (D)

An arrival transfer from Tirana International Airport is included for all participants; contact us for further information. Meet your tour leader Dr Kristen Mann and fellow travellers at 6.00pm in the lobby of our hotel in Tirana for welcome drinks before dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Tirana.

Saturday 06 September – Exploring Tirana (B, L)

After an introductory talk in the hotel this morning we depart on a walking tour of Tirana, commencing at Skanderbeg Square where an impressive statue of the national hero astride a horse celebrates Albania’s resistance to the Ottoman invasions in the fifteenth century. Also in the square we see the elegant Et’hem Bey Mosque, which was spared from destruction during the Communist era due to its cultural significance; the Palace of Culture which houses the National Library and Albanian Theatre of Opera and Ballet; and the clocktower, which we ascend for panoramic views over Tirana. After a break for coffee, we gain an understanding of Albania’s history from ancient Illyria to the Ottoman occupation at the Archaeological Museum. We then have a lunch in a local restaurant, before visiting Bunk’Art 1 on the outskirts of Tirana. Descending five stories beneath the surface, these hauntingly austere tunnels were built by paranoid Communist dictator Enver Hoxha as a nuclear shelter for the political elite in the 1970s, and have now been converted into an art gallery and museum. Returning to the hotel, dinner is at leisure. Overnight Tirana.

Sunday 07 September – Durrës (B, L)

This morning we depart by coach for Durrës, a significant port city on the Adriatic coast with a history dating back 3,000 years. A walking tour takes us to the Roman amphitheatre built by the Emperor Trajan in the second century. Recently discovered and excavated in the 1960s, the theatre had a capacity of 20,000 spectators. The Via Egnatia commenced in Durrës and its importance is evidenced in the once heavily-fortified Byzantine-era city walls and castle and the fifteenth-century Venetian tower offering commanding views over the city to the Adriatic. We survey the extensive collection of Hellenistic and Roman artifacts from ancient pottery, sculptures and gold jewellery at the Archaeological Museum, before a seafood lunch on the waterfront. After a leisurely stroll along the seafront, we return by coach to Tirana where the evening is at leisure. Overnight Tirana.

Monday 08 September – Berat to Butrint (B, L, D)

We check out of the hotel this morning and travel by coach to Berat, defined by the Ottoman-era period white houses in the old town that give it the title of ‘town of a thousand windows’. Encircled by stone walls with 24 watchtowers, the largely intact Berat Castle is still inhabited by proud locals happy to share their local heritage and history with us. Inside the castle walls, ten of the original churches remain, decorated with frescoes by the Albanian religious painter Onufri. We visit the Museum of Medieval Art and the Onufri Museum located in The Dormition of St Mary Cathedral and admire the gilded nineteenth-century iconostasis. After lunch in a local restaurant, there is time to traverse the arched stone bridge connecting the traditional Ottoman quarter of Mangalam to Christian Gorica. This afternoon we continue to Sarandë and enjoy dinner in the hotel. Overnight Sarandë.

Tuesday 09 September – Butrint World Heritage Site (B, L)

Today we visit the World Heritage-listed archaeological site of Butrint, located in an exceptional natural setting against a backdrop of the Mediterranean. The ruins are from a variety of periods spanning 2,500 years, with evidence of Greek traders from Corfu settling here in the eighth century BCE, Roman colonisation by Julius Caesar in 44 BCE and later occupation by the Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman Empires. We explore the site excavated by Italian archaeologists in the 1920s to uncover a fortified city with an acropolis and amphitheatre. Subsequent excavations yielded a prosperous Roman period city, complete with villas with intact mosaic floors, shrines, a Late Antique baptistery and a Byzantine palace. We also visit the Archaeological Museum of Butrint inside the Venetian fortress, housing the Greco-Roman finds from the site and surrounding areas. After a full day, we return to our hotel in Sarandë where the evening is at leisure. Overnight Sarandë.

