Each morning starts with breakfast together, then a route briefing from the guides before the group rolls out around 9am. Route files and descriptions go out via Komoot before the trip, covering terrain, sights, safety and where to resupply, so you can navigate yourself or follow the group. There are regroup points and recommended lunch spots along the way, and the guides move back and forth through the group, sweeping the more remote sections.

The riding builds through the week. Day two is a gentle 29km along the shore of Lake Ohrid, with an afternoon loop across the border to the monastery of St Naum — bring your passport. Day three climbs from the lake to a high plateau and on to Korcë, a town once nicknamed the Paris of Albania. Day four is the first big one: 68km and 1,160m of climbing over the Barmash Pass at 1,159m, with lunch in Ersekë, the highest town in Albania at around 1,000m. That night is spent at a farmstay guesthouse in Sotirë, where dinner and wine come from the valley and are made by local families.

Day five heads over a pine-forest plateau to the source of the River Vjosa, then down a 17km descent to Çarshovë that the operator calls one of the most scenic rides of the tour. After lunch in Bënjë you ride on to the thermal pools of Langarica and its canyon, where you can hike upriver, then transfer by van to Gjirokastër, the UNESCO-listed museum town known as the city of 1,000 steps. Day six crosses the Muzina pass towards Sarandë, takes a short ferry to the Roman and Byzantine ruins at Butrint, then follows the coast north with Corfu in view.

Day seven is a rolling coastal day from Sarandë to Himarë, climbing out to a rocky plateau and dropping into bays and around headlands, with a stop at Porto Palermo Castle and time for a swim at Himarë. Day eight is the hardest and the best: 63km with 1,600m of climbing from sea level to a 1,000m pass through forest, gorges and hairpin bends, then a long descent to lunch in Llogara National Park and a final run down to the sea, where the group toasts the end of the ride before a 2.5 to 3-hour transfer back to Tirana for a last dinner together. Day nine is departure after breakfast.

The guides are experienced mechanics as well as qualified first aiders, and can help with mechanicals on the road. The support vehicle carries up to seven riders at a time. Riders are expected to navigate themselves rather than rely on following a guide, and Hammerhead Karoo devices can be hired for a small fee.

What's included

- 8 nights accommodation in a mix of 2-4* hotels and guesthouses, twin share - Meals listed in the itinerary (breakfast daily, plus lunches and dinners as specified) - Sisters in the Wild cycling guides, British Cycling and First Aid qualified, riding with the group - Local guide and driver in a support vehicle with 7 seats - Route files and briefings via Komoot - Free map bundle for navigation - Bike box storage and delivery to the end of the trip - Luggage transfer of bike boxes and extra luggage from start to finish

What's not included

- Meals not listed in the itinerary - Snacks during rides - Bike hire or e-bike hire - Bike tools and spares - Transport to and from the hotel in Tirana - Airport transfers - Travel insurance covering multi-day cycling - Visas - Tips for local guides (recommended €50 per person) - Single supplement, if required