Cycling in Albania

This was a wonderful trip with a great group and the leaders were fantastic. Demitri managed the tour in a way that all participants were able to navigae within their personal athletic abilities without being deterred by others. He provided great instructions, organization and historical background. Visi was wonderful in his supportive role. What a special country that is still unspoiled by over development and excess tourism. The people and the land were special and I feel so fortunate to have explored this country and to do it by bike.

An incredible trip with great people across beautiful scenery, in particular the mountain areas. Dhimitri our guide was fantastic (very good dry sense of humour) and Visi provided excellent vehicle/ logitics support. Literally, I cannot think of one thing to fault either of them, their organisational skills were 1st class.

Lots of fun with a great group of like minded individuals and plenty of good local knowledge thrown in the mix.

We have had a great time during this trip. Excellent group of peers, great leader, beautiful cycling, great food

^ day cycling trip through Southern Albania.

If you enjoy cycling on quiet (resurfaced) roads, through dramatic mountain ranges, across high plateaus, following gorgeous river gorges and absorbing cobalt blue views along the coastal riviera, then this might be for you. The mountain air was so still and clean with all the associated quiet of mountain ranges full of distinct bird song, scents and sights of wild flower meadows and herbs. This cycling adventure has it all. The food and accommodation along the way provided authetic organic cuisine in the mountains in a variety of traditional family hotels and cabins. I felt very privileged seeing the beauty Albania has to offer, one can see that as a country and people they are looking to a brighter future having moved on from a difficult recent past. Such a great adventure to be had and I would thoroughly recommend taking the opportunity to explore this beautiful country.

Wonderful trip with good leader & driver as well as excellent group participation

Excellent

A well guided and planned trip through an amazing country

I expected Albania to be quite pretty, I was not prepared for breathtakingly beautiful scenery around every turn. The scale of the relatively untouched wilderness is staggering. Ok getting to see all this wonder does take a bit of climbing which my husband loved, I loved the well maintained e-bike which made the whole trip much more enjoyable. The decent on the second day was possibly my favourite bit but the whole holiday was a joy. We received a warm welcome wherever we went, especially in the guest house and the freshly prepared food was a bonus. Well organised, mostly quiet roads, if you don’t like climbing - do it on an e-bike!

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Wonderful country, excellent staff and amazing downhills. The e-bikes were amazing - much more powerful than my own e-bike at home. Good food too and great choice of coffee stops, restaurants etc. The rest of the group were all lovely and I laughed A LOT.

I was curious to find out about Albania. The Exodus circular itinerary gives an excellent overview of the south of the country. The tour reflects the variety of landscapes and experiences Albania has to offer. The lake at Podgradec is a lovely starting point and excellent for swimming. There were a few dogs wandering around but they were friendly, one of them playfully stole a pink flip flop from the beach but gave it to me after I went after him! The cycle rides were varied and interesting. I opted for an e-bike so that took the anxiety away climbing the hills and if I stopped for a photo then I could easily catch up with the group. I loved the decents, my e-bike had a small screen showing speed and battery information. On one occasion I reached 55k downhill! I thoroughly enjoyed all of the food. The freshly prepared locally sourced food was impressive. Usually, we had a variety of dishes, nearly always a tasty salad, bread, sometimes chips, delicious savoury spinach pastries, lovely cream cheese. The barbecued lamb was superb as was the freshly caught barbecued trout. The organisation of the trip was outstanding and the fact that there were 16 of us in the group didn't phase our leader and his assistant. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently. The evening we stayed at the trout farm, Farma Sotira after an exceptional dinner (and a drink or 2) we enjoyed traditional Albanian dancing taught by Julian our guide and singing with the Albanians whilst a log burning fire flickered in the atmospheric dining room. It was a night to remember. The decent the following day was spectacular! The thermal springs near to our next hotel were pleasantly relaxing following the cycling. Gjirokasttra was very interesting and surprisingly touristy. There's a very good ice cream shop near to the hotel. The guided tour of the UNESCO site at Butrint was very good. From there we cycled to the coast where there were opportunities to swim in the fabulous Ionian Sea. From the coast we ascended via dramatic Llogara Pass to the National Park. That really was the icing on the cake and well worth the climb. Experiencing Mount Çika inspired Lord Byron to write a poem. The next day we left Vlorë and travelled by bus to Tirana Airport. 2 group members and I had booked an additional 2 nights in Tirana so we got the bus from the airport back to the city, very good value for 400 LEK or 4 EURO. The bus also take cards. Cards are accepted widely in Tirana but not in oher places. Prices are very reasonable in Albania. Albania is courting the EU and are hoping to join in 2 years. EURO notes are accepted everywhere and change given in LEK (the universal exchange rate by merchants was 100LEK = 1 EURO). The week went fast! The holiday is quite intensive and relaxation time is limited. However every day was different and every day was a joy! You can always add on a few days at the end of the holiday if you want some down time.

