Cycle Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia & Croatia On The New Balkan Odyssey

This summer I was fortunate enough to take part in our popular The Odyssey Cycling Tour from Athens to Amsterdam. I joined the riders in Sarajevo and stayed with them until Munich. My colleague Micah was also on the tour and was doing the entire distance and we took the opportunity to chat about how unique the Balkan countries were. While Micah had visited the area in the past for bikepacking, it was my first visit and I was charmed from the start.

At one point when discussing some of the challenges the tour faced, we thought it may be a good idea to check some new ideas so I headed off from Sarajevo to scout out a potential new route from the city south to the Croatian coast and Dubrovnik. As I pedalled along the Ciro Rail Trail, I felt like I was travelling through layers of culture and history. Each small town had a story, in fact, many stories from their past and as the churches and flags (and beer ads) changed along the route, I felt like I was spinning through a virtual history lesson.

Rejoining Micah and the tour in Split, we continued our conversation about the Balkans. In the end, we felt that this incredible region of the world deserved much more time to fully experience its vibrant cultures and incredible landscapes. After combining additional research, information from my brief scouting trip, and Micah’s knowledge of the area from his own bikepacking trips, we eventually came up with a new plan. What emerged was the Balkan Odyssey.

Ciro Rail Trail, Bosnia

Our new version of The Odyssey will begin in 2028 and takes riders from Athens, Greece to Zagreb, Croatia. Covering almost 2100 km over 6 weeks, the average daily distance of just under 80 km will allow the riders plenty of time to take in the sights along the way. And what sights they are – the Acropolis, Temple of Apollo, Meteora Monasteries, Sarajevo’s Old Town, the Stari Bridge in Mostar, Dubrovnik’s walled old town, Diocletian’s Palace in Split & Zagreb’s quirky Museum of Broken Relationships.

St Mark’s Church, Zagreb

Along the way, we have included a stunning train ride from Sarajevo to Mostar, a 2 day jaunt on Bosnia’s new Ciro Rail Trail and some island-hopping ferries along Croatia’s stunning Dalmatian Coast.

Korcula old town, Korcula island, Croatia

We invite you to join us in 2028 on the Balkan Odyssey. Pedal through Greece’s hilly countryside, explore enigmatic Albania and spin past Montenegro’s towering mountains. Ride through Bosnia’s historic cities and cycle to the sun-drenched Adriatic coast. Travel to some of Croatia’s stunning islands and experience Zagreb’s coffee culture.

Registration for the 2028 Balkan Odyssey is now open!