Saranda Boat Tours: Routes, Durations and Prices

What a Sarandë boat tour covers

The standard shared route from Sarandë heads north to Krorëza Beach and the Turtle caves, with swimming stops along the way. Listings for the area also name Kakome Bay, Qefal and Rrojdhe Bay as stops on the same stretch of coast, so a six-hour trip strings several quiet coves together rather than landing on one beach.

These are small-boat excursions, not ferries: you swim off the boat and stay aboard between stops, and operators describe the day as swimming in coves rather than sightseeing from a deck. Bring your own towel and snorkel mask unless your operator says otherwise, because gear is not automatically part of the fare.

Shared trips from Sarandë: six hours, from €25

Leonardo Boat Tours Saranda sells a shared six-hour trip from Sarandë to Krorëza Beach and the Turtle caves with a swimming stop, listed from €25 per person. The company runs a second variant with the same duration and price, to Kakome Beach and the Turtle caves, and both are marked free cancellation. For other boat days on the coast, see our guide to boat trips in Albania.

Another company, Saranda Boat 1, works the same Ionian Sea coast, and local boats advertise a full day of seven stops with snorkelling starting at 9:00 and returning at 16:00. Treat times and inclusions as what each boat publishes for its own schedule, and confirm the pick-up point when you book. The Saranda Map is a useful place to orient yourself before you head for the waterfront.

Private boats from Sarandë: four to six hours, from €330

The same Krorëza and Turtle caves route is offered as a private charter for up to six hours, priced from €330 for the boat rather than per person. A private sunset version of the same route runs four hours and also starts from €330, which suits a couple or family who want the coves without a group. Do the arithmetic before you assume private is expensive: the €330 private departure covers the boat rather than each seat, and you control the swimming stops. For a couple it costs far more than two shared tickets, so it is a splurge rather than a saving.

Ksamil departures: Tongo Island with snorkelling

From Ksamil, Ksamil Watersports & Boat Tours lists a private six-hour trip to Tongo Island with snorkelling, a free drink and snacks. The same company also runs a shared boat trip around the Five Islands of Ksamil with snorkelling, which is the cheaper option if you are staying at the southern end of the coast.

Ksamil is close enough to Sarandë to reach by local transport, but boats leave from the Ksamil waterfront, so you gain no time by booking there if you are staying in Sarandë. Pick the departure point nearest your accommodation and allow time to reach it in the morning.

Departures from Vlorë: Sazan, Haxhi Ali Cave and Karaburun

Trips from Vlorë cover a different coastline: Sazan Island, Haxhi Ali Cave and the Karaburun Peninsula, including a four-hour Haxhi Ali Cave and Karaburun Beach trip and a seven-hour run to Karaburun National Marine Park, the Secret Blue Cave and Grama Bay with lunch. A five-hour Sazan Island and Haxhi Ali Cave trip with swimming is available, and a six-hour Karaburun coast trip with lunch is available.

These are Vlorë departures, roughly two to three hours north of Sarandë by road, so they only make sense if you are staying in Vlorë or passing through. Booking one from a Sarandë base means a long road day on top of five to seven hours on the water.

How much of the day a boat tour takes

The shared Sarandë trips and Ksamil charters are six hours, the private sunset option is four, and the Vlorë trips run between four and seven hours. A six-hour trip with a morning departure eats the middle of the day, so plan a late lunch and leave the evening free.

One operator publishes a 9:00 departure and 16:00 return, while another gives a 9-10am start and a 3-4pm finish. Build your plan around the earlier end of that window and treat the later one as slack, and remember you need to be at the boat before it leaves.

What is included and what you pay extra for

Inclusions vary by trip, so read the list on each offer. The Sarandë shared trips and the private sunset charter are sold as boat and swimming stops, the Ksamil Tongo Island trip bundles a free drink and snacks, and the longer Vlorë runs to Grama Bay and the Karaburun coast include lunch and drinks.

Food and drink ashore are your own business, and a decent lunch near the promenade after a morning on the water is a better use of money than an upgraded boat package. To match a boat day with the rest of your stay, start with our guide to things to do in Saranda, and for somewhere to eat afterwards our picks for the best restaurants in Saranda cover the harbour end of town.

Booking, cancellation and weather

The listed Sarandë, Ksamil and Vlorë offers from the boat-trip marketplace are sold with free cancellation, and some confirm instantly. Booking a day or two ahead secures a seat in busy weeks without locking you in if the forecast turns, and free cancellation is worth more than a small price difference.

Ask what happens to your booking if the sea is up before you pay, since no bad-weather policy appears in the offer details, and get the answer in writing. Keep the morning flexible near the end of your stay in case a trip is moved.

What to bring on the water

Bring a towel, sun protection, water and cash for anything you buy at the stops, plus a dry bag for phones. Wear swimwear under your clothes so you can get in the water at the first stop rather than changing on a small boat.

If you plan to snorkel, check whether a mask is provided before you leave; the Ksamil trips advertise snorkelling while the Sarandë shared trips are described as swimming stops. For the rest of your stay, our Saranda itinerary lines up the town sights, Lëkurësi Castle and the waterfront.

Which Saranda boat trip should you book?

For most visitors the shared six-hour trip from Sarandë to Krorëza Beach and the Turtle caves is the right call: it covers the coast north of town, includes swimming stops and leaves the evening free. Choose the private charter only if you want the boat to yourselves, and consider a Vlorë departure only if you are staying up that way.

Fix your dates around the boat day, leave the following afternoon loose, and use the town's cafés and promenade for the hours either side. Then check the departure point and the current fare on the company's own listing before you pay.