Mussel Harvesting Tour: Private Experience in Butrinti Lake's Natural Environment

This is a unique and exciting experience of harvesting your own mussels from the mussel beds of Butrinti Lake. Get a firsthand view of mussel farming in a natural setting.

Gather fresh mussels yourself, clean them, and savor a truly nutritious and delicious meal.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

A boat tour on Butrinti Lake with a personal experience right at the mussel beds. Enjoy a brief photo stop at one of the most stunning Ottoman castles, offering an incredible sea view and a panorama of the Saranda region.

Points of Interest

  • Lekuresi Castle
What's Included
  • Lunch included
Location
Port of Saranda
At the entrance / terminal of the port of Saranda, with a sign /written paper with the name of the tour.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(4 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Anirei
Aug 7, 2024
You can’t miss this experience (if you like mussels)! - This tour was definitely breathtaking experience. I don't use these words often, but they definitely belong to this description. We got to se the beautiful lake, were taught a lot about mussels (even got some hands on experience) and then we ate a lot of fresh mussels prepared in different ways (and we got to drink a lot of wine too). Linda as tour guide was just amazing. She was knowledgable and fun. She was also able to move the tour for us to the later hours as we couldn't go earlier. Thanks to that we were able to watch the sunset on the boat on the ride back. I would definitely recommend this tour to everyone. It was worth every penny. Thank you Linda!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristen_w
Sep 6, 2023
Excellent trip from Sarande - We did the Mussels tour as a private shore excursion from Sarande. Mario was both our driver and guide and did a fantastic job! We were picked up directly from the port and it was easy to locate the meeting spot. We then drove about. Half an hour to the lake, during which Mario explained the history and culture of Albania. At the lake we took a small boat out to take a closer look at the mussel growing operation. We then headed back to the dock, where a traditional Albanian meal was prepared for us in a small restaurant. Lunch consisted of wine, bread, soft cheese/yogurt dip, Greek style salad, French fries, sardines, a marinaded block of feta, and mussels. Everything was local and delicious. After the meals we proceeded to the castle and took some pictures. Afterwards, Mario took a stool through Sarande with us pointing out local products and letting us taste some Albanian specialities before waling us back to the port. This tour was well worth the money and I would highly recommend to other travelers.
Review provided by Viator
Griselle_s
Aug 13, 2023
Learn about Mussel farming - The tour was very good. Gert our tour guide spoke great English. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. Lunch was very tasty and the homemade wine was delicious!
Review provided by Viator
Lacey_r
May 11, 2023
Amazing experience - Amazing experience!! We arrived to Sarandë late Tuesday and decided last minute to do this tour Wednesday. The tour organizer, Linda, was so helpful and organized everything for us the night before the tour! She provided us with an itinerary and was very communicative. Our tour guide, Mario, arrived right on time. As he drove us to the lake, he answered all of our questions about Sarandë and Albania (we had many). When we arrived at the lake, we were met by The Captain. He is a character (see photo) and is very knowledgeable. He took us on the boat and showed us how the mussels are farmed. He then retrieved the mussels and prepared them for us on the boat!! They were so delicious. The view from the lake is amazing as well. Next we went to the restaurant by the lake where we had Albanian red wine, salad, more sautéed mussels, and mussel stew. The mussel stew was one of the most delicious things I have had while in Albania! Next, Mario took us to stop for coffee is Ksamil and to the look out at Lekursi castle which was beautiful! All in all amazing experience. Cannot recommend this tour, the guides, or this company enough!
Review provided by Viator
From $111
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).