Are you a food lover eager to try authentic Albanian local flavors? Join our City & Food tour of Tirana and savor the best of Albanian cuisine at some of the city’s hidden culinary gems. From traditional dishes to unique local spots, this tour offers a delicious journey through Tirana’s vibrant food scene. Don’t miss the chance to taste the true flavors of Albania in a fun and memorable way combined with an unforgettable tour of this capital city of Albania!
This food tour will introduce you to Traditional Albanian and local Tirana cuisine. Tirana is an urban metropolis, full of contrasts, where the scars of the past and the present can easily be spotted. Above all, it is the crossway of different periods of Albanian Modern History.
It is a city where the fine delicate architecture of the beginning of the 20th century is mixed with the cold rectangular shapes of the communism period. In addition, the modern new buildings are blooming. Furthermore, in this food and city tour, we will discover some of the most interesting parts of the city. All combined with plenty of local flavors, interesting stories, and friendly locals.
Carousel at Skanderbeg Square
09:00 or 16:30
After the pickup, the next stop will be at Pasticeri Reka, where you’ll have the chance to try something truly unique—ice cream with mace. This delightful treat combines the rich, creamy texture of their ice cream with the aromatic mace, offering a surprising twist to your taste buds. Located in the heart of the city, Pasticeri Reka has been crafting exceptional desserts with a creative touch for years, and this ice cream is no exception. It’s a perfect blend of sweetness that you won’t want to miss!
After an energizing breakfast, passing by the “New Bazaar” we will get introduced to some of the most typical Albanian fruits, vegetables, and souvenirs. The area of the New Bazaar is one of the most vibrant in Tirana. Here, we make a short stop at a local pastry shop. Since 1998 they have been using the same recipe of the Merengue Cake. For the owner, it all started because of a good memory from their happy childhood days.
Leaving the older part of the city and getting closer to the city center we will spot the communist influence on the architecture. It is time for some coffee and we will stop by a local coffee shop. It will be hard to choose as they provide more than 25 different types of coffee from all over the world. Of course, if you would like to sound like a local go with the small espresso or Turkish coffee.
The tour continues on the Main Boulevard of Tirana “Deshmoret e Kombit”. You will learn more about its Architecture and History. It is where the Pyramid of Tirana and other well-known buildings are situated. Next, we will walk along the former communist part of the city, Blloku. It used to be the residential area of the Former Communist dictator, Enver Hoxha.
At a traditional grill restaurant, we will have the chance to taste 2 of the most famous dishes of Tirana, “Fergese” and “Qofte” for lunch. Albanians and their traditional cuisine are famous for having plenty of meat on their menu and being vegetarian here is a hard job 🙂
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After walking through the “Pedonale” the pedestrian artistic boulevard we will visit the Castle of Tirana. Situated in the city’s center it has been an administrative point in different ruling systems. Recently renovated, now it is one of the most interesting attractions with unique shops and bars.
We will visit a Specialised Olive Oil Shop, where we will get professionally introduced to the history of Olive trees and oil and how to taste olive oil.
You’ll have the opportunity to buy olive souvenirs.
Next Stop will be a small 100 % Made In Albania Shop. All the products come from different regions of Albania offering us an Albanian Bouquet of flavors and tastes. You’ll be introduced to a variety of jams, cheese, and herbs. In addition, we’ll have a short tasting of Raki.
This is also where this tour ends.
Redi the guide was great. He was knowledgeable and friendly. The food was all delicious, even the corn juice! Generally good value.
An amazing tour and amazing food.
The tour and tour guide was very informative and a lot of fun and covered alot! The food we got to try was also amazing and tasty. Would 100% recommend.
Great food and fascinating information.
Xhulio was an amazing guide who answered all of our many and varied questions. He obviously loves his city and country, but also recognizes the shortfalls. We enjoyed the food, a fusion of many cultures, fresh vegetables and dairy products. It was a wonderful introduction to our holiday in Albania.
Linda, my tour guide, was very knowledgeable & enthusiastic! We walked, explored & ate our way around the city trying everything from local byrek, a kind of spinach pie, to lamb stew, to mini lamb burgers, a drink w/ice cream & a pastry like baklava & even tasting Raki. Linda told me a lot about the culture of Albania & answered many of my questions too. My advice to you is to take this tour as a great introduction to Albania, but don’t eat breakfast before you join the tour!
I did the food and city tour in Tirana with Go as Local and it was truly a wonderful experience. Andi was an amazing host, not only showing historic facts of his city but also sharing traditions and cultural heritage through food and visits to the most important sights. I learnt a huge deal of a country and society I knew nothing about before my trip, so I truly believe this is the best introduction you can get to the thriving and exciting things Albania has to offer. We tasted several dishes, being the most surprising one, the Albanian breakfast! Treat yourself with a completely local experience!! Thanks Andi!!
