11-day cycling vacation to northern Macedonia and Albania

Insane northern Macedonia

from

€ 729,-

pp
  • Noord-Macedonië en Albanië
  • 11 days
  • Individueel en groepsreis
  • Fietsvakantie
  • Bagagevervoer
From

€ 729,-

pp
Dates and Prices
From

€ 729,-

pp
Dates and Prices
  • Bike ride around Lake Mavrovo See our post 'The Lakes of Northern Macedonia'
  • The beautiful monastery of Johan the Baptist
  • The reservoir at Debar
  • The monastery of Sveti Naum
  • The Bay of Bones to: a replica of a Bronze Age waterfront settlement
  • Noord-Macedonië en Albanië
  • 11 days
  • Individueel en groepsreis
  • Fietsvakantie
  • Bagagevervoer

Want to book this trip go to:

Dates and Prices
  • Bike ride around Lake Mavrovo See our post 'The Lakes of Northern Macedonia'
  • The beautiful monastery of Johan the Baptist
  • The reservoir at Debar
  • The monastery of Sveti Naum
  • The Bay of Bones to: a replica of a Bronze Age waterfront settlement
  • Noord-Macedonië en Albanië
  • 11 days
  • Individueel en groepsreis
  • Fietsvakantie
  • Bagagevervoer

Want to book this trip go to:

Dates and Prices
  • Bike ride around Lake Mavrovo See our post 'The Lakes of Northern Macedonia'
  • The beautiful monastery of Johan the Baptist
  • The reservoir at Debar
  • The monastery of Sveti Naum
  • The Bay of Bones to: a replica of a Bronze Age waterfront settlement

The pristine splendor of the unknown!

During the 11-day cycling trip through Northern Macedonia and Albania, you will cycle individually or in groups past the most beautiful places. Consider spending the night in an old monastery and cycling along many rivers and lakes. This cycling trip has been put together with great care by us.

Heaviness of this journey:

From

€ 729,-

pp

If you would like to book this trip go to

The pristine splendor of the unknown!

During the 11-day cycling trip through Northern Macedonia and Albania, you will cycle individually or in groups past the most beautiful places. Consider spending the night in an old monastery and cycling along many rivers and lakes. This cycling trip has been put together with great care by us.

Day to day

After arriving at Ohrid airport, your driver will transfer you to the hotel in Ohrid (transfer time approximately 15 minutes). Ohrid is a cozy town located directly on Lake Ohrid of the same name.

After breakfast, it is time for the transfer to Mavrovo National Park where your cycling adventure will begin. After checking into hotel in Mavrovo, it’s time for the first bike ride around Lake Mavrovo. This is an easy ride through beautiful countryside with virtually no elevation changes on car-free roads. You will pass several villages with stores and restaurants. The Spa Wellness Hotel is located on the lake and is equipped with all amenities, including pool, jacuzzi, sauna and gym.

Today’s bike ride begins at an altitude of nearly 1,300 meters before ending in a downhill direction in Debar at an altitude of 800 meters. You will cycle through beautiful nature through the valley and follow the Radika River to Debar Lake. Along the way you will pass the beautiful monastery of Johan the Baptist. This beautiful monastery can be visited and is maintained by 20 monks who work and live here.

Today you will pass the reservoir at Debar. The first part of this ride goes through a hilly landscape past lakes and streams through the valley. Along the way, dining options are scarce. After passing through the entrance gate of Vevcani, the road begins to rise again and the bike ride ends at the fountains of Vevcani. Enjoy drinks on the terrace with beautiful views of the lower Ohrid hinterland and delicious food in one of the many restaurants.

During today’s route, you will cross the border and cycle into Albania.

Enjoy a newly constructed bike path of about 20km, right on the shores of Lake Ohrid! Pogradec is located on the southernmost tip of Lake Ohrid. You can walk straight from the hotel into the lake for a cooling dip! How beautiful life can be.

