Cycle Albania

Our tour starts today in Tirana, the colourful capital of Albania and one of Europe's most underrated cities. Emerging from its cold communist past (the country spent decades under Stalinist rule), Tirana is becoming a not-so-hidden gem thanks to its vibrant arts scene, café culture and intriguing landscape - think communist-era architecture set against a rugged mountain backdrop.

For those arriving in time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 8.30pm for a quick welcome meeting, and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Tirana at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Tirana International Airport (TIA), which is around a 30-minute drive from our hotel. Please look out for your driver, who will be waiting just outside the arrivals area near the Vodafone stand, holding an Explore signboard. If you miss the welcome meeting, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information on the morning of day two.

Tirana is easy to navigate on foot, so if your flight arrives earlier in the day, you might like to head out and explore. The House of Leaves, a museum dedicated to secret surveillance and the headquarters of Albania's secret service throughout the Cold War, is an intriguing stop. If you're into markets, check out Pazari i Ri, an open-air market where you can buy everything from fresh produce to local specialities such as byreks, baklavas and honey.

We've packed in as many of Tirana's highlights as possible on this trip, however, we have very little free time in the city. If you'd like more time to explore, we recommend extending your stay by a night or two. Stay: Hotel Vila Tafaj (or similar) (Comfortable)

We will be starting early this morning, around 8am, and drive three hours to Pogradec, located along the shores of Lake Ohrid.

Once equipped and fitted with our bikes, we'll start cycling from Lake Ohrid, climbing to an elevated plateau with great views over the blue waters of the lake and the sprawling mountains that surround it. The road then continues towards Korça, where we'll be pedalling alongside vast fields and past small farms.

On arrival in Korca, we'll check in to our hotel. Dinner tonight will be either enroute or upon arrival into Korca.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 50 kilometres/31 miles and is graded as moderate. It has a 380 metres/1,250 feet total accumulated ascent and 220 metres/720 feet descent. Stay: Hotel Grand Palace, Korca (or similar) (Comfortable) (B)

This morning, we'll hop back on our bikes and leave behind the agricultural plateau of Korça, climbing steadily into the border mountains through a landscape of barren rock interspersed with wildflowers. Numerous cols and valleys lie ahead, climbing into the heart of the Gramos Mountains and over the Barmash Pass (1,159 metres/3,800 feet) to Germenj lying in its own tranquil valley.

We'll spend the night in wooden bungalows in Germenj and enjoy a traditional home-cooked dinner.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 72 kilometres/44.6 miles and is graded as challenging. It has a total of 1,160 metres/3,805 feet ascent and 1,040 metres/3,410 feet descent, the support vehicle will be with you should you wish to sit out the Barmash pass climb and descent.

The Sotira Farm Guesthouse is a collection of two-bedroom cabins located in the woods around a central farmhouse and salmon hatchery. Each cabin has a bathroom shared between the two bedrooms, in addition, there is a communal washing block cabin. The main farmhouse building where you have dinner and breakfast is warm and welcoming with a log fire and serves delicious local fare. Stay: Sotira Farm Guesthouse (or similar) (Simple) (B/D)

We'll climb out from Germenj on our bikes to a high grassy plateau surrounded by soaring peaks before reaching Leskovik. The route continues with a 15-kilometre/9.3-mile descent to Çarshove before following the cornice route high above the river to Permet situated on a bluff above the river. A short but dramatic drive of about 90 minutes will bring us to the historic town of Gjirokastër, another UNESCO Heritage site that is home to some truly stunning Ottoman architecture. Gjirokastër is magnificently set between the towering Gjerë Mountains and the Drino River, providing us with a beautifully scenic arrival from Permet as we pass through the Drino Valley and the Kelcyra Gorge.

