Cycle the Balkans

8 Days | Explore The Balkans by bike on an adventure through coastlines and an old railway line

4.5 out of 5 based on 34 reviews submitted.
Cycling
From
GBP £1,730
View dates and book

Get your legs moving on a Balkan cycling adventure from Dubrovnik to Sarajevo. Taking in stunning scenery on the coast and inland, this trip will take you from Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Tackle challenging climbs, scenic flats and a new rail trail following the now defunct Austro-Hungarian railway line, finishing in the intriguing, yet sobering city of Sarajevo. Explore Kostar – the 5th-century UNESCO World Heritage-listed city – and Mostar to see the bridge divers hurl themselves off the Old Bridge into the Neretva River. Enjoy sunny days on the bike passing abandoned hamlets, local shepherds, scenic flats and rolling country and spend free evenings soaking up the local culture.

Trip overview

Map of Cycle The Balkans including Bosnia And Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro
Start
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Finish
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Theme
Cycling
Destinations
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Original
Ages
Min 14
Group size
Min 1 - Max 15
Trip code
ZMXY
This trip generates 22 kg of CO2-e per person per day.
We offset these emissions on your behalf. But we know that is not enough, so we also have a carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip
  • Witness Mostar's famous bridge divers hurl themselves from the stones of Stari Most (Old Bridge), which has spanned the Neretva River for centuries.
  • Cycle along two sections of the Ciro Trail – this new rail trail follows the now defunct Austro-Hungarian railway line.
  • Ride the shoreline of the stunning Bay of Kotor – the winding bay of the Adriatic Sea.
  • Visit the incredible Ostrog Monastery –the Serbian Orthodox Church carved directly into the cliffs, high up in the large rock of Ostroska Greda.
  • Bike through tiny, historical villages and centuries-old cities, soaking up the days of old as you go.

Is this trip right for you?
  • To complete this trip, it’s important that you are both confident and competent in riding a bicycle.
  • You’ll have a leader that rides with the group, and another that drives the support vehicle (acting as a back marker where needed). Where the vehicle cannot travel directly with the cyclists (e.g. a cyclists-only path) your leader will assign a person from the group to act as a back marker.
  • While the cycling distances on this trip are relatively short (the longest ride is only 60 km) the terrain of the Balkans is naturally hilly and the climate often warm. You’ll need a reasonable level of fitness to enjoy the trip, but the support vehicle is always on hand if you need to take a break for an hour or a day.
  • As your riding is done mostly on sealed roads with the occasional gravel cycle path there are no technical cycling skills required. Given the hills, we do suggest practicing riding downhill, so you’re comfortable once the trips begins.
  • As there are cobblestones and many stairs in most European towns, and space in our support van is limited, it's strongly recommended that you leave any wheelie bags/cases at home and bring a backpack instead.
  • This trip is part of a longer itinerary. You might be joining travellers who have already spent some time together. If you have more time to explore, you might like to check out our Cycle Croatia & the Balkans trip.

Itinerary

This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2025 to 31 December 2025.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2023 - 31 December 2024

Map of Cycle The Balkans including Bosnia And Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro

Inclusions

Meals

6 breakfasts

Transport

Bicycle, Support vehicle (e-bike option available, subject to availability)

Accommodation

Hotel (6 nights), Guesthouse (1 night)

Activities
  • Bay of Kotor Guided & Vehicle Supported Cycling
  • Niksic region Guided & Vehicle Supported Cycling
  • Ramparts of Onogost Fortress
  • Pluzine region Guided & Vehicle Supported Cycling
  • Mostar region/Ciro Trail Guided & Vehicle Supported Cycling
  • Ciro Trail Guided Cycling
  • Sarajevo Region Guided & Vehicle Supported Cycling
Add on activities
  • Dubrovnik - Church of St. Blaise - Free
  • Dubrovnik - Mt Srd Cable Car - EUR27
  • Dubrovnik - Discover Game of Thrones Filming Locations Urban Adventure - EUR69
  • Dubrovnik - Hike up Mt Srd - Free
  • Kotor - St. Tryphon’s Cathedral - EUR4
  • Kotor - Maritime Museum - EUR5
  • Kotor - Fortress - EUR3
  • Ostrog Monastery - Free

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. Bicycle hire is included in your trip price. Please advise your height at time of booking so as we can organize a suitable sized bike.
3. Bike helmets are compulsory on this trip. We are unable to hire bike helmets locally so please ensure you bring your own bike helmet from home.
4. On this trip we have a single leader that rides with the group, and another that drives the support vehicle (acting as a back marker where needed). Where the vehicle cannot travel directly with the cyclists (e.g. a cyclists-only path) your leader will assign a person from the group to act as a back marker.
5. An e-bike option (at additional cost) may be available on this trip. We have limited numbers of these bikes available and they are an 'on request' basis only. A request does not guarantee an e-bike, only a confirmed booking. Please ask your agent for more details at the time of booking.
6. Due to health and safety concerns around the traffic we take local taxis rather than cycle up to/down from the Ostrog Monastery on Day 3.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 based on 34 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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Simon · Traveled September 2024
We have had some great Intrepid trips but this wasn't one of them. Losing a day's cycling due to (maybe avoidable) border issues, little local history and poor choices of stops for coffee and food. Altogether a bit of a disappointing trip. With weather and border issues, we only managed 40% of the advertised cycling, with the rest of the time in the bus.
Review submitted 24 Sep 2024

Aiden · Traveled September 2024
Awful trip , don't go with Intrepid.Destinations worth visiting but awful level of organisation, effectively just a bus tour.Two days of trip there was no cycling at all. Hotel standard version poor. Nice group of fellow travellers though.
Review submitted 15 Sep 2024

Losida · Traveled September 2024
As a casual cyclist, I was nervous about the distances and hills, but anyone with a reasonable level of fitness can enjoy this trip, especially if they make use of the support van or get an ebike. Unfortunately we were unlucky with weather and one of our border crossings, which resulted in a lot less riding than planned. Nothing can be done about the weather but I hope Intrepid will work on solutions to offset the unpredictability of these crossings. It was disappointing to lose our best weather day while our bikes were arbitrarily detained for nine hours. It’s also unfortunate for the guides who had to absorb the group’s frustrations. Mario and Zoran, our guides, were great though—caring and funny, always trying to make up for the setbacks. Overall, the best things to bring on any trip like this are a sense of humor and flexibility. In spite of the challenges, I had a wonderful time. I had memorable, unexpected experiences due to pivoted rain plans (like playing pool and sharing food with the bar owner in a random Bosnian bar.) I also really enjoyed our group and loved seeing this region by bike, foot, and van. If possible, I recommend staying an extra day in Sarajevo and joining the Meet Bosnia free walking tour for a deeper insight into the region's complexities, which will help tie together the whole experience.
Review submitted 15 Sep 2024

Karen · Traveled September 2024
Beautiful countries and very friendly locals. Too much driving on the trip its a bus tour in cycling clothes.
Review submitted 15 Sep 2024

Sophie Mae · Traveled August 2024
Biking the Balkins was amazing! The landscape was spectacular. Our tour leader Igor was so knowledgeable and had awesome recommendations for things to do or eat each day! Andro was so efficient with the van and loading and unloading the bikes. Planning my next trip around traveling with them again
Review submitted 25 Aug 2024
Cycle the Balkans
From
GBP £1,730