My adult son and I wanted to see surrounding countryside outside Tiranë and decided to try this tour. It was fantastic! Far better than described and worth both th time... read more and cost. Our driver and tour guide was Juli, a native Albanian from Elbasan, just outside Tiranë. He was knowledgeable, a great driver (we were his only passengers), and knew the answers to all of our questions. At each destination, we walked and he pointed out interesting sites and described their history. He was amazing, and I highly recommend this tour!
As amazing were Sirma, Suzy and Bato. Sirma and Suzy work for Choose Balkans, and while I expected a typical tour operator, they acted more like an exclusive concierge. They were with us every step of the way – not in person but through phone and message app – to make sure everything was perfect. From pickup to drop-off, these women made the tour experience phenomenal, exceeding all expectations. Then there was Bato. Choose Balkans selected him as our private driver when we wanted to travel to Sarandë, a 4-5 hour drive south. We planned to stay a few days then wanted a driver to take us back to Tiranë. Of course, Choose Balkans delivered beyond our expectations! Bato, while not speaking English, found ways to communicate none the less, and when we paused at a rest stop along the way, we used our phones' translation apps to share stories of our families and get to know one another. In the end, while I expected another driver to pick us up to return to Tiranë, Bato wanted to do the trip and we were delighted to have him as our return driver (this meant he had to travel first to Sarandë, then back to Tiranë - a very long day!).
To summarize, we are deeply grateful to Sirma, Suzy, Juli and Bato for sharing their hospitality, their beautiful country and their care to make sure we had the best possible experience. I am looking forward to my next trip to Albania and my next tour with Choose Balkans!
