Albania Bike Tour Reviews page 6
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★★★★★ MB
Albania welcomes you!
UNESCO Sites of Albania
This was an enjoyable ride with some absolutely gorgeous mountain ranges and coastlines. There are no bike baths on this ride except for the first day. The rest of the time you are on roads with varying degrees of vehicle traffic. Rarely a car in sight in the country but they are constant along the coast and towns. Accommodations were relatively modest but clean. If you are looking for 4 star hotels and amenities it won't be on this trip. Every lodge had a continental breakfast, some were definitely better than others. The visit to the monastery of St. Naum was worth the extra ride the first day. 2nd day ride to Korçë was decent not overwhelming. However, thanks to a tip from Lilliana at the Hotel we had dinner at a delicious steak house called "Repulika". Off a little side street with not so great signage. Best meal of the whole trip. The best part of the day 3 ride to Sotire was the last 3 or 4 mile climb up into the forest. The cabins were a treat and being way out in the country was delightful. The ride to Permet was when the mountains came into full view. Beautiful ride. Would recommend riding to the Stone Bridge to check out the thermal pools which are about 4 miles past the lodging. The word thermal is a misnomer. If you have time, take a long walk past the bridge up through the canyon to get away from the crowd around the bridge. The ride to Gjirokaster was manageable and relatively car free. However when getting closer to town the vehicle traffic increased. Gjirokaster is a pretty touristy enclave. The castle is worth the visit if only for the views. Sarande & Himare were beautiful seaside towns. Sarande was larger and had more bustle to it. If you are planning a layover day you can take a day ferry over to Corfu. We prefered Himare, but the city center was a short bike ride from the hotel. All in all I would recommend this trip. It had a great range of topography from farmlands to forest to mountains to coastlines. I would highly recommend an ebike unless you are in superior shape. No fun pedaling with your head down for hours on end. Do your work outs at home. You're on vacation! Go now because in 10 years this will be a very different country
- What was the date of your tour?
- September
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac
Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful review — it’s a wonderful overview of the trip! We completely agree with your advice: now is the perfect time to visit, as the region is developing rapidly and will surely look very different ten years from now.
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★★★★★ Elspeth Miller
Informative, varied, engaging, active tour
UNESCO Sites of Albania
The tour, although a group of 22, was well-organized, orderly and congenial. The Guide and Driver/Bike Mechanic were experienced, knowledgeable and patient. The route gave a good overview of the South’s historical sites and the guide’s pride in his homeland was charming. Riding a regular bike, one of 4 (the other 18 were on e-bikes), I never felt left behind and always had enough time to rest at our regular stops. The restaurants served delicious, nutritious meals to fuel us and the route was largely on quiet roads with challenging, but not too daunting ascents and exhilarating descents.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Marion M.
Beautiful Albania
UNESCO Sites of Albania
What an amazing holiday. The scenery, the food, our fellow cyclists and an especial mention to Tani our guide and Teri our back up driver. Nothing was too much trouble for them
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Phil
Amazing adventure!
Balkan Treasures
Absolutely flawless self-guided bike tour.
Bicycles were in pristine condition.
Everyone in the support team along the way was very friendly and professional.
The GPS guidance app was spot-on so navigation was a breeze.
Hotels were first rate.
Ready to tackle another tour!- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
-
★★★★★ Nigel Crosby
Mountains of magic
UNESCO Sites of Albania
We opted for self guided which suited the group perfectly.
The scenery was amazing and the locals very friendly 😊- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Janice
So happy in Albania
UNESCO Sites of Albania
We couldn't have asked for much more on this trip. Cycling through breathtaking scenery was a fantastic way to experience Albania. Julian, our guide was bursting with knowledge, energy and enthusiasm, and ensured that everything ran smoothly without making anyone feel rushed. The roads were in very good condition and there was very limited traffic for the most part. The time on the bikes each day was perfect, giving challenges but also stops to allow everyone to drink in the scenery. The accommodations were all very clean, and had comfy beds. They varied in style which allowed us to have a unique experience each night.
I am an intermediate cyclist. With an ebike I had absolutely no problem with some of the challenging climbs and was able to set the power to suit my ability. We were also lucky to have an amazing group of people from around the world which was lovely.
Do it!- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Leslie Reiser
Cycling in Albania is a must!
UNESCO Sites of Albania
The UNESCO Sites of Albania tour is fantastic! From the beautiful sites of the countryside and towns to the people of Albania this trip is a must do. Most of us on the guided tour had e-bikes as this tour is challenging for regular bike enthusiasts. Our guide Julian was the best! He was very knowledgeable about cycling in Albania and history of his country. He made sure everyone was comfortable on the tour. Julian’s dad drove the support van and both he and Julian made sure the bikes were in top condition for cycling. The van was also available if you’re unable to cycle one day. Fortunately only one day was rained out so Julien arranged a van to take everyone along the route safely to the next hotel. This was our first guided tour (we’ve done self guided before) and we would do them again!
