Albania has long had a certain arcane allure. Tucked away from the world by a grim Marxist regime, it was intrinsically fascinating, and rumors of its rugged beauty had to await confirmation. Now that it has opened itself to travelers tired of glossy, overwrought destinations, those rumors prove to be true.

We begin in Tirana (the only capital city in the world to have taken its name from another world capital, Tehran). We’ll tour the city’s National and Archaeological Museums and visit the medieval castle of Petrela, followed by a welcome dinner at a local eatery. We drive south to Saranda, stopping at Byllis’ Ali Pasha Tepelena Palace along the way, and pay a visit to Butrint National Park, a much-colonized city, now a World Heritage Site just a stone’s throw from Greece. Now back north to Tirana and Montenegro, a nation as arcanely alluring as Albania. We’ll spend a day in Sveti Stefan, an Adriatic gem known for sandy beaches, lovely Mediterranean architecture, and (who knew it?) rollicking nightlife. A little way north is Kotor, one of the most charming cities on any coast. After a nice repose in Kotor we’re off to home.

Days 1 & 2: USA to Tirana, Albania • Day 3: Tirana • Day 4: Tirana to Gjirokastra via Byllis • Day 5: Gjirokastra to Butrint via Sufi monastery of Bektashi • Day 6: visit the ancient site of Butrint • Day 7: drive along coast to Tirana • Day 8: Tirana to Sveti Stefan, Montenegro, via Shkodra • Day 9: Sveti Stefan • Day 10: drive to Kotor • Day 11: Kotor • Day 12: return to USA.

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