Full description of the tour you can find HERE.
 

WHEN AND WHERE WILL WE START?

The tour departs from Kotor at 7:30 in the morning, which is the standard time for all our trips. After a maximum of 45 minutes of driving, we will arrive in Budva, where we will pick up guests. We will arrive in Podgorica 60 minutes later, picking up the guests and continuing our journey. If guests take the private tour we will pick up them from their accommodations.
 

The departure point in Kotor is from the ECO PETROL gas station next to the main bus station.
The departure point in Budva is from the ECO PETROL gas station next to the hotel Slovenska Plaža
The departure point in Podgorica is from the PETROL gas station next to the main bus station.

NOTE: MH Travel Agency is the only one that organizes excursions to Albania departures from Kotor, but guests should be aware that a tour can last up to 14 hours. If we don't have guests from Podgorica on the tour, we will go straight to the Sukobin border crossing, much closer to the cities of Kotor and Budva.

WHERE WE WILL GO?

We will go to the traditional organic farm and the restaurant Mrizi i Zanave and the city of Shkodra

MRIZI I ZANAVE FARM (MRIZI I ZANAVE AGROTURIZËM)

The restaurant is located 30 km far away from the city of Shkodra in the village Fishtë in Lezhë District. After we pass the border crossing we will go straight to the restaurant and arrive there between noon and 13:00 depending on the time spent at the border crossing. Mrizi i Zanave is an agrotourism complex spread over 5 hectares that consists animal farm with cows, ducks, goats, horses, turkeys, chickens, sheep, ostriches, pheasants, rabbits as well as vineyards, olive groves, and gardens. 

Also, the Mrizi i Zanave complex has modern production of their cheese, juices, jams, sauces, and smoked ham, wine productions, ceramic production of souvenirs, a food shop, a lovely guesthouse with several suite rooms, and a restaurant with 200 seats. But, this is not enough. More than 400 families and small farmers in the region Pukë supply Mrizi i Zanave every day with 1000 liters of goat and cow milk, fresh meat, and wild treasures: blackberry, wild pomegranate, mushrooms, blueberry, herbs, etc. All the meals are prepared only using seasonal vegetables and fruits.

This is not the place with a-la-cart offers. The restaurant has a daily menu that consists of around 30 traditional Albanian meals. Almost 50% of the meals are vegetarian and vegan. Some meals will be served traditionally, but some will be served in a very original way, which makes the lunch interesting and attractive. The best comes in the end when the average bill per person costs 20 euros, including domestic wine during lunch and unlimited bottles of spring freshwater.

The lunch starts a few minutes after our arrival, with the starter: salad, various types of cheeses, grilled vegetables, ham, sausages, different pies, and bread followed by pasta with blueberries, truffles, or mushrooms. The third course will be meat with potatoes, and the last one is several desserts mostly with fruits. Lunch lasts 2 hours. After lunch, we will have a half-hour visit to the farm where the guests will be able to buy some of their organic products.

Mrizi i Zanave is fully booked every day. Making a reservation could be "mission impossible" sometimes. If you are a tourist who doesn't have time to wait for weeks to get a table in this restaurant, you can take our tour as an excellent option for visiting and having lunch. We are going there once per week, every Wednesday at lunchtime. In the case that the customer wants to go on some other day (birthdays, engagements, anniversaries, celebrations, or any other private reason) we can organize it only on demand.

NOTE: Guests who are used to eating fast and industrial food, might be a bit surprised since there is nothing in the restaurant that can be ordered such as French fries, hamburgers, pizza, sandwiches, etc. In case you take this tour with children or a picky partner, then count on the fact that the  "Mrizi i Zanave" salads, spaghetti with blueberries and mushrooms as well as the desserts taste fantastic. Especially ice creams:)
 

SHKODRA (SHKODËR)

After lunch and a tour of the farm, we will go to the city of Shkodra. Our first stop will be Rosafa Castle located 2 km away from the city center. Rozafa was founded by the Illyrians and was rebuilt several times by the Romans, Venetians, and Ottomans. The ruins of the castle consist of 3 courtyards and several buildings. The oldest still existing building on the castle is the Church of St. Stephen dating from 1319. One of the main reasons for visiting the castle is its location on a 130 m high hill with a panoramic view of Shkodra, rivers  Buna and Drini, as well as the southern end of Skadar Lake.

Next to the Rozafa castle is located a multiple-domed Lead Mosque (Xamia e Plumbit) which dates back to 1773, when it was built in Ottoman style by Mehmet Pasha Bushati. The name Lead Mosque derives from the material which was used for the roof and the cupolas. In 1948 the mosque was declared a Cultural Monument which probably also saved it from destruction during the communist years. In 1967 the minaret was destroyed by alighting.

The last stop will be the city center of Shkoder and the most popular pedestrian street Kolë Idromeno known as Pjaca. This part of the city is full of charming cafes, restaurants, and shops. At the beginning of the street, guests will see the Mother Theresa monument (Nene Teresa), who was a Catholic nun born in an Albanian family in neighboring Macedonia. In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. On the left of the monument, the large Ebu Bekër Mosque dominates, which is the focal point of the local Muslim community.

Across the mosque is the statue of poet Luigj Gurakuqi (1879-1925), who was born in Shkodra. Today, the University of Shkodra is named after him. We will walk slowly to Shatervani Central Park, which is surrounded by the City Hall, the Gymnasium (28 Nentori), the University, and the Parrucë Mosque. The city center is small, so we will need 45 minutes to see the main attractions. After our visit to Shkodra, we will be heading back to Podgorica, Budva, and Kotor.

TOUR CONDITIONS 

The tour is organized by middle-class air-conditioned cars or minibusses. Our tour to Shkodra and Kruje goes directly via border crossings Bozaj(MNE)/ Hani i Hotit (AL) close to the city of Podgorica. If we will have only guests from Kotor and Budva (not from Podgorica), we will go directly via border crossings Sukobin(MNE)/ Muriqan (AL), close to the city of Ulcinj.

Albania is not part of the European Union, so the Schengen Visa is not required. 
 

The price of the private tour is per car, not per person. The maximum number of guests in the car is 6. The private tour from Kotor costs 300 euros, from Budva is 260 euros, and from Podgorica is 220 euros. 
Private tours can depart any day depending on the availability of the drivers. We give a discount for groups of more than 10 people.

PRICE INCLUDES

Licensed tour guide in the English language.
 

THE PRICE DOESN'T INCLUDE

Standard lunch costs from 25-30 euros per person.

The entrance fee to Rozafa Castle is 5 euro

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

When guests make an online reservation, the card will be charged automatically only if a minimum group of 6 passengers is reached. If not achieved, the card will only be authorized.

If the minimum number of passengers is not found up to 12 hours before departure, the reservation is automatically canceled free of charge. Enjoy peace of mind knowing that there is absolutely no financial risk involved.
 

When the tour is confirmed guests will get the online ticket and a very detailed e-mail with all instructions about the departure point, type of vehicle, name of the driver and guide, phone numbers, etc. Guests don't need to print the tickets, they just need to keep them on their phones and show them to the driver, or guide.

Before you decide to purchase the tour ticket check our itinerary and terms and conditions. 
 

For more info about the tour and booking, contact us by e-mail at  montenegrohostel@gmail.com 

or by phone (Viber and WhatsApp) at +38269039751 from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (local time)

Hope you will enjoy our tour:)

Montenegro Hostel Travel Agency Team