Day Cruise to Saranda and Butrint National Park from Corfu
4.1
59 Ratings
Corfu
Embark on a thrilling day cruise from Corfu to Saranda and Butrint National Park in Albania. Explore the ancient ruins of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and immerse yourself in the rich history of the Mediterranean. Don't miss this extraordinary adventure!
Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Corfu Old Town - Admire the scenery of the Old Town of Corfu
  • Port of Saranda - Arrival at the main Port of Albania (Saranda). Passport control and coach boarding
  • Agios Saranda - Short coffee break in Saranda City
  • Butrint National Park - Arrival at the archaeological area of Butrint. Tour lasts between 90-110 minutes depending on age. The tour for elderly or disabled guests will include 70% of the archaeological area (with a separate guide when necessary). There is a small bar/ kiosk at the entrance to the site. Public bathroom facilities are available at the end of the tour in the Venetian Castle on the Acropolis hill.
  • Agios Saranda - Lunch at a sea view restaurant in Saranda

Guided walking tour of Saranda and free time

What's Included
  • Guided tours in multiple languages: Russian, French, Italian, English, and German on select days
  • All-inclusive coach tour through scenic Albania with lunch
  • Admission to the historic Ancient City of Butrint and the Venetian Castle Museum
  • Expert local guides to enhance your cultural and historical understanding
What's Not Included
  • Items purchased from the on-board bar
  • Drinks during the coffee break in Saranda. Drinks at the restaurant during lunch
  • Port taxes (15€)
Additional Information

Our one-day voyage to the intriguing nation of Albania is designed for explorers who crave something unique. Departing from the Port of Corfu, we travel along the Albanian coastline to the harbor city of Saranda. An optional guided coach journey covers 20 kilometers of the pristine southern coastline and its myriad islands. We wend our way through quaint villages and boundless verdant landscapes, culminating at a majestic lake. The tour’s pinnacle is a trip to Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Centuries had concealed this antique town under layers of sediment and plant life. In recent times, though, archaeologists have revealed some of the Mediterranean’s best-preserved city ruins. Landmarks such as the Venetian Tower at the entrance, the ancient theatre, the Temple of Asclepius, the age-old gymnasium, the Roman Baths, the Roman Baptistery displaying its invaluable mosaic flooring, the Lion Gate, and the vast Cyclopean walls will whisk you back through 2,500 years of history, up to the 3rd century A.D.

Location
JWH2+FM Corfu
Departure from the Main Port of Corfu. As you enter the main gate of the port you have to go left to the very end directly to the international passenger terminal. At the terminal in front of the main entrance of the Albanian check point sector you will meet the Ionian Cruises representative.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.1
(59 Ratings)
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Orlam305
Jun 4, 2024
Day well spent - This is a great trip, a day well spent if visiting near Corfu old town. Our guide Ilir was brilliant, very knowledgeable and friendly. One tip which I think should be advised by the company is you need to collect your physical boarding card from the rep BEFORE entering the queue in the port in Corfu. Our rep was outside and not easily identifiable. The boat journey was smooth, and communication great. It was organised very well. Butrint itself is so interesting and lovely to walk around. We had just enough time, any more in the heat would have been too much. Bring mozzie spray! The lunch was a buffet style in an open air restaurant overlooking the sea. We had about 1.5 hour to ourselves to explore Sadanda, we went to the beach which was nice for a swim but very stoney. Trip back was pleasant, we didn't opt for the pick up service as we were staying in Corfu old town. Over all I'd definitely recommend, Ilir was a great guide and we had a brilliant day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicholas_r
Oct 22, 2023
Beautiful landscapes - Lovely trip - the national park is stunning. The guides were friendly and helpful. Overall, highly recommend
Review provided by Viator
Deborah_p
Sep 21, 2023
Excellent Tour - Very well organised & informative tour. With lunch included- what else would you want? Didn't feel rushed at any point, everything went like clockwork.
Review provided by Viator
Susan_f
Sep 15, 2023
Great Trip - It was a fantastic trip, transfer from the coach to boat was very well organised. The guide by was extremely knowledgeable and gave lots of interesting information.
Review provided by Viator
Gary_r
Jul 17, 2023
A trip to remember - An amazing day. A trip everyone visiting Corfu should enjoy. Great day out - ferry ride, culture, food and tour guide, all fabulous. What more is to say.
Review provided by Viator
Stephanie_w
Jun 17, 2023
Great trip that is well worth the money - We had a great trip. The day starts with getting to the boat on time, which was simple enough even under our own steam. Remember your passport and to download the boarding passes before you get to the port as your email confirmation is not enough as you are leaving one country and going into another. The boat trip was good and provided opportunity to see Corfu from the water which was lovely. Boat takes about 90 minutes, and there is a bar selling drinks and snacks, toilets and indoor and outdoor seating. Albania is a beautiful country, we really loved it. People were super friendly and polite and we felt very safe. The tour of Butrint was very informative, and although there are some steps, my 70 year old mum was fine doing them. Our guide kept us under the tress as much as she could. Lunch was ok, not amazing but more than good enough for the price, and they cater for vegetarians which is helpful. Overall, we had a great day and would recommend. Albania is a country I'd like to get back to one day.
Review provided by Viator
Bob_p
Oct 24, 2022
Great little know historical site - Learning the history of the ruins at Butrint National Park. The only downside was not being informed by Viator when we booked of the extra 10 euro per person fee to be paid on the ferry
Review provided by Viator
965kylec
Sep 2, 2023
Don't waste your money - Whilst the bus was on time collecting us in the morning, the ride took almost 2.5 hours with the bus constantly driving around Corfu trying to find a way to the port after a road closure so already a bad start to the day. The ferry ride from Corfu to Sarande takes around 1hr 15 mins, very few seats and had to sit on the floor on the way home or stand. Once we finally made it back to Corfu, our tour operator had us waiting almost 1.5 hour for the other trip on that day to return before allowing our transport to depart. This made an already tiring and boring day even longer and worse. Don't get me wrong, once in Sarande and on Albanian tour side, everything was much better organised than the Corfu tour operator. Albanian team had combined the English and French bus to reduce the transport which was a little annoying but everything worked well. Genuinely had no idea what to expect as had very little information other than collection time. If you're holidaying in Corfu, don't bother wasting a day of your time doing this trip. You'll spend more time in buses, boats and passport control than anything else. Definitely don't recommend this with young children either. Can't fault Albania, beautiful country but if you want to go, take a vacation there and not a day trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maria_c
Jul 3, 2023
Not enough guidance! - We were never advised that we needed to go through the Albanian passport/immigration and that took more than an hour and a half to do. I was lucky that I was early that day and I was able to go through it. Nobody from the tour was guiding people or telling people what to do when they arrived at that immigration building. People were lost and did not know where to go.
Review provided by Viator
Besokareq
Jun 4, 2024
Dont book with this company - Dont book with this company!! We booked this trip and payed for it before the trip. We took the bus from near our hotel and then the boat to Albania. When we arrive in Albania they say that we cant go on the bus to Butrint. They say we cant go on the bus and claim that we didint pay when we did! We tried to explain that we had already paid but the lady (I think her name was Yona?) said to us that it didnt mater what we said, we couldnt go on the bus unless we paid the fee AGAIN!!!! She was rude from start on!! We had to make our own day in Saranda. When we got back to take the boat to korfu again the company we booked with had called them and explained to them that we already paid and all the lady Said was ”oh they called us about that”. She didnt even say ”Im sorry”. She just tried to ignore us. Wont ever go with this company again!!! //Two disaponted girls.
Review provided by Tripadvisor