Compare Epirus And Metsovo MTB Tour by Travelncycle.com vs Conquer the highest peak between the Alps and the Caucasus by Hiking the Balkans
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 7 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 1,403 | $ 1,115 |
| Price Per Day | $ 200 | $ 139 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Premium |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
Breakfast and lunch packs only |
| Description |
The region named Zagori in Epirus is one of the most breathtaking in the Greek Highlands. The architectural beauty of the villages built entirely out of stone, the legendary arched stone bridges, the natural scenery with the amazing geomorphology, the rivers, the gorges, the deep forests and of course the local tradition, cuisine and culture contribute to a strong and special impression on the visitor. Metsovo, on the other hand is a traditional small city located in northern west Greece. The region’s morphology offers imposing landscapes of dazzling beauty as well as a wide range of fauna and flora. A variety of high class local products, such as cheese and wine can be found in these hidden gems of Greece. Mountain biking in these two impressive regions is definitely the adventure you will remember for a life time. |
How about climbing the highest peak between the Alps and the Caucasus? We are going to climb Musala, which at 2925 meters (9596 feet) is the highest peak in the Balkans. Late summer is the perfect time to do it, as the snow has melted and the mountain is most accessible and welcoming, so if this is your idea of a well-spent holiday in mid-September, then join the event now. |
Day 1: Transfer to Zagoria
Departure from Athens or any other major Greek city and transfer to Kipi village in Zagoria area. Kipi are located approximately 6 hours driving from Athens and 3 hours driving from Thessaloniki. Check-in into our hotel and dinner. Overnight.
Day 2: Mountain biking tour in Zagoria
We enjoy breakfast in our hotel. Safety briefing will follow, quick check at the bikes and then beginning of our MTB tour of the day. We will combine riding in dirt roads and single trails within mountains, in good proportion. The altitude we will be cycling ranges from 900 to 1400 meters, moving through deep forest areas, under the shade of tall pine and fir trees. We will also get the chance to cross some of the arched stone bridges of the area with their unique architecture and we will enjoy a delicious picnic with local products in the nature. Total duration of riding time estimated at approximately 4-6 hours depending on the rider’s level. Return to our hotel. Dinner – Overnight
Day 3: Mountain biking tour in Zagoria
Breakfast in our hotel and then beginning of the second day’s Mountain biking tour in Zagoria. Today we cover a distance of about 40 kilometers starting from our hotel to reach the next beautiful village of Dilofo. Then through the villages of Vitsa and Monodendri we reach an altitude of 1400m and the breathtaking viewpoint of Oxia where we will admire the famous Vikos Gorge, the deepest canyon in the world. We return to Monodendri to enjoy a light meal with traditional pie at a local tavern. Then we begin to descend from high altitude through the magical “Steps of Vigla”. Total duration of the tour is approximately 6 hours. Return to our hotel. Dinner – Overnight.
Day 4: Kipi – Ioannina – Metsovo
Enjoy your last breakfast in Kipi as today we leave Zagoria to head for Metsovo, our next Mountain biking destination. We load our equipment and we will visit first Ioannina, the capital city of the region Epirus. It is a lakeside beautiful city with lots of history. Free time will be given to explore the city on your own. You can visit the old castle of the city or one of the museums, or enjoy a coffee at the beautiful lake front. Later at the afternoon we will leave Ioannina to head for Metsovo at a distance of about 40 kilometers where we will spend the next days. Check-in into our hotel, free time to explore this traditional city and later dinner in our favorite restaurant with local specialties. Overnight.
Day 5: Valia Kalda mountain biking tour
Breakfast and beginning of our MTB tour of the day. Today’s highlight is Valia Kalda; one of the main areas of the National Preserve of Pindos. We load our gear on the support vehicle and we have a beautiful drive for about 25 kilometers until we reach the dam of the Aoos springs artificial lake. Our target today is to reach Tsouka Rossa, a mountaintop located at an altitude of 1985m high. The whole route remains in high altitudes, making it very challenging but nevertheless, the end offers a spectacular view of the area that rewards us. After the necessary break on the top we start descending towards out starting point. The end of the tour will find us enjoying a picnic with local products by the lakeside. Total distance of the tour is about 50 kilometers and the duration is approximately 5 hours. Return to Metsovo and later dinner – Overnight.
