Mountain Biking from Macedonia to Albania
Are there any hiking insider tips in Europe? Join us in the impressive mountain landscapes of North-Macedonia and find out for yourself.
On our one-week hiking adventure trip, you will experience days in untouched, wild nature and picturesque mountain landscapes. The highlight is an overnight stay at a secluded mountain lake.
During our trip, we explore the Mavrovo National Park, the wild Jablanica Mountains and the picturesque region around Lake Ohrid. Here we immerse ourselves in Macedonian culture and tradition and enjoy typical food and drink.
Every day we cover altitude differences of 800 to 1200 meters.
Individual tour packages and individual days can be booked individually.
English speaking guide.
I am Marius, founder of Mountain Moments, professional outdoor photographer and passionate mountain lover!
Together with our local mountain guides, we discover the wild mountain regions of the Balkans in winter and summer. Find out more about me.
Contact us for a personalized offer.
Click the pictures for full screen view
Our Unique Program – Indeed, you’ll only find this specific offer through us and our local partners.
Day 1: Arrival & Check-In
Arrival: we’ll help you assemble and tech-check your bike, get you checked in, and—depending on your arrival time—kick things off with some sightseeing and a proper Balkan BBQ.
Day 2: Skopje City Trails / Vodno
Skopje is a rising star in the biking world, framed by perfectly rideable mountains. A gondola takes us from the city up to Mount Vodno. Today, we’ll use the lift to scout the best city trails.
Uphill/Downhill: 50m / 1,500m+
Day 3: Mavrovo National Park Flow Trails
We’ll shuttle and flow through Macedonia’s largest national park, immersing ourselves in the gently rolling Balkan mountains. The trails are flowy and not overly steep, mostly on earthy terrain, though they can get quite rugged in sections.
Uphill/Downhill: 400m / 2,000m
Day 4: Shuttle Day Ohrid
We carved over 40km of trails in the mountain side of poicturesque Ohrid Lake. While the tourism buzzles on the lakeside, we enjoy the mountain for ourselves and flow from village to village on old shepherd trails that we and the locals keep in good shape.
Full Shuttle day
Day 5: Supertrails Macedonia-Albania
Old border paths along mountainous frontiers have a long tradition in Europe: farmers, soldiers, and smugglers alike created and used them. The border between Macedonia and Albania is no different. The only difference? You won’t see any ski lifts here—just the occasional mountain farmer with sheep, a donkey, or maybe even a bear. The flow trail leading deep down into the Albanian side is still a hidden gem, but it’s bound to hit every major bike magazine soon. A “Supertrail” category ride you’ll never forget.
Uphill/Downhill: 600m / 1,400m
Day 6: The Albanian Hinterland
Today offers the best panoramas in the region. A vibrant and diverse trail awaits: starting at high altitudes in open fields, transitioning to white gypsum, red soil erosion, rock gardens, and finally grain fields.
Uphill/Downhill: 1,250m / 1,650m
Day 7: The Black Diamond Mines
Moving from the soft flow of Peshkopi, we head into more rugged terrain with fantastic views of the Albanian hinterland and the highest peak of the tour. We spend our final night in rural Albania in a guesthouse that was once a fortified tower (Kulla), built to defend the locals against invaders. A true historical gem.
Uphill/Downhill: 1,300m (Total descent)
Day 8: Departure (+ Tirana Trails)
A 1-hour transfer back to Tirana and 30 minutes to the airport. If you have a late flight, you can explore the Tirana City Trails or the city center.
Logistics & Details
A view more pics of what awaits you
8 days / 7 nights
6 days mountainbiking with shuttles
From / to Skopje / Tirana
All transfers on site
Overnight stay in shared rooms (camp in mountain huts)
3 meals per day (breakfast with cafe etc., lunch on the mountain, dinner in hut, or in camp)
Prices:
from 1850 p.p.
We will be happy to put together an individual offer for you.
We can also arrange our local guides for day biking tours on request
A enduro or trail bike is ideal. An all mountain bike with 120mm min damping will aso be okay. If you do not know what that is, this trip is not for you.
While we mostly use shuttles, you must be physically capable of pedaling your bike up to 1,000 meters of elevation gain per day. For the descents, you should be able to ride intermediate singletracks fluidly.
Technical Skills: You should be comfortable riding over drops/steps up to 50 cm and handling slippery or loose ground. A love for rugged, alpine terrain is a must.
Skill Level: S2 on the Singletrack Scale.
Important Safety Note: Please be aware that the emergency rescue chain in Albania and North Macedonia is not organized like it is in a major city like Berlin. In the event of an incident, a rescue operation can take significantly longer than it would in Germany.
In general, traveling to North Macedonia / Albania without your own car is much safer than the general opinion.
The main danger in the mountains is the wildness – there is no really functioning rescue system. Some regions have sufficiently trained guides and mountain rescuers as well as equipment, but a helicopter rescue is only possible with luck.
In summer, the greatest danger comes from shepherd dogs. They protect their herd – if the shepherd is not nearby, it is advisable to retreat slowly or avoid the area.
Of course, our guides are well trained to deal with these dangers for you.
No problem, just let us know as soon as possible.
However, if cancellation costs are incurred before you cancel, we will have to pass these on to you.
We recommend that you take your typical safety precautions in advance that you would normally take on a mountain trip.
As standard, you should have mountain insurance for alpine accidents (e.g. through alpine clubs), and foreign health insurance is also a good idea (non-EU countries). Travel cancellation insurance is also worth considering.
We provide an insolvency insurance.
Bad weather or even storms are part of any outdoor tour.
Our guides adapt the daily program daily. You will be informed of any necessary changes to the program no later than the evening before. Our guides will discuss the deviations from the plan with you and together we will find an enjoyable program for the participants based on the guide’s suggestions.
Cultural “bad weather” alternatives are e.g. paragliding, lake tour, sailing, snowshoe hiking, cat skiing, wine tasting, historical guided city tour etc.
Skopje/Tirana Airport is easily accessible from most domestic airports, even with low-cost airlines (Ryanair, Wizzair…).
Yes, we can organize rental equipment including bikes and e-bikes for you (for a fee), but we recommend that you bring your own equipment.
We had an amazing experience with Mountain Moments! At first, we didn’t think we needed a guide, but booking with them was the best decision we made. Our guide, Marius, planned a scenic hike with incredible views and a great mix of terrain. As tourists, we would’ve never discovered this area on our own. Marius was not only knowledgeable about the landscape and surrounding countries, but also a fantastic conversationalist who made the whole day enjoyable and informative. Highly recommend Mountain Moments if you want to go beyond the typical tourist routes and truly experience the beauty of the region.
Great photo workshop with a good, relaxed and competent trainer. 👍🏻 Thank you Marius for the beautiful day, the great photo spots and especially for the many helpful tips. 😃 I can recommend it without reservation. 💪🏻
Great workshop! Today certainly wasn't the last day! Thank you again Marius