Cycle Bosnia & Montenegro

Our trip begins in Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina's vibrant capital, which is located on the Sarajevo plain and surrounded by mountains. Famed for its diverse religious heritage and often called the Jerusalem of Europe, we can look forward to a two night stay here.

For those arriving on time our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm for the 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 are free to arrive in Sarajevo at any time. If you would like to receive an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ) which is about 30 minutes' drive from the city centre. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.

If your flight arrives earlier in the day, perhaps you might choose to take a relaxing wander through the city's Old Town or as with everywhere else in the Balkans grab a strong coffee and watch local life go by. There is also an array of museums dedicated to the varied histories of the capital, including the Tunnel Museum depicting life during the Sarajevo Siege in 1992-1995 and showing how the resident civilians managed to keep themselves supplied during the longest siege in modern history. You may choose to join the Times of Misfortune tour, which includes entry to the Tunnel Museum.

The events that took place on 28th June 1914 in Sarajevo triggered the start of World War I, and this morning we will take taxis into the city centre to begin our walking tour with a local guide to find out more. This event was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife at the northern end of Latin Bridge by a 19-year-old Bosnian-Serb called Gavrilo Princip. We will see the Eternal Flame, which is a memorial to all those that lost their lives during the war.

We also see excellent examples of Austro-Hungarian architecture, namely the City Hall and learn more about the dreadful fate of the Jewish community, which once thrived in this city. After lunch, we get on our bikes and after some time to make any adjustments to get comfortable, we cycle to the spring of the Bosna River. On our circular ride, we pedal through a picturesque park with numerous streams forming lakes and islands at the foot of mount Igman.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 30 kilometres (Total 180 metres ascent and 180 metres descent).

This morning starts with a short drive by charter bus to the town of Pale, which is located on the slopes of Jahorina Mountain. Then getting on our bikes, we ride from Pale (950m) to Gorazde (350m) through the mountain scenery of Jahorina. We cycle mostly through deciduous forests, mountain farmlands and small villages with some long descents and a few shorter climbs towards the end.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 71 kilometres (Total 430 metres ascent and 820 descent).

Today we cycle from Gorazde into Montenegro. We follow a scenic gorge of the spectacular Drina Valley before passing through a few smaller towns such as Ustikolina and Brod. After approximately 40km, we leave the Drina River and turn south-west toward the Durmitor Massif in Montenegro. After crossing the border at Scepan Polje we finish today's ride before the road enters Piva Canyon.

We drive the remaining distance in our bus to reach our accommodation near Rudinice village. Set amid nature with fine views of the valley and lake below, we stay in wooden chalets, which each contain two beds. There is a short walk (10 to 50 metres) to the bathroom block, which is shared between five chalets. This evening dinner is included and we will enjoy some traditional Montenegrin fare. The ride today is mostly on flat and gently undulating terrain with some ascents towards the end.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 65 kilometres (Total 530 metres ascent and 220 metres descent).

The day starts with an ascent of 200 metres to reach 1150m and our ride is through beautiful alpine scenery with about 10 kilometres of undulated terrain before we start the long descent toward Niksic. Finally, we will ascend to the Monastery of Ostrog. Dedicated to Saint Basil of Ostrog, the monastery was built in the 17th century, cut dramatically into the 900m cliff face that looms above it.

The monastery contains the bones of St Basil, the walls are crammed with offerings and pleas from the faithful. After visiting the monastery, we cycle to Bogetici Village where we spend the night in an apartment style hotel in two-bedroom apartments, each apartment consists of two bedrooms that share one bathroom.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 61 kilometres (Total 930 metres ascent and 1390 metres descent)

Today we cycle on a road on the slopes of Prekornica mountain following the direction of the Zeta river valley. We slowly descend around 700 metres in altitude to Virpazar. Along the way, we pass through Danilovgrad town and Podgorica (on cycle paths). After the ride we have a short drive to reach Virpazar where we spend our final two nights. Virpazar is one of two small towns located on Lake Skadar and easily accessible from the country's capital, Podgorica.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 65 kilometres (Total 120 metres ascent and 630 metres descent)

Our last day on the bikes starts with a short morning ride to neighbouring villages. The terrain is flat and undulating and we will ride with occasional views of Lake Skadar. In the afternoon, once back in Virpazar, there is the opportunity to take a boat trip on the lake. The vast freshwater lake and wetlands, surrounded by dramatic karst mountains, straddles Albania and Montenegro and is renowned as one of Europe's top bird habitats - home to more than 260 species of birds including herons, pelicans and cormorants.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 48 kilometres (Total 1150 metres ascent and 1150 metres descent).

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Virpazar. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Virpazar at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like to receive an airport transfer today, you need to depart from Podgorica Airport (TGD) which is a 35 minute drive from Virpazar.