Cycle The Backroads of Albania
Explore the foothills of the Accursed Mountains, journey through dramatic fjords and cool off in the turquoise Komani Lake
What's Included?
Small Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 14 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
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What's it like?
Cruise the quiet backroads and rolling hills of rural northern Albania, taking on some impressive climbs and delightful descents
Sample a varied and rich Albanian cuisine, dense with local produce and washed down with a warming glass of fruit brandy
Rest your cycling legs with a gentle SUP or wild swim in the vast Lake Shkodra, gazing at Montenegro over on the far shore
Key Information
Day 1
Welcome to Albania
Head for your hotel in the centre of the city and if your flight time allows, explore the Old Bazaar, Bllok district and Skanderbeg Square. Join your guide and fellow adventurers for your first traditional Albanian meal at a local restaurant where you'll learn all about the journey ahead.
Day 2
The Giant lake of Shkodra
Cycling
Hop on a local bus and head into the mountains. From there, it's time to get set up with your bike and start pedalling the local back roads. Roll through the countryside and explore a hugely fertile part of the country that produces much of Albania’s food. Stop for lunch at Mrizi Zanave, a Slow Food Movement farm famed for its delicious organic produce. Well-fed, hop back on the bike and continue to Lake Shkodra, a vast body of water that lays between Montenegro and Albania - the perfect spot for some peaceful paddleboarding as the sun sets. For those who would rather chill, the lake is also a great spot for some wild swimming.
Day 3
Komani Fjords and Valbona National Park
Cycling
An early start this morning, as you jump in the van to Komani terminal. Hop on a ferry and enjoy the dramatic views as you cruise to the small town of Fierza where your bike will be waiting for you. Set off into the Accursed Mountains. This is a tough day, but you can cycle at your own pace and these quiet mountain roads are what it’s all about. After some long climbs and huge mountain views, explore Valbona National Park, with an optional hike to one of the nearby vantage points for those keen for even more views. Alternatively, kick back and relax at your guesthouse tucked away amidst the trees.
Day 4
The great descent
Cycling
Soak up your time in the beautiful Valbona Valley and then enjoy the long, winding descent back down the mountain, pausing for a coffee and a chat with the locals in the tiny village of Lekbibaj. The downhill joy runs out near the end of the day, with a steep climb up to your guesthouse – but then an entire day downhill would be too good to be true!
Day 5
More time in the mountains
Cycling
Cycle to the village of Dardha, pausing on the switchbacks as you climb to feast your eyes on the amazing views across the Fierza and Komani Lakes. Continue along undulating mountain roads to tonight’s guesthouse, arriving with time to spare. If you fancy a walk in the woods, there’s a perfect route just behind the guesthouse - keep your eyes peeled for Albanian Lynx or foxes. Settle in for a final night in the mountains and join your hosts for a nightcap of Raki that’s sure to send you into a deep slumber.
Day 6
Puka
Cycling
Enjoy a meandering, mesmerising ride along quiet roads and through picturesque woodland as you make your way to the city of Puka - famous for its local craft beer and Porcini Mushrooms. Relax at the guesthouse or head to the local microbrewery that uses water straight from the nearby spring in its outstanding beer.
Day 7
Return to Tirana
Cycling
Enjoy a last day on the bike as you make your way out of the woods and roll into the village of Kozmac. From there, you’ll say goodbye to your trusty steed and hop on the bus for the short journey back to the capital. After checking into your hotel, head out to a restaurant for a last Albanian meal and a chance to celebrate all those miles achieved this week.
Day 8
Goodbye Tirana
After a final breakfast at your hotel, head back to the airport in time for your flight home.
Nb. The distances stated on the itinerary may vary a little depending on device calibration and the exact locations of the accommodation secured for each group.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Tirana Airport
Catch any flight on Day 1
Ends
Tirana Airport
Catch any flight on Day 8
Transfers
Private transfers between the airport and the hotel are included for any time you choose to arrive on Day 1 and depart on Day 8. If you would like to arrive early or extend your stay, your host can arrange airport transfers for an extra cost. See the Optional Extras section for details.
Travel options
There are regular flights to Tirana from major airports across the UK and Europe.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 7
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 8
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Under communism, Albania became a self-sustaining country due to its isolation from the world. Fortunately, it's action-packed with lush, fertile valleys, mountain springs and a warm, Mediterranean climate. Locally grown is a recurring theme here.
Breakfasts are typically eggs, fresh bread, jam, honey and coffee or tea, while lunch and dinner will likely include meat dishes (often goat or lamb) with fish dishes ranging from trout to whitebait. Courses often come in mezze form and are served with vegetables, salad, freshly baked bread, homemade cheeses, local wines and (of course!) Raki.
Local, energy-giving cycling snacks will be provided, but if you'd like specific things then please bring them from home. Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for - please just request on your passenger info form.
What is the accommodation like?
Tirana
You'll stay in a centrally located 3-4-star hotel in a twin-share room.
On the road
You'll stay in small, locally-owned guesthouses or basic hotels. These are clean and comfortable with shared facilities. Rooms are twin-share, however, there is the possibility of a night in a triple-share room, depending on availability.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
Fantastic trip in a less well-known and very interesting country. Great guides, cycling routes, food and accommodation. I would highly recommend this trip to others.
Overall, an excellent trip. Very well supported by Orgost and Hamilton who felt like part of the group. The climbs can be tough if you're not a serious cyclist (I put myself in this category) but pacing was good and back up van always on hand. Good balance between cycling and down time. Scenery is spectacular.
