Ride Description:

The highlights of this magical bike tour include three UNESCO sites, snow-capped mountains, inviting beaches, a genuine, untouched subsistence culture and, exceptionally friendly local people. 

Situated at the crossroads of culture and trade routes, Albania has a rich and storied past. Borders were closed for much of the 20th century so it’s one of the few central European countries that is still relatively undiscovered by travelers. Cyclists are often met with enthusiasm and curiosity in remote villages.  

The tour starts and finishes in Tirana, the bustling and cultural capital of Albania. Tirana is served by an international airport and local buses, close to Montenegro, Greece, Croatia and Italy, making it an ideal place to head off to your next adventure. 

Cycle Albania has been in business for 10 years and has led close to 500 tours in this small country. Their local knowledge is second to none. Their fleet of well maintained GIANT bikes includes Rove, Roam and Explore E+.

Tour Fee:

1725 EUR, payable to Cycle Albania

Bike Rental Costs:

Pedal bike rentals are included in the tour fee and the upcharge for an E-bike rental is 280 EUR.

If you are bringing your own bike, storage for your bike box or bag is provided.

 

Accommodation Reservations:

We’ll stay in 3 & 4-star Hotels and at two comfortable Guesthouses in the mountains. These Guesthouses have shared bathrooms.

Single Supplement Fee 280 EUR

When registering as a single, you must notify the Ride Leader ( jmwhitehead55@gmail.com ) in writing to state if you would like to have a roommate, are willing to pay the single supplement if one can not be found or if you require your own room and will be paying the single supplement.  At the two Guesthouses, those paying single supplement will have their own room, and share a bathroom. Please note: This option may be limited due to hotel/guesthouse constraints.

Riding Conditions:

We start and finish the tour in Tirana. We ride from town to town for 8 of the 14 days with riding options on our days off. The routes are on paved roads with grades averaging 3 to 6% most days with steeper climbs on the last day with grades of 7-9%.  The total cycling distance for the tour is 485 kms with a total ascent of 6023 m.

The tour has flexibility in both pace and the number of stops along the way. In order to enjoy this flexibility, each cyclist or group of cyclists must be able to navigate the route with Ride with GPS.  The English speaking guide is most often leading the group with the driver of the support vehicle at designated refreshment stops along the way.

Fee Includes:

• Hotel accommodation for 13 nights
• 13 Breakfasts 
• 8 Lunches
• 7 Dinners
• 2 Socials on Day 1 & 13 before group dinners
• 2 Transfers as listed in the itinerary (Day 2 & 14)
• English speaking Tour Leader cycling with the group 
• Driver with support van with bike trailer
• Bike & 15L pannier, see Cycle Albania website for further information
• 50% of Tour Fee for Tour Coordinator

Fee Does Not Include:

• Flights
• Medical or Trip cancellation insurance
• Transfers before and after the tour
• E-bike rental
• Drinks with meals
• Helmet & Water Bottle
• Navigation devices & brackets
• Single Supplement (280 EUR)
• Tip for the Guide and Driver (included in CCCTS Registration Fee)

Itinerary:

Meals included are noted for each day

Day 1

Friday, Aug 29

Dinner & Social included

Arrive in Tirana and make your way to the SKY 2 Hotel, a 15-30 minute bus ride away from the Mother Theresa Airport. We’re here for 2 nights, so we’ll have time to enjoy the arts, culture and history of this tiny nation’s capital. 

We meet our guide for a social and dinner late in the day.

 

Day 2

Saturday, Aug 30

Breakfast

There’s lots to do and see in Tirana. Go for a hike on Gamti Mountain which is at the doorstep of the city, check out Bunk’Art, visit the national art gallery, museum or shop at the New Bazaar.

 

Day 3

Sunday, Aug 31 TRANSFER

Ohrid Lake – Pogradec

40 km; elevation gain 62 m

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included

After a transfer (2 hours), you will reach the northern side of Lake Ohrid where our rental bikes will be fitted and we begin cycling. We’ll enjoy lunch at a waterfront restaurant before arriving in Pogradec. In the afternoon, you can choose between relaxing at the beach in front of the hotel or heading back out on your bike to visit the monastery of St. Naum in Macedonia – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 4

Monday, Sept 1

Pogradec – Korçë 

51 km; elevation gain 412 m
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included

 

We’ll start the day with a climb up from the lake onto another high plateau surrounded by mountains. We cycle along the gorge until the hills open up, leading to a vast plain – a picturesque patchwork of individual farms and colors.

Guesthouse

 

Day 5

Tuesday, Sept 2

Korçë – Sotire

71 km; elevation gain 1171 m

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included

We leave behind the agricultural plateau of Korçë, climbing steadily into the border mountains through a landscape of barren rock interspersed with wild flowers. Numerous cols and valleys lie ahead as you climb into the heart of the Grammoz Mountains and over the Barmash Pass (1159m) to a Sotire farm lying in its own tranquil valley.

Guesthouse

 

Day 6

Wednesday, Sept 3

Sotire – Përmet 

52 km; elevation gain 615 m

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included

We climb out of the Germenje valley to a high, grassy plateau surrounded by soaring peaks before reaching the source of the River Vjosa which descends through its spectacular gorge to Leskovik. We make our own descent to Cashare, then follow the Corniche route high above the river to Përmet, situated on a bluff and famous for its cuisine and strong raki.

