Albania | July 20 - 26 | Tirana, Vlorë & Tepelenë 🇦🇱

Step into a country where time moves at your pace—where ancient castles overlook pristine coastlines, where your morning coffee costs less than a dollar, and where saying "yes" to adventure doesn't mean emptying your savings account. Albania isn't just Europe's best-kept secret; it might be the life you've been quietly hoping existed.

This is one of the rare places where Americans can stay for a full year without applying for residency first. Where the beaches rival Greece but the crowds haven't found them yet. Where the pace is slower, the people are genuinely warm, and the cost of living opens doors instead of closing them.

Whether you're dreaming of a complete fresh start or simply want the freedom to explore life abroad without drowning in bureaucracy—this 7-day immersive experience is your chance to feel what daily life could actually be like here. Not as a tourist rushing through attractions, but as someone testing out their future.

If you've been yearning for a simpler, more intentional, and infinitely more affordable way of living... Albania might just be the easiest "yes" you've ever said to yourself.

What You'll Actually Experience

This isn't about checking destinations off a list—it's about crossing the threshold from dreaming into living.

You'll spend the week inhabiting your potential future: walking through neighborhoods that could become yours, comparing rental options that cost less than your current utilities, feeling the rhythm of days that aren't dictated by rush hour traffic or endless obligations. You'll connect with expats who've already made the leap and locals who'll show you what community actually feels like.

From the vibrant energy of Albania's capital to the sun-soaked tranquility of coastal towns, from mountain villages where time seems to pause to markets where vendors still know your name—you'll discover not just where you might want to live, but how you might want to live.

Every conversation, every meal, every quiet moment watching the sunset over the Adriatic is designed to give you something no guidebook can: the visceral understanding of what your life could feel like here.

By the time you leave, you won't just be inspired by possibilities—you'll be grounded in certainty about your next step.

Your 7-Day Journey Into Possibility

Days 1-2: Tirana – Capital City Life Begin in Albania's vibrant capital, where Ottoman architecture meets modern café culture. Check into your accommodation and join your group for a welcome dinner that sets the tone for everything ahead. Spend your second day exploring neighborhoods, touring potential rental properties, and discovering how city life unfolds when it's not consumed by the grind you're used to.

Days 3-6: Vlorë – Coastal Living Travel south to Vlorë, where the Adriatic Sea meets a pace of life that remembers what leisure actually means. Settle into the coastal rhythm—morning walks along beaches that stretch for miles, afternoons in cafés where conversation flows as freely as the wine, evenings where the biggest decision is which waterfront restaurant to try. This is your chance to feel what it's like when proximity to natural beauty isn't a weekend luxury, but your daily reality.

Day 5: Tepelenë – Village Life Take a day trip inland to Tepelenë, a traditional village where life moves to the rhythm of seasons rather than schedules. Experience the profound quiet of rural Albania, where neighbors still gather in the town square and where the concept of "rush hour" simply doesn't exist. This contrast will help you understand the full spectrum of life Albania offers.

Day 6: Return to Tirana – Integration Morning in Vlorë, then return to the capital for your farewell dinner. This is your time to process everything you've experienced, ask the questions that have emerged, and begin envisioning which version of Albanian life calls to you most strongly.

Day 7: New Beginnings A final breakfast together, then airport transfers—but this isn't really an ending. It's the moment when possibility transforms into planning.

Throughout your journey, you'll also enjoy a traditional Albanian cooking class that connects you to the culture through its flavors, plus two carefully chosen cultural experiences that will surprise and delight you.

A Country That Actually Wants You There

Albania doesn't just tolerate expats—it welcomes them with open arms and refreshingly simple requirements:

One-year visa-free stay for U.S. citizens means you can start living your new life immediately, without months of paperwork and waiting. The extremely low cost of living means your money stretches further than almost anywhere else in Europe. Long-term residency requires proof of just $9,800 per year in income—less than many people spend on rent in a single month back home.

There are no language tests, no Byzantine bureaucratic mazes, no impossible financial thresholds. Just a country that understands that sometimes the best life decisions are also the simplest ones.

From coastal mornings where the biggest decision is which beach to visit, to village sunsets that remind you what peace actually feels like, Albania offers something increasingly rare: the space to live according to your own rhythm rather than someone else's schedule.

This Isn't Tourism—It's Life Testing

You don't need to have everything figured out before you go. This tour gives you what no amount of online research can provide: the felt sense of daily life, the answers to questions you didn't even know you had, and most importantly, the confidence to trust your instincts about what comes next.

This is your chance to test drive a life that prioritizes presence over productivity, community over competition, and possibility over the safe but soul-crushing familiar.

Let's discover if Albania is where your most authentic life is waiting.

Optional Extension: Montenegro

Budva, Montenegro – Extend your Balkan exploration with three additional nights on Montenegro's stunning coast. With transportation, accommodation, and a local guide included, you'll get to compare two countries that offer similar freedoms but distinctly different flavors of the good life. Sometimes the perfect life is just one country over from where you first thought to look.