Albania – Lakes & Mountains UNESCO Trail Guided Bike Tour

Your Albanian adventure begins in Tirana, a city pulsing with life and layered history. After settling into your hotel, you’ll meet your cycling guide for a warm welcome and trip briefing. If you arrive early, dive into the capital’s vibrant streets or explore its dramatic past at the National Museum and BunkArt. As evening falls, gather for a lively, family-style dinner at a cozy local restaurant, where traditional Albanian flavors set the tone for the journey ahead. Surrounded by striking architecture shaped by Fascist and Communist regimes, Tirana offers a bold introduction to a country full of surprises—this is just the beginning.

Note: We highly recommend arriving a day earlier, so that you have time to explore this magical city and allow for any airline mishaps/flight delays!

Meals: dinner
Overnight: Tirana

Your cycling journey kicks off with an 8 AM transfer to the stunning Qafë Thanë Pass, where bikes and a support van await at the northern edge of Lake Ohrid. After gearing up, the thrilling descent begins—winding toward one of Europe’s oldest and deepest lakes, famed for its crystal waters and rare ecosystem. After lunch and check-in at the lakeside hotel, we cross into Macedonia to explore the historic Monastery of St. Naum, adding a cross-border twist to an unforgettable first day.

Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Distance: 40 km / 25 mi, +174m
Overnight: Tushemisht

Wake up to stunning mountain and lake views before setting off on a scenic ride toward Korçë, widely known as the Paris of Albania. Along the way, enjoy a coffee break and pedal past lush vineyards and timeless villages. Upon arrival and check-in, your guide will lead you through the city’s cultural gems—including one of Albania’s largest Orthodox cathedrals, the first Albanian school, and the lively, restored Old Bazaar. Thanks to major EU investment, Korçë has transformed into one of the country’s most captivating cultural destinations.

Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Distance: 51 km / 32 mi, +412m
Overnight: Korçë

We leave the fertile plains of Korça and venture into remote villages along Albania’s green border with Greece, with the Gramoz Mountains rising steadily to our left. The landscape shifts dramatically—from farmland to snow-capped peaks, depending on the season. After a lunch stop in Ersekë, Albania’s highest town, we climb toward the Barmash Pass at 1,160m before ending the day in Sotirë, home to a charming trout farm surrounded by animals and local wine. For dinner, enjoy freshly caught trout from the pond—an absolute must!

Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Distance: 72 km / 45 mi, +1170
Overnight: Gërmenj

We leave Sotirë and enter a serene pine forest plain, framed by towering peaks, before arriving in the old town of Leskovik. But the real beauty begins after—a thrilling 14km descent on a newly paved road that brings us within 50m of the Greek border. Here, we encounter Albania’s longest river for the first time: the Vjosa, a stunning, crystalline ribbon we’ll follow for the next two days. After reaching the second guesthouse of the tour, we cycle 4km further to Albania’s most famous natural thermal springs—free to enjoy—where warm pools await beneath an 18th-century Ottoman bridge. Or, if you’re up for a hike, follow the Langarica River into one of Europe’s most breathtaking canyons.

Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Distance: 66 km / 41 mi, +661m
Overnight: Përmet

After leaving Benjë, the soaring peaks of the Nemerçka range rise once more ahead of us as we follow the Vjosa to Këlcyrë, where the river has carved a spectacular 20km gorge between the Trebeshina and Golikë mountains. Continuing along the road, we bid farewell to the Vjosa and meet the Drino River, which guides us into the Drino Valley beside the Lunxhëri range. Perched on a cliff across the valley is the first UNESCO-protected city of our tour: Gjirokastër. After checking in, we’ll explore the city with a visit to its hilltop Citadel, the Bazaar—popular for authentic gifts—and finish at the historic Skenduli House. Dinner is on your own this evening.

Meals: breakfast & lunch
Distance: 70 km / 43mi, +427m
Overnight: Gjirokastër

The day begins with a 30-minute transfer to the top of the Muzina Pass at 550m, where the cycling starts with a scenic descent to sea level as we approach Sarandë, the first coastal city on our tour. Entering the city, we detour for a loop ride along the edge of Butrint National Park, reaching Albania’s southern tip. A wooden ferry takes us across the Vivari Channel, linking the Ionian Sea with Lake Butrint, for lunch near the UNESCO-protected site. Afterward, a guide leads us through the ancient Greco-Roman ruins of Butrint, a World Heritage Site since 1992. We then cycle briefly back to Sarandë, with sweeping views of Corfu Island to our left for the rest of the day.

Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Distance: 70 km / 43 mi, +525m
Overnight: Sarandë

A rollercoaster ride awaits as we leave Sarandë and follow Albania’s stunning “Riviera Road,” passing through some of the country’s most beautiful villages and crystal-clear beaches along the Ionian Sea. The scenery is dazzling—mountains to one side, sea to the other—as each climb is rewarded with breathtaking descents between villages and along the coast. We stop for a brief lunch in Porto Palermo, facing a captivating Venetian castle, before ending the day in Himarë, a charming old fishing village with time to unwind on the beach or stroll into town for a refreshing ice cream. Dinner is on your own this evening.

Meals: breakfast & lunch
Distance: 52 km / 32 mi, +1064m
Overnight: Himarë

Here it is—the most beautiful, varied, and challenging day of the tour. We climb steadily through forests and gorges, passing old villages en route to Albania’s most iconic beaches: Jale and Dhërmi. In the distance, the extraordinary Llogara Pass comes into view, where a gradual ascent awaits, framed by breathtaking mountain vistas above the Ionian Sea. At the summit, we descend into Llogara National Park, ending the day in Rradhimë at one of the region’s most renowned hotels. Unwind by the sea with a mojito in hand, watching the sunset over the Albanian Karaburun Peninsula.

Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Distance: 64 km / 40 mi, +1590m
Overnight: Radhimë

Our farewell day begins with a 3-hour transfer to Tirana International Airport for those catching a flight, while a separate transfer is available for guests extending their stay in Tirana. We hope you enjoyed exploring Albania and its hidden gems!

Meals: breakfast