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Raft, hike & camp in the last wild river of Europe

From $1,423/pp

Created by

From $1,423/pp

Albania

Trip Length

7 days

Availability

All year round
Created by

Raft, hike & camp in the last wild river of Europe

Experience one of Europe's last living wild rivers, packraft across natural parks and hike majestic mountains. Immerse yourself in the mountains, authentic rural villages, a genuine culture and an exceptionally hospitable locals is what awaits anyone who makes the journey to these much unknown gems. It’s the perfect place to get off the beaten path and have a unique Albanian experience through the last wild river of Europe.

Description

Experience one of Europe's last living wild rivers, packraft across natural parks and hike majestic mountains. Immerse yourself in the mountains, authentic rural villages, a genuine culture and an exceptionally hospitable locals is what awaits anyone who makes the journey to these much unknown gems. It’s the perfect place to get off the beaten path and have a unique Albanian experience through the last wild river of Europe.

Itinerary

Day 1

Pack rafting Divjaka Karavasta National Park

You’ll meet with the guide at Tirana International Airport and travel for about 1,5 hours to the amazing beauty of Divjake-Karavasta National Park. After checking in at the hotel, we will packraft into this untouched natural oasis, filled with stunning biodiversity - the biggest lagoon in Albania! A birdwatchers heaven, the perfect place to relax and enjoy some quiet time with the beautiful surroundings of the park. After the packrafting, we will enjoy a welcoming, delicious fish based dinner.

Packraft into this untouched natural oasis, filled with stunning biodiversity - the biggest lagoon in Albania!

Activities

  • Packraft In Divjake-karavasta National Park
  • Bird Watching
  • Welcome Dinner
Day 2

Hiking to Sopoti waterfall

After arriving in the small city of Permet, we will do a short hike from the village of Stëmbec to the beautiful waterfall at the foot of the Nëmërçka Mountain wall. This trail offers amazing views of the most dramatic Southern face of the Nëmërçka Mountain, including the natural monument of the glacial of Nëmërçka.

After 1,5 hours hiking, we will enjoy a tasty picnic lunch. (The hiking roundtrip is roughly 6 km). In the afternoon we will have the opportunity to enjoy the hot springs in Benja and a river hike in the spectacular canyons of Lengarica!

Enjoy a short hike from the village of Stëmbec to the beautiful waterfall at the foot of the Nëmërçka Mountain wall!

Activities

  • Hike From Stembec To The Nemerka Mountain Waterfall
  • Picnic Lunch
  • Benja Hot Spring
  • River Hike

Accommodation

Guesthouse in Permet.

Day 3

Rafting & wild camping in Vjosa river

We will leave Permet city and will travel for around 1,5 hours to the boarder of Greece. Here we will start our expedition to the Vjosa river. It is called the last wild river of Europe and is one of the natural wonders of Albania. It is home to over of 1,100 species and authentic communities. The fish fauna of the Vjosa is characterised by high volumes of species endemic to the Balkans. The lush vegetation makes this river a great place for adventure enthusiasts to explore and relax.

There are many underground passages and unexplored caves throughout the length of the free flow. We will raft for about 15 km, enjoy a delicious packed lunch and build our campsite close to the river. Tonight we will learn how to cook the a famous Albanian traditional dish close to a campfire.

The Vjosa river is called the last wild river of Europe and is one of the natural wonders of Albania.

Activities

  • Expedition To The Vjosa River
  • Rafting
  • Packed Lunch

Accommodation

Camping on Vjosa river edge

Day 4

Music on the river

You awaken on the second day of the expedition to crisp morning air, and a scrumptious hot breakfast. You then embark on the river around 9 a.m. to begin your new day of whitewater excitement for about 15 km downriver.

Lunch will be a riverside picnic. Evenings at our riverside camp are enchanting and starlit with nothing but the whisper of water to lull you to sleep. Not before our famous disco music night on the river which ends around 10:30 p.m.