A lovely day of lazing on the shores of the southernmost tip of Lake Ohrid

Today is the longest bike ride on the schedule with some tough climbs. You will cycle through a vast valley with several farming villages. After crossing the border with Macedonia, you will cycle along car-free roads past apple orchards to the hotel in Otesevo. Located on the shores of Lake Prespa, the hotel is an oasis of tranquility. At this site, the historic agreement between Northern Macedonia and Greece on the country’s name change was recently sealed.

With any luck, you may spot pelicans over breakfast.
Today the queen’s ride of this cycling vacation is on the program. You will cycle through the Galicica National Park from Lake Prespa, back to Lake Ohrid. A short ride with a long ascent and descent . The top of this mountain is at 1,600 meters and you can already see the next hotel in the distance: the monastery of Sveti Naum. This beautifully situated monastery from the 9th century is right on Lake Ohrid and now serves in part as a hotel.

Unfortunately, the last bike ride is already scheduled for today. You will cycle through the eastern shores of Lake Ohrid, back to where you started on the first day. Along the way, you will stop at the Bay of Bones: a replica of a Bronze Age settlement on the water. Definitely worth a viewing!

There is plenty to do in and around Ohrid. For example, you will find the downtown bazar within walking distance or you can take a nice walk past beautiful churches through the old town. Highly recommended is a boat ride on Lake Ohrid.

Transfer to airport

Day to day

After arriving at Ohrid airport, your driver will transfer you to the hotel in Ohrid (transfer time approximately 15 minutes). Ohrid is a cozy town located directly on Lake Ohrid of the same name.

After breakfast, it is time for the transfer to Mavrovo National Park where your cycling adventure will begin. After checking into hotel in Mavrovo, it’s time for the first bike ride around Lake Mavrovo. This is an easy ride through beautiful countryside with virtually no elevation changes on car-free roads. You will pass several villages with stores and restaurants. The Spa Wellness Hotel is located on the lake and is equipped with all amenities, including pool, jacuzzi, sauna and gym.

Today’s bike ride begins at an altitude of nearly 1,300 meters before ending in a downhill direction in Debar at an altitude of 800 meters. You will cycle through beautiful nature through the valley and follow the Radika River to Debar Lake. Along the way you will pass the beautiful monastery of Johan the Baptist. This beautiful monastery can be visited and is maintained by 20 monks who work and live here.

Today you will pass the reservoir at Debar. The first part of this ride goes through a hilly landscape past lakes and streams through the valley. Along the way, dining options are scarce. After passing through the entrance gate of Vevcani, the road begins to rise again and the bike ride ends at the fountains of Vevcani. Enjoy drinks on the terrace with beautiful views of the lower Ohrid hinterland and delicious food in one of the many restaurants.

During today’s route, you will cross the border and cycle into Albania.

Enjoy a newly constructed bike path of about 20km, right on the shores of Lake Ohrid! Pogradec is located on the southernmost tip of Lake Ohrid. You can walk straight from the hotel into the lake for a cooling dip! How beautiful life can be.

A lovely day of lazing on the shores of the southernmost tip of Lake Ohrid

Today is the longest bike ride on the schedule with some tough climbs. You will cycle through a vast valley with several farming villages. After crossing the border with Macedonia, you will cycle along car-free roads past apple orchards to the hotel in Otesevo. Located on the shores of Lake Prespa, the hotel is an oasis of tranquility. At this site, the historic agreement between Northern Macedonia and Greece on the country’s name change was recently sealed.

With any luck, you may spot pelicans over breakfast.
Today the queen’s ride of this cycling vacation is on the program. You will cycle through the Galicica National Park from Lake Prespa, back to Lake Ohrid. A short ride with a long ascent and descent . The top of this mountain is at 1,600 meters and you can already see the next hotel in the distance: the monastery of Sveti Naum. This beautifully situated monastery from the 9th century is right on Lake Ohrid and now serves in part as a hotel.

