Albania: Self-Guided Driving Tour of the Albanian Riviera, Vlorë to Sarandë over the Llogara Pass
Places: 27 POIs
Distance: 75.84 mi
Duration: 4h:14m
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Tour #2963
About this English self-guided 4h:14m driving tour in Vlorë
Drive one of Europe's great coastal roads, from Vlorë, where Albania declared independence in 1912, over the 1,027-metre Llogara Pass and down the Albanian Riviera to Sarandë, facing Corfu. On the way: the bay where Albania kept four Soviet submarines, the beach where Julius Caesar may have landed his legions, the Orthodox stone villages of Dhërmi, Vuno and Old Himarë, Ali Pasha's intact sea fortress at Porto Palermo, a Cold War tunnel in the cliffs, the olive groves of Borsh and Suleiman the Magnificent's lookout above Sarandë. Narration plays automatically as you drive, with optional stops for the Llogara viewpoint, lunch in Himarë, Porto Palermo Castle and village walks.
About 124 km and roughly 3 hours of driving without stops; allow a full day with visits.
Practical notes: the old Llogara Pass road is steep and winding with tight hairpins. It can be foggy, and snow or ice can close it in winter (roughly November to March); if it is closed, use the Llogara tunnel and rejoin the tour after Palasë. Pull over only at safe, marked spots, never on bends. Expect slow traffic, buses and campervans in July and August, and animals on mountain roads. Fill up with fuel in Vlorë or Himarë, carry some cash in lek for small cafés and parking, and check opening times before planning visits.
Top landmarks on this tour
Lëkurësi Castle- Llogara Pass
- Borsh
- Lungomare
- Vlorë
- Porto Palermo Castle
- 1For the best experience, begin at the tour's recommended starting point and follow the stops in order.
- 2Want to start somewhere else? Simply use Start At on the tour screen, before tapping Start Tour, to begin from any stop.
- 3Need to detour or skip a stop along the way? Tap Tour Assistant (
![UCPlaces AI Bot Icon]()
) to use Force Play, Skip, and Back, for full flexibility.
) to use Force Play, Skip, and Back, for full flexibility.
Route Preview
Places (POIs) visited during this tour
Place #1
![Map Pin]()
Recommended Starting Point
Distance: 0.00mi
FF3M+PW2, Rruga Kosova, Vlorë 9401, Albania
Vlorë: The Waterfront Where Albania Declared Itself a Country
Turn right and welcome to Vlorë, one of the great drives of Europe. Before you pull out, look around: this unassuming seafront is where modern Albania began. On 28 November 1912, as the Ottoman Empire collapsed in the Balkan Wars, a group of delegates gathered in this city, and the veteran statesman Ismail Qemali raised the red flag with the black double-headed eagle from a balcony here and declared Albania independent. The modest building beside you, now the National Independence Museum, housed that first government. Inside, the rooms are kept much as they were, down to the desks, so the birth certificate of a nation is a short walk from your parked car.
It was a fragile birth. Within two years, foreign armies were back, and Italy would occupy this very bay. You will hear how that ended in a moment.
Here is the shape of the day ahead. We follow the bay south to Orikum, where Julius Caesar won his first foothold in this land. Then, instead of taking the new tunnel through the mountain, we climb the old road over the Llogara Pass, more than a thousand metres up, for the moment the whole Albanian Riviera opens below you. From there we drop to the Ionian coast and run south past Dhërmi, Vuno and Himarë, a pirate-proof castle built for Ali Pasha, a Cold War submarine tunnel, olive groves, terraced hills, and finally Sarandë, facing Corfu across the strait.
Plan on about three hours of driving without stops, and a full day if you take the optional visits. Narration plays automatically as you drive, so keep your eyes on the road and pull over only where it is safe. When you are ready, start the engine and follow the waterfront south. Mirupafshim, Vlorë.
It was a fragile birth. Within two years, foreign armies were back, and Italy would occupy this very bay. You will hear how that ended in a moment.