Highly recommend joining this trip. The riding is focussed in the north of the country, which is spectacular. Plenty of great food kept us fueled for the long climbs. Make sure you bring a good waterproof for riding as the weather can change quickly in the mountains
The trip was brilliant, a real life changing week. The country is amazing and the locals are friendly, approachable and welcoming. The organization and care from our guides Gjergj and Hamilton was exemplary. They were knowledgeable, passionate about their country and made us feel hugely welcome. They were professional, but were flexible with the group allowing us all to experience what we wanted. It certainly felt like nothing was too much effort, The accommodation and meals were chosen carefully to allow us to experience the local area. The bikes were brilliant, they were ideal for the terrain, they fitted well and we had no mechanical issues all week! The highlights of the trip were the beautiful contryside, empty roads but more importantly the guides, who felt like friends by the end of the week, thankyou!
This was an amazing trip. The infectious enthusiasm of Orgest and Hamiltoni (our guides) ensured a great time was had by all. Nothing was to much trouble for them and seeing beautiful Albania by bike was spectacular. If you enjoy riding on quiet roads with spectacular views then this is the trip for you. PS if you also like to eat a lot of food, no one ever goes hungry on this trip :-).
This was an amazing trip. Great guides, great scenary, great food. Loved it.
Great trip and amazing food
Would definitely recommend this trip although I'd also recommend some cycle training before hand. The hill climbs were tough! Beautiful scenery helped to distracted things though. Lots of tasty food, comfy beds and supportive, knowledgeable guides. Can't wait to see more of the Balkans. Faleminderit
We had an incredible trip. The views were amazing, the food delicious and the guides wonderful. I thought perhaps the ascents would be too much for me as a normally very leisurely rider but the guides always made sure I got to the top! I had excellent vegetarian food throughout and a lot of it which didn't help me get up the hills. No sign of that sneaky lynx though
A really great trip to see a beautiful country with great guides. I would do it all over again and can definitely recommend it!
Brilliant trip ! The guides were so friendly. The group was fantastic, it's great to cycle with likeminded people. Albania is a really a beautiful country, and the cycling was some of the best I have ever done. I'll miss the food that was great and there was so much of it, that it did not help when climbing ;)
What a week! Constantly amazing views, roads in perfect condition, challenging rides, really quiet road - a cyclist dream! The food is incredible, Gjerj and his team make absolutely every effort to make the trip enjoyable for everyone, they never stop, wether on the road or in the bar they are taking care of us all the time! I would highly recommend this trip!!! I'd never have planned the North Albanian Hills as its just not known for cycling, we didn't see any other cyclists the whole time. It is a genuinely well kept secret as the roads are perfect for it!
Superb guides who went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable, well fed and looked after. The scenes were incredible (those downhills!), the hospitality of the country was wonderful and the food delicious (and seemingly never-ending). The long climbs were often tough but the beer with a view at the end of the day was well worth it.
Brilliant trip all round! The guides were so friendly and accommodating and really made the trip, and the group was brilliant - very like minded people and I am sure we'll stay close in future. Albania is a really interesting and beautiful country, and the cycling was some of the best I have ever done. I'll miss the food as well!
Guides
Expert, English-speaking guide and bike mechanic
Accommodation
4 nights in a hotel and 3 nights in a local guesthouse
Meals
7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
Transfers
To and from the airport and everything in-between
Equipment
- Crampons and safety ropes
- Expedition tents and cooking gear
Permits
All permits and entry fees
Support Vehicle
To hop into if your legs need a rest
Our trips are hassle-free by design. We include all the activities and equipment, as well as many of the meals, so you can simply rock up with your rucksack and share the adventure with your new pals.
Personal Expenses
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
What's included?
- Specialized Crosstrails Disc bikes and all your SUPing equipment
What do I need to bring?
Clothes
- Padded cycling shorts
- Sports top or cycling jersey
- Fleece jacket or similar for the evenings
- Trousers/leggings for the evenings
- Waterproof jacket
- Cycling gloves
- Buff or neck scarf
- T-shirts Underwear & socks Swimwear
- Sunglasses
- Sunhat
- Something to sleep in
- Cycling shoes (bring your own pedals if using cleats)
- Sandals
Other
- Cycle helmet
- Bumbag or a small and light rucksack for riding
- Padlock for left luggage
- Universal travel adapter
- Power bank or solar charger
- Passports (and visas)
- Travel Insurance documents
- Earplugs
- Insect repellent
- Suncream
- Personal first-aid kit (including blister treatment)
- Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
- Alcohol hand-gel
- Reusable water bottle
- Energy bars and snacks (if you have a personal preference)
Optional Private Room Upgrade
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Room Upgrade
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Pre/post trip accommodation in Tirana (Single)
Payable Before Departure
Pre/post trip accommodation in Tirana (Single)
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Pre/post trip accommodation in Tirana (Twin/Double)
Payable Before Departure
Pre/post trip accommodation in Tirana (Twin/Double)
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We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 158kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000 miles/1609km would be approximately 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person, if there were two of you in it).
- A return economy class flight between London and New York would be approximately 1619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approximately 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
You'll be using Specialized Crosstrail Disc bikes. These are light, aluminium hybrid bikes that are perfect for riding comfortably on the road. They are also equipped with a water bottle cage and standard flat pedals. If you would like to bring your own SPD pedals and saddle, these can be fitted for you.
Your host will provide you with clean safe drinking water from large containers. Bring a refillable bottle, it will be well used.
Any excess luggage can be safely stored at your hotel in Tirana until you return.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
Need help finding flights?
From logistics and how to get there, to fitness, group dynamic and trip difficulty, Rory and his team of friendly experts are on hand to help.
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DEPARTURE DATES