Book this tour!!!- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2026
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Catherine Lambert
Fantastic trip!
Balkan Treasures
The rides, hotels, shuttles, bikes and local trip coordinator were all great. The hotels were beyond our expectations. We felt that we had an amazing trip for a very reasonable price. We bought our own bike mirrors which we were very pleased to have since it was only the two of us riding together and sometimes the traffic was a bit tricky.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20
- 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, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
-
★★★★★ Rhonda P
What a trip!!’
Cycling Albania from the Mountains to the Ionian Sea
What an adventure!! We loved this trip. From the start Elvis was great to deal with and was quick to reply and help us with any questions from trip logistics down to restaurant suggestions and fascinating facts about Albania. Kleard was our tour support and he was just amazing from telling us about unique stops to check out to dealing with any bike issues.
The hotels were wonderful, the food is fresh and sooo delicious, the people we met were lovely and the scenery was breathtaking!! What a beautiful country from the mountains, through the olive groves and the city of stones to the Ionian sea! We rented e-bikes and totally recommend that- it allowed us to enjoy the scenery, the hills and the ‘flats’! We all highly recommend this tour! Thanks Elvis and Kleard for making this trip so amazing!- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2026
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Beth C
Wonderful way to see Albania
UNESCO Sites of Albania
My husband and I did the self-guided tour 9-day tour and really enjoyed our trip. The scenery is beautiful and the people were super friendly. The accomodations were varied, but great all around and interesting. The food and wine was spectactular (though only breakfasts were included)! The first few days were great biking and pretty empty roads. the last 4 days were on busier roads and some of the climbs were pretty epic. Drivers are pretty respectful of cyclists, and are used to roads slowing down for cows, sheep and bikers. Definitely not for the faint of heart, though you have all day to do the cycling and water and food (especially cherries in May) are readily available. If you are worried about the climbing, an electric bike would be recommended. Also, nine days is a lot of cycling, but definitely worth the effort!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May-June 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Fred OLeary
Fabulous cycling holiday in Albania
Cycling Albania from the Mountains to the Ionian Sea
Wonderful introduction to Albania. Trip was extremely well planned Elvis and Klerd were extremely helpful, knowledgeable and caring. They clearly love their country and are proud to share it., Albania is incredibly safe and we never had to lock our bikes or worry about them being taken ( unlike many European countries we have been to). Accommodation and food was first class. The Ionian coast is a must.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Ginger B
Good trip but the traffic was too much on several days
Balkan Treasures
We had a nice time but were not comfortable with the amount of traffic on the narrow roads on several days. Cars, trucks and buses would fly by us with no room for us to get out of the way which was very scary. We bike a ton at home so we are not novices. I would advise the local bike company to re=examine the bike routes this tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
-
★★★★★ Mary M
Fantastic tour of a gorgeous country
UNESCO Sites of Albania
The tour took us through some amazing country side at a pace that allowed us to explore our destinations once we finished the active parts of the day. We were given opportunity to see other side trips using local guides that added context to the area and the history. The group was great and we enjoyed meeting and getting to know the others.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 26
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ William
Stunning Mountain Scenery
UNESCO Sites of Albania
We were a group of five Canadian seniors. On arrival we merged with about two dozen fellow travelers from Britain, Canada and the USA, who provided great companionship, laughs and memories. Our guide, Juri, and support driver, Orson, went above and beyond to provide excellent service.
I would highly recommend this tour on an e-bike but not on a regular bicycle unless you are a seasoned bicyclist in excellent condition.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Richard LePage
Trip with old friends
UNESCO Sites of Albania
The bike exceeded expectations on all levels. The scenery was spectacular, and the tour guide was very knowledgeable re Albanian history and culture. Highly recommended ride.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Tom F.
Albania is a hidden gem!
UNESCO Sites of Albania
The tour far exceeded our expectations - the scenery, the weather, the guide, the food! Unless you are a highly trained cyclist, use an ebike. You’ll enjoy the ride and scenery much more than cranking the pedals over some of the hills that go over 10 percent gradient!
Go see Albania before the rest of the world finds out about it!- What was the date of your tour?
- September 26-October 5 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
-
★★★★★ François L
Fantastic trip.
UNESCO Sites of Albania
Albania far exceeded my expectations. Very well organized trip, guide was great and accommodations & food were excellent.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2026
- 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
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