Albania and Montenegro are still mostly unknown territory in Europe, according to many people.
Throughout the years, numerous political upheavals and imperial influences, from the Byzantine to the Ottoman, have sculpted this region’s abundant cultural and natural richness.
Every country has a distinct culture, cuisine, and tradition to experience as it grows into an independent nation and establishes itself in the modern world.
This is a rare chance to see the revival of areas that were recently considered off-limits.
A foundational set of gastronomic concepts underlies Balkan cuisine.
First off, since Montenegrins and Albanians want to keep things simple, fusion experiments are prohibited.
Second, the story of the meal’s origins is just as important as the dish itself.
Food is a representation of culture, and we like identifying who prepared it, served it, provided the ingredients, and so forth.
PLEASE NOTE: We will be using van transfers throughout the tour to avoid busy roads and to give us realistic distances each day
.
Day 1
Meet at the airport in Tirana and be transferred to your accommodation in the heart of the city.
After check in we may have the opportunity to see Tirana, stopping at the Enver Hoxha nuclear bunker, the fruit and vegetable market, and the national museum of history near to the recently constructed Tirana city center.
Your tour guide will accompany you as you go over all the tour specifics before the welcome meal and fill you in on all the information you want on the great trip you are about to embark on.
At this time, you will receive a set of panniers that you will use during the journey as well as a set of maps that provide information on each riding day.
Albania’s bright, lively capital city of Tirana is where the aspirations and dreams of this little country come together in a frantic whirl of traffic, brazen materialism, and unrestrained enjoyment.
Since emerging from its Soviet sleep in the early 1990s, Tirana has witnessed a metamorphosis of incredible proportions. The city’s center is almost unrecognizable, with buildings painted in vibrant colors, public spaces, and pedestrianized streets that are enjoyable to stroll.
Popular Blloku is bustling with well-to-do people enjoying themselves in bars and cafés, and its vast boulevards are studded with intriguing reminders of its Ottoman, Italian, and communist history, from exquisite minarets to obnoxious socialist paintings.
You may make a strong case for coming here a day sooner by adding a few good museums to the list.
Day 2
We will start the morning with one and a half hours transfer to the best agritourism place in Albania.
No compilation of Albanian agritourism farms would be complete without mentioning Mrizi i Zanave. The poster child of Albanian agritourism is the brainchild of chef Altin Prenga, who established the restaurant and adjacent farm in the village of Fishta in northern Albania.
When Mrizi i Zanave opens its doors at exactly 12pm for their lunch guests, a sheer army of wait staff pours out of the kitchen to personally present the menu (as nothing is written), take orders, and bring course after course of various appetizers, hardy main courses and imaginative desserts.
After having an unforgettable lunch we do another half hour transfer to the largest city in Northern Albania, Shkoder.
Shkoder is one of the oldest cities in Abania, located on the bank of Shkoder lake within 20 km from the Adriatic coast and 120 km from the countries capital. The city is an important cultural and economical and is also known as the center of the Albanian Catholicism and a perfect proof of the fact that all different religions can adjoin in one country.
Day 3
After breakfast we drive to Rrapsh in 50 minutes .
After everyone has their bikes suited to their comfort, we start cycling down a spectacular series of switchbacks that will take us through Albania’s northernmost point where we cross into Lake Plav, Montenegro.
Distance-66 km Ascent: 1250 meters
Following the pass, we enter the Tara River Valley and travel along a two-lane road until we reach Kolasin, where we will spend the night.
The adjacent Bjelasica and Sinjajevina mountains offer excellent trekking and skiing opportunities near Kolasin.
Distance-70 km Ascent: 1050 meters
Day 5
We depart Kolašin by biking alongside the Tara River, which is the second-longest river in Montenegro at 146 km.
As we approach the bottom portions of the Tara River Canyon, the river valley starts to get smaller.
This river canyon is the longest in Europe, measuring 78 kilometers.
We have our lunch while admiring the Tara Bridge, which spans the canyon 165 meters above the river.
After leaving the Tara River and entering the Durmitor National Park, the following 10 kilometers are all uphill until we arrive at the scattered cluster of A-frame ski lodges with open views of the neighboring mountains.
The mountainous route descends through the mountains after the crossing before making a second rise to the Prijespa Pass (1,885m).
We continue to descend through breathtaking limestone terrain and alpine meadows.
After leaving the National Park, we make our way to our bungalows in an amazing spot by descending via steep tunnels and hairpin curves.
Day 7
The second-largest city in Montenegro, Niksic, is where we complete our riding today and eat lunch.
We begin our journey toward the Adriatic Sea at Kotor, where we’ll also stop by the city’s historic center.
On the route, we can choose to stop at Ostrog, an Orthodox Serbian Monastery set against an almost vertical backdrop.
Day 8
Then, for lunch, we’ll go to Cetinje, previously the nation’s capital.
Next, we keep riding toward Virpazar, which is close to Shkoder Lake.
We’ll stay at the same local vineyard where the delicious dinner is being served, so it’s a perfect location.
Day 9
On our last day of riding, we follow the western shore of Lake Skadar, which straddles the border between Montenegro and Albania.
We enjoy expansive views of the lake’s clear waters for the most of the day.
With three sizable ascents and descents, the road resembles a “roller coaster” in some ways.
Our final rise leads us to the Tegva Pass (490 m), which offers a lovely perspective across the lake and into Albania, towards the southern end of the lake.
A long descent leads us to the level plain and the main road, and a little distance later we cross the border back into Albania.
Albania’s final 15 kilometers are mostly level, and once we pass the River Buna, we arrive in the city of Shkoder, where it’s the end of our cycling jorney.
After breakfast, we’ll make the approximately two-hour trip to Rinas Airport in Tirana, depending on your flight.
For those staying an additional night in Albania or going on other adventures, a separate transfer will be made available.
