DORIAN

“Don’t worry—You have Dori”

  • I live in Tirana
  • I speak Ελληνικά, English
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 8 hours

Hi there! Nice to meet you

DORIAN

My name is Dorian. I am a licensed tour guide and qualified driver in Albania & the Balkans.

My love for travel, touring and tourism in general, was “love at first sight”. A long time ago, just after a visit with my parents and their friends at the legendary Castle of Kruja & the Scanderbeg Museum, my heart was changed, and it made me realize my love for what i do today, which keeps me very close to tourism, museums, sites and nature. Such a connection, a friendly and lovely feeling, has kept going and growing, throughout my professional life, l continue to offer with dedication numerous tours and trips, advising and helping my guests get to know and enjoy my beautiful Albania.

Led by the love for my country, and my passion and enthusiasm for this job which I try to show the best of Albania to my guests.

My long experience in the of tourism field started around 2006, when l began work as a tour agent/operator for a few local travel companies, i have always been eager to enhance my area of knowledge and i strive to give the best service. It makes me feel comfortable and happy when I’m out in the field meeting and talking to new people.

Born in the town of Elbasan, the so-called “heart of Albania” or as we the locals like to call it “the cradle of the education” (it is the home of the first national high school), l have a lot to offer, show and tell you. In fact, the entire country is full of historical, archeological, religious, cultural, sports and natural sites. So, there are plenty of things to see and to do during our trips.

There is a local saying “Love comes from the stomach”. Culinary tours featuring local cuisine with the freshest bio foods, are part of our agenda.

Tasting the local wine with its long tradition, the Albanian spirit “Raki”, or the fresh fruit juices made by the locals: all are pieces of a puzzle that we will build together.

From my long experience in this field, and my love for being as close to the guests as possible, I became not only a professional guide but also a driver. This allows me to offer a complete and personal package. I drive all kinds of vehicles: bikes and motorbikes, cars, plus any vans with capacity for groups. Any of the above are also available for rent.

Due to my past experience of past tours and trips, I’m very familiar with many places and countries in the Balkans and other parts of Europe. Knowledge of a few foreign languages (and fluency in English) makes me feel “at home” when l travel around these places. Therefore, combined tours of Albania and other countries are one of my specialties.

l invite you to contact me. Together let’s tailor a tour that will fit you and your party’s needs and expectations.

For questions, help or advice, please don’t hesitate to contact me. And always remember: “Don’t worry—You have Dori”

Welcome to my world!

  • I live in Tirana
  • I speak Ελληνικά, English
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 8 hours

Book one of my offers in Tirana

Let's explore Tirana together! As your local guide, I'll show you the best of Tirana on a private & personalized tour for you.

Did you know that I can personalize your experience?

All Withlocals tours are completely customisable to your needs. Just let me know your preferences for a private and personalized experience!

