Butrint

Antique Butrint – Unesco World Heritage Site. Inhabited since prehistoric times, with Ancient Greek and Roman roots, Butrint is probably the most important archaeological site in Albania and listed in Unesco as a World Heritage Site. Butrint deserves its epithet of ‘The Microcosmos of the Mediterranean’ and the place at the top of our list in Albania. Do not forget to visit the Ali Pasha Castle in Vivari channel!

Inhabited since prehistoric times and listed in Unesco as a World Heritage Site, ancient Butrint deserves its place at the top of our ‘to visit’ list in Albania.

Declared a National Park, Butrint is probably the most important archaeological site in Albania, that’s why it is also called ‘The Microcosmos of Mediterranean’, it is of great significance in historical, cultural, and natural value. Ancient Greek and Roman roots are shown and made obvious through findings of objects around the amphitheater like statues and portraits, and the heads of Zeus and Livia enriched by Latin and Greek epigraphs. Some monuments like the theater have been well preserved. What do early findings and writings tell us about Butrint? Called Buthrotum in ancient times, it was home to the Epirote tribe of the Chaonians being one of the major centers of this tribe later has been a battlefield between major forces of the time as it has gone through different periods starting with Ancient Greece and later Ancient Roman periods, continuing with Byzantine period and probably Slavic too. It was controlled by Angevins, the Despotate of Epirus, the Republic of Venice, and later the Ottoman Empire until the creation of the state of Albania. What about the culture of Butrint starting from ancient times? Being one of the main settlements of Chaonians during antiquity, Butrint was influenced by Greek culture until the arrival of the Romans when it became a Roman colony. Walls of Butrint have their word too! It witnessed several attacks by despots of Epirus early and also Ottomans in the later times which can be confirmed by the continuing fortification of city walls and adding of a new fortress to defend Butrint. These fortifications also provide testimony to the different stages Butrint has passed from being home to Greek colonies and tribes until the Middle Ages. What caused the decline of this important city? Late Antiquity saw this ancient city decline after it was hit by a major earthquake which caused flooding in most parts of the city. The city enjoyed some periods of prosperity during the Byzantine administration and Butrint has also been an important port throughout time. It was abandoned in the late middle ages because it became inhabitable after marshes. What have excavations revealed about Butrint? Archaeological excavations have shown that city walls in the defense positions have been continually used which shows the continuation of life in the town. Also, the excavation showed the treasure this area has been covering for a long time, most notably: the theater, basilica, baptistery, castle walls, temple, public baths, houses, sand statues, and gates designed like those of Troy. Modern times from Albanian independence. This decision to make Butrint part of Albania was disputed by Greece and part of the local population which created an Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus until it was ceded to Albania with peace assured by Italy, for them Butrint was of Geopolitical interest and it is believed Italy didn’t want Greece to control both sides of Corfu Straits. B Nearby Castle of Ali Pasha Butrint offers considerable history for tourists, and we can help you arrange a tour of this ancient city and its nearby surroundings. Very near and part of Butrint National Park is the ‘Ali Pasha Castle’ which is accessible by boat. It was built by the famous Albanian ruler of the same name during the Ottoman times. There are a lot of reasons to visit Butrint, but also the surrounding area and nearby places are worth a visit so don’t hesitate to arrange a trip to these beautiful and eye-catching destinations.

Only 15 minutes of driving will send you to the jewel of Albania’s coast, Saranda. Even closer is the nearby town of Ksamil which offers plenty of beautiful beaches with crystal-clear waters. Another attraction is the ‘Blue Eye’, located almost 30km from Butrint. Another castle ‘Lekursi’ lies on top of Saranda City, there is a restaurant in the castle that offers some of the best cuisines in the area with a splendid view of the city and also Corfu island in front.

