Visiting Butrint was one of the highlights of our trip to Albania. We definitely think it’s worth a stop on your itinerary so we made this easy guide to help you plan your trip. We actually can’t believe it’s not more of a well-known attraction placing Albania as a must-visit destination.
What is Butrint?
Butrint is a UNESCO site of ancient ruins. It used to be an Ancient Greek site dedicated to the God of Medicine. It became a Roman City and has been occupied by people over the years due to its good location as a fortress to nearby Corfu. Later, the Venetians built a much smaller fortress which was easier and less costly to maintain, and so the ancient city of Butrint fell into ruin.
Now, it is a UNESCO site you can visit to explore the ruins. We loved that you could see archaeological digging still taking place with lots left to be discovered. This gave it a real Indiana Jones vibe rather than a polished tourist destination feel. On one path we saw the top of an arch that you could peep down into and see a cavernous room that the ground had swallowed, ready to be dug up and rediscovered.
We also found it was much less crowded than similar sites we’ve been to around the world. Again, this added to the overall experience we had there.
Where is Butrint?
Butrint is located around 30 minutes away from Saranda (only around 10 minutes from Ksamil). Catching the bus is by far the cheapest option as it will only set you back 200 lek (£1.70) and takes just 30 minutes.
You can get on the bus at Friendship Square (Saranda). Alternatively, you can hop on it further up the bay as it stops all the way in the direction of Ksamil. There often aren’t designated bus stops per see Albania as it is typical to flag down the bus (like you would a taxi in New York).
Buses start at 6:30 and run every hour on the half-hour with some extra buses at 7 and 8am. The return bus leaves from the same place it drops you. This also runs every hour on the half-hour.
How to plan your visit
Tickets cost just 1000 lek for adults (£7.50) and it’s a bargain in my opinion for what you get to see and experience. I don’t often say that, self-confessed cheap skate that I am! Buy your tickets when you get there.
After the ticket booth, you can find this sign with a route of things to see along the way.
Generally, the recommendation is that it takes 2-3 hours to look around and take in all the information. We on the other hand spent most of the day there being huge history geeks.
At the time, there mustn’t have been guided tours available (or I’d have definitely done one), but this may change in the future as it becomes more touristic. There were information plaques to read which was helpful for you to know what you’re looking at. You could get a real sense of the hustle that would have taken place in the forum, and picture the craftmanship that went on in dwellings of merchants.
Food & Drink
This needed its own section for all my hanger sufferers (I feel you!). Inside Butrint, there is a cafe however it only served drinks not food (September 2022).
There is a cafe before you get to the entrance gate where the bus drops you, but once inside you’re on your own. It’s definitely a good idea to pack snacks for your day trip to Butrint!
Highlights
Our highlights of our day in Butrint included :-
- Theatre – this was used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans but in slightly different ways. For the Greeks, it was key for religious ceremony and public philosophical discussions. The Romans then expanded it and it became central within the town
- Roman Bath House – there are informative diagrams and information to show you how the bath house would have worked, helping you make sense of what you can still see today
- Seeing the Dwellings – you can get a sense of what life would have been like for the average person living in the town
- Lion’s gate – the lion-carved stone was placed there to make the gate smaller and thus easier to defend
- Basilica – the high arches are still intact and you can get a glimpse of the original mosaic floor in one corner
- Baptistery – the impressive mosaic floor needs to be covered most of the year to preserve it, however, when we went we learnt that they uncover it every once in a while (fingers crossed for your visit!)
The site is actually in a picturesque setting within a national park. You can catch glimpses of this beyond the ruins, and there are some viewpoints you can relax at and take a break during the route with great views.
Once you get up to the highest point of the site near the castle, there is a small museum housing artefacts found within the site that’s worth a look.
If our blog has helped you plan your visit to Butrint, we’d love to hear about your visit and how you found it in the comments. We love any excuse to chat about travel.