From start to finish my trip through Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo was amazing! Driver, Andy, kept us safe on the road! And guide, Mili with his knowledge and easy-going attitude made for the perfect trip! I would not hesitate to book. I hope to make it back to Albania to explore more with Choose Balkans!!

Choose Balkans went out of their way providing us outstanding services during our stay in beautiful Albania. 8 days was not enough and we are already planning to go back!

We appreciated seeing Albania from North to South. The beautiful Alps-like mountains of the north, the olive-tree-covered hills of the central region and the beaches of the south. I will say though that after centuries of Ottoman and communist domination, Albania lacks the cultural, artisan and architectural gems that are found in other European countries. The food, wine and raki of Albania were great. Lots of magnificent views and vistas along the way. Our group did have some issues with the tour, initially being placed in a too-small (albeit brand-new) vehicle, which was replaced during a trip back to Tirana. One of our hotels had broken AC during a very hot week in Albania. While our tour leader was friendly and helpful, he acted much more like a driver, rather than a guide. Our group was always wanting more information and context about the places that we visited. Highlights were the waterfall at Theth, the Skenduli House in Gjirokaster, and the Butrint Archeological Park. Could have skipped the Blue Eye. How this wonderful natural site was being spoiled by tourists treating it like a swimming hole was upsetting and disappointing. Given my interests in ancient sites, I think substituting Apollonia for Blue Eye would have been better for me. The tour does give you a solid overview of Albania, its nature, historic sites and cities.

Choose Balkans provided this excellent itinerary for us that was exactly what we had been looking for. We explored some of the most beautiful places in Albania (stunning country) and we got a little taste of both the north and the south. We got a chance to view historical structures, walk by the stunning clear and turquoise waters, we’d hike mountains less than 2 hours later, etc. our tour guides, Toni and Stevi were absolutely excellent! So kind, smart, helpful, and overall wonderful. We even asked for a personal detour to visit family and they accommodated us at no additional cost! The choose Balkans host, Sirma, was extraordinary, checking on us often throughout our journey to make sure we were satisfied. They even gave us such a lovely/memorable gift at the end of our trip. It was everything we had hoped for plus more!

My friend and I did this tour in June and absolutely love it. It was very easy to organise and Sirma's communication was excellent, even when we had lots of things we wanted to adjust and customise. The accomodation was all excellent and in the perfect location in each city. This tour was perfect to cover the main attractions and cities of the country in a good amount of time. However the stand out for our tour was our guide Gjolek (Leku)! By far the best and most knowledgable guide we have ever had. He was friendly and funny (oh the jokes!) and seemed to have great friends everywhere we went. He went above and beyond doing things like running ahead in 38 degree heat to turn the car air con on for us. Once he learnt what we liked in terms of food and activities he would order for us (spot on every time, best food we've ever had!) and change plans, stopping at lakes and rivers along the way for us to swim while patiently waiting. He had fantastic local recommendations everywhere we went and was also a great safe driver. Would highly recommend this tour, especially if you can get Leku!

The entire trip was very well planned out. It was obvious that great care was taken when creating the tours and excursions. The restaurant, buses and Everything was seamless. Our guides were incredibly knowledgeable and accommodating. We loved it and had an amazing experience!

An absolutely amazing experience. The Balkans are beautiful and still not touristy. Our guide Lecko was a wealth of knowledge about the history and fall of communism. The accommodations were outstanding. Because of a late change in our travel plans they arranged a beautiful last minute condo for us. All of the hotels were wonderful and the staff was always the best. Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia are an up and coming destination and the people are wonderful. Oh yeah, did I say, “ The people in Albania Love the Americans… “ The food is excellent, the farms and Wineries we visited were impressive. My personal favorite was the tour at the Monastery we visited. Do not think twice, sign up!!! This trip is a treasure.

Choose Balkan’s Travel Company made sure each and every detail of our incredible trip was attended to with warmth, hospitality and professionalism. Our Tour Guide, Leko is a national treasure! Leko is a wealth of knowledge, has a passion for his country that is contagious and he carries a song in his heart. Thanks to Alban and his wonderful team on short notice we were able to extend our trip and do the additional Northern Macedonia and Kosovo tour. What a great experience. We were greeted by sweet Sirma at the end of our tour in Tirana. Sirma went above & beyond to help with our accommodations and transportation back to the airport. We had the most amazing view of Tirana at our Choose Balkans Apartment. Sirma even texted us at 0250 am that our driver was on his way. I highly recommend visiting Albania, and when you do book with Alban and his wonderful team. We’ll be back!