Traveling from Greece: Butrint is accessible in different ways, you can travel by road or also if you are in Corfu you can visit Butrint by ferry and hydrofoils which operate daily and arrive in Saranda for a very short time, usually, hydrofoils take only 30 minutes and ferries need a little more than 1 hour to get to Saranda port, from there a regular bus service will get you to Butrint. Also, you can arrive from the border of Qafe-Bote enter Albania near Konispol, and later cross by the cable ferry that is located in Butrint to pass the Vivari Channel. A lot of tourists visit Butrint from the nearby Corfu, proximity makes it possible to easily arrange a daily trip if you are staying in Corfu for vacation. In case you are in Albania: In case you are traveling across Albania, you can arrive in Butrint from 4 roads. The most beautiful one goes through the Albanian Riviera, it is also the most lengthy one in time and from the capital Tirana it takes almost 6 hours of the car ride. There are also optional roads that offer beautiful scenery and old towns and villages and also take less time to get you to Butrint, in 4 hours you can arrive by the shortest path from the capital Tirana to the Ancient City of Butrint. We also offer client pick up and our tours start from Tirana, Durres, Vlora, Saranda and also don’t hesitate to ask us if we can get to your destination.

Majestic panoramas with a mixture of beautiful nature, beaches, mountains, and castles nearby offer such a combination that is very difficult to resist. We recommend this area and place it at the very top of destinations to visit in our country. It is worth it as it will satisfy your needs for sure as it is of historical, cultural, and natural value without forgetting the traditional Mediterranean cuisine and tasty food. The scenery and views around this area are beyond what you can expect. Also, the place is great value for your money. We make regular tours around Butrint and for sure we know how to! We as a guided tour agency can help you make the most of your time in our beautiful country, and help you arrange a flexible tour depending on your requests. In case you are considering a trip to Albania in the near future we can help you visit the best attractions that our beautiful country has to offer. Butrint and the surrounding area are surely on top of the list and very recommended by us. We are continually making daily and multi-day tours around Saranda where Butrint is located and its nearby attractions, also offering a complete guided tour with English, Italian, and Greek-speaking tour Leaders.

Usually, it includes visiting the Ancient City of Butrint, a visit to the Blue Eye, and Dinner or lunch depending on your availability at the Lekursi Castle at the top of Saranda. In cases of multi-day tours, the trip also includes free hours at Ksamil’s beautiful beaches, a visit to the riviera, and also visit to stone cities and villages like the City of Gjirokastra which is one hour away by car from Saranda. Other possible tours depending on the interest of clients include the mussel tour in Butrint as the place is noted and important for its mussel breeding in Albania. Transportation is very important for us, we drive comfortable vans or 4×4 Jeeps for an off-road experience. What is special about our tours is that we also do our trips with Jeeps to get the most out of your experience. So your tour around Butrint, Saranda will also feel like an off-road tour with our 4×4 Suvs. We like our clients to get the most out of their tours! Our groups usually do not contain more than 7-8 clients, which means you will have the opportunity to stay in close contact with the tour guide and listen better as you hear about the historically rich Butrint. You can also reserve a private tour around Butrint and its surroundings and you can mention all your requirements so we can make a flexible package optimized for your needs. What about accommodation and food? For multi-day tours we also have the perfect choices of accommodation for you, we have a lot of options for accommodation in Saranda and Ksamil depending on your preference. We also got the best options for your meals and will happily suggest places and get you there too. What about photos and videos during our trip? What is special about our tours is that we want our clients to remember their experience and have a look at it whenever they want, so we record our best moments using Drones or Professional cameras so the photos and videos will be of top quality just like your overall experience on this trip. When is the best time to plan your trip? Any time is good for a tour around Butrint and the perfect time highly depends on your preferences. Of course, summer is very busy in our crystal clear waters of the riviera but Albania is warm and mostly has sunny days even in other seasons. So if you plan to have some holidays at the beach summer might be the best choice for you, but in the other seasons you will also enjoy the trip as much and it will be a lot less crowdy which for some people makes it the best option to visit Butrint during Spring, Autumn or even Winter. What about client pickup? We offer client pick up at hotels, Airports, Port and also you can contact us for your location and we will make the most to guarantee you the proper transportation so you can experience this tour.

For those that are of keen interest in city life too, do not worry as Saranda is full of life during summer months and its streets are filled with tourists and you can enjoy a city walk on the promenade with the sea as near as it can be, or you can have a drink in the anchored wooden ships.

We as tour guides are pet friendly and have a special affection for animals too, so you can bring with you your 4 paws and we will give them a treat for sure. There are no other tour companies that are pet friendly in our country but most importantly we can assure you that we really do understand the needs of every pet owner who wants to be accompanied by his dog or cat.

Inhabited since prehistoric times and listed in Unesco as a World Heritage Site, ancient Butrint deserves its place at the top of our ‘to visit’ list in Albania.