Today is centred around the river; from delicious riverside picnics to evening disco entertainment!

Activities

  • Rafting
  • Riverside Picnic
  • Disco Music Night On The River

Accommodation

Riverside camp

Day 5

Last day of rafting expedition

Today we will raft the last 15 km of the Vjosa river, ending in Permet city. Lunch will be a riverside picnic. Tonight we will enjoy a folcoric night with the saze music.

Activities

  • Rafting
  • Riverside Picnic
  • Folcoric Night With The Saze Music

Accommodation

Guesthouse in Permet.

Day 6-7

UNESCO site of Gjirokaster

We cannot leave Albania without visiting the city of stones of Gjirokastra. We can not speak about Gjirokastra without enjoying its traditional typical food. In this local experience, you will learn to cook two of the oldest typical Gjirokastra recipes and a dessert. We will even share the secret ingredient with you, inherited it from generation to generation through family tradition. After your delicious lunch, we will enjoy the Castle of Gjirokastra through a sightseeing tour. The rest of the evening is free for you to explore on your own.

The next morning, after breakfast you will be transferred to Tirana International Airport (Roughly a 3,5 hour drive). We will stop at the Archeological Park of Apollonia and enjoy a good bye lunch.

Learn to cook two of the oldest typical Gjirokastra recipes and a dessert for a tasty sweet end to your trip.

Activities

  • Traditonal Cooking Class
  • Private Tour Of The Castle Of Gjirokastra
  • Explore The City
  • Traditional Lunch
  • Airport Transfer

Accommodation

Traditional guesthouse.

What's Included

Accommodation

  • 4 Nights in a bed and breakfast
  • 2 Nights riverside camping

Ground Transport

Airport and local transfers, as per itinerary

Exclusions

Meals not mentioned, Personal expenses and Travel insurance

Guides and Equipment

  • Expert, friendly, English-speaking guides
  • Everything you need for packrafting, rafting and camping

Flights

All International/Domestic flights and visas

Meals

Meals, as per itinerary

Skills/level of fitness required

Difficulty (1-4): 2 No rafting or hiking experience needed, just a reasonable level of fitness and the ability to handle 3-6 hours of activity a day.

Group size, Extra nights

  • Minimum 6 people, maximum 16 people.
  • Additional nights pre/post trip can be arranged on request.
Created by
Blerina Ago

I am Blerina and I come from the city of Berat, Albania. At the age of 14, I had my first rafting experience on the Osum River. The adrenaline rush and magical scenery in the spectacular Osum Canyons had a serious impact on me throughout my personal and professional journey.

Back then, I showed one of the first printed photos taken inside the magnificent Osum canyons to one dear Italian friend of mine and he said, “Nooo, it is not real, it’s photoshop.” But when he came to do rafting and saw everything with his own eyes, he was stunned and all he could muster was …. “Mamma mia …. mamma mia”.

Of course not many people shared this opinion. Some thought I was unconscious, that I did not know what to fantasise about, that it was just a ridiculous idea and that I was an immature teenager. But I have turned even the biggest sceptic into a believer of the natural beauty to be seen here!

After continuous and unstoppable efforts promoting Albania, accompanying friends, journalists, artists, and athletes we managed to attract an infrastructure investment of the Albanian government. This allowed us to save visitors about a 2 hours ride to the canyon. From year to year we created an active and sustainable team with a wide network of local communities, connecting several areas of Albania through different outdoor activities in nature. These include canyon exploration, hiking, kayaking, mule caravan, visits to local wineries, and so much more.

While all this is happening, I graduated with a Law degree and thanks to various international exchange programs, I was able to pursue an in-depth education in tourism and entrepreneurship too! All of my hard work and energy is worth it when I see the joy in the eyes of tourists, especially those Albanians, who are now able to feel the pride as I did and still do!

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Blerina Ago can customise and book any and all elements of this trip for you


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