Albanian Riviera Scenic Drive — Llogara Pass to Himarë

The stretch of road between Vlorë and Himarë via the Llogara Pass is regularly featured in lists of the world's most beautiful drives — and having done it, most travelers agree it more than lives up to the hype. This full-day guided excursion combines the dramatic mountain crossing of Llogara with exploration of some of the Albanian Riviera's most spectacular beaches, viewpoints, and coastal villages.

Departing Vlorë in the morning, your first landmark is the Zvernec Monastery (quick stop), before the road begins its steep ascent toward Llogara National Park. As you climb through the park's dense black pine forests — trees that grow nowhere else in the world at this elevation — the temperature drops noticeably, the forest is fragrant with resin, and sudden clearings offer jaw-dropping views back toward the Bay of Vlorë and, on clear days, the Italian coastline across the Adriatic.

At the Llogara Pass (1,027…