Fier · 11 hours · private
Where Octavian heard that Caesar was dead — and a frescoed monastery.
€265 the vehicle · from €63 each
Photo: Carole Raddato, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Why go
Apollonia & Ardenica Monastery
A Greek colony founded around 600 BC with Illyrian agreement. Octavian was studying here in 44 BC when he learned Caesar had been assassinated. Paired with thirteenth-century Ardenica.
Apollonia was a Greek colony founded around 600 BC by about two hundred Corinthians under the oikist Gylax — established, notably, with the local Illyrians' agreement.
It became a celebrated school of philosophy: Octavian was studying here in 44 BC when he learned Caesar had been assassinated. We pair the site with the frescoed thirteenth-century Ardenica monastery.
On the ground
What the day holds
- Apollonia archaeological park
- Bouleuterion and monumental centre
- Ardenica monastery frescoes
- Quiet sites — time to read the ground
- Long day from Tirana
Itinerary
Door to door, at your pace.
08:00
Leave Tirana
South toward Fier.
11:00
Apollonia
The park, the monumental centre, the museum if open.
14:00
Ardenica
Monastery and frescoes after lunch.
18:00
Return
Back to Tirana.
The price
Built from real costs. Check the arithmetic.
The price, in full
€265
one vehicle · €133 each · cash on the day
€320 by card online · retainer €80 holds the date, €185 cash to the driver
How many of you
One car seats four. Five guests means both cars go out — and both cars are paid for.
| People | Cars | Cash | Card | Retainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | €260 (€260 ea) | €310 | €80 |
| 2 | 1 | €265 (€133 ea) | €320 | €80 |
| 3 | 1 | €265 (€88 ea) | €320 | €80 |
| 4 | 1 | €265 (€66 ea) | €320 | €80 |
| 5 | 2 | €500 (€100 ea) | €600 | €150 |
| 6 | 2 | €500 (€83 ea) | €600 | €150 |
| 7 | 2 | €500 (€71 ea) | €600 | €150 |
| 8 | 2 | €500 (€63 ea) | €600 | €150 |
The message writes itself with your dates and party size already in it.
Included
- Private 4x4 and driver for the whole trip
- Door-to-door pick-up and drop-off in Tirana
- All fuel, road and track access
- Bottled water and fruit in the cool box
- Waiting time at every stop — including lunch
Not included
- Your food and drinks
- Apollonia — about €4 per person
- Tips (never expected, always welcome)
Best months: March–November
Questions
Before you reserve
- Do I have to hike?
- No. Every stop on this route is reached by vehicle. If you want to walk, the driver waits — but nothing requires it.
- How do I pay?
- Cash on the day is cheapest. Card online includes a 20% charge for the processor and currency conversion — that is not our margin. A retainer of 25% of the card price (minimum €30) holds the vehicle; the balance is cash on the day.
- How many people can come?
- Up to eight. One vehicle seats four; five to eight guests means both cars go out, and both cars are paid for. That is the only honest way to price a two-car fleet.
Nearby in spirit
