The Full Story
Founded in 2000, Our Own Expeditions leads the country with small group deluxe travel. Auron Tare founded the company after spending several years establishing Butrint National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Initially providing tours for just a circle of friends lead us to where we are today.
Whether you have an interest in painting, bird watching, World War I, II, Communist era. Albania has something for everyone. We show you places we would share with our own family and friends. This is the key to our success, there is nothing “commercialized” about our tours. Our mission is to protect, promote, and preserve all that this country has to offer traditional Albanian Hospitality.
Sharing our culture
Our work is most gratifying when we can share the history, food, wine, arts, music, ancient traditions, and natural wonders of the country with our fellow travelers. Whether you are a history enthusiast, engage in adventure travel, or consider yourself a “foodie,” we will create something special for you or your group.
Our ongoing current tour offerings reinforce our deep commitment to historic preservation and sustainability. We are excited to share with you our exclusive tours and programs designed, every time, in collaboration with our guests.
Responsible travel
Our philosophy has always been to provide an authentic Albanian experience while preserving our cultural heritage and respecting our natural resources. We are committed to the highest quality satisfaction for our guests while giving back to the local community. We promote, preserve and protect our cultural heritage with every tour that we operate. This is the center of our ethos.
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Preserving cultural heritage is a great challenge in Albania today. The desire to expose, create destinations and attract tourists can be detrimental to the preservation of the country. That is why we believe that by being a responsible tour operator and leading by example others will do the same. So sharing with you “slow tourism” activities is a vital part of every tour we offer.
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Being a responsible tour operator is the essence of our tours. Aside from creating impactful experiences we are also local consumers.
Slow food movement
Our Own Expeditions strongly promotes the Slow Food Movement in Albania. In all of our tours, we seek out SLOW FOOD members who are committed establishments/persons that have collectively chosen to influence the way local food is cultivated, produced, and consumed. This Slow Food movement is just one way of protecting our local culture. What better way of doing that than offering wholesome food that is grown locally in harmony with our nature, climate, and seasons? This is a sure recipe for providing good, healthy and tastier food with the best quality.
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We are ready to provide you with locally sourced produce, meat, wine, handcrafted cheeses, and wines all from Albania's finest vineyards and certified farms. We have a network of farmers, wine makers and master chef's that are ready to showcase their notable items.
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In fact, ask about our very own saffron farm! Certified by Firence Institute of Accreditation in Northern Italy.