Best Day Trips from Saranda by Rental Car Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) — 35-Minute Drive Butrint National Park — 25-Minute Drive Gjirokaster — 1-Hour Drive Ksamil Beaches — 15-Minute Drive Lëkurësi Castle — 10-Minute Drive Porto Palermo Castle — 50-Minute Drive Item Value How far is Blue Eye from Saranda? Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) is about 22 km from Saranda on SH99, with a typical drive time of 35 minutes. How much does Butrint cost to visit? The foreign visitor entrance fee for Butrint National Park is 1,000 ALL, or about €10. A typical visit lasts 2–3 hours. Can I visit Gjirokaster as a day trip from Saranda? Yes, Gjirokaster is about 60 km inland from Saranda on SH99 and takes around 1 hour to reach. A practical route combines Blue Eye in the morning and Gjirokaster in the afternoon. How long does it take to drive from Saranda to Ksamil? Ksamil is about 15 km south of Saranda and the drive usually takes 15 minutes outside peak congestion. Best Day Trips from Saranda by Rental Car Saranda sits on the Albanian Riviera in Vlorë County, and a rental car gives you a practical base for short drives to UNESCO sites, beaches, and mountain roads. Arriving by ferry? See our Saranda Port pickup guide. Planning the full coast? Check our Albanian Riviera drive guide. Home Day Trips Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) — 35-Minute Drive The Blue Eye is a karst spring near Gjirokaster, and the drive from Saranda is about 22 km on SH99, with a typical journey time of 35 minutes in normal traffic. The spring's water temperature is around 10°C, the depth is commonly cited at more than 50 meters, and the site's main appeal is the blue-green color contrast that makes Syri i Kaltër one of the most photographed natural attractions in Southern Albania. Parking at the Blue Eye main entrance uses a tiered fee structure, and in 2025/2026 the standard published rates are 200 ALL for 0–3 hours, 300 ALL for 3–4 hours, and 800 ALL for up to 24 hours. The entrance fee is 50 ALL per person, payment is cash only. If you plan to take unpaved detours, check our insurance guide for unpaved roads. Butrint National Park — 25-Minute Drive Butrint National Park is about 25 km south of Saranda, and UNESCO listed the site as a World Heritage Site in 1992 because of its layered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian remains. The foreign visitor entrance fee is 1,000 ALL, or about €10, and a typical visit lasts 2–3 hours. For the full self-drive picture — parking that fills by 10:00, the €7 Vivari ferry trick, free-entry days and the Ali Pasha boat — see our dedicated guide to driving to Butrint from Saranda. Gjirokaster — 1-Hour Drive Gjirokaster is about 60 km inland from Saranda on SH99, and the route usually takes around 1 hour because the road is modern and fully paved. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site known as the "City of Stone." The castle entrance fee is 400 ALL. A practical route is Blue Eye in the morning and Gjirokaster in the afternoon, because the two stops sit on the same SH99 corridor. Ksamil Beaches — 15-Minute Drive Ksamil is about 15 km south of Saranda, and the drive usually takes 15 minutes outside peak congestion. July and August are the busiest months, and local traffic plus parking queues can start before 10:00 in the morning. Sunbed pricing is 1,000–4,000 ALL for two sunbeds and an umbrella. Pro tip: arrive before 9:00, park once, and walk between the beaches. Lëkurësi Castle — 10-Minute Drive Lëkurësi Castle sits about 3–4 km above Saranda, and the drive normally takes 10 minutes on a fully paved hill road. There is no entry fee, parking is free, and the restored inner area includes Restorant Kalaja e Lëkurësit — the best sunset dinner spot in Saranda. Porto Palermo Castle — 50-Minute Drive Porto Palermo Castle is about 45 km north of Saranda on SH8. Parking is free on the causeway, the entrance fee is 300 ALL, and cash is the safest payment method. Bring phone flashlight for pitch-dark prison cells. Add-on: Borsh Beach is 7 km further north.