Day 7

Thursday, Sept 4

Përmet – Gjorokast

70 km; elevation gain 412 m

Breakfast, Lunch
We continue along the valley towards the town of Këlcyrë under the distant shark’s tooth peaks standing guard over a distant gorge. We ride between 2 Mountain ranges to where the Vjose River meets the Drinos, following another stunning gorge which opens out into a wide plain to the town of Gjirokastër, with the towering castle above. Once off our bikes, we’ll have a chance to explore its narrow-cobbled alleys and Ottoman houses.

Day 8

Friday, Sept 5

Gjirokastër – Sarandë 

70 km; elevation gain 525 m

Breakfast, Lunch included
The gateway to southern Albania, Sarandë, lies along the Ionian coast sandwiched between the high mountains and the sea, close to the ancient remains of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We have the following day off to visit this heritage site. 

Day 9

Saturday, Sept 6

Sarandë

Day off

Breakfast included

Take the day to visit the Butrint National Park, one of the most important UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Balkans. Its ancient fortresses, medieval towers and Roman amphitheater are set in a scenic natural landscape, surrounded by a lagoon famous for birdwatching and mussel farming. 

Day 10

Sunday, Sept 7

Sarandë – Himarë

52 km; elevation gain 1064 m

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included
Today’s route is a rollercoaster-like ride and as with every rollercoaster, we start with a steep climb to a rock plateau.  We’ll cycle over cols and around headlands, enjoying stunning mountain scenery to our right and sea views to the left. We finish the ride with a descent towards the long beach on the bay of Himarë.

 

 

Day 11

Monday, Sept 8

Himarë

Day off

Breakfast included

Himarë is situated on a beautiful bay, surrounded by mountains and olive groves. The bay is suitable for swimming and snorkeling. 

Day 12

Tuesday, Sept 9

Himarë – Vlorë 

63 km; elevation gain 1658 m

Breakfast, Lunch included

Today’s ride is not only the most challenging but also the most spectacular in Albania. We’ll gradually climb from sea level up to 1,000 m through forests, gorges and around hairpin bends. After lunch in the beautiful National Park of Llogara, we’ll descend towards Vlorë for an afternoon relaxation by the Ionian Sea.

 

Day 13

Wednesday, Sept 10

Vlorë 

(Day off)

Breakfast, Dinner and Social included

Enjoy a day at the beach or visit the cultural sites of Vlorë. Take in the monuments, a 16th Century Mosque and 14th Century Monastery.

 

Day 14

Thursday, Sept 11

Vlorë – Tirana TRANSFER

Breakfast

We leave this vibrant coastal town for the Mother Teresa Airport, Tirana about a 2.5-hour drive from Vlorë. The airport is a transportation hub which you can easily return to the city or head off to countries close by.

Happy Trails!

Registration and Participant Selection:

Registration will be commence on January 10, 2025. A computerized lottery system and waitlist will be used in the event that the ride is over subscribed. 

A $100 CAD payment is required at time of registration. If you are selected for the ride, this fee is non-refundable. The lottery signup will run for 5 days, after which the Ride Leader will review the results. 

The registration fee will be refunded (minus stripe fee) to those not selected for the tour.

The selection process will consider the following criteria in evaluating candidates:

• fitness and riding ability and experience required for the tour,
• a history of demonstrating safe riding practices,
• acceptable social behavior.

The leader may interview riders or others who know them to verify their suitability for the tour.

• The leader will notify registrants of their selection status. If the ride is not filled, registration will continue until the closing date shown above.
• Tour member selection is done primarily by lottery results, but the leader will have the final decision on who is accepted or not for the tour. Leader has the option to prioritize up to 30% of the tour registrants.

Payments to Cycle Albania

Deadline	Amount	Additional Amount
March 1, 2025	365 EUR	300 EUR Single Supplement
July 1, 2025	1360 EUR	280 EUR E-Bike Rental

Cycle Albania accepts credit cards

 

CANCELLATION POLICY

You will be charged these amounts if you can not go on the tour. It is recommended you have your travel insurance before you book your flights or make payments for the tour.

Date of Cancellation

Cost of Cancellation

March 2 - May 31 (up to 90 days before tour)	10% of tour price
June 1 - July 20 (89 - 40 days before tour)	20% of tour price
July 21 - August 2 (39 - 25 days before tour)	50% of tour price
August 3 - 14 (26 - 15 days before tour)	75% of tour price
August 15 (less than 15 days before tour)	100% of tour price

 

Communicable Illness Policy

The CCCTS Communicable Illness Policy takes into consideration regulations and

recommendations from Public Health Authority of Canada, BC Centre of Disease Control, and Public Health Ontario. In the case of illness while on tour, it is expected that all participants will follow the procedures outlined in this policy. 

 

Please refer to CCCTS Communicable Illnesses Policy and Procedures updated March 30, 2024 for details. 

CCCTS strongly encourages all participants to be up to date on their vaccinations for COVID and all other communicable diseases.

Everyone should bring 3 COVID test kits with them on the tour and take responsibility for self-testing if they feel ill.

 

CCCTS Air Travel Emissions Statement

A return flight Vancouver - Tirana is approximately 17,500 km and will produce about 3.4 Tonnes of total emissions per person.  A return flight from Ottawa - Tirana is approximately 13, 200 km and will produce about 2.6 Tonnes of total emissions per person. For comparison, one year of driving a gasoline-powered car produces 2.0 tonnes of total emissions. For more information on the impact of those emissions on climate change and extreme weather events refer to Air Travel Emissions from CCCTS Tours on the club website.