Ksamil, Saranda & Blue Eye Spring: Full-Day Albania Tour

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/10

Duration16h–19h

GroupUp to 280

LanguagesEN · IT +1

PickupAt your hotel

The water at Blue Eye Spring doesn't look real—and that's the point

You're picked up early from Tirana, Durrës, or Golem and driven five hours south through changing landscapes to Ksamil's turquoise beaches, where you swim and eat lunch on your own schedule. A quick stop in Saranda for photos, then inland to the Blue Eye Spring—a deep, impossibly blue natural wonder surrounded by forest. The drive back takes the evening; you're returned to your starting point by nightfall. All transport, entry fees, and guide are included; you arrange your own lunch.

16h–19h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Ksamil, Saranda, and Blue Eye

Pickup from Tirana, Durres, or Golem
Drive south through Albanian countryside
Stop to view Ali Pasha castle
Arrive at Ksamil for swimming and sunbathing
Optional kayak, paddleboard, or boat to Ksamil Islands
Lunch at seaside restaurant in Ksamil
Short stop in Saranda for photos
Visit Blue Eye spring and walk wooden pathways
Relax and enjoy nature at Blue Eye café
Drive back to original pickup location

The Experience

The drive south from Tirana takes around five hours, but it doesn't feel like sitting still. Your guide picks you up early from Tirana, Durrës, or Golem and the landscape shifts almost immediately—city edges give way to olive groves, then the Ionian coast appears in the distance, all blues and whites. You'll pass Ali Pasha castle on the way, and the guide fills in the history without making it feel like a lecture. The road itself becomes part of the day, because you're watching Albania change as you move through it.

Ksamil arrives around midday, and the first thing you notice is the water. It's the kind of turquoise that looks photoshopped, but it's just what happens when white sand meets the Ionian Sea in the right light. You get several hours here to swim, rent a kayak if you want, or take a short boat ride out to the Ksamil Islands—a few uninhabited rocks that feel like your own discovery. Lunch is on you, but the seafood restaurants along the beach are straightforward and good, and the view doesn't cost extra. Most people spend the time in the water or on the sand, which is exactly what this stop is for.

Saranda is a quick photo stop on the way inland. The city sits on a curved bay with a long promenade, and your guide will point out the Greek, Roman, and Ottoman layers in the architecture if you're interested, but you're not staying long enough to feel rushed. Then comes the Blue Eye—Syri i Kaltër in Albanian—and this is where the day shifts. The spring sits in a forest clearing, fed by underground water so cold and deep that divers have never reached the bottom. The center is an almost impossible blue, ringed by green water, surrounded by trees and wooden walkways. You can photograph it, sit by it, or just stand there trying to understand what you're looking at. There's a small café nearby if you want coffee while you stare at it.

The return drive takes the evening, and by the time you're dropped back at your original pickup point, you've covered most of southern Albania's main draws in one day. The tour includes the air-conditioned vehicle, your guide, pickup and dropoff, entry to the Blue Eye, and parking—so you're not stopping to pay for pieces of the day as you go. Bring sunscreen and a swimsuit; wear shoes that can handle wet ground around the spring.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel or accommodation pickup from Tirana, Durrës, or Golem in an air-conditioned vehicle, a guide who shares insights about Albania's history and landscape, entry ticket to the Blue Eye Spring, and parking fees throughout the day.
Pickup and return transport to your original location are included.
Lunch in Ksamil and any water sports rentals (kayak, paddleboard, boat rides to the islands) are separate and arranged on-site.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Sky Key Travel

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Ksamil's beaches, Saranda's coast, and the Blue Eye Spring in one day without arranging your own transport or entry tickets—the fixed itinerary and included guide mean you're not navigating the drive or timing the stops yourself.