Yes thats right it seems Albania hotels don't have kettles/tea making facilities. But in reality you don't miss it in what is a great tester of your cycling ability. Its tough but do-able for everyone. You will come home feeling less afraid to cycle those hills after a week in the Albanian mountains. Great food and plentyful with fresh salads,veg and fish. Excellent guides who went that extra mie for everyone.

This was our third cycling trip with Exodus & it didn’t disappoint. Albania is a stunning country but also very mountainous so a good level of cycling fitness is necessary although there is always the option of an e bike. The scenery is incredible & the local people really friendly- they would often wave & cheer us on as we panted up the hills! We were blessed with great weather although it was very hot in the full sun & it was really Important to stay hydrated. The food was excellent & as a vegetarian I ate really well. The baked cheese was a particular favourite & there was plenty of fish or meat for those who ate it. The accommodation was mixed & varied but on the whole was really good.

Wonderful way to explore Albania aboard a bike saddle will be for us less fit people pretty challenging cycling, but the rewards for one’s efforts were great incredible views, fantastic mountain scenery, beautiful coastline and rural landscape. Once again, having a local guide made a massive difference introducing us to a wonderful range of Excellent local food much of it, organic locally grown and us very tasty and nutritious. The history and culture of Albania is fascinating. Although it’s difficult to burp watch while cycling, it was wonderful to hear the gold orioles singing, and the bee aters calling above your head as you rode for a beautiful rural countryside

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our cycling holiday in Albania with Exodus travel. Booking the trip was easy and communicating with Exodus very straight forward. We booked 4 months in advance in order to guarantee our places and to book flights when they were cheaper. We were met on arrival by Erlis our guide and the transfer to our first hotel and start of the trip was seamless. The trip itself was very well planned and executed. We didn't have to make many decisions and great accommodation and restaurants, coffee stops were all arranged for us in advance. Accommodation ranged in quality but on the whole was really good. The food was excellent always and plenty of it. We cycled in September so it was mostly very hot and we needed to rehydrate often. There were 2 days of really tough cycling, 1st and last but there were plenty of stops and options to go on the bus. I hired an electric bike which was a godsend on the difficult days especially due to the heat. It was an incredible trip; Albania is a fascinating country with a diverse history and beautiful landscape. We feel privileged to have travelled there at this time.

Absolutely loved this trip. I am more of a runner so I found the mountain climbs quite hard at times, but once at the top, I had the most fun cycling down towards the ocean. Had no idea that Albania was this beautiful!!

The best holiday, in the best country with the best group and the best guide. Arjan and Bato are the best team. So much kindness, patience and generosity. The cycling was quite challenging at times but the support was excellent. Albania is a beautiful country and cycling through the countryside and along the coast is a great way to see it at its best. Arjan is very knowledgeable and shared with us his passion for his country. The food was often delicious, with fabulous salads and fish but at its best when Arjan ordered sharing plates for the group. I would return in a heartbeat to enjoy the generous hospitality of warm and friendly Albanians.

my first cycling holiday and i loved it. so simple - get up, eat breakfast, hand over your room key and suitcase, cycle until you get handed a coffee and then lunch, then cycle until you are handed a room key and your luggage. eat dinner, drink wine, sleep and repeat. albania has some stunning scenery and the route was a good mix of challenging and easier.