Reviews

Steve and Lenore
27 January 2025
Wow. Come hungry. Dori is a fantastic guide and has such passion for Albania and the food. We tried so many dishes and every single one was superb. No tourist stuff; all local!!! We can’t recommend this tour enough. You can’t beat this food tour!
baerbelweixner
29 December 2024
We enjoyed our walk through Tirana very much. Dorian is a very nice person knowing a lot about the interesting sights. It was very comfortable being with him for two hours.Great walk
Qais
29 November 2024
Dori is an exceptional and wonderful tour guide! We toured Albania and North Macedonia with him for multiple days, including Durres, Tirana, Lake Ohrid, Bovilla lake and Kruja. It is quickly evident how friendly and welcoming Dori is, and I really appreciated his very vast depth of knowledge of all the areas we visited - you could point almost anything out and he would be able to talk about it. On a personal level too, Dori has such a great number of anecdotes of his memories growing up in Albania, including of the communist period while he was a child... I was always fascinated to hear more! On another note, it is very pleasing to see how well Dori gets on with the locals, many seem to know and are happy to greet him, which added to the friendly atmosphere of our tours. Dori is also a very flexible tour guide, with such great knowledge of the region that he is able to give suggestions and take you to relevant places at your request. The restaurants he took us to were less touristy and filled with locals, and he showed me somewhere to get a closer look at a bridge that fascinated me during his drive! Overall I could not recommend Dori enough, he responds very quickly and attentively, showed us great things and took great care of us... I will not hesitate to reach out to you again should we ever be back!Dori is a wonderful, friendly, entertaining and knowledgeable tour guide!
Susan
16 November 2024
Dori was our private driver and tour guide for 4 full days while we travelled from Dubrovnik, Croatia, through Montenegro, Albania, Northern Macedonia and finishing up in Balasko, Bulgaria. We had an amazing time, with a guide that made you feel like you had been friends for some time. Doris vast knowledge of all places visited was very impressive, adding in a few additional stops along the way that only a guide who was passionate about sharing his part of the world would do. While our group was 2 couples of different ages and abilities. Dori catered for both, suggesting more strenuous activities for those that could while offering alternates for those that couldn't. This way our group got the best of everything and could share our stories and photos at the dinner table each night. There was never an indication that we felt rushed or that it was an imposition that he was monitoring both groups. At night we were asked if we needed a restaurant suggestion and on one occasion he even organised for us to experience a local dish that wasn't on the menu. Our wellbeing was always Dori's concern, promptly opening the vehicle doors and placing his hand made step stool at the ready which would assist us in and out, which was most helpful. We were never concerned about our safety whilst driving. One part of our trip included an impromptu lunch with distant family members in a Northern Macedonia village. Dori politely joined us and we were extremely lucky he did as he soon became our interpreter when finding that English was barely spoken. This personal touch is what made our tour so memorable. Thank you Dori. Your ability in conversing across languages is pretty impressive as was your knowledge of the countries we travelled. What a wonderful person, guide, and driver. Highly recommended, you will not be disappointed.Private 4 day tour Croatia to Montenegro, Albania, Northern Macedonia to Bulgaria
Scott
15 November 2024
Dori was the best! He took care of everything, and we were left amazed with this country’s beauty and history. He navigated the traffic and the terrain with experience and ensured ever need was met. Not only did he know the landmarks and history, but it felt like he knew all the locals and had an inside track on the best shops, hotels, and food as well. Being our first family trip to Europe, I was not sure what to expect. I was expecting the unknown and to be uncomfortable. Instead, I felt at home. I was able to relax and enjoy myself. My wife and kids had a wonderful time as well. I even caught my teenage son smiling multiple times! It was amazing trip and Dori was a huge part of making it so successful. I would recommend him without any reservations!Beautiful Balkans
Viajero279
14 November 2024
From the end of December 2023 to the beginning of January 2024 I used Dori as my guide for most of my sightseeing tours in Albania. When I first inquired about his tours, he responded immediately and made it extremely easy to make reservations. I took day tours to Berat, Apollonia and Bashtova (fortress), as well as overnight tours to Southern Albania (Butrint, Saranda, Gjirokastër, as well as some lesser-known small towns on the way) and Ohrid (Ohrid town in North Macedonia as well as some nearby villages around Ohrid lake in both North Macedonia and Albania). All of these tours were extremely memorable and amazing. I really enjoyed all of them. Dori was extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic, as well as an extremely safe driver. He always provided many interesting facts about all of the places we visited as well as facts about places we would pass by on the road. I never felt rushed at any time I was visiting any of the sites. He also takes really good photos (I always like having photos of myself at the sites I visit). In addition, Dori always showed me things that were lesser known (whenever there were any), which added to the experience. Albania is a very underrated country. It has so many interesting sites and places to visit. The people are very welcoming and friendly, and I always felt very safe in all the places I visited. Also, be sure to visit one of the Communist era bunkers if you are able to. There are thousands of them throughout Albania and they are extremely interesting. I could not have had a better guide than Dori and would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Albania. You will not be disappointed!Wonderful tours with an amazing guide
Darran
2 November 2024
Dorian picked us up from Himare in Albania to take us to Kruj and from start to finish he was absolutely brilliant, if there is something he doesn’t know about Albania then it probably isn’t worth knowing as he was telling us stuff the whole journey and even took us to one of his favourite seafood restaurants which was a 5 star experience. A few days later he picked us up from Kruj to take us to Montenegro and yet again he excelled at everything, his professionalism and knowledge was outstanding. He had a great sense of humour and made us all laugh so many times . Everything Dorian did on the 2 trips was about making us happy and he succeeded 100% , I cannot recommend Dorian as a guide highly enough and we can’t wait to go back to Albania as we loved the place and Dorian helped make that happen . Long and short of this review is , go see Albania and get Dorian to be your driver and guide and I promise you will not be disappointed. If I could give him 10 stars I would 👏👏👏Perfect driver and even better guide
William
24 October 2024
Our guide Dorian was perfect. I wanted to see Apollonio, the ancient Illyrian city in the center of Albania (about one hour and a half drive from Tirana). He met us at the hotel and we started the adventure. The car is comfortable for two travelers and if you are a larger group he has a bigger transportation available. We spent a few hours at the site and took the scenic way back to town, stopping at the lagoon and then had a nice traditional grilled fish lunch. He customized the trip for us. Dorian made my first trip to Albania most enjoyable. I will definitely use his services again the next time I am back.Visit of Apollonia of Illyria & Divjake-Karavasta Park & Lagoon
Mike
7 October 2024
I have traveled more than a million miles, and I have used any number of private guides. Dori is the best one I have found. He is an excellent driver and an informative guide. His English is flawless. He knows the countries, the cities, and especially the sites that are of interest to visitors.Best in the Business
MissPriss234
3 October 2024
About eight days in an exclusive circle in Albania, Europe's most closely guarded secret. Our deal was "We want to see what you want to show us." There was not a single disappointing moment! Roasted goat kid shoulder in the mountain pass. Exotic cold water white fish by Lake Ohrid. Roast wild boar. A pair of custom dress shoes from a cobbler. Visited the tomb of the Unknown General. And everywhere we went, Dori was known as a friend. I eventually called him 'the man who knew everyone." Archeologists kept the collection open beyond hours. Museum curators escorted us. Hotels were immediately open and joshing with Dori. Is the best driver I ever rode with.Cook up a trip with Dori

This is Withlocals

Play now

Connect with locals whenever and wherever!

Get the app to become part of the fastest growing local travel community. Ask your local guide to personalize your experience to your needs. Keep all your bookings at hand. Sounds cool, right?

  1. Albania›
  2. Tirana›
  3. DORIAN, “Don’t worry—You have Dori”