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Biking in Albania means fascinating culture and enchanting nature
Tirana-Pogradec-Korçë-Sotirë-Bënjë-Gjirokastër-Saranda-Himarë-Radhimë
Albania, this part of the world is hotter than hot right now, and we aren’t going to lie, this trip’s name says it all: Sunshine, sunsets, and sights that are served up left, right, and in the centre, with a nature fix dotted in-between to keep every explorer tuned in. 10-days of life-changing experiences are yours for the taking.
It is a challenging but wonderful bicycle tour with history and breathtaking landscapes. Huge snow-capped mountains, inviting beaches, pretty rural villages, a genuine subsistence culture, and an exceptionally friendly welcome are what you will find here. We ride through the very best of Europe’s beautiful unknown world.
This diverse bike tour starts in the capital city, TIRANA, rich in history and culture, and then go deeper and deeper into places far from the mundane. It will lead you from the tranquil beauty of Lake Ohrid, via picturesque mountains and sparkling rivers, to the inviting beaches of the Albanian Riviera, providing a taste of all the very best Albania has to offer. This incorporates visits to UNESCO heritage sites, Butrint, Gjirokaster, Rradhime, Saranda, as well as fascinating glimpses into an untouched subsistence culture.
A challenging route, providing a feast for the senses and plenty of opportunity to experience the hospitality of the friendly Albanian people. It is also a journey where the TYPICAL ALBANIAN PRODUCTS of the country are tasted, freshly harvested or caught and prepared according to ancient traditions, such as Tavë Kosi, a quiche, Qofte, tasty meatballs, and the Sarma vegetable rolls.
All in all it will be a fantastic and unforgettable cycling tour!
The daily program of the 10-day tour
Individual arrival in Tirana. If your arrival time and curiosity permits, downtown Tirana offers several historical and archaeological sites all to discover, such as the National Museum or the Bunkart… Lively, colourful Tirana is the beating heart of Albania, where this tiny nation’s hopes and dreams coalesce into a vibrant whirl of traffic, brash consumerism and unfettered fun. Having undergone a transformation of extraordinary proportions since awaking from its communist slumber in the early 1990s, Tirana’s centre is now unrecognizable, with buildings painted in primary colours, and public squares and pedestrianized streets that are a pleasure to wander.
To end the day on a high note, go to a cozy typical Albanian restaurant where you will be treated to traditional family-style food. Here you will have the opportunity to try for the first time the exquisite cuisine the country has to offer.
The group tour has a meeting with the guide in the lobby and dinner in a cozy typical restaurant in town
Overnight stay and breakfast in Tirana (dinner included for group tour)
Ready, set and go!!! Setting off at 8 a.m., we have a 2-hour drive to the highest point of today Qafë Thanë and then starts a nice downhill ride to Lake Ohrid.
Group tour: after a nice restorative lunch in the hotel we will visit the Monastery of St. Naum.
Overnight stay and breakfast in Pogradec (dinner & lunch included for group tour)
Distance 40 km / 24.8 mi
Ascent +174 meters
Have you ever heard of the Paris of Albania? Here, then I introduce you to Korçë. There are many monuments and museums to visit. It is also the town with the biggest Carnival event in Albania. On the way you can have a stop to drink a coffee then back to pedaling amongst the fields and vineyards. The group tour will visit the town together with the guide. We have a nice break in the old bazaar and… also not to be missed are the country’s largest Orthodox cathedrals and Albania’s first school.
Overnight stay and breakfast in Korçë (dinner & lunch included for group tour)
Distance 51 km / 31.6 mi
Ascent +412 meters
Today we go further into a more remote area, with only stunning nature and are approaching slowly the Greek border. Depending on the time of the year, the landscape you will see is different, changing colours and shapes of cultivated fields or high Gramoz mountain peaks that in springtime and autumn are covered with snow. Lunch will be on record, in the highest town in all of Albania, Erseke. After it, still some climbing until the Barmash pass at 1160m. For dinner, however, you can enjoy a nice trout freshly caught from the pond in the town of Sotire.
Overnight stay and breakfast in Sotire. (dinner in trout farm & lunch in Erseke included for group tour)
Distance 72 km / 44.7 mi
Ascent +1170 meters
Leaving Sotire, pine forests are awaiting us. After 14 kilometers downhill on a paved road, we cycle within 50 meters of the border with Greece and find Albania’s longest river, the Vjosa River along our route.