• Why should you book a trip around Butrint?

Declared a National Park, Butrint is probably the most important archaeological site in Albania, that’s why it is also called ‘The Microcosmos of Mediterranean’, it is of great significance in historical, cultural, and natural value.  Ancient Greek and Roman roots are shown and made obvious through findings of objects around the amphitheater like statues and portraits, and the heads of Zeus and Livia enriched by Latin and Greek epigraphs. Some monuments like the theater have been well preserved.

• What do early findings and writings tell us about Butrint?

Called Buthrotum in ancient times, it was home to the Epirote tribe of the Chaonians being one of the major centers of this tribe later has been a battlefield between major forces of the time as it has gone through different periods starting with Ancient Greece and later Ancient Roman periods, continuing with Byzantine period and probably Slavic too.

It was controlled by Angevins, the Despotate of Epirus, the Republic of Venice, and later the Ottoman Empire until the creation of the state of Albania.

• What about the culture of  Butrint starting from ancient times?

Being one of the main settlements of Chaonians during antiquity, Butrint was influenced by Greek culture until the arrival of the Romans when it became a Roman colony.

• Walls of Butrint have their word too!

It witnessed several attacks by despots of Epirus early and also Ottomans in the later times which can be confirmed by the continuing fortification of city walls and adding of a new fortress to defend Butrint. These fortifications also provide testimony to the different stages Butrint has passed from being home to Greek colonies and tribes until the Middle Ages.

• What caused the decline of this important city?

Late Antiquity saw this ancient city decline after it was hit by a major earthquake which caused flooding in most parts of the city.

The city enjoyed some periods of prosperity during the Byzantine administration and Butrint has also been an important port throughout time. It was abandoned in the late middle ages because it became inhabitable after marshes.

• What have excavations revealed about Butrint?

Archaeological excavations have shown that city walls in the defense positions have been continually used which shows the continuation of life in the town. Also, the excavation showed the treasure this area has been covering for a long time, most notably: the theater, basilica, baptistery, castle walls, temple, public baths, houses, sand statues, and gates designed like those of Troy.

• Modern times from Albanian independence.

This decision to make Butrint part of Albania was disputed by Greece and part of the local population which created an Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus until it was ceded to Albania with peace assured by Italy, for them Butrint was of Geopolitical interest and it is believed Italy didn’t want Greece to control both sides of Corfu Straits. B

• Nearby Castle of Ali Pasha

Butrint offers considerable history for tourists, and we can help you arrange a tour of this ancient city and its nearby surroundings. Very near and part of Butrint National Park is the ‘Ali Pasha Castle’ which is accessible by boat. It was built by the famous Albanian ruler of the same name during the Ottoman times.

There are a lot of reasons to visit Butrint, but also the surrounding area and nearby places are worth a visit so don’t hesitate to arrange a trip to these beautiful and eye-catching destinations.

What are the nearest attractions we highly suggest you visit?

Only 15 minutes of driving will send you to the jewel of Albania’s coast, Saranda. Even closer is the nearby town of Ksamil which offers plenty of beautiful beaches with crystal-clear waters. Another attraction is the ‘Blue Eye’, located almost 30km from Butrint. Another castle ‘Lekursi’ lies on top of Saranda City, there is a restaurant in the castle that offers some of the best cuisines in the area with a splendid view of the city and also Corfu island in front.

• How can you travel to Butrint?

Traveling from Greece:

Butrint is accessible in different ways, you can travel by road or also if you are in Corfu you can visit Butrint by ferry and hydrofoils which operate daily and arrive in Saranda for a very short time, usually, hydrofoils take only 30 minutes and ferries need a little more than 1 hour to get to Saranda port, from there a regular bus service will get you to Butrint. Also, you can arrive from the border of Qafe-Bote enter Albania near Konispol, and later cross by the cable ferry that is located in Butrint to pass the Vivari Channel. A lot of tourists visit Butrint from the nearby Corfu, proximity makes it possible to easily arrange a daily trip if you are staying in Corfu for vacation.