Day 6: Valia Kalda and Metsovo area mountain biking tour
We enjoy our breakfast in our hotel and then transfer to our starting point location near the village Milia, about 28 kilometers from Metsovo. We hop on our bikes and we begin pedaling towards the deep forest of pine and fir trees. We use mostly local dirt roads for safety reasons but we will try to challenge you in some very technical trails depending on the condition they are after the winter. We will cover a distance of about 20 kilometers within the forest until we reach an abandon asphalt road which was the main road of the area for many decades until a new highway was introduced. Soon after, we will enjoy a picnic in the nature overlooking the mountaintops around us. We continue pedaling in high altitude until we reach the Ski resort on Anilio. From there we start to descend until the foot of Metsovo and last, a challenging uphill until our hotel. Later we enjoy a special dinner with local dishes and local wine with our compliments for the last night of the tour.
Day 7: Departure from Metsovo
We enjoy our last breakfast of the tour in our hotel. Soon after we load our gear and we depart to visit Meteora, the world famous monasteries built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly. The Meteora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and considered to be one of the most important monuments in Greece. Depending on your mood and the time we are able to offer you a unique short single trail route for a fantastic mountain bike experience in Meteora. Lunch in a local tavern and then beginning for our 5 hour return trip to Athens.
Day 1
We will meet in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, at midday. Following lunch, we will take a tour of the city centre. We will visit the Alexandar Nevski cathedral, one of the most recognizable Sofia landmarks, and we will then head straight for the mountains. We will arrive at the resort of Panichishte, where, time permitting, we can visit the gorgeous 70m (230ft) Skakavitsa Waterfall before supper.
Day 2
We will go by cable car to the foot of the Seven Rila Lakes Cirque and will then trek past the lakes (each named after their most characteristic feature, e.g. the Kidney Lake, the Twin Lake and the Trefoil Lake).
Passing the Malyovitsa Summit 2729m (8953ft), we descend into the valley of the same name and settle into a family hotel at the village of Govedartsi. 6-7hrs of walking, climbing 800m (2625ft) and descending 1000m (3281ft).
Day 3
Today we climb the Balkans’ highest summit: Musala, a unique experience as we ascend up stone rivers and past glacier lakes and alpine huts. We plan to stay in the Everest mountain hut for the evening at 2725m (8940ft), following our descent from Musala. Expect to do at least 7-8 hours of effective walking during this day.
Day 4
After descending to Borovetz, we will be transferred to Bansko at the foot of the Pirin Mountains, where we will have a well-deserved break from hiking before exploring the mountains the next day. In the afternoon we can take a cable car to view the terrain for our hikes over the next two days.
Day 5
In the morning we visit one of the most picturesque parts of the Pirin: the Banderishki Lakes Cirque. We pass some of the 16 glacial lakes, which reveal themselves one by one as we climb the terraces. We will walk through the Todorina Porta (Todora’s Gate), which takes us directly to the Yulen Nature Reserve, from where, by way of the Todorini Ochi (Todora’s Eyes) Lakes, we descend through virgin fir groves to the Demyanitsa Hut. From here, we will follow the Demyanitsa River downstream. Expect 6-8hrs of effective walking, climbing 800m (2625ft) and descending 900m (2953ft).
Day 6
We’ll start early as we attempt to climb Vihren: Bulgaria’s second-highest and the Pirin’s highest summit. Breathtaking views offer themselves to us as we climb through the Golem Kazan (Giant Cauldron) area, bounded by the 400m-tall (1312ft) northern face of Vihren. Today you will explore the Karst zones of Pirin, which are home to the endangered Edelweiss, the elusive Wallcreeper and the shy Balkan Chamois (wild goats). 6-7hrs of walking, climbing and descending 1000m.
In the evening we will have a well-deserved dinner and share the stories of our adventure. After dinner we have an hour-and-a-half transfer to Sandanski, a town with thermal spas. We will stay in a hotel with its own thermal spa pools, where we can recuperate from the previous day’s strenuous hiking.
Day 7
Today is a leisure and rest day, and we are staying in a hotel with thermal spa facilities. We will have a full day to enjoy the waters, whose temperature ranges from 42°C to 81°C. Optional short hikes are possible, as the town of Sandanski is located near beautiful forests. Bulgarian cuisine is an inventive mix of Mediterranean, Slavic and Oriental influences.
Day 8
In the morning we will head towards Melnik, a town which has preserved its 19th century architecture and is located in the middle of a wine region. There are natural pyramid-like formations with hiking trails, which we could visit. Alternatively, we could have a wine-tasting stop before heading to Thessaloniki in Greece to catch the 10:40pm flight to London. You can also choose to extend your stay for 9 more days and join the trip to Mount Olympus and Lake Ohrid, which starts on 22 September.