If you want, just a 4-kilometer ride away from the guesthouse are Albania’s most famous hot springs, free of charge. Here inviting hot pools await you near an 18th-century Ottoman bridge. An alternative good be, to make a walk towards the Langarica River, which flows from the mountains to one of the most beautiful canyons in Europe.
Overnight stay and breakfast in Bënjë (dinner & lunch included for group tour)
Distance 66 km / 41 mi
Ascent +661 meters
Following the road, for a time the Vjosa river is still our companion, when we are cycling towards the gorge of 20km. Then we say goodbye to the Vjosa River and follow the Drino River, which will take us into the Drino Valley, along the Lunxheri mountain range, where just opposite, hanging on a cliff, is the first UNESCO-protected town of our tour, Gjirokaster. A tour around the town centre is a certainly a must. Visit the impressive citadel on its summit, the colourful and busy bazaar, where tourists can find authentic gifts, and finally visit also the Skenduli House, a perfectly preserved house dating from the Ottoman period.
Overnight stay and breakfast in Gjirokastër (dinner & lunch included for group tour)
Distance 70 km / 43.4 mi
Ascent +427 meters
After breakfast a transfer and the back in the saddle freewheeling downhill from the top of the Munzina pass in the direction of Saranda, the views of the coastline are breathtaking. Not to be missed is Butrint’s National Park, located at the southern tip of the country. A lovely rustic wooden ferry crosses the Vivari Canal, which connects the Ionian Sea with Lake Butrint. Butrint was originally a Greek polis and later a Roman town and is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Albania, now a UNESCO-Heritage site. The group tour has a guided visit.
We end with a nice ride accompanied by the view of Corfu to our left.
Overnight stay and breakfast in Saranda (dinner & lunch included for group tour)
Distance 70 km / 43.4 mi
Ascent +525 meters
Following the Albanian “Riviera Road” will make us feel like a roller coaster. To recover from the ups and downs, an excellent lunch will await you in Porto Palermo, in front of a charming Venetian castle, and then end the day in Himare, an old fishing village, where there will be plenty of time to relax on the beach and/or head downtown for a refreshing ice cream.
Overnight stay and breakfast in Himarë (dinner & lunch in Saranda included for group tour)
Distance 52 km / 32.3 mi
Ascent +1064 meters
Get ready because a beautiful day awaits you today. It is also the most challenging day of the tour, because of the gradual steep climb.
Like in a fairy tale you will pass through forests, gorges and ancient villages, on your way to two of Albania’s most famous beaches, Jale and Dhermi, but that is not the end goal…today you will climb to the top of the Llogara Pass. Once at the top, a nice descend is waiting for you towards the National Park bearing the same name to complete the tour in Rradhime. Relax by the sea and sip a mojito while admiring the sunset over the Albanian Karaburun Peninsula. YOU DID IT!
Overnight stay and breakfast in Radhimë (dinner & lunch included for group tour)
Distance 64 km / 39.7 mi
Ascent +1590 meters
For those with a return plane will have a transfer that will take you to the airport in three hours, while for those planning to stay some more in Tirana there will be a drop off in town.
Impressions from the Albania Unesco tour
Tirana-Pogradec-Korçë-Sotirë-Bënjë-Gjirokastër-Saranda-Himarë-Radhimë
LEVEL 3,5
This is a full level 3,5. You need to have a good cycle experience and a good physical condition. The daily distances are some days long and there are significant difference in level, because of the hilly and mountainous terrain.
The tour has a support Van for eventual transfers.
Daily kilometers / miles: min. 40 km /24,9 mi – max. 72 km / 44,7 mi
Total km / miles: 485 km / 301 mi
DEPARTURES:
Self-guided tour each day from April to end October for min. 2 -4 people; traveling alone departures only possible on group dates
Guided group dates 2024:
05/04; 11/04; 21/04; 30/04
12 /05; 15/05; 20/05; 23/05
01/06; 06/06; 16/06; 22/06
01/07
24/08; 31/08
09/09; 19/09; 20/09; 27/09
06/10; 08/10; 15/10; 17/10
PARTICIPANTS:
from 4 people for the self-guided tour – single traveler alone with the group tour start dates. It is possible to do the individual tour with min. 2-3 people, if you start on the group tour dates. On other dates there is a surcharge and the Van support is only until the 7th day. After that, taxis will transport your luggage and there will be no more Van support.
Group tour starts with min. 5 people
START / FINISH:
Tirana / Radhimë
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