This is a trip of endless views round every mountainous corner - beautiful country, wine, food... Anonymous, 2016 See more reviews
This trip was graded as moderate/challenging and that was spot on! Apart from the first day,... Anonymous, 2016 See more reviews
Itinerary Include flights Expand all Day 1 Fly to Dubrovnik; transfer to Trebinje in Bosnia & Herzegovina. After meeting at the airport in Dubrovnik, Croatia, we transfer to the old Ottoman trading centre of Trebinje, Bosnia & Herzegovina’s wine capital. Trebinje has a rich history that dates back to the Middle Ages with a beautiful intact old town that escaped damage during the war. We overnight in a hotel in the old centre.Hotel Platani or similar Meals included: Dinner Day 2 Ride through Popovo Polje, visiting the Tvrdos Monastery; enjoy a wine-tasting in Dracevo and visit the Vjetrenica Cave, the largest underground cave in Bosnia. Our first day takes us on a circuit of this wine growing region, past the villages and vineyards of Popovo Polje with magnificent views on all sides of the Herzegovinian limestone mountains. We climb up to the impressive Vjetrenica Cave, one of the largest in the Dinaric Alps. This morning’s section is on the old train tracks that serviced the region until the early 70’s. After lunch we head across Popovo Polje, flanked by the impressive limestone peaks of the Dinaric Alps. Having arrived at the other side of the valley, we’ll put away our bikes for the day and set off in a minibus to Tvrdos Monastery where we taste some of the local authentic wines. The return transfer takes us back to Trebinje.Hotel Platani or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 3 Take the back roads over the Orjen Mountain range in the Dinaric Alps into Montenegro, then descend to Herceg Novi on the Bay of Kotor. Today we head off in the direction of the impressive Orijen mountain range and Montenegro. However before we can cool off in the blue refreshing waters of the Adriatic our cycling journey takes us through a beautiful valley known for its delicate honey and pungent cheeses. After a 7km climb, we’ll make a short stop for a honey farming crash course from one of the local farmers. Here you can try your hand at extracting some of this golden elixir. The bee keeper moves his hives 3 times a year, so that the bees can visit different flowers and therefore produce different honey. As such it may be necessary to do this visit on day 2 depending on where the hives are when we visit the region.In the afternoon, we continue our climb as we enter Montenegro or ‘the Black Mountains’, with a last 3km climb section up to the border. From here we encounter rolling hills and extensive views of the Adriatic. Just before our early afternoon descent ends in the old seafarers' town of Herceg Novi, we'll stop for a picnic lunch at a beautiful viewpoint above the town. Later on we continue our ride along the beach to the hotel where we can go for a swim before dinner. We overnight in a seaside hotel.Hotel Sun Resort or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 4 Boat transfer across the bay to the Listica Peninsula; ride the olive routes, before cycling the inner bay road to Kotor via the Venetian town of Perast. We start the day with a 30 min boat ride across the beautiful outer Bay of Kotor from Herceg Novi to the traditional fishing village of Rose while our bikes are transported by the small ferry. We meander across the tranquil Lustica Peninsula and enjoy a warm welcome and a visit to the traditional olive oil farm of the Moric family. The road continues to the inner Bay of Kotor, winding peacefully along the shores with spectacular mountain landscapes plunging into the deep waters of the bay. We will then stop for a 45 minute swim and coffee break near the baroque town of Perast. We finish the day riding into Kotor and our hotel base just a short walk from Kotor Old Town with its historic city walls, cobbled streets, piazzas and coffee shops. Hotel Marija II or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 5 Climb from Kotor to Lovcen Mountain via Njegusi to try traditional cheese and smoked ham; visit the famous mausoleum on Lovcen Peak. The challenge today is to ascend the incredible serpentine road leading to Lovcen National Park high above the Bay of Kotor. Each turn in the road brings a new vista and the top of the road affords breathtaking views over the bay and in total there are a dizzying 26 switchbacks! Once marking the frontier between Austria, Hungary and the old Montenegro the origins of this road are steeped in history. Upon entering the national park a much more alpine landscape opens up, contrasting sharply with the Mediterranean coastline just a few kilometres away. One of the most important sites on Lovcen Mountains, from a cultural perspective, is the mausoleum of the celebrated Montenegrin poet and philosopher Njegos, which we may be able to visit after the end our ride. We then have time to explore the area or perhaps go for a swim in our comfortable hotel in the national park.Hotel