7-Hour Bicycle Tour in Rural Tirana with Sauk and Picalla Ride

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Challenge your biking skills in the scenic hills above Tirana
• 02 Discover the Lapidari monument in Sauk village and its wartime history
• 03 Conquer the challenging ascent to Sauk and see the old anti-aircraft base ruins
• 04 Visit Picalla village and enjoy local cuisine during the ride
• 05 Cool off with a swim in the Erzen River, depending on the season

Challenge your biking skills on a full-day ride through the hills around Tirana, Albania's capital. This bicycle tour takes you to some of the most picturesque places above the city, including Lapidari in Sauk village, Picalla village, and the Erzen River. Along the way, discover the story behind the Lapidari monument, see the old ruins of a former anti-aircraft base, and enjoy local cuisine in Picalla.

This bicycle tour takes you to some of the most picturesque places above the city, including Lapidari in Sauk village, Picalla village, and the Erzen River.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 7 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Hard

Accommodation Not included

Transport Not included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Tirana, Divjakë-Karavasta National Park

Languages Albanian, English, Italian, Romanian

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Bike Tour Through Sauk, Picalla, and the Erzen River

• Begin at Biçikleta me qera (see on map) at the Artificial Lake of Tirana, where you rent a mountain bike (200 lek or 2 euros per hour) and start the full tour at 10:00 a.m. local time (+2).

• From the village of Sauk comes the hardest elevation gain of the trip. Rest for a few minutes until the second pit stop at Bar "Të pamja" / Lapidari monument, and see the old ruins of a former anti-aircraft base.

• Continue downhill to Picalla, a little village close to Tirana.

• Take a lunch break at EcoRestaurant.

• Ride on and go for a swim in the Erzen River, depending on the temperature and season, or try Zipline Albania near Petrela village.

• Return to Tirana at around 4:00 p.m.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• English-speaking professional guide
• Nature photography
• Reel/interview published on YouTube and social media (a memory for all of us too)
• Meeting the local natives and speaking with them
• First aid

What's Not Included

• Bike rental (200 lek per hour / 2 euros)
• Coffee, food, snacks, water, etc.
• Helmets (available from the bicycle rental shop at an additional price)
• Zipline Albania fee (optional, 20 euros per person if you would like to do it)
• Drones, professional camera, and gimbal (available from the guide at an additional price of 50 euros for the full tour)

What to bring

• More than 2L of water (you can also buy it in markets along the street)
• Additional wear such as shoes, sunglasses, and accessories for the bicycle ride

Know before you go

• Depends on the season and rainy weather (usually, out of 365 days, Tirana has around 340 sunny days). Before you book this tour, please check the temperatures and weather in Tirana.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Rruga Sami Frashëri, Tirana, Albania

Tour start

Divjakë 14, Divjakë 9022, Albania

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.