Day one is a meet-and-brief at the hotel in Lin on the shore of Lake Ohrid, with lunch and dinner together. From there the riding starts straight from the door: south along the lake, past small farms on the plains, into Korça for the first night in a comfortable hotel. Day three is the climbing day, up through cols and valleys into the Gramos mountains and over the Barmash Pass at 1,159 m to Germenj, where you stay in a lodge and eat a home-cooked dinner with local red wine.

The middle of the week is the best riding. From Sotire you follow forest roads beneath high peaks to the source of the Vjosa, then descend 17 km through the Vjosa gorge to Çarshovë — the organisers call it one of the great sections of the challenge, and the road stays high above the river on the way to Përmet. Lunch stops at Benje, then four more kilometres to the Langarica thermal pools and canyon, marked by a 16th-century Ottoman bridge, with time to swim. The next day follows the Drinos valley to Gjirokastër, the city of 1,000 steps.

The last riding day starts with a short transfer to the top of the Muzina pass, then drops to the Ionian coast. A rustic ferry takes the group to Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with about 2,500 years of history layered across it, and after a tour you ride north with Corfu visible offshore to finish in Saranda. That night there is a group celebration with medals and awards.

What separates this from a standard cycling holiday is the support structure: a UK leader running the schedule, a UK medic carrying an expedition medical kit, and a local Albanian logistics and guiding team. Vehicle support follows the group all day, so you can hop in if a climb gets the better of you. Bikes are provided, which means no bike-box logistics at either airport.

The terrain is mixed — quiet smooth roads, some rougher mountain stretches — and Albanian drivers are generally described as courteous to cyclists. Maximum altitude on the route is 1,200 m. The trip suits regular weekend cyclists stepping up to a bigger challenge rather than complete beginners, and the group typically includes solo travellers, couples and small groups of friends.

What's included

- 5 days of cycling with full vehicle support - Giant Roam hybrid bike hire - All meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 7 - 6 nights' accommodation in hotels, a lodge and a guesthouse - UK group leader - UK medic with expedition medical kit - Albanian ground logistics, guiding and catering team - Transfers during the challenge, including the Muzina pass transfer and the Butrint ferry crossing - Butrint UNESCO World Heritage Site tour - Final night celebration with medals and awards - Challenge app with preparation and trip details - Free UK training walks with any overseas challenge booking - Flights (generally included; land-only option available)

What's not included

- Personal travel insurance - Single supplement accommodation upgrade (available at extra cost) - E-bike hire (available at extra cost) - Drinks and personal expenses - Airport transfers on departure day - Optional training weekends and UK Ultra Challenge event places