Getting There

It is relatively easy to reach Butrint by sea and/or road, via Saranda, the main port for the area. However, poor road surfaces and minimal sign-posting can make driving in Albania difficult.

From Corfu to Saranda

Take a ferry from the main port in Corfu town, opposite the Hotel Atlantis (the port is a 10-minute taxi ride from Corfu airport). There are one or two passenger ferries per day (including the Kaliope, the Mimosa and the Antonios), which are operated by a number of ferry companies. It is possible to take cars on the Antonios. There are no official timetables, but they generally leave between 8 am and 10 am daily and between 2 pm and 4 pm in the afternoon if the weather is fine. The ferry journey takes 1 hour and 40 minutes. There is also a hydrofoil service operated by Petrakis Lines (the Flying Dolphin), which leaves Corfu around 9 am and 4 pm daily and takes 30 minutes. Check times at the port before planning your journey. You should be at the port in good time to allow for changes in departure time, allowing at least 20 minutes prior to embarkation for customs formalities. Remember that Greek time is 2 hours ahead of UK time and Albania is only 1 hour ahead.

Tickets are bought from the ticket office on the quayside or on board. A single ticket costs approx. €15. Tickets are valid only for the ferry for which they were bought - therefore it may be advisable to buy your return ticket separately so that you can choose your preferred return time and ferry. Before boarding a ferry you must go to the Greek passport control office further along the quayside to hand over your passport and to obtain a boarding pass. Wait to board the ferry until the customs official or boat Captain calls out your name. Your passport will be retained by the ferry Captain for the duration of the voyage in order to prepare your documents and visa for the Albanian port officials.

At Saranda, customs officials board the ferry for passport control. There is an entry visa fee of €10 or $10 for all nationalities. On paying the entry fee your passport will be stamped and returned to you together with a small white card - this is your exit visa and should be kept carefully, as leaving the country without it is complicated. You should not attempt to disembark the ferry before completing this procedure.

When leaving Albania , first go to the police office immediately to the right of the entrance to the port, hand in your white exit visa card and have your passport stamped. Then go to the ferry and wait to board. The ferry times allow just enough time for a day trip to Butrint. If you wish to see other sites in the area, you will need to stay overnight in Saranda. On arriving in Corfu all passengers may be held on the boat for some minutes. On disembarking, proceed immediately to the Greek customs office for a baggage check before leaving the port.

From Saranda to Butrint

By coach or taxi: Some of the ferry companies have arrangements with tour operators in Saranda for inclusive day trips to Butrint. Tourists are often transported to Saranda on the Flying Dolphin and then by coaches from the port to Butrint. Taxis are also available for hire at the port - but agree a price for the day as it is difficult to find taxis in Butrint in the afternoon. A good daily rate for at taxi is €40-50, or 5,500 – 7000 leke. Cheaper taxis can be found by walking into Saranda town or to the main road on the far side of the bay of Saranda (15 minutes). The journey time from Saranda to Butrint is about 20 minutes. From the road there are spectacular views across Lake Butrint to the ancient city of Butrint and out across the Corfu Straits.

Driving: Driving in Albania can be an adventure, so check with your Embassy first for advice. Many roads are unsurfaced and impassable without a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Butrint is 19 km from Saranda. To drive there, turn right out of the port. At the first junction, marked by a tree, go straight ahead , across the main road and follow the smaller road into town. Stay on this road until you reach the main square. From this square take the lower, right-hand road, which joins the main road out of Saranda. After 200 m, where the road rises, turn right onto the road for Ksamili and Butrint. Note that there are numerous petrol stations in Saranda but only one between Saranda and Butrint, located at Ksamili. 

From Ioannina to Butrint

The journey from Ioannina to Butrint takes approximately 2 hours (excluding the time required for customs formalities). From Ioannina, take the E90 road. At Kalpata turn left onto the E853 and continue to the border, at Kakavia. Here you must pass through Greek customs and Albanian passport control (see above).

From Kakavia follow the road north, towards Gjirokastra. After approximately 10 km, just after the village of Jergucati, turn left and follow this road over the mountains. On the descent there is a choice of roads, both of which go to Saranda. The main road to the left, which follows the valley of the Bistrice river, is the better road. The other, much poorer, road goes via the town of Delvina .

At the foot of the mountains there is the source of the Bistrice river. At the head of the river there is a wonderful freshwater spring, known as the Blue Eye (Syri Kaltër), where the clear blue water of the river bubbles forth from a stunning, 50 m-deep pool. It is well worth a visit. To get there, stop at the bar and shop on the main road, at the foot of the mountains, and ask for directions. A small track takes you past a fish farm and lake, to the Blue Eye and its small visitor centre/restaurant.

The main road follows the course of the Bistrice, along a gorge. After a few miles, where the gorge opens out, you will come to the monastery of Mesopotam. The town of Saranda is a further 10 km along the road. You enter the town on the south side of the bay from the hill above. At the bottom of the hill, take the turning on the left. Butrint is 19 km along this road, after the village of Ksamili .

From Gjirokastra to Butrint

Head south, towards Kakavia, and take the right turn at Jergucati. Then follow the directions as above.

Travelling to Saranda by private yacht

The sea chart for Saranda is the same as that for Corfu. Saranda is the port of entry for the region and all customs procedures must be completed there before landing elsewhere on the coastline. When approaching the port, radio in on VHF channel 11 or 16. The Harbour Master will greet you in English, Greek or Italian. Port taxes are charged according to NRT; once paid, you can stay as long as you wish. It is quite normal for a crowd of customs officials to board your boat when you first dock