Albania  Bike Tour Reviews

  • UNESCO Sites of Albania
    (5/5) Robert Guilmette 1 month ago

    I really enjoyed the UNESCO sites of Albania Tour.

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    The route was scenic. The food was delicious and plentiful. The accommodations were very nice comfortable. And the guides were great. I really enjoyed the trip! Awesome job bike tours!

    Rob

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 30th - July 9th
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) James Black 1 month ago

    Bike Tour that Exceeded Expectations

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    The scenery, roads, countryside was stunning. Our guide, Julian, was friendly and knowledgeable and catered for our every need.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2025
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Jeffrey S. 2 months ago

    Albania Adventure

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    I'll start off by saying that overall I had a great trip. However, there were several things that were a disappointment. Starting with the good-the route, the scenery, and the group of people I was with were wonderful. The bad-the guide and the total number of people on the trip. The guide gave virtually no instructions when we first got our bikes. He spent a fair amount of time in the van rather than biking. He spent more time with his "assistant" (who was clearly his girlfriend) than he spent with guests. Except for in one city, he offered virtually no insight into the Albanian culture of the areas we visited. As for the number of people, there were 20 of us on the guided tour and there were another 8 people on the self-guided tour. The self-guided people stayed in the same hotels as us and that caused, on several occasions for the group of 20 to be split up into different hotels. One night in particular, our group was not only split up into two hotels, but I stayed in a separate house (hardly a hotel-more like a hostel) by myself. It was a very uncomfortable night. Had there been fewer than 28 people in total (guided plus self guided) on the trip, this would not have likely happened. Notwithstanding the above, I had a very good time but I chalk it up to the 19 other travelers in my guided group and the beautiful countryside we saw. One last thing-if you are not a seasoned cyclist-use an e-bike on this trip. Some of the hills are killers.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 2/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Mary O 3 months ago

    Great trip through Southern Albania

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    I thoroughly enjoyed the UNESCO Sites of Albania cycling tour. Our guide Andrea was awesome! He was very eager to share his knowledge of Albania, its culture and history. He was also very friendly, helpful and supportive of tour participants. The hotels and restaurants were all good, food was delicious. I particularly enjoyed the two nights that we spent at local guest houses up in the mountains: family run and very friendly, with amazing local fresh food. The bicycles they provided were in good condition. The sag van driver and mechanic Rimi was great. He promptly and skillfully addressed any mechanical issues with the bicycles and was very supportive of any riders who needed to ride some sections in the van.
    My only criticism of the tour is that communication prior to the trip was minimal. Also, though not my personal experience, some of the other participants had been given misleading information about the difficulty of the trip from TO's administrative staff prior to the trip.
    Overall, I would highly recommend this trip!

    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    •  (photo by Mary O)
    •  (photo by Mary O)
  • (5/5) Belinda 3 months ago

    A wonderful trip

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    We had a wonderful trip our guide Roxan was fantastic, very attentive and helpful. The route was very good, with not too much traffic. Our hotels were generally good and the food was excellent. We had a great trip.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    One
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Deborah Davis 3 months ago

    Perfectly curated

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    We were self guided and had changed the itinerary by adding a few rest days along the way. As we were not part of a group we were initially worried that me might get forgotten (and bags not forwarded etc) but every detail was taken care of and the support was completely reliable and comprehensive. This allowed us to just enjoy the trip. Albania was an absolute delight in every way; scenery, people, culture and the route was perfectly curated to show the best of all of this.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • On route to Gjirokaster (photo by Deborah Davis)
    • Dinner with a view; Gjirokaster (photo by Deborah Davis)
    • On route to Gjirokaster (photo by Deborah Davis)
    • Room with a view Permet (photo by Deborah Davis)
    • Gjirokaster bazar (photo by Deborah Davis)
    • Aqueduct, Gjirokaster (photo by Deborah Davis)
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from jan May 20, 2025

      Thanks for the lovely review and fantastic photos. My mother took this trip late last year and spoke of it much the same. Thank you for traveling with us!
      Cheers,
      Jan

    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) JBR 3 months ago

    Wonderful trip. Great sampling of Albanian mountains, farms and coast.