Being honest, I knew very little about Albania, I only selected the trip to spend a week cycling after finishing work and entering a "between jobs" phase and this trip seemed very good value for money. However, this trip exceeded my expectations on every aspect. I have come away with information about the Albanian people and some of their countries difficult history, respect for the Albanian hills, magical memories of the stunning scenery, a happy stomach after a week of Albanian food and drink (including the local Raki spirit!) and stronger legs :-) This was my second Exodus trip and I'm not sure if I have simply been lucky but the group dynamics on both trips have been wonderful with everyone getting along just great. I definitely recommend this trip to others.

This trip did not disappoint! I had wanted to visit Albania for some time and seeing it on two wheels was the obvious way to enjoy the scenery and surroundings. The people were friendly, the scenery varied and stunning from the mountains to the coast and the added visits to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Butrint and the National Parks added to the enjoyment. The accommodation was lovely and better than we had had on previous Exodus trips and ranged from hotels on the sea front to rustic homestays. Our guide Arjan was helpful and informative and picked some great places where we could eat luch and dinner with confidence. We found the cycling quite challenging in parts, especially day 2 when we were just warming up and then day 7 which was a killer but to be honest there wasn't really an easy day. However, the ups mean that you also get the downs which were hugely enjoyable and worth the climb! We were all encouraged to both the big climbs on the last day. The first one was great once you managed to get out of the town, which was demanding, but then transformed into steep undulations and pretty villages with great views and an excellent long downhill. But the second climb between coffee and lunch up the switchback was quite frankly brutal, especially after the first climb of the day! It was very hot, offered no shade and little in the way of things to see on the way, although the view towards the coast was stunning. I confess to riding some of the way in the bus on that climb and I still got to enjoy the views!! The challenge was rewarding! However, whatever your cycling ability, it is very doable as a few opted for E-bikes which seemed very sensible on reflection, the better cyclists enjoyed the challenge of completing all the climbs and there is always back up from the bus if you feel tired.

Just returned from my first Exodus trip and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We were a small group of 7, plus Arjan as guide and Rimi our driver, who were both very helpful and good fun. All Arjan’s eatery recommendations were great and the food overall was excellent. You also get a lot for your money in Albania - I spent less than £200 in total the whole week. I enjoyed the variety of natural scenery on the tour.. mountains, lakes, rivers, coast.. as well as the beautiful city of Gijrokastra. I’m a reasonably fit 55 year old, cycle a couple of times per week and the level of cycling was just about right for me - a real challenge on some of the days, especially the last day, plus it was very hot!! - but the group was well supported with water and you can always take a break or even jump in the minibus if you’re flagging feeling below par. Albania is a beautiful country with incredibly friendly and humble people. I would definitely recommend this trip.

We travelled to Albania at the end of April 2022 and had a brilliant experience. Three days in the mountains followed by three days by the coast. Scenery was stunning so we ran out of superlatives to describe it. We were met by our local tour leader - Erlis- at the airport who competently organised everything. Food on the trip was very good. Mediterranean in style, lots of vegetables, fresh fish and many plates of chips. We were very well fed. Cycling was challenging particularly on the first and last days with some long ascents however the bikes supplied were pretty good and gearing coped well. All the effort was definitely worth it. We have travelled to a few remote places around the world but Albania was completely different and well worth going to. Erlis gave us a good briefing on some of the recent history of the country opening our eyes to this part of the world. Definitely a place to visit.

This was a really great cycling holiday. The moutain scenery was amazing and hardly anyone around except the odd cattle and motorist here and there. Food and accommodation were all excellent and guides were very professional, friendly and helpful. Great bikes with front suspension. Road a little bit bumpy in places but on the whole fine for cycling. Great tour leader, trainee tour leader and driver.

I did enjoy the cycling in those desolated monutain regions, with practically no traffic in company of our joung enthusiastic guides, as well as the way along the coast, with lot of ondulation. The hotels at the coast were nice, although concerning the meals there was room for improvement. It would have been nice to dine a couple of time in a restaurant instead of staying always at the hotel.

This tour of Albania was incredible from the contrast in scenery between mountains and coast and our expert organisation from our guides, Erlis and Oni.