Wednesday 10 September – Gjirokastër to Vlorë (B, L)

This morning after checking out, we depart for Gjirokastër, a World Heritage-listed city of Ottoman houses on the steep slopes of the Drino River Valley. We visit Gjirokastër Castle, perched on a rocky hilltop overlooking the city. The castle's origins date back to the fourth century, with the major fortifications added by the Byzantine Despots of Epirus before it fell into Ottoman hands in the fourteenth century. It was later redesigned as a prison under notorious King Zog and used as a barracks for soldiers. We enter the historic Gjirokastër Museum via a long gallery lined with artillery pieces, and visit the National Museum of Armaments that traces Albania’s history from Independence until the end of World War II. After lunch in the old town there is time to wander through the cobblestoned streets of the bazaar before departing for Vlorë on the Albanian Riviera. We arrive at the hotel and check in. This evening is at leisure. Overnight Vlorë.

Thursday 11 September – Apollonia and Scampis (B, L D)

Today on our way to Lake Ohrid, we head to the ancient Illyrian city of Apollonia, founded by Greeks from Corinth and Corfu. The city flourished as an important economic and trade centre in the fourth century and became a vital gateway to the Via Egnatia under Roman rule, even minting its own currency. Much of the city remains unearthed and the Greek theatre and second-century administrative centre remain prominent alongside a Byzantine Monastery and the Church of St Mary, which houses the excellent Museum of Apollonia. After visiting Apollonia, we call in at Elbasan, a historically and culturally rich city, for lunch. Known as Scampis in the Roman period, the city’s strategic location on the Via Egnatia was vital to the spread of Christianity in the region, which has left a legacy of Roman and Byzantine architecture we see today. Continuing to Lake Ohrid, we cross the border into North Macedonia and check into our hotel. Dinner is in a local restaurant this evening. Overnight Lake Ohrid.

Friday 12 September – Byzantine Ohrid (B)

Perched on the oldest lake in Europe, Ohrid served as the capital of the empire of the Bulgarian tsar Samuel, becoming an episcopal centre of the Orthodox church and Byzantine subject in the eleventh century. Today we explore the Byzantine legacy at several of Ohrid’s most notable churches, including the stunning frescoes at the Church of St Sophia, the Church of Sts Clement and Panteleimon where the first students of the Glagolitic script were educated, and the Church of St John at Kaneo, spectacularly situated overlooking the lake. The afternoon and evening are at leisure to explore the old town or stroll on the promenade by the lake.Overnight Lake Ohrid.

Saturday 13 September – Bay of Bones (B, L)

The menacingly named Bay of Bones refers to the fragmented ceramic vessels, stone artefacts and broken animal bones that formed a prehistoric settlement in Lake Ohrid, first discovered by underwater archaeologists in 1977.  Today we visit the Museum on the Water, a reconstruction of the settlement built on a large series of piles, supporting a wooden overwater platform and dwellings connected to the shoreline by a wooden bridge. After lunch we continue to the Monastery of St Naum, a peaceful complex set amongst tranquil gardens overlooking the lake. The Church of the Holy Archangels, known for its wood carvings, frescoes and iconostasis depicting the Holy Assumption of St Naum, was reconstructed in the Byzantine style following the destruction of the tenth-century original. Returning to Ohrid, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Lake Ohrid.

Sunday 14 September – Heraclea Lyncestis (B, D)

We check out of the hotel this morning and travel to the archaeological site of Heraclea Lyncestis near Bitola. Founded and named by Philip II of Macedon after Heracles, the original Greek city has almost entirely disappeared. The monuments we see here are rather mostly Roman and include the Early Christian Basilica, episcopal palace ruins, amphitheatre and beautiful floor mosaics in excellent condition that depict floral and animal motifs. After visiting the small on-site museum, we have lunch before continuing to Edessa. Overnight Edessa.