Unfortunately, the last bike ride is already scheduled for today. You will cycle through the eastern shores of Lake Ohrid, back to where you started on the first day. Along the way, you will stop at the Bay of Bones: a replica of a Bronze Age settlement on the water. Definitely worth a viewing!

There is plenty to do in and around Ohrid. For example, you will find the downtown bazar within walking distance or you can take a nice walk past beautiful churches through the old town. Highly recommended is a boat ride on Lake Ohrid.

Transfer to airport

In the mood to leave already?

Northern Macedonia and Albania 11 days

Roadmap

Date and prices

Individual

Prices per person and based on a minimum number of 2 people.

Individual trip (GPS), bed and breakfast
Travel period: April-October € 729,-
Seasonal supplement June 1 - September 15 € 50,-
Luggage transport surcharge € 150,-
Single supplement € 185,-
Traveler-only supplement € 245,-
Airport transfers (Ohrid vv) € 45,-
Transfer Skopje airport - Mavrovo (price up to 4 pers.) € 185,-
Ohrid - Transfer Skopje airport (price up to 4 pers.) € 215,-
Rent GPS € 50,-

Prices are per person and based on a minimum number of 2 people.

Group tour, guide, lodging and breakfast, luggage transport, support vehicle. (For a group trip, departure is guaranteed with a minimum of 6 participants and the maximum number of participants is 12)
DEPARTURE DATES ON REQUEST
Single supplement € 245,-
Airport transfers (arrival to and departure from Ohrid) € 45,-

Travel Information

Includes

  • 10 overnight stays including 9 on a bed and breakfast basis
  • Routes in GPX format
  • Map of the area and information booklet about Ohrid
  • Dutch/English speaking contact person

  • Airline tickets
  • Airport transfers
  • Luggage transport
  • Breakfast in Vevcani
  • Lunch and dinners
  • Beverages and other refreshments
  • Bike rental: trekking bike or e-bike
  • GPS navigation rental
  • Single supplement
  • Travel, cancellation and bike insurance
  • Contribution Guarantee Fund VZR Garant € 7.50 per person
  • Contribution Calamity Fund € 2.50 per booking

Rental Hybrid
Ghost Hybrid - Panamo X3		€ 150,-
E-bike rental€ 245,-

General information

During the 11-day cycling trip through Northern Macedonia and Albania, you will cycle individually or in groups past the most beautiful places. Consider spending the night in an old monastery and cycling along many rivers and lakes. This cycling trip has been put together with great care by us.

Northern Macedonia and Albania are perfect countries for taking a cycling vacation. These beautiful and still relatively unknown Balkan (cycling) countries are characterized by beautiful nature, rich history, friendly people and traffic-free well-paved roads.

Cycling in northern Macedonia
While cycling in Northern Macedonia, you will discover the rich history of the country. Turkish influences in particular, as a result of centuries of domination by the Ottoman Empire, can be seen in Macedonian culture. During this bicycle tour, you will spend 1 night in a magnificent monastery: the Monastery of Sveti Naum. In one of the most beautiful places on Lake Ohrid! The monastery is best known for the monks Sveti Naum and Sveti Clement, students of Cyril and Methodius, the founders of the Cyrillic script. You will cycle through natural parks, passing many small rivers and no less than 4 lakes along the way.

Ohrid, located on the lake of the same name, is also called the place of 365 monasteries; one for every day. There is ample opportunity to visit some of these fine structures during this cycling vacation.

CYCLING IN ALBANIA
Albania was a remote corner of the Ottoman Empire for centuries and has been a parliamentary democracy since the fall of the communist regime in 1991. While cycling in Albania, you will notice that much has been invested in the country's infrastructure.

Halfway through this trip, you will cross the Albanian border at Kafasan and cycle along the Albanian portion of Lake Ohrid and Prespa. Along Lake Ohrid in Albania, there is a beautiful bicycle path that is no less than 20 kilometers long.

Your vacation in pictures

In the mood to leave already?

Northern Macedonia and Albania 11 days