From Albania: Day Tour of Prizren and Optional Prishtina

Depart from your Tirana hotel in the morning with an air-conditioned vehicle, and head towards northeast Albania. Travel from Tirana, Albania along the newly built highway that connects Albania with Kosovo. What once took almost a whole day to drive through, now in just three hours offers vivid mountainous scenery worth capturing on video.

Stop for a quick coffee by the artificial Kukës Lake to take in its tranquility and the legend of its formation during Albania's dark communist period.

Cross the border and head to Kosovo's best attraction - the unique town of Prizren with its curvy cobblestone paths - only 20-minutes drive from the Albanian-Kosovo border. Witness a well-preserved reminder of the Ottoman times, the multi-ethnic and multilingual Prizren is situated at the foot of its fortress, adorned with artisan shops along the Lumbardhi river that runs through the heart of this iconic city.

Briefly visit the reconstructed Albanian Prizren League - the poignant historic site sadly destroyed during the Kosovo war. Walk by the riverbed and sight-see the Old Town, tasting the local 'byrek' offered again by your guide and drink fresh water from the çesma water fountain, a necessary ritual if you want to return again in Prizren. 

Rich in places of worship, Prizren is an example of religious diversity and has a mosque built by the famous Ottoman architect Sinani. Visit the Sinan Pasha Mosque, and the Serbian "Sveti Spas" Orthodox Church.

Depending on your desire and physical ability, there's the option to go up the fortress that oversees the city, prior to heading to the capital city of Prishtina - a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells and home to many cultural landmarks.

Walk Prishtina's main boulevard and experience the perpetual motion that Prishtina is, along with its modern cafes and restaurants. Visit what's considered one of the 'most beautiful ugly buildings' worldwide: The National Library of Kosovo - an example of 'brutal architecture', the renowned NewBorn sculpture that changes with each independence anniversary, and walk by the socialist built Boro Ramiz Palace of Sports.

Head back to the Albanian border in the late afternoon and you will be dropped off in the hotel you were picked up from.