Albania UNESCO Cycling Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Tirana
You will arrive in Tirana and meet the staff for the tour briefing and receive panniers and maps. Tirana is a city of vivid contrasts — painted buildings in primary colours, grand Ottoman and communist-era boulevards, and the buzzing cafés of the trendy Blloku district.

Day 2: Tirana – Pogradec (29 km; +70 m)
A morning transfer will bring you to the northern shore of Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest and most biodiverse lakes in the world. You will cycle along its scenic shoreline towards Pogradec, stopping for lunch at a waterfront restaurant in Drilon National Park. In the afternoon, you will cross briefly into North Macedonia to visit the monastery of St Naum before returning to your hotel.

Day 3: Pogradec – Korçë (51 km; +512 m)
Leaving Lake Ohrid behind, you will climb to a high plateau bounded by mountains. The gorge opens into a vast agricultural plain — a colourful patchwork of small farms stretching towards the city of Korçë, known as the Paris of Albania. A walking tour through its cobblestone streets and old market will close the day. Korçë was home to the first Albanian-language school, founded in 1887.

Day 4: Korçë – Sotirë (72 km; +1170 m)
You will leave the plateau and ascend steadily into the border mountains, riding through barren rock and wild flowers. The route crosses the Barmash Pass at 1,159 metres, with a lunch stop in Ersekë, the highest city in Albania. The day ends at Sotirë farm, a tranquil family-run guesthouse nestled in its own valley, where you will relax by the fish ponds with a glass of local red wine.

Day 5: Sotirë – Bënjë (66 km; +660 m)
A climb from Sotirë leads to a high pine forest plateau surrounded by soaring peaks. You will reach the source of the River Vjosa and descend through its spectacular gorge — a thrilling 17-kilometre downhill to Çarshovë. The route then follows a corniche road high above the river to Përmet, famous for its cuisine and strong raki. After lunch at the guesthouse in Bënjë, you will cycle 4 km further to the thermal pools of Langarica canyon, marked by a 16th-century Ottoman bridge.

Day 6: Bënjë – Gjirokastër (70 km; +427 m)
You will ride along the valley towards Këlcyrë, past distant shark's-tooth peaks guarding a further gorge. The Drinos river confluence opens into a wide plain with Gjirokastër — the City of a Thousand Steps — perched dramatically above. This UNESCO World Heritage city is one of Albania's most beautiful.

Day 7: Gjirokastër – Sarandë (70 km; +525 m)
A brief transfer takes you to the top of Muzina Pass, from where you will cycle down towards the Ionian coast and the gateway town of Sarandë. A short ferry ride brings you to Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian layers of civilisation lie one atop another. You will then ride north along the coast with the island of Corfu always in view.

Day 8: Sarandë – Himarë (52 km; +1064 m)
A rollercoaster ride along the Albanian Riviera. You will climb steeply out of Sarandë to a rocky plateau, then sweep over cols and around headlands — mountain scenery to the right, the Ionian Sea to the left. Along the way you will visit Porto Palermo Castle, a Venetian fortress shrouded in mystery. The day ends at the long beach and bay of Himarë, with plenty of time for a swim in crystal-clear waters.

Day 9: Himarë – Vlorë (64 km; +1590 m)
The most challenging and most spectacular day. You will gradually climb from sea level to 1,000 metres through forests, gorges and hairpin bends, reaching the Llogara Pass — the same route Julius Caesar's legions marched in 48 BC. After lunch in the beautiful Llogara National Park, a long descent brings you to Vlorë and the Ionian coast for a final afternoon of relaxation.

Day 10: Departure
After breakfast, a two-and-a-half-hour transfer will take you to Rinas airport in Tirana for your departure.