Here is the shape of the day ahead. We follow the bay south to Orikum, where Julius Caesar won his first foothold in this land. Then, instead of taking the new tunnel through the mountain, we climb the old road over the Llogara Pass, more than a thousand metres up, for the moment the whole Albanian Riviera opens below you. From there we drop to the Ionian coast and run south past Dhërmi, Vuno and Himarë, a pirate-proof castle built for Ali Pasha, a Cold War submarine tunnel, olive groves, terraced hills, and finally Sarandë, facing Corfu across the strait.
Plan on about three hours of driving without stops, and a full day if you take the optional visits. Narration plays automatically as you drive, so keep your eyes on the road and pull over only where it is safe. When you are ready, start the engine and follow the waterfront south. Mirupafshim, Vlorë.
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Place #2
![Map Pin]()
Distance: 0.69mi
CFXV+3GW, Vlorë, Albania
Lungomare: The Bay Italy Wanted and Lost
You are now on the Lungomare, Vlorë's rebuilt seafront promenade. Look west across the water. The long mountain wall on the right is the Karaburun peninsula, and the island at its tip is Sazan.
This bay is the reason Vlorë mattered to every empire. It is the closest deep harbour in the Balkans to the heel of Italy, just across the Strait of Otranto. In 1914 Italy seized Sazan, and during the First World War occupied Vlorë itself. In the summer of 1920, Albanian irregulars, many of them shepherds and villagers with old rifles, besieged the Italian garrison in what Albanians call the Vlora War. Weakened by malaria and unrest at home, Italy withdrew from the city. But Rome kept Sazan, and held on to the island until after the Second World War.
So the most valuable thing in this bay changed hands not on the mainland, but out there, on a small rock you can see from your windscreen.
This bay is the reason Vlorë mattered to every empire. It is the closest deep harbour in the Balkans to the heel of Italy, just across the Strait of Otranto. In 1914 Italy seized Sazan, and during the First World War occupied Vlorë itself. In the summer of 1920, Albanian irregulars, many of them shepherds and villagers with old rifles, besieged the Italian garrison in what Albanians call the Vlora War. Weakened by malaria and unrest at home, Italy withdrew from the city. But Rome kept Sazan, and held on to the island until after the Second World War.
So the most valuable thing in this bay changed hands not on the mainland, but out there, on a small rock you can see from your windscreen.
Tour itinerary stops | Additional places you'll see on this self-guided tour
Place 1
Vlorë: The Waterfront Where Albania Declared Itself a Country
Place 2
Lungomare: The Bay Italy Wanted and Lost
Place 3
Uji i Ftohtë: Cold Springs and the Island of Sazan
Place 4
Radhimë: Facing Karaburun, the Peninsula with No Roads
Place 5
Orikum: Caesar's First Prize on Albanian Soil
Place 6
Pasha Liman: The Day Albania Kept Moscow's Submarines
Place 7
Dukat: The Shepherds' Valley Below the Mountain Wall
Place 8
Llogara Forest: Black Pines, Eagles and the Flag Tree
Place 9
Llogara Pass: Caesar's Pass at 1,027 Metres
Place 10
Palasë: The Beach Where Caesar Landed, or Didn't
Place 11
Dhërmi: Village of Monasteries Above the Sea
Place 12
Ilias and Gjipe: The Canyon Beach You Have to Earn
Place 13
Vuno: Stone Village of the Rebel Himariots
Place 14
Old Himarë: The Castle Town That Declared Its Own Republic
Place 15
Himarë: Two Languages, One Harbour, and Lunch
Place 16
Songs of Labëria: The Polyphony UNESCO Protects
Place 17
Porto Palermo Bay: The Cold War Hidden in the Rock
Place 18
Porto Palermo Castle: Ali Pasha's Fortress on a Thread of Land
Place 19
Qeparo: The Village That Moved Down to the Sea
Place 20
Borsh: Olives, Springs and the Riviera's Longest Beach
Place 21
Piqeras and Bunec: The Village that Emptied and the Hidden Cove
Place 22
Lukovë: Terraces the Tyrant Burned
Place 23
Corfu on the Horizon: Two Countries, One Strait
Place 24
Shën Vasil and Nivicë: The Quiet Southern Slopes
Place 25
Sarandë Approach: The City Named for Forty Saints
Place 26
Lëkurësi Castle: Suleiman's Lookout over Corfu (Optional)
Place 27
Farewell to the Albanian Riviera — Welcome to Sarandë!