Monday 15 September – Around Edessa (B)

Enjoy a relaxed day in Edessa on a walking tour of historic Varosi, a characterful area of typical Balkan and Macedonian architecture. It is the only quarter to survive the Nazi occupation, as German forces burnt large parts of the city that harboured resistance fighters. We visit the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, a three-aisled basilica with ancient Corinthian columns revealing its previous incarnation as a Greek temple, and learn about Macedonian rural life at the Folklore Museum. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore at your own pace. Overnight Edessa.

Tuesday 16 September – Pella and Vergina (B, L, D)

Today we check out and depart for Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great and capital of the Macedonian state that oversaw an empire from Egypt to Persia and South Asia. We explore the restored colonnades of the agora and exquisite mosaic floors at the archaeological site and visit the on-site Archaeological Museum of Pella. We continue to Vergina, the burial site for the rulers of the great Kingdom of Macedon. We stop at the open-air theatre where Philip II was assassinated, before entering the tumulus containing the extraordinary subterranean Museumof the Royal Tombs that has been created within the actual burial chambers of Philip II and members of the Macedonian royal family. Displayed inside the museum is an astonishing array of grave goods, all in extremely good condition, including a gold crown and larnax containing Phillip’s bones. Arriving in Thessaloniki, we check into our hotel before dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Thessaloniki.

Wednesday 17 September – Roman & Byzantine Thessaloniki (B)

This morning begins at the Byzantine Church of Agia Sofia, where we admire the superb mosaic depicting the Ascension of Christ in the central dome and devotional frescoes adorning the walls. We continue to the Palace of Galerius and the Arch and Rotunda of Galerius, the fourth-century Roman Emperor who chose Thessaloniki as the eastern seat of the Roman Empire, and explore the heart of public, commercial and political life at the Roman Forum. At the Church of Agios Dimitrios honouring the patron saint of Thessaloniki, we hear about the martyrdom of the Roman soldier by Galerius for practising his faith, and we visit his crypt and reliquary. This evening is at leisure. Overnight Thessaloniki.

Thursday 18 September –Thessaloniki’s Museums (B, D)

Today we explore two excellent museums in Thessaloniki which contain artefacts from the places we have visited during our time in Northern Greece: the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Byzantine Culture. Macedonia’s prehistory, Hellenistic and Roman periods are charted at the Archaeological Museum, while the Museum of Byzantine Culture houses 3000 objects including mosaics, tomb paintings, icons and jewellery, offering insights into daily life. We conclude at the imposing White Tower, an Ottoman-era prison built as part of the city’s fortification on the waterfront. The afternoon is at leisure before we gather for a farewell dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Thessaloniki.   

Friday 19 September – Depart (B)

The tour ends at the hotel after breakfast. A departure transfer to the airport is included for all participants; contact us for further information.

Rogner Hotel, Tirana - 5*

https://www.hotel-europapark.com/

Oasis Hotel, Sarandë - 4*

https://hoteloasis.al/

Marina Bay, Vlorë - 4*

https://www.maritim.com/en/hotels/albania/resort-marina-bay/hotel-overview

Vila Arte, Ohrid - 4*

https://villaarte.mk/

Varosi Four Seasons & Four Seasons Guest House, Edessa - 3 *

http://www.varosi4seasons.gr/

Hotel Antigon Urban Chic, Thessaloniki - 5*

https://antigonhotel.hotelbrain.com/

NB: hotels of a similar standard may be substituted.

• 15 nights’ accommodation at 4* and 5* hotels, and one 3* at Vlöre

• All breakfasts and 14 lunches or dinners

• All ground transport, boat transport, guided tours and entrance fees to sites as mentioned in the itinerary, and tipping

• Expertise of and commentary by an Australian tour leader throughout

• Practical assistance of an English-speaking tour manager throughout

A $1,500 deposit is required at the time of booking to confirm your place on this tour.

We will invoice you for the balance due on 22 June 2025.

When you book on one of tours, we ask you to accept our terms and conditions.

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