Balkan Cycle Tour
The lads did very well.
Fern, Braz and I spent a fun 15 days on an Exodus cycle tour of four Balkan countries. Great terrain, local food and drink, and the company of Guy, Steve and John. Taking to the saddle let us easily reach the lesser-visited (but no less intoxicating) corners of Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia — the Unesco-listed lakeside town of Ohrid, the imposing Durmitor mountains, and a well-earned sun-and-sea flop at the Bay of Kotor.
Tirana → Ohrid → Debar → Mavrovo → Prizren → Berane → Kolasin → Zabljak → Pluzine → Niksic → Kotor → Shkoder
9–23 June 2023
Take to the saddle to experience the best of Europe without the tourist hordes.
Welcome to Tirana
Welcome to Tirana, the capital of Albania and the cultural and political hub of the country. In the evening, our guide holds a welcome meeting to discuss the week ahead, give advice on the local area and answer any questions before we all go out for a welcome dinner.
To Lake Ohrid, and over the border into North Macedonia
A transfer to beautiful Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest lakes in the world and one of Europe’s largest biological reserves, where the bikes are unloaded and adjusted to everyone’s comfort. The ride follows the scenic shore towards Pogradec, with lunch at a waterfront restaurant near Tushemisht. In the afternoon we cross into North Macedonia, visit the Monastery of St Naum, and ride through Galicica National Park into Ohrid town.
Onto a mountain-bound plateau, following the gorge to Debar
Leaving Lake Ohrid, we climb to a high plateau bounded by mountains, following the gorge until the hills open up into a patchwork of farms in the Debar region, where the day’s ride ends.
Into Mavrovo National Park
Today’s ride heads for Lake Mavrovo, the country’s largest artificial lake, set inside a national park of deep canyons, snowy peaks and dense forest that’s home to wolves, bears and lynx. We reach our hotel at the foot of the Bistra mountains by mid-afternoon.
▶ Watch: Cycle Days 1–3Over the Kosovo border into Sharri National Park
A transfer takes us out of Mavrovo and across the border into Kosovo. We ride through Brezovica, a winter ski area, and on into Sharri National Park — still relatively undiscovered ground, home to wild boar, wolves, bear, lynx and roe deer.
Through Kodra e Diellit, down into historic Prizren
From Brezovica we climb to Prevalle, another ski resort, through the forest of Kodra e Diellit, then descend a long way to historic Prizren, the cultural capital of Kosovo — known for its gastronomy and wines, traditional handicrafts, and a striking mix of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture. A city tour of the old town fills the afternoon.
Free day in Peje
A transfer from Prizren to Peje, with a free day to explore another beautiful Kosovan city before heading on to Montenegro tomorrow.
Into Montenegro via Rozaje, on to Berane
A transfer to the Kosovo–Montenegro border, then cycling from the border down to Rozaje, a town ringed by the peaks of Hajla and Turjak and thick with forest and flowers. We regroup for a support-vehicle transfer through a long tunnel before continuing by bike into Berane.
▶ Watch: Cycle Days 4–6To Kolasin, beneath the Albanian Alps
A flat road to the small town of Andrijevica, then a narrow, spectacular road all the way up to Kolasin, with the Albanian Alps — and Jezerca, the second-highest peak in Albania — visible off to the left. A short tunnel transfer just before Kolasin leads into an easy final stretch.
Through Tara Canyon to Zabljak
A short transfer to Mojkovac, then cycling through the Tara Canyon — one of the deepest river canyons in Europe — with a view of the striking Tara Bridge, before reaching Zabljak. At 1,456m, it’s the highest town in the Balkans, set in the heart of the Durmitor mountains.
Climbing through Durmitor, descending to Pluzine
A long climb out of Zabljak through the Durmitor region delivers dramatic views of the high peaks, before a long, well-earned descent down to Pluzine village for the night.
▶ Watch: Cycle Days 7–9An easier day to Niksic
A gentler ride to Niksic, Montenegro’s second-largest city and largest municipality by area, sitting at the foot of Trebjesa Hill.
Down to the Bay of Kotor
A short transfer to Vilusi, then a ride down to the picturesque Bay of Kotor, its medieval towns encased by dramatic mountains and inhabited since antiquity. The afternoon is free to walk the old city walls, with a farewell-worthy seafood dinner on the waterfront.
Along Lake Shkodra to the finish in Shkoder
A drive to the coastal town of Bar, then cycling close to Lake Shkodra and back across the border into Albania for a well-deserved farewell dinner in Shkoder.
▶ Watch: Cycle Days 10–12End Shkoder
The trip ends today, with a transfer to Tirana Airport.