The trip opens in Tirana with a night in a central hotel and a group briefing. Day 2 starts with a transfer through the Shkumbin Valley to Lake Ohrid, where you are fitted for a Specialized Source Elite Disc hybrid and take a flat warm-up ride from Lin to Tushemisht. In the afternoon you cross into North Macedonia to see the UNESCO-listed Saint Naum Monastery, then swim in the lake on the way back.

The middle days build. Day 3 is 30 miles and 1,542 ft up to the plateau town of Korça, with a stop at Morava Bee Farm for honey tasting. Day 4 is the biggest: 47 miles and 4,298 ft of climbing through the Kolonja Highlands into the Gramos Mountains, over Bramash Pass, with lunch in Erseke and a descent to the village of Sotire. You sleep that night in a basic two-room wooden cabin on an agroturismo farm, eat a farm-to-table dinner, and get a sky full of stars. Day 5 rewards the effort with a long descent to Leskovik, the Vjosa River Gorge, and a soak in Benja's thermal springs before a transfer to the UNESCO city of Gjirokaster.

The last three riding days head for the coast. Day 6 descends from Muzina Pass toward Sarandë, passes the Blue Eye spring, takes a short ferry to Butrint for a guided tour of the ruins, and ends with a swim in the Ionian. Day 7 follows the Riviera through olive groves and citrus orchards past Ali Pasha Castle to Himare. Day 8 is the finale: a steady climb to the 3,200 ft Llogara Pass — a climb used in the 2025 Giro d'Italia — then a descent through Llogara National Park to Radhimë, where the trip finishes with a seafood dinner by the water.

What separates this from a generic bike tour is the guiding. Guests repeatedly name Orgest, the lead guide, for his knowledge of Albanian history and for organising evening walking tours and group dinners in towns that are not part of the itinerary. A second guide or driver follows in the van with water, spare layers and mechanical help. Groups are capped at 14, and reviews mention groups of six to ten bonding over the week.

The route is almost entirely asphalt on quiet back roads, with some rough patches. You do not need technical off-road skills, but you do need to be comfortable riding three to six hours a day for six days, including long climbs.

What's included

- 8 nights' accommodation: 1 night hotel in Tirana, 3 nights in locally owned guesthouses and hotels, 1 night in a farm cabin at Sotire, 3 nights in Riviera hotels - All 8 breakfasts - 7 lunches at local restaurants - 1 home-cooked farm dinner at Sotire - 1 farewell seafood dinner by the water - Snacks while biking - Local, expert, English-speaking bike guides and a bike mechanic - Specialized Source Elite Disc bike (or similar) - Support vehicle for luggage and tired legs - All transfers during the trip - Group departure transfer to Tirana Airport on Day 9 - Guided warm-up ride along Lake Ohrid - Guided ride up the Plloce Pass to Korça - Honey tasting at Morava Bee Farm - Guided ride through the Kolonja Highlands to Sotire - Guided ride along the Vjosa River valley to Benja - Bathe in Benja's warm springs - Tour of an Ottoman mansion in Gjirokaster - Guided ride from Muzina Pass to Sarandë - Guided tour of the Butrint UNESCO World Heritage Site - Guided ride along the Ionian coastline to Himare - Guided sunset walk through Himare's Old Town - Guided ride crossing the Llogara Pass

What's not included

- Travel to and from Albania - Airport transfer on arrival - 6 dinners - Tips (around €20 per person suggested) - Personal expenses such as drinks, shopping and laundry - Travel insurance (compulsory) - Visas