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    Wonderful to start in Tirana, then see the rural part of Albania and finish on the coast. I enjoyed the stays at the organic farm and the guest house especially.
    The local historical tours done at some of our stays were good for hitting the highlights of their significance. They were neither too long or too short.
    The guides were fantastic. They did a nice job of allowing everyone to go at a pace that was comfortable for them. They were very patient about answering questions about Albania's history, current challenges and daily life.
    The accommodations were always clean and comfortable. Some were very nice, others more humble but were always clean and functional.
    The food was plentiful! They really focused on trying to serve traditional Albanian dishes particular to that region. Two nights we were free to eat at local restaurants so those who wanted to get a pizza or non-Albanian food could do so then.
    I feel the level of difficulty was accurately described. Unless you are an experienced cyclist you would not want to do this without an e-bike. There were several people who did not ride much and did just fine on e-bikes. For those on regular bikes (non e-bikes) it was a manageable ride. There was always a break in the morning for coffee, then again for lunch and then finishing the ride. This really helped make the rides manageable.
    I consider myself a moderate rider typically doing 50 miles per week with about 3000-4000 elevation gain total. So this tour was a moderate challenge but very doable.
    My wife and I had previously done only DIY trips and this was our first supported, guided experience. It was nice to not worry about navigation, where to stay or where to eat. All in all, it was a wonderful trip that I would recommend highly.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    6 including DIY
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Monica 4 months ago

    Beautiful trip

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    This tour showed off some amazing countryside, scenic vistas and quiet roads in Albania that many visitors would not otherwise see. Our driver Roxhens was really enthusiastic, supportive and went to great lengths to help us out even when it wasn’t part of his job (on an unguided tour).

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) James S 4 months ago

    Great trip

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    Great trip. Scenery is amazing. From high mountains to the sea! Most roads were low traffic (except in towns). The last day had a bit more traffic on the climb but wasn’t too bad. (When the tunnel opens there will be less automobile traffic)There is definitely a lot of climbing (some steep - 10%). So consider an e-bike unless you’re an avid cyclist. Food was good. No problems as a vegetarian. Hotels were good. No problems (a couple were really luxurious).

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Faith M 4 months ago

    Albania is gorgeous!

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    What a surprise to see the natural beauty of Albania by bicycle. We rode below snow capped peaks; through farmland; and along the Adriatic Coast. All of it was stunning. The riding was challenging and interesting without being too demanding. The bikes were very comfortable .Our guide was wonderful. He kept our bikes in tip top condition and kept his eye out for each one of us while riding. He shared his knowledge of Albania with us, and daily he recommended the best coffee and lunch stops. (We had an unguided trip). There was a variety of hotel styles and amenities, from basic to luxury.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    Two
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Raystrach 8 months ago

    Superb Bike Touring

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    This bike tour was a great introduction to Albania and it highlighted the rugged beauty of the country and the warmth and friendliness of the people. The tour had a great balance of challenging terrain and beautiful rolling countryside. If you are not so keen on the challenge, e-bikes are available, so there is no excuse not to take this tour.

    Some people questioned why we would go to Albania, fearing we might not be safe, but that was never an issue during the entire tour. We never felt anything but warmth and hospitality from the locals who would often wave and offer support as they drove by in their cars. That was a first.

    We selected the guided tour(we normally go self guided) as it included all meals and we are glad we did. The food was great almost without exception and our guide Arjan ensured we got plenty of variety over the duration of the tour. He also managed the group brilliantly, allowing a little freedom in the individual pace of different sub groups, so that everyone could go at their own pace depending on how they felt on the day. We were lucky to have him.

