E-Bike Pioneer Tour South Albania

Arrival in Tirana Individual arrivals in Tirana during the day, and we will pick you up from the airport. During your stay in Albania, we will take care of everything for you – from beginning to end! Welcome dinner in a traditional Albanian restaurant, overnight stay in an elegant mid range hotel in Tirana.

Our journey begins right in the capital, Tirana, by bicycle. We roll out of the city along small, safe side roads – a striking transition from modernity to tradition, from concrete to nature, from 2026 back to 1926. Outside the city, the route soon takes us along a beautiful old mountain pass – good asphalt but hardly a single vehicle and with views of the peaks (2300m) of central Albania, some of which remain snow-covered until June. Lunch at the pass summit, followed by a winding descent past olive groves. In the afternoon, another 50km to the small town of Gramsh, the destination of this first day. We'll spend the night in a simple but clean hotel. Before that, we'll have a great dinner; we know a delicious grill restaurant there

Today's stage takes us through a spectacular mountain range to the city of Korca, which also include It's called the "Little Paris" of Albania. In the morning, we climb over good asphalt past two recently created reservoirs up to approximately 1000 meters above sea level. Up here, there is then except occasional shepherds with their animals, the whistling of the wind and very rarely a Passing vehicle – nothing at all, just complete silence. We get our picnic lunch from our (permanent) support vehicle and lie down on a nearby meadow with a beautiful View. In the afternoon, departure from the mountains and another gentle climb to Korca. Dinner in Korca & accommodation at Hotel "Borgjeze", a high-quality boutique hotel: we've earned this for today!

After crossing the challenging mountains yesterday – congratulations! – today's ride is a bit easier: we let our wheels roll southwest along the Greek border. This high plateau is one of the least populated areas of Albania – a country that is generally underdeveloped outside of its major cities… Which is good for us, as we enjoy the scenery and fresh air for miles around. For lunch, we have fresh trout at an agriturismo with its own fish farm and a shady garden.In the afternoon, we cycled a few more kilometers through dense coniferous forests and past flocks of sheep with their shepherds until we finally reached our destination for the day: Leskovik, a somewhat forgotten communist garrison town not far from the Greek border. But our accommodation for the night was anything but forgettable – a newly built hotel in the traditional style, with very comfortable rooms, a fantastic location, and its own distillery! (which we, of course, visited)

Despite using e-bikes, we've covered a lot of ground in the past few days. So today it's time for a truly relaxing day on the bike, with hardly any climbs and not too long a route. We start with a magnificent descent into the valley of the Vjosa, one of the last free-flowing rivers in Europe. In the shadow of majestic mountains, we cycle along the river on a freshly paved road with (still) hardly any traffic – we're in luck once again. At the end of the stage, if desired, we can soak in the waters of a natural thermal spring – classic spa and wellness. Dinner at a Slow Food restaurant and accommodation in regional town of Permet

The morning begins with a ride through the Kelcyre Gorge, an impressive narrow valley that has witnessed many battles, from the Turkish occupation through the First and Second World Wars. Today, it is a peaceful place of remembrance, and if we are lucky, full of blooming fields. After crossing a bridge dating back to the time of the Italian occupation (1930s) and a culinary break in the town of Tepelene, a challenging climb of almost ten kilometers leads up into the mountains of the "Kurvelesh." This is one of those moments where we truly appreciate the powerful motors and large batteries of our e-bikes. Once at the top, we reach the high plateau of Nivica, a collection of small mountain villages spectacularly situated on the edge of a deep gorge. Here, we spend the night in a family-run guesthouse (shared rooms) filled with warmth and homemade local dishes. What a night sky with stars...

The blue sea is calling – and today we're dipping our toes in (or maybe more). After a hearty breakfast, a descent takes us through the spectacular narrow valleys of the Laberia, a legendary mountain region in southern Albania. The perfect road here is only two years old – before that, only a rough 4x4 or, even better, a mule could get through... At the end of the descent (around kilometer 35), we reach the sea, more precisely the Ionian Sea on Albania's southern coast. A coastline that drops steeply into the sea with olive trees, deep blue water, beautiful scenery – and yes, unfortunately, already the first signs of urban sprawl. But we know the country like the back of our hand, so we know where it's still very beautiful. We roll along the coast for the last few kilometers and see the former submarine base of "Porto Palermo" in the distance. Stalin had a submarine base here. Back in the Cold War, these were his plans... we'll tell you more about that when we get there. This evening we arrive at our accommodation for the next two days, the wonderful "Elea Guesthouse." We enjoy a delicious fish dinner – we're by the sea

Today is a day for relaxing, swimming, lounging, and simply doing nothing. No cycling. For the past six days, we've been in the saddle every single day – this break is doing us good. And we're in the perfect place for it: Our accommodation is situated on a slight rise along the coast, surrounded by greenery, with a garden and terrace, offering peace and tranquility. It's tempting to spend the whole day just there, without cycling a single step… But of course, we can also take the e-bikes to the beach (about a 10-minute ride), where we'd be happy to treat you to a cold ice cream. The day is yours to enjoy as you wish! And we've found another delicious restaurant with fresh grilled fish. Second night at the "Elea Guesthouse" in Himare.

Breakfast overlooking the sea, and we're back on our bikes. Today we'll be cycling along the coast all day again, always heading north. The beautiful route plays a key role in the main focus of the tour, in addition to a short visit and coffee in the traditional village of Dhermi, is the 1000m high Logara Pass with its many hairpin bends and pine forests, and of course, the arrival in Vlora, or "Valona," as the port city was also known during the Italian occupation. This naturally calls for pasta, and so we conclude an unforgettable e-bike tour through southern Albania – a journey far from the ordinary – with a delicious Italian dinner. Congratulations and "Gezuar!" (cheers!), to stay with the Albanian theme. Accommodation in a nice mid-range hotel in Vlora.

Around 9 a.m., the entire group will be transferred from Vlora to Tirana Airport (a two-hour drive), arriving at 11 a.m., convenient for return flights from 1 p.m. onwards. Alternatively, you can add an extra night in Tirana or even spend a week relaxing by the sea; we would be happy to assist with the arrangements