London to Albania
and the Balkans
Rail and Sea Adventure

Day 1: London to Paris and Turin

Meet your tour leader, at London’s impressive Gothic revival St. Pancras station. Take a morning Eurostar, with a light meal served at our seats. Upon arrival at the city’s Gare du Nord station road transport will be provided to take us to the Gare de Lyon, the Paris terminus serving trains to northern Italy. Before boarding our next train, a high-speed TGV to the city of Turin, we will break the journey for a leisurely lunch in the opulent surroundings of the Gare de Lyon's famous Train Bleu restaurant. Continue from Paris to Turin, first with an exhilarating high-speed dash to Lyon at up to 300 km/h (186 mph), followed by a leisurely meander through the scenic French Alps on the classic line into Italy. We expect to reach Turin’s Porta Susa station at around 8.30pm, where on arrival we will be transferred the 2km to the city’s Porta Nuova, for our overnight stay at a hotel located close to the station. Overnight Starhotels Majestic or similar. (BL)

Trian Bleu Restaurant

It is hard to believe that one of Paris' most serene, picturesque, and dignified restaurants is also located within one of its busiest train stations, but Le Train Bleu, an icon of Parisian dining, is a far cry from the Gare de Lyon's hustle and bustle. This restaurant, built for a World's Fair in 1900, features murals depicting different regions of France, as well as works from more than 40 prominent artists from that time. Every inch of this place drips with Parisian opulence in the best possible way. The perfect start to our transcontinental adventure. 

Day 2: Turin to Bari and Matera

After breakfast at the hotel, we will make our way the short distance to the Porta Nuova station and board a high-speed train for the journey south to Italy’s Puglia region and the city of Bari, located on the Adriatic coast. We will be on the train most of the day, so sit back and relax in your first class seat and enjoy beautiful views of the Italian countryside and coastline as we head towards the country’s southern tip. After reaching Bari at around 5.30pm, we will continue inland, about one hour by road, to the gorgeous hilltop of Matera, which will be our home for the next two nights. Overnight Hotel Locanda Di San Martino or similar. (B) 

Day 3: Matera

After a leisurely breakfast we will meet our local guide and set off for a morning walking tour of Matera, home to the Sassi cave churches and dwellings that make up one of the oldest cities in the world. We will visit the Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano districts to learn about their unique history and evolution. Discover rupestrian structures, stroll the steep and narrow lanes, and gain a deeper understanding of how this town, once called the “Shame of Italy” is now a UNESCO-listed treasure. We will also follow in the steps of James Bond and see some of the areas used as locations for the film, No Time to Die. After our tour, the remainder of the day will be free to explore at leisure. Overnight Hotel Locanda Di San Martino or similar. (B) 

Day 4: Matera and ferry to Albania

Enjoy more free time in Matera until we take a mid-afternoon train back to Bari. We will then have a few hours at leisure, during which our luggage can be stored at the station, whilst we take dinner. Later we will take a shuttle bus from the station to the port, in time to check-in for the overnight ferry across the Adriatic to Albania. Departure is generally at around 11pm with boarding commencing an hour or two before sailing. Our accommodation onboard will be in comfortable, private en-suite, outside (window) cabins. Overnight onboard Ventouris Ferries or Grandi Navi Veloci ferry in a private en-suite, outside cabin. 

Day 5: Arrives in Albania and continue to Gjirokastra

At around 9am our overnight ferry from Italy will dock in the port of Durres. After clearing immigration and customs we will be met at the ferry terminal and transferred by road to Gjirokastra, a journey of about two hours. Check-in at our hotel for a two night stay. Later we will meet our local guide for an afternoon walking tour through the cobbled streets of its UNESCO-listed historic centre and visit Gjirokastra Castle. The castle sits at a height of 336 metres and is one of the most magnificent structures in the city with views over the hilly countryside, river valley and city. There have been extensive renovations to the building since it was constructed in the 12th century and it now possesses five towers, a church, a cistern, and houses the Weapons Museum. The museum exhibits captured artillery and memorabilia of the Communist resistance against German occupation, as well as a captured US Air Force plane to commemorate the Communist regime's struggle against the 'imperialist' western powers. Return to our hotel in the late afternoon, with the evening at leisure. Overnight Hotel Argjiro or similar. 

Day 6: Zagoria Valley

At around 8.30am we will meet our guide and from Gjirokastra leave in off-road vehicles to head towards the ex-communist villages of Valare, Shen Thodher and Erind. We will than climb to the field of Cajupi to make a stop at the spring of Brat before we continue through the region of Zagoria to our next stop, an abandoned magnificent bridge dating back to 1777. Next, we visit Holy Apostles church in Hoshteve with breathtaking paintings inside. After a stop for lunch (not included) in the village of Policani, we continue to the waterfall of Selcka, where we have the option to cool off in the crystal-clear pool at the base of the cascade before we head back to Gjirokastra for mid-afternoon. Overnight Hotel Argjiro or similar. 

Day 7: Berat

After breakfast we will leave for Berat, arriving in time for lunch (not included). After checking-in to our hotel we will meet a local guide for an afternoon walking tour. Situated over a gorge next to the Osumi River and in the shadow of Mount Tomori, Berat's white buildings sprawl up the hillside towards the fortress. New construction is strictly regulated in order to maintain the city's unique character in its UNESCO listed historical centre. Exploring on foot, we head up to the fortress and see the painted icons and frescoes in the Church of Saint Mary, one of the seven churches within the citadel walls. We will also visit the oldest mosque in Albania, the Red Mosque, and the Onufri Icon Museum. After the tour we will return to our hotel or explore more of Berat on your own. Overnight Hotel Colombo or similar. (B) 

Day 8: Tirana

After breakfast we set off for the Albanian capital, Tirana, about a two hour drive. After checking-in to our hotel we will meet a local guide for an afternoon walking tour. We will explore the main sights including the government buildings, Skanderbeg Square and Et'Hem Bey Mosque. We will also visit Bunk Art 2 Museum, the second of two nuclear bunkers built to protect the Albanian communist elite from anticipated invasion from the western countries, and which have now been transformed into an interactive artistic space. Inside we see many rooms set up to show different times of Albania, starting from the second World War until the fall of communism in 1991. A large space is dedicated to communism prison camps and techniques used to keep people under its rule. Return to our hotel by late afternoon. Overnight Mercure Hotel or similar. (B)

Day 9: Kotor, Montenegro

This morning, we leave Albania and drive to neighbouring Montenegro, a country that has only recently begun to emerge from the shadow of a turbulent past and is blessed with a staggeringly rich abundance of natural and cultural attractions. Our home for the next two nights will be the 5th-century World Heritage-listed city of Kotor, set on a secluded bay, with towering peaks surrounding a rocky coastline dotted with waterside towns. We will reach Kotor around lunchtime and after checking in at our hotel, the remainder of the afternoon will be at leisure to explore the city on our own. Overnight Historic Boutique Hotel Cattaro or similar. (B) 

Day 10: Kotor

After breakfast we will meet our local guide for half day excursion in and around Kotor. We begin by visiting Perast – a beautiful baroque coastal town. Our first stop is at an observation deck with a panoramic view over the town and the small, picturesque islands of Our Lady of the Rock and St. George. We continue the tour with a boat ride to the island of Our Lady of the Rock where we will visit a small museum attached to the island’s catholic church. We return to Kotor and go to Dub, where we will take a cable car ride for amazing views of Kotor, and the whole bay. We will go from 65m to 1350m above sea level in just 11 minutes. When we arrive at the top, we will have time to take in the breathtaking views, before heading back down to continue our tour to Kotor’s Old Town. Return to our hotel by mid-afternoon with the remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight Historic Boutique Hotel Cattaro or similar. (B) 

Day 11: Mostar and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

After breakfast we will meet our driver for the three to four hour journey to Mostar where we will spend much of the afternoon, before heading onto the Bosnian capital Sarajevo by train. Mostar is one of the most beautiful towns in Bosnia and renowned for its UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town. On a guided walking tour, we can admire views of the famous Old Bridge where we can see divers hurl themselves from the stones of a bridge that has spanned the river for centuries. Later we will make our way to the railway station and board a modern Spanish built Talgo train for the two hour scenic ride following the Neretva River to Sarajevo. Upon arrival where we will be met at the station and transferred to our hotel for a two night stay. Overnight Courtyard by Marriot or similar. (B) 

Day 12: Sarajevo

After a leisurely breakfast we will meet our guide and set off to explore Sarajevo. Our tour will give us insight into the history of the Bosnian War, and especially the Siege of Sarajevo, with visits to significant sites throughout the city. Our guide will share their personal stories about the siege and will take us to the Tunnel of Hope, a passageway that allowed movement of food, supplies, and aid into the city during the siege. We will also visit the Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track, Jewish cemetery of Sarajevo, city fortifications, and other sites before returning to our hotel around lunchtime. Then the afternoon will be free for us to explore Sarajevo, and the very walkable old town with its lively bazaar on our own. Overnight Courtyard by Marriot or similar. (B) 

Day 13: Sarajevo to Zagreb and overnight to London

Today we begin our journey back to London. The first leg will take us by road from Sarajevo to the Croatian capital, Zagreb. Leaving at around 9am, the journey will take most of the day, including a stop along the way in the walled city of Jajce - one of the best preserved fortified capitals of the Bosnian Kingdom. We continue and cross the border into Croatia where we expect to reach Zagreb at around 5pm. Our driver will drop us off at the city’s Canopy by Hilton hotel, located just a few minutes’ walk from the station. We will have around three hours, and enough time to have dinner at the hotel, before boarding the overnight sleeper train for Stuttgart, Germany. 

For those that would like to extend their stay in the Croatian capital, we can highly recommend the Canopy by Hilton which can be booked through Undiscovered Destinations. From Zagreb those travellers who have extended their stay will have the option to return to London via the sleeper service, or if they prefer by daytime train. Overnight sleeper train (private standard compartment without shower) and including a light breakfast. (BD) 

Day 14: Stuttgart to London

At around 9am the sleeper will arrive at Stuttgart’s main station. Then we will have about two hours to spare before we take a high-speed German ICE (Inter City Express) train for Paris. Upon arrival at Gare de l'Est we will make our way on foot, about a 10 minute walk (or a short optional taxi ride), to the Gare du Nord. The final leg of our flight-free adventure will be a late afternoon Eurostar service to London St Pancras, with a light meal served at our seats. (BD)