The mountain flora of Albania
Saturday 3 May to Monday 12 May 2025 (nine nights)
The ancient kingdom of Albania became a socialist republic after the war and was very much a “hermit state”, surrounded by the fast-developing EU and the Balkan wars. In 1991 it had a bloodless revolution and started on the paths of democracy and westernisation. It has a rich cultural heritage, its own language and currency, very friendly people, and can lay claim to a largely unspoilt natural landscape. Bordering several mountain ranges on all sides, an intricate topography has a profusion of karsts, caves, springs, lakes and waterfalls. Albania has for its size the highest plant biodiversity in Europe, as well as a rich diversity of mammals, reptiles, butterflies and birds.
About 3,500 different species of plants can be found, both Mediterranean and alpine. The country maintains a vibrant tradition of herbal and medicinal practices. At least 300 plants growing locally are used in the preparation of herbs and medicines.
Our tour will be focused on wild flora, and does not include any garden visits.
Our guide
The tour will be led by Oron Peri, highly experienced guide and known to many, who has been several times to the places on our tour.
MPG organiser For any queries about this tour contact Andrew Mayo at andrewjmayo@gmail.com
Price per person
Sharing a double room: £1190
Single supplement: £75
This price includes:
Nine nights accommodation
All meals
Drinks allowance
All transport and guiding
Entrance fees as per itinerary
Gratuities for drivers
The price does not include:
Flights
Personal items and free afternoon in Berat
Travel insurance (required)
Deposit
A booking deposit of £200 is requested at the time of booking. The balance due date will be advised but is expected to be early March.
Flights
The recommended flight from UK is BA 926/929 which goes from Heathrow to Tirana at 13.55 on Saturday. It returns at 15.40 on the Monday. At the time of writing (7 September) BA is showing £229 for economy plus return. Those arriving on a different flight must arrive before or at 17.55 so we can leave together to our first hotel.
Fitness
This is a trip to mountains. Most walks will be fairly easy with no more than three or four miles walking in any one day, and always at a relaxed pace, ideally suited to photographers. On one or two days there will be some steep paths and rocky ground.
Booking
If you do not have insurance details it is OK to put “TBC” on the form – but details will be required in advance of the tour. Places are limited to 13 and it will be a case of “first come, first served”.
ITINERARY
The map belows shows the planned journey, which is decsribed below
Day 1 – Saturday 3 May
We will all meet at the airport at “Arrivals”. We shall have two seven-seater minibuses, and head to the Qafshtame National Park, approximately 90 minutes drive north-east from Tirana. We will stay at the lovely Shkreli Resort. The rooms are comfortable and the setting of the hotel is delightful.
Light permitting, we will make a stop on our way up to the park for some special plants.
We will stay at Shkreli Resort for two nights
Day 2 – Sunday 4 May – Qafshtame National Park
After breakfast we will go botanising on the mountain above the hotel, enjoying the beautiful views. We will come down for lunch and a short break, and then have another walk in the surrounding forest in the afternoon. Examples of plants we may see are: the rare Ramonda serbica, Daphne oleioides and the beautiful Moltkia petraea.
Day 3 – Monday 5 May
After an early breakfast we will head north to Valbone Valley National Park, a deep valley situated in the southernmost part of the Dinaric Alps and bordering on Montenegro. It is a long day on the road but we will stop quite a few times for flowers along the way. The scenery is outstanding; high mountains with their summits still covered with snow and the beautiful Valbone River with its lush vegetation. We will have a picnic lunch and arrive in the late afternoon or evening at the Breezy Hotel. Some plants we may see en route include Iris sintenisii, Lilium albanicum and Salvia ringens
Day 4 – Tuesday 6 May – Valbone Valley National Park
After breakfast we will be taken by a local minibus up the mountain road. The valley is practically a vast gorge and there are only three places where it is possible to enter the high mountains. We will walk farther up to botanise at higher elevations hoping to see Paeonia arietina in bloom, and also Hepatica, Convallaria, Gentiana and other alpine plants.
Some people will probably walk back down as it is a really nice walk; otherwise the bus will come to pick us up again. In the afternoon we will have a short walk in the valley.
Day 5 – Wednesday 7 May
This will be another long drive towards the south going through the north-eastern part of the country, following the Kosovo border. We’ll enjoy superb scenery, particularly near Mt. Korab, and have several stops on the way for flowers and views. We will have lunch at a local restaurant en route. Many plant options may occur, such as Hemerocallis lilio-asphodelus, Rosa glauca and Dichtamnus albus
We will arrive in the evening in the town of Peshkopi for one night and stay at the Hotel Monopol
Day 6 – Thursday 8 May
After breakfast we will continue on our way south close to the border with North Macedonia. Our destination will be the Shebenik Jablanice National Park. It will be about 2.5 hours drive on a dirt road to reach the park, but well worthwhile for quite a few orchid species as well as some interesting plants that are growing in the limestone.
Lunch will be in the excellent and most famous trout farm restaurant in Albania. After lunch we will be heading to our accommodation, Joen Village, in Fushe Studen. We will leave our luggage and walk out to the valley carpeted with orchids, Narcissus poeticus, Arum maculatum and Paronychia albanica.
Day 7 – Friday 9 May
In the morning, we will be visiting the park area looking for more plants and wild life. Plants we may see include Orchis morio, Pseudofumaria alba and Saponaria cretica.
Then we will head south to Berat, with the aim of arriving there in the late afternoon. We will stay at the Plaza Hotel there for the last three nights.
Berat was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008, and has a unique style of architecture with influences from several civilizations. Like many places in Albania, Berat comprises an old fortified city filled with churches and mosques painted with grandiose murals and frescoes.
Day 8 – Saturday 10 May
After breakfast we will visit the town and historic Berat Castle. We will meet for a lunch and the afternoon will be free for people to enjoy the city or take a rest. We will meet again for dinner
Day 9 – Sunday 11 May
We will drive less than an hour to go botanising on the wonderful mountain Tommor which contains approximately 40 per cent of the entire flora of Albania, starting at the base with Mediterranean climate going up to find Alpine plants, with many endemics and rare species. Examples are Astragalus autranii, Tulipa sylvestris australis and Viola albanica . Some can be found growing only on this mountain. We will head back to Berat in the afternoon.
Day 10 – Monday 12 May
After breakfast we will be heading to the airport which is about two hours’ drive.
Please note that Days 8 and 9 may be switched depending on the weather for the mountains
WEATHER AND FURTHER DETAILS
Warm and sunny with blue skies for the most part. There may be some rain and cloud in the mountains and members must be prepared for sudden changes.
Booked participants will be briefed with further details in due course and queries can be directed to the MPG organiser, Andrew Mayo.
Trip fully booked
If you would like to go on a waiting list please email events@medpag.org
Please note that MPG events are open to members of MPG and its sister organisations only.
Bank Transfer
By bank transfer with reference Albania
Sort Code 40 40 32
Account 5161 4002
Account name: Mediterranean Plants and Gardens
IBAN GB63 HBUK 4040 3251 6140 02
Euros
For those wishing to pay in euros, payment can be made directly into our euro account. If you wish to pay by this means please contact the treasurer, David Mason, for an exchange rate and payment instructions. If paying from a bank in the euro zone into our euro account, this can be done with minimal bank charges provided you use a SEPA (Single European Payments Area) payment method.