In case you are in Albania:

In case you are traveling across Albania, you can arrive in Butrint from 4 roads. The most beautiful one goes through the Albanian Riviera, it is also the most lengthy one in time and from the capital Tirana it takes almost 6 hours of the car ride. There are also optional roads that offer beautiful scenery and old towns and villages and also take less time to get you to Butrint, in 4 hours you can arrive by the shortest path from the capital Tirana to the Ancient City of Butrint. We also offer client pick up and our tours start from Tirana, Durres, Vlora, Saranda and also don’t hesitate to ask us if we can get to your destination.

• Why do we recommend a tour around Butrint?

Majestic panoramas with a mixture of beautiful nature, beaches, mountains, and castles nearby offer such a combination that is very difficult to resist.

We recommend this area and place it at the very top of destinations to visit in our country. It is worth it as it will satisfy your needs for sure as it is of historical, cultural, and natural value without forgetting the traditional Mediterranean cuisine and tasty food. The scenery and views around this area are beyond what you can expect. Also, the place is great value for your money.

• We make regular tours around Butrint and for sure we know how to!

We as a guided tour agency can help you make the most of your time in our beautiful country, and help you arrange a flexible tour depending on your requests.

In case you are considering a trip to Albania in the near future we can help you visit the best attractions that our beautiful country has to offer. Butrint and the surrounding area are surely on top of the list and very recommended by us. We are continually making daily and multi-day tours around Saranda where Butrint is located and its nearby attractions, also offering a complete guided tour with English, Italian, and Greek-speaking tour Leaders.

• What can you expect from our tours here?

Usually, it includes visiting the Ancient City of Butrint, a visit to the Blue Eye, and Dinner or lunch depending on your availability at the Lekursi Castle at the top of Saranda. In cases of multi-day tours, the trip also includes free hours at Ksamil’s beautiful beaches, a visit to the riviera, and also visit to stone cities and villages like the City of Gjirokastra which is one hour away by car from Saranda. Other possible tours depending on the interest of clients include the mussel tour in Butrint as the place is noted and important for its mussel breeding in Albania.

• Is there any city life near Butrint?

For those that are of keen interest in city life too, do not worry as Saranda is full of life during summer months and its streets are filled with tourists and you can enjoy a city walk on the promenade with the sea as near as it can be, or you can have a drink in the anchored wooden ships.

• Transportation is very important for us, we drive comfortable vans or 4×4 Jeeps for an off-road experience.

What is special about our tours is that we also do our trips with Jeeps to get the most out of your experience. So your tour around Butrint, Saranda will also feel like an off-road tour with our 4×4 Suvs.

We like our clients to get the most out of their tours!

Our groups usually do not contain more than 7-8 clients, which means you will have the opportunity to stay in close contact with the tour guide and listen better as you hear about the historically rich Butrint. You can also reserve a private tour around Butrint and its surroundings and you can mention all your requirements so we can make a flexible package optimized for your needs.

• Can you bring your dog or cat with you on the tour?

We as tour guides are pet friendly and have a special affection for animals too, so you can bring with you your 4 paws and we will give them a treat for sure. There are no other tour companies that are pet friendly in our country but most importantly we can assure you that we really do understand the needs of every pet owner who wants to be accompanied by his dog or cat.

• What about accommodation and food?

For multi-day tours we also have the perfect choices of accommodation for you, we have a lot of options for accommodation in Saranda and Ksamil depending on your preference. We also got the best options for your meals and will happily suggest places and get you there too.

• What about photos and videos during our trip?

What is special about our tours is that we want our clients to remember their experience and have a look at it whenever they want, so we record our best moments using Drones or Professional cameras so the photos and videos will be of top quality just like your overall experience on this trip.

• When is the best time to plan your trip?

Any time is good for a tour around Butrint and the perfect time highly depends on your preferences. Of course, summer is very busy in our crystal clear waters of the riviera but Albania is warm and mostly has sunny days even in other seasons. So if you plan to have some holidays at the beach summer might be the best choice for you, but in the other seasons you will also enjoy the trip as much and it will be a lot less crowdy which for some people makes it the best option to visit Butrint during Spring, Autumn or even Winter.

 

• What about client pickup?

We offer client pick up at hotels, Airports, Port and also you can contact us for your location and we will make the most to guarantee you the proper transportation so you can experience this tour.

• What about the prices in Saranda, Ksamil?

You can expect fair Prices in Albania even on the riviera and also during the busy months of summer. We can definitely help you with our experience to suggest places and services starting from accommodation, food, and transport so you can have easy access to different needs.