This is our 10th Exodus cycling trip and because we were both very busy in the summer, we didn't have a lot of time preparing and read up about the trip. We knew next to nothing about Albania and just managed to read the trip notes once so that we know how many days to pack for and that was it. The trip turns out to be a great pleasant surprise. We thought Albania will have poor infrastructure with lots of pot holes (like Cuba or Romania) but the back roads that we rode on were great. Most of the cars are Mercedes (surprisingly) and the hotels were great European standard (most have good fast WiFI except in the mountains). The food and drinks are cheap (even with the £ being so low because of Brexit) and the old city of Gjirokaster and Butrint were amazing. The quality of cycling is also very good. There are quite a few climbs (especially the one on the last day) but we are never in a rush and with our keen leader encouragement, we managed most of them.

So many 'oh wow' moments as I was riding through Albania. Beautiful country to cycle through with the first half of the trip more rural, snow capped mountains, lakes, gorges, warm friendly locals giving you a wave as you them passed by, through to the second half of the trip being more coastal, spectacular views of the Albanian Riviera across to Corfu, pretty coastal towns and the stunning blues of the Mediterranean Sea. Albania is definitely not flat but each day was different and equally enjoyable. The quality of the food was a real delight - delicious!

I loved every minute of this adventure. Albania is somewhere I've not been to before, nor had any of my friends, and it did not disappoint. It is a beautiful country with welcoming people and cycling is the best way to see it. It's as yet unspoilt by too much modern development and is like stepping back in time but in a good way.

This trip more than satisfied my curiosity and interest in Albania. We cycled in lots of different regions facing different countries and seeing Albania in all its beauty. Each day offered a different type of ride, the scenery forever changing and the views always spectacular and breath-taking.

A fabulous trip that surprised us from day one. Great food, wonderful people and fantastic scenery. Albania was the winner and we will all recommend going there as soon as you can.

Every part of this trip was wonderful, from the people, to the rides, to the organization, to the food, etc. I loved it.

Albania is incredibly beautiful. It has some of the most spectacular mountain scenery that will forever be etched in my memory. Cycling is a fantastic way to see a country and visit lesser touristy places and this trip was certainly no exception. The people are very hospitable and the Cycle Albania team were simply amazing. The food was a fusion of Mediterranean and Turkish meze style and every meal was a feast in itself!

Beautiful country with a mixture of forest, coast and mountains. Our group bonded really well; we had lots of laughs and lots of encouragement for each other up the hills. Food was good; mezze style shared between the group which worked really well. Lots of snack stops to keep us fuelled.

A fantastic way to see this wonderful country. The first part of the trip is mainly inland in more rural mountainous areas and the second part along the Albanian riviera. Great hospitality and food, considerate drivers on the roads and friendly people as we passed through the smaller places. The cycling has some challenging climbs on the first and final days but is as described on the trip notes and classification. Nice to have some shorter cycling days to be able to do the tours in Gjirokaster and the Roman site at Butrint.

A week in which you will challenge your fitness, enjoy delicious and healthful food, meet welcoming communities and see the beauty of unspoilt countryside.

It says it's challenging and it is - but the effort is worth it. The scenery is fantastic - at times it felt like "cycling through a postcard"... hard climbs and fun descents. The food is great - really fresh and vibrant; lots of good fish, local vegetables, cheese and meat - delicious and plenty of it! An interesting and beautiful country - I'd definitely recommend it - if you are up for some long steady climbing!

Excellent week, great guide & support, great group of people, lovely country, well maintained bikes. Food was very good at all of the stops and the although some of the accommodation was a little basic it's all you need as you are only there for the night and there isn't much time spent around the hotels / guesthouses as we were always busy with activities. There seems to be a lot of money being spent on new roads and the 14km descent on a brand new road was fun :) , I do wonder if these roads will become busy in time, but at the moment we saw very few other vehicles on a large percentage of the rides.

A really good trip, ticked all the boxes - good cycling, stunning scenary, great weather, good food, great group to travel with and an excellent trip leader

A great Cycling trip that had it all. Breathtaking mountain landscapes and coastal scenery with fabulous food and wines to be had. My group of 13 fit club cyclists found this a sometimes stengous tour in the 36 degrees heat in Mid September. There’s really no easy days in the saddle and almost everyday involves long climbs with equally long descents. The roads are very rough in places and you need to keep your wits about you for the cows, mules, dogs & goats that you meet on the narrow roads. Albania is a beautiful mountainous country that will take you back to times of old with its simple ways and graceful charm.