Enjoy traditional Balkan fare and warm, friendly hospitality as we cycle through Montenegro and Bosnia Herzegovina’s unspoilt countryside and timeless villages. Traverse beautiful landscapes of dramatic mountains and pretty rivers. We also stay in a monastery and an ethnic village for a unique insight into the local culture.
Itinerary
[+] Detailed Itinerary
1
Join tour Virpazar (Montenegro)
Join tour in Virpazar, check into the hotel and meet your fellow travellers. Virpazar is the largest town on lake Skadar and easily accessible from the country's capital town, Podgorica.
Overnight Standard Hotel
2
Short cycle ride to neighbouring villages to sample local wines, travel into Bosnia to Sarajevo
Today we start with a short morning ride to neighbouring villages where we will sample some local wines The terrain is flat and undulating and we will ride through typical Mediterranean scenery with occasional views of Skadar Lake. In the afternoon transfer to Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina’s vibrant capital, a city famed for centuries of religious diversity and often called the ‘Jerusalem of Europe’. (approximately 5.5 hours drive).
Total cycling - 15km, 1 hour. Ascend 100m, descend 100m.
Overnight Standard Hotel
Included meals: Breakfast
3
Cycle around the surrounding areas. Free afternoon to explore Sarajevo
Located on the Sarajevo plain and surrounded by mountains, Sarajevo is the cultural and administrative heart of the country. Although the city was a major settlement during the Middle Ages, it was the Ottoman Empire that founded much of the Sarajevo we know today, transforming a collection of villages into the largest city in the region. Annexed by the Hapsburgs, Sarajevo became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1908, going on to become the catalyst for the start of WWI, when Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated here on June 28th 1914. During the time of the Ottoman occupation the city was home to Muslims, Catholics, Jews and Eastern Orthodox and many of its religious monuments have survived the city’s turbulent past. In the morning we will cycle around the surrounding areas. The afternoon is free to explore the city.
Overnight Standard Hotel
Included meals: Breakfast
4
Transfer to Pale, cycle through the mountain scenery of Jahorina to reach Gorazde
We transfer by bus to the town of Pale which is located on the slopes of the 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 farm lands and small villages.
Total cycling - 60km, 3.5 hours. Long descents (600m) with a few shorter climbs at the end.
Overnight Standard Hotel
Included meals: Breakfast
5
Cycle along the Drina River, stay overnight in an ethno village
Today we cycle from Gorazde back into Montenegro. We follow a scenic gorge of the spectacular Drina river 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 Durmitor Massif in Montenegro. After crossing the border at Scepan Polje we
will soon finish our cycling day before the road enters the Piva Canyon and starts to climb at elevation of 1000m. We transfer the remaining distance by bus to reach the ethno village of Izlazak in Rudinice village where we spend the night. The village is an oasis of peace and quiet. The accommodation consists of wooden chalets with shared facilities. This evening we will enjoy some traditional Montenegrin fare.
Total cycling - 55km, 3.5 hours. Mostly flat and gently undulated terrain with some ascents at the end.
Overnight Simple Village House
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
6
Descend towards Niksic to reach the Ostrog Monastery where we spend the night
The day starts with an ascent from 950m elevation to 1150m. Cycling through alpine scenery we have about 10km of undulated terrain before we start the long descent toward Niksic. The road descends to 600m at Niksic and at the end we will ascend again to the monastery of Ostrog (650m) where we stay overnight in the monastery dormitory (basic accommodation with separate male and female rooms and shared toilets).
Total cycling - 60km, 4 hours.
Overnight Simple Monastery
Included meals: Breakfast
7
Cycle towards Virpazar on shores of Skadar Lake
Ostrog monastery was built by St Vasilije (Basil) in the 17th century. Set before the imposing backdrop of sheer vertical walls the whitewashed walls of the upper monastery makes for an inspiring spectacle. The monastery contains the bones of St Basil, reverentially housed in a sepulchral sanctuary that is linked to another chapel by an atmospheric series of caves and passages. The walls are crammed with offerings and pleas from the faithful and the entire atmosphere of the monastery is one of reverential piety. Today we cycle on the road on the slopes of the Prekornica Mountain following the direction of the Zeta river valley. We slowly descend from the 750m elevation where the monastery is located to our end point close to Virpazar at 20m elevation. Along the way we pass through Danilovgrad town and Podgorica. At the end we have a short transfer to get to Virpazar. Total cycling - 65km, 4 hours.
Overnight Standard Hotel
Included meals: Breakfast
8
Tour ends Virpazar
The tour ends in Virpazar this morning after breakfast.
Included meals: Breakfast
