Kings Trail
8 Days
Albania ( Best airport: Tirana)
Experience true Albania on this challenging trail where you’ll begin the week riding in remote and wild mountains with steep downhill sections all the way to the Ionian sea and back. Wind your way through a variety of landscapes combining mountain climbing, river crossings, woods and the beach. This trail is for confident intermediate and advanced riders and you must have a head for heights! Some fast gallops in the valleys are a treat when the terrain allows.
Level of Riding and Fitness
This trail is suitable for upper intermediate and experienced riders with a good, balanced seat. You will be riding over challenging mountainous terrain and enjoying long trots, canters and gallops in the valleys and where the terrain allows faster riding. Good riding fitness is required as you’ll be spending 4-6 hours in the saddle each day, one day even up to 8 hours. The weight limit is 90kg.
Guides and Group Size
Your hosts for this trail have been running these trails since 2011. As founders, owners and guides (three childhood friends) they own 42 horses and the stables is situated amidst scenic hills and green valleys, surrounded by high mountains and rural life, just a few kilometers away from Gjirokastra’s UNESCO protected city in the South of Albania. The guides are professionals with many years of experience in guiding trails through the Albanian mountains. They are adventurous, knowledgeable, and most of all, passionate about their horses.
The group size is 3- 10 riders. A departure date will confirm for 2 riders for a supplement.
Accommodation and Dining
You will be accommodated in local or family guesthouses every night where your host families will provide a delicious local meal and conversation is enjoyed by all over dinner. Most of the dishes are homemade while fruits, vegetables and meat come from local gardens and farms.
Get a free Kings Trail mini-brochure in PDF format.
Itinerary
Kings Trail
8 days / 7 nights / 6 riding days
Single supplement is available for the first and last night of the trail, but riders must be prepared to share accommodation on the other nights. When single supplement is available, it is €25 per night paid locally.
Small group supplement for 2 riders is £135 per rider.
Travel Summary
Meeting points:
Tirana airport (TIA) or Saranda Port – fly to Corfu and take the boat to Saranda (CFU).
Transfer: Tirana airport to Gjirokastra (round trip): €90 per person (€45 one way), 225 km, 3 hours.
Saranda port to Gjirokastra (round trip): €50 per person, 64 km, 1 hour 15 minutes.
Note: We can organize transfers based on the ferry’s timetable, normally one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Do not book flights until you have received the Booking confirmation email from saddletravel.com.
- Accommodation (7 nights)
- Meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 8
- English speaking guide(s)
- Water and drinks during the meals
- Luggage transport by car during the trail
- Flights
- Entrance tickets to monuments and parks
- Extra drinks
- Other services or expenses during free time.