Ksamil Day Trips to Butrint, Blue Eye and Corfu

October 31, 2026

Ksamil is a small village with a beach, so the best days out are elsewhere in the south. Here are the trips worth making, with the distance, the time and the main cost of each. Money is in lek (ALL), and most gates and buses want cash.

Quick comparison

Trip	From Ksamil	Length of outing
Butrint	about 4 km, 10 minutes	half day
Blue Eye	about 40 km, about 1 hour	half day
Gjirokaster	about 70 km, about 1.5 hours	full day
Corfu	via Saranda port	full day, summer only
Saranda and Lekuresi	about 45 minutes by bus	evening

Butrint

The ruins sit on a wooded peninsula beside Lake Butrint. A bus from Saranda passes through Ksamil with “Butrint” in the windscreen, charging about 150 to 250 ALL in cash. In high season it runs about every 30 minutes between roughly 08:00 and 18:30, and much less often later in the year. Taxis charge fares you should agree first.

Tickets are 1,000 ALL for adults. Summer hours run from 08:30 with last entry at 18:00, and winter hours run from 09:00 with last entry at 15:00.

The Blue Eye

This karst spring at Muzine is a protected natural monument. The gate asks 50 ALL, and parking is about 200 to 300 ALL. Swimming is not allowed, and the water holds about 10 C all year. From the car park you walk about 2 km, around 20 minutes, or pay about 300 ALL for the electric mini-train. After winter rain the path turns muddy.

Gjirokaster

A UNESCO town of stone houses on a hillside, about 1.5 hours away by road. Its castle, tower houses and bazaar make a full day. Expect about 200 to 400 ALL per site, and confirm at the gate. In low season the castle sometimes closes on Mondays.

Corfu

The boats go from Saranda, not from Ksamil. Crossing times are about 30 to 45 minutes on the hydrofoil and 55 to 70 minutes on the ferry, and fares are about EUR 20 to 35 one way. Take a passport. Greece keeps time one hour ahead of Albania.

Between 1 July and 30 September there are up to 12 to 13 departures daily each way, so a day return is easy. By October the last boat back leaves Saranda around 18:00, and in early November around 16:00. From 11 November to early March one boat a day sails each way, leaving Corfu at 09:00 and Saranda at 10:00, so you cannot return the same day. Check the Ionian Seaways timetable before you plan.

Saranda and sunset

Take the bus or a taxi north, which is about 45 minutes. The Lekuresi Castle terrace sits about 10 minutes above town by road. Grounds are free, and a terrace restaurant keeps its own hours.

Too far for one day

Dhermi and Gjipe need a very long drive on the coastal road, so most people stay overnight there instead.

Booking a guided version

Browse day tours on GetYourGuide and compare inclusions.