Truly an amazing trip. Hard to pick one favorite place. Very professional tour company. Leckt, our guide, was outstanding. I highly recommend this trip!

Don't wait to take this tour. Alban and his company have put together a masterpiece to show the beauty and personality of this part of the Balkans. If you are lucky enough to have Lecko as your guide, you will be even more blessed. You will learn history you never knew, hear amazing stories, be taken to the very best places, and laugh your entire way through this wonderful part of the world. Do it now.

Our tour guides name was Leko and his knowledge of the history and the landmarks throughout the trip / tour was so helpful. It truly made it an exceptional experience. We had an absolutely terrific time and your tour group did a fantastic job.

My husband, myself and a group of friends were blessed to travel through Albania, Macedonia, and Kosovo with Pearls of Albania tour. The shining light of this tour was our guide (and now friend) Gjolek (Leko)! His knowledge of the Balkan region and the history he lived made this trip unforgettable and really a must for anyone interested in Albania. I do not even know how many languages he speaks, but he is as interesting as the countries we toured, more knowledgeable than we could have asked for and very intelligent. We began the trip in Tirana at the Boka hotel, a boutique hotel in an excellent location near shops and food. We met the tour operators who treated us to an evening of Raki (their liquor of choice from this region). We toured old costose, beautiful towns, churches and “bunk art” (an absolute must to learn of their survival from the communist era. The food is delicious a mix of Italian, Mediterranean and their own Albanian style. There was a lot of eating,a day to hike, a, beach day, eating, rafting, thermal springs, cave exploring, shopping, and eating. A truly busy adventure that everyone should take advantage of before the rest of the world finds out about this gem of a country and this fantastic tour company. The hosts of this company, Alban, Sirma and the others were in constant contact with us, always checking in to ensure our needs were being met and that we were truly enjoying ourselves.

What an AMAZING vacation!! Experiencing the Balkans would not have been as amazing without Choose Balkans and Lecko -- he is the BEST guide I've ever had. I wish he would lead all my future travels in the future. Everything from the stays, experiences, eating (OMG THE FOOD), was 10/10. I would return to Albania again in the future and will definitely be doing it with Choose Balkans!

This was a WONDERFUL trip. We started in Tirana at the Boca hotel. Excellent location! When we left my husband left 3 shirts and shorts in a drawer in our room. The hotel staff alerted Alban and Sirma (who then contacted me) and they kept the clothing for us until our return. In addition our tour guide was spectacular! Lecko was very knowledgeable about the places we visited and the history of Albania which was an eye opener. The country was beautiful and the people were fabulous, very welcoming. I highly recommend this trip!! Go now before it get over run with tourists!

Hey guys it was just perfect! Everything! From organization to beautiful places that we visited. I was all around the world but Albania is something else. Wine, sea, food, local people, history, cities - perfection! The places where we stayed were beautiful and clean and tour guide was lovely, talkative and kind. Recommendation to everybody!

We were referred to the Choose Balkans team from some internet friends and were instantly impressed by how responsive Alban and his team members were in our planning process. From airport transportation to even arranging our necessary Covid tests while in Albania, their team allowed us to relax until we arrived. As if Alban and his team wasn't enough, the guide we were provided, Sokol, was warm, inviting and occassionally funny (we miss you Sokol!!! Lol!) :) In all seriousness, Sokol was highly educated, had a FULL days of culture planned for each day, and he was wonderful with our 5 year old son. We now consider him a friend and a great person. We have travelled quite a bit throughout the world and have NEVER been more impressed with a service. You will regret not choosing Choose Balkans!

October 15-24 was the time frame of the absolutely delightful 8-day tour of the highlights of Albania. The accommodations were beautiful, intimate, reflective of the history or folklore of the region, as well as clean with friendly staff. The guide, Eduart was knowledgeable about the history, culture, sites, providing extensive detail each day, and taking into account my preferences and interests. Choose Balkans was solution-oriented in the one occasion when the pounding noise of an illegal nighttime building construction would have kept me awake all night. Within minutes of emailing the company of the problem, there was a knock on the door to arrange another location across the hall, quiet. I was able to sleep the rest of the night. Similarly, Alban, the director of the company, promptly answered every one of my inquiries in a timely and detailed manner. As a result, I did sign up for the tour. I have learned so much about this humble little country known as Albania. I suggest you see it before the throngs if tourists descend upon it.

After an incredible experience in North of Albania we booked another tour with Choose Balkans and had a great experience. This tour was more cultural and we had the chance to visit Albania in all dimensions. Our tour guide was great, food was extremely delicious. Strongly recommend.