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Have any questions about this tour? Or a general travel / self-guided tours question? That's completely natural
+ How long does this tour take?
Most travelers complete this tour in approximately 3.5 to 5 hours, depending on pace, time spent at each stop, and optional detours. Having said that, please remember that self-guided tours are extremly flexible (you can start, pause, continue anytime) and everyone has their own pace.
+ What does this tour include?
This self-guided driving tour includes 27 stops, covering top attractions such as Vlorë: The Waterfront Where Albania Declared Itself a Country, Lungomare: The Bay Italy Wanted and Lost, Uji i Ftohtë: Cold Springs and the Island of Sazan, Radhimë: Facing Karaburun, the Peninsula with No Roads, Orikum: Caesar's First Prize on Albanian Soil.
+ Where does the tour start?
The tour starts at Vlorë: The Waterfront Where Albania Declared Itself a Country (Address: FF3M+PW2, Rruga Kosova, Vlorë 9401, Albania). You can begin the tour there or join from any stop along the route.
+ What type of tour is this?
This is a self-guided driving tour designed to be completed by car, covering scenic routes, city highlights and optional key stops.
+ Can I do this tour at my own pace?
Yes, this is a self-guided driving tour, so you can start anytime and explore at your own pace. You can pause, skip stops, or spend more time at places that interest you. You can even split it into multiple days. Explore however feels right for you. The only vaiables that might affect your pace are speed limits and traffic congestion.
+ Do I need a car for this tour?
Yes, this is a driving tour, designed to be completed by car, with stops spread across different locations connected by a driving route.
+ Do I need anything in order to take the tour?
There are two things that you need - 1. A mobile phone (with the UCPlaces app installed and active location services, and a cellular data plan with a decent signal for downloading the tour). 2. A car. Here are some recommendations for a great experience: 1. Make sure your phone is fully charged and bring a charging cable for your car. 2. Connect your phone to the car speaker system via bluetooth or use our CarPlay/Android Auto option for the best experience.
+ How will I navigate from point to point during the tour?
The tour uses GPS-based navigation through the UCPlaces app, with automatic audio playback and step-by-step directions between stops. This works great either directly from your phone, or while connected to your car's multimedia system and using our CarPlay or Android Auto options. Just follow the route and listen to the audio guide. Use the resume feature to continue from where you recently stopped (or closed the app). Easily skip or go back to stops.
+ What known landmarks and main sites does this tour have?
The top landmarks and main sites on this tour include Lëkurësi Castle, Llogara Pass, Borsh, Lungomare, Vlorë and Porto Palermo Castle. In total, the tour has 27 points of interest along the route.
+ Is this tour suitable for families or groups?
Yes, self-guided tours are ideal for families and small groups, allowing everyone to explore comfortably without being tied to a fixed schedule.
+ What makes a self-guided tour better than a guided tour?
Self-guided tours are more flexible, affordable, and personalized. You can avoid crowds, choose your pace, and focus on the stops that interest you most.
+ I installed the app and it's now asking for GPS and media access permissions, why?
The app is your tour-guide, it needs to know where you are located on the map to be able to trigger the points of interest. It also needs access to audio and media files to provide you with this experience.
+ What happens if there are unexpected roadblocks or navigation issues?
We have been working hard to deliver a great experience. Though you may run into unexpected obstacles (the world is constantly changing), our app has multiple features and mechanisms in place to help you overcome them, including: AI assistance, force play an audio if you can't reach the stop, skip or return to stops, automatic rerouting and more.
+ Can I take the tour in my language?
Though all of our tours are primarily in English, many tours are muyltilingual (including: Spanish, German, Portuguese, French, Japanese, Hebrew, French, Arabic and more...). The tour language options depend on the specific tour - You can easily check which languages are available in the tour screen!