    The quality of the accommodation was a little uneven, but that was to be expected when a tour like this takes you to all parts of the country, from major towns to relatively remote provincial areas. All accommodation providers were doing their very best to give us an authentic Albanian experience. We got a good sense of the real Albania.

    If you take the decision to take this tour, you will not regret it. It was up there with the best tours we ever done.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    12
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac December 24, 2024

      Hi Ray,

      Thank you for sharing such a detailed and thoughtful review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the balance of challenging terrain and beautiful countryside, as well as the warmth and hospitality of the Albanian people. It's wonderful that Arjan and the guided tour experience exceeded your expectations, especially with the variety of food and flexibility in pacing. We’re glad you felt safe and welcomed throughout the journey, and that you embraced the authentic charm of the accommodations. Your feedback truly captures the spirit of this tour—thank you for taking the time to share it!

      Bozena

    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Lori Doering 9 months ago

    Incredible experience!

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    Loved exploring Albania on bike! Our guide, Matao, was amazing! He went above and beyond day after day. The Albanian countryside, cities, people and food far exceeded any and all expe.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
  • (4/5) Beth W. 10 months ago

    Great experience!

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    This was my first bike tour and time spent in Albania! Overall great experience with a wonderful group. Our guide and driver kept us on point each day to see the beautiful Albanian countryside including mountains and beaches. The food was healthy and good. Several of the routes were on busy roads with narrow shoulders for cyclists. The daily rides were challenging with a lot of rolling hills and climbing. Would be smart to highly consider an e-bike. Albania has a lot of opportunity to welcome tourism post-communism.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Terry Aittama 10 months ago

    Trip of a lifetime!

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    The UNESCO bike trip is definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for organization, bike route, accommodations, food, guide, and van driver/support. Albania is a beautiful country, still relatively untouched by tourism. Our guide Mateo and van driver Roxjens are the best. Mateo is very organized, communicates clearly about the day’s agenda, and has a good sense of humor. We had a luggage delay and Mateo went above and beyond to get our suitcases to us in the most timely manner possible. Roxjens is helpful, ambitious and always had a smile on his face. He changed my flat tire and had me back on the road in record time! The food is delicious and plentiful. There is a fun variety of accommodations, all very comfortable. Highly recommend this bike tour!

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    My first!
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    •  (photo by Terry Aittama)
    •  (photo by Terry Aittama)
    •  (photo by Terry Aittama)
    •  (photo by Terry Aittama)
    •  (photo by Terry Aittama)
    •  (photo by Terry Aittama)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Siobhan Knox 10 months ago

    Best Guided Tour Ever!

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    UNESCO Sites of Albania was the best guided tour I have ever done. Not only did the food and scenery exceed their reputations, the accommodations and bikes were excellent. More importantly, our guide and driver/mechanic were extremely efficient, knowledgeable, helpful, and cheerful—they left us wanting for nothing! I highly recommend it.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    13
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Bradford Pickett 10 months ago

    A Great bike ride

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    You might add an extra day in the middle of the ride for some R & R. But it was a great bike ride. The end of the tourist season everybody in Albania was a little tired. Or may that is the Albanian way. The hotels were ok we had scratching all night in the country when we stayed at the log cabins.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
  • (4/5) Maureen Lander 10 months ago

    Albania is Beautiful!

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    As far as the biking in Albania, I'd give five-star, A-plus all the way. Beautiful scenery, nice roads with twists and turns to keep things interesting. Lots of uphill -- negated by e-bike -- but rewarded with fun, exhilarating downhills that went on forever and ever. Our fellow bikers were the best, interesting, fun people from all over. It was a true experience being in a country that's emerging from decades and decades of communist rule. They have a ways to go, I'd say, as far as customer service/attitude about tourists, but it looks like they're trying.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
  • (5/5) john turco 10 months ago

    beyond expectations

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    our guide Mateo and his assistant Rojxan were amazing. Tour was like a fine tuned watch.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania