Albania Gjirokastër Tours

Gjirokastër Tours explore one of southern Albania's most carefully preserved Ottoman towns, built almost entirely from local stone and known across Albania as the "City of Stone." Terraced stone houses with steep, tiled roofs climb the hillside beneath a fortress that has watched over the Drino Valley since the 12th century. Gjirokastër's old town was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, later extended in 2008 to include Berat.

Set close to the Greek border, Gjirokastër often appears on longer Albania itineraries that link the south of the country with the coast around Sarandë. Its compact old town, centered on a single stone bazaar street, is easy to cover on foot in a day.

Gjirokastër Castle

One of the largest castles in the Balkans, Gjirokastër Castle stretches along a ridge above the old town and offers views over the Drino Valley toward the mountains beyond. Inside, a museum displays weapons and military equipment collected over the centuries, alongside a Cold War-era aircraft kept as a curiosity from Albania's decades of isolation. The castle also hosts the National Folklore Festival, a gathering of traditional music and costume held every few years.

The Old Bazaar and Zekate House

Gjirokastër's Old Bazaar runs through the center of the historic quarter, lined with stone shopfronts selling copperware, textiles and local produce. A short walk uphill, the Zekate House is regarded as one of the finest surviving examples of 19th-century Ottoman residential architecture in Albania, with twin towers and richly decorated interior rooms open to visitors.

Notable Residents and Nearby Sights

The town is the birthplace of the writer Ismail Kadare, whose novels often draw on Gjirokastër's stone houses and steep streets, and of Enver Hoxha, Albania's communist-era leader, whose childhood home now serves as the town's Ethnographic Museum. On the outskirts, the remains of a stone aqueduct built under Ali Pasha of Tepelena once carried water into the old town.

Location and Getting There

Roughly 230 kilometers south of Tirana, Gjirokastër is also about a 90-minute drive from the coastal city of Sarandë, making it a practical stop for travelers moving between the capital and the Albanian Riviera. Bus connections link the town to both Tirana and the southern coast.

Gjirokastër Day Tours

Gjirokastër Day Tours typically combine the castle, the old bazaar and one or two historic houses, with time set aside to sample regional dishes such as qifqi, a rice specialty found almost exclusively in the Gjirokastër area.

Gjirokaster Day Tour