After checking in to our hotel, we'll have a chance to explore the town's historic heart, taking in its beautiful 18th and 19th-century buildings and the dominating presence of its fortress, believed to be the second largest in the Balkans. If you're travelling in October, we might visit a traditional house instead of the fortress, as it operates shorter opening hours at the end of the season.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 58 kilometres/36 miles and is graded as moderate. It has a total of 690 metres/2,270 feet ascent and 1,430 metres/4,690 feet descent. Stay: Hotel Cajupi (or similar) (Comfortable) (B/D)

After breakfast this morning, we'll take a short drive to the starting point of our cycle ride. We'll begin with a downhill ride from Muzina Pass to the Blue Eye, the source of the river Bistrica. The ride then encircles the lagoon of Butrint National Park where we will visit the archaeological site. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Butrint is one of the country's most important archaeological treasures, tracing its origins back to the Greeks and the Romans. In the afternoon we continue our ride onto Saranda and spend the evening at the waterfront. The gateway to southern Albania, Saranda lies along the Ionian coast, sandwiched between the high mountains and the sea and close to the ancient remains of Butrint.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 67 kilometres/41.5 miles and is graded as challenging. It has a total of 560 metres/1,840 feet ascent and 1,090 metres/3,580 feet descent, the support vehicle will be with you should you wish to sit out the Muzina pass descent. Stay: Hotel Iliria (or similar) (Comfortable) (B)

A roller coaster of a ride awaits us this morning as we make our way along the Albanian Riviera passing through the small villages of Lukova and Piqeras en route to Himara. Leaving as the mist is burnt off by the sun, we'll climb steeply out of Saranda to a rocky plateau. From here, we'll pedal over cols into bays and around headlands along the Albanian Riviera, always with the stunning mountain scenery to the right and sea to the left, before descending to the long beach and bay of Himara where we'll spend the night in this seaside town. The afternoon is free to enjoy the beach and relax.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 55 kilometres/34 miles and is graded as moderate. It has a total of 965 metres/3,170 feet ascent and 920 metres/3,020 feet descent. Stay: Rondos Hotel - Himarë (or similar) (Comfortable) (B)

On our last day of cycling, we'll continue our route into the valley heading north before climbing two short but steep cols, through woodlands, little gorges, forests and around hairpin bends. Along the way, we'll pass the old fortress of Ali Pasha of Tepelena, Palermo Bay and the picturesque village of Dhermi, nestling amongst the rocky slopes of the Ceraunian Mountains.

After lunch, we'll drive to Berat (a two-and-a-half-hour journey), enjoying the great mountain and sea views of Llogora National Park enroute. Home to black pine, Eurasian otter and golden eagles, the park is a scenic expanse of protected woodland that encompasses the forests on the northern side of the Llogora Pass.

Berat is perhaps the most beautiful town in Albania, known as the 'town of a thousand windows', the white Ottoman houses cling to the hillside. We'll explore the cobbled alleys between the white walled houses and visit the citadel high above. Staying in a traditional hotel in the historic neighbourhood of Mangalemi, we should have some time to wander this World Heritage site before dinner. Time permitting, there is an optional visit to the Onufri Iconographic Museum, located in the sanctuary of St Mary's Church in the inhabited quarter of Berat Castle. Home to a remarkable collection of religious paintings, the museum is named after a famous 16th-century painter whose works were characterised by post-Byzantine and Venetian influences.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 33 kilometres/20.5 miles and is graded as moderate. It has a total 740 metres/2,427 feet ascent and 780 metres/2,559 feet descent. Stay: White House Berat (or similar) (Comfortable) (B/D)

There are no planned activities today.

Departing Berat this morning, we'll drive (approx. 2.5 hours) to Tirana International Airport (TIA) where our trip ends. The earliest your flight can depart is 6.50pm. Our transfer to the airport departs at 1.30pm from our hotel.

Our time in Berat is limited and we strongly advise booking an extra night if you'd like to explore more of this enchanting city. Before our transfer departs for the airport, we'd recommend scoping out either the Ethnographic Museum or Berat Castle, which are both well worth a visit. Before our transfer leaves make grab yourself some lunch in town and don't forget to try the local wine, some of the best in the country. (B)