If you want a taste of authentic local culture, then jump into this day tour. We will start our walking tour from the Choose Balkans office where you will meet with your local companion to offer you a unique experience across the city, while passionately sharing our culinary treasures.
Our first stop will be a small shop front that only locals know. Here we will have the opportunity to try Byrek and have breakfast like a local. The famous traditional Albanian dish is a warm flaky pastry with various fillings such as cheese, meat or spinach. The walk then leads towards Çam bazaar, founded by the Albanian Çam community, who originally came from an area called Çameria in today’s North-Western Greece. Here you can find all kinds of goods from clothes to kitchen equipment. With your local companion by your side, you will have an insight into the hidden alleyways and bustling street markets of Tirana, where dozens of street hawkers sell fresh vegetables and fruits. After exploring the busy streets, we'll introduce you to the country's rich coffee culture and join locals at a cosy café to taste traditional "Albanian coffee".
The tour will continue through the charming neighbourhoods of Tirana; observe the daily lives of the city's residents, admire colourful buildings, and get a feel for the authentic atmosphere. We will visit the so-called Bicycle bazaar, where you can find everything from second hand clothes to second hand furniture. The next stop takes us to the New Bazaar, where an array of culinary delights awaits. We will try a traditional Albanian lunch – including 'qofte' meatballs, freshly baked bread, grilled local vegetables and 'fergese' with roasted pepper and cottage cheese.
To end the afternoon in the best way, we will also get to taste the alcoholic beverage of choice, Albanian Raki. As we Albanians say, there is nothing that Raki can’t fix!