Monte Rosa or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 6 Descend to Skadar Lake via the ancient route connecting the hinterlands to the Adriatic Coast; en route stop at Cetinje, the former royal seat of Montenegro, finishing in Virpazar. Having climbed up to Lovcen, today we start with the descent to Cetinje, the former royal capital of Montenegro, a town of faded grandeur epitomised by the once imposing embassies and the Royal Palace. We take a short stop to explore the town itself. The descent continues towards the vast Skadar Lake, on the border with Albania. On the horizon during today's ride stand the distant but imposing peaks of the Prokletije (Accursed) Mountains, the lands of feudal tribes for centuries. The ride follows the River 'Crnojevica', a major tributary to Skadar Lake, all the way to its entry point into the lake itself. Our base is a small hotel in the traditional fishing village of Virpazar where we can enjoy the lake fish, and sample local wines from the Crmnica Valley wine region on the lake shores.Hotel Vir or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 7 Transfer from Virpazar to Nevesinje, climb Mt Velez and descend into Mostar. This morning we start with a long (5hr) road transfer to the Montenegrin / Bosnian border at Vrancenovici Bileca and Nevesinje. This journey allows us to climb Velez Mountain, Herzegovina’s sleeping giant. Velez offers stunning views of the surrounding area, as well as a range of fortifications built by the Austrians in the late 19th Century. The highlight of today is a fast and beautiful descent along the old postal service route to Mostar. Very few people get to see Mostar from above. The route takes us directly to Mostar’s old bridge and the Neretva River, a fantastic way to end our riding.Hotel Almira or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 8 Drive to Dubrovnik via the traditional towns of Blagaj and Stolac; afternoon free to explore. We transfer (3hrs) to Dubrovnik for a well deserved tour of the town and swim in the Adriatic. We’ll stop along the way in the nearby village of Blagaj, with its well known Buna Spring and the adjacent Ottoman house/monastery. The spring here is amazing. It flows out of a 200m cliff wall and singlehandedly creates the Buna River. Dubrovnik is our final destination and a great way to end. This magnificent walled city lies at the southernmost tip of Croatia. Formerly a prosperous trading centre, Dubrovnik is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its perfectly preserved Old Town and rich cultural life draw many visitors each year.Hotel Ivka or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 9 Transfer to Dubrovnik Airport; fly to London. We head for the airport and home.You may however wish to extend your stay in the Croatian capital to further explore it’s cobbled streets or enjoy the beautiful coastline. Should you wish to do so please ask a member of the sales team about our post tour nights. Meals included: Breakfast
Croatia Visas are not required by the following nationalities: British and other EU countries, Nationals of Australia, New Zealand, United States and Canada. Other nationalities should check with the relevant authorities.
Hotel & Lodge Please be advised that the below accommodation listed in each location are the standard hotels used. However, there may be some departures where groups stay at similar hotels of the same standard and quality. Accommodation in this region varies as much as the landscape, however we have selected well-run hotels offering good locations, comfortable rooms and a warm welcome. All the accommodation has private en suite facilities and offer free Wi-Fi. Most nights are in locally rated 3-star hotels, and 1 night is in a new mountain lodge on Lovcen Mountain. Trebinje- Hotel Platani Herceg Novi- Hotel Sun Resort Kotor- Hotel Marija II Ivanova Korita- Hotel Monte Rosa Virpazar- Hotel Vir Mostar- Hotel Almira Dubrovnik- Hotel Ivka Single supplements are available on request and are subject to availability.
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Reviewed September 2016 Jonathan Lehrle Trip: Cycling Bosnia & Montenegro Cycling Bosnia & Montenegro Potentially a brilliant trip, but needs some fine tuning. The Day Plans need reviewing - e.g Day 4 we did the beautiful ferry ride to the village of Rose, then headed up a pretty wicked incline but were stopped after 4km's for a +2hr olive grove tour! We then had to cycle on until gone 5pm in the rain to the outskirts of Kotor...there must be another olive grove...everybody complained about the early location of the stop. Equally Day 5 has that excellently sadistic 29 switchback climb up to Lovcen National Park...awesome..but why stop at the isolated alpine-style hotel, we were there by 3pm and were all bored senseless...made even worse by the relatively short ride the next morning to the historically fascinating (and with a much better supply of restaurants) town of Cetinje. We all agreed that we should have overnighted there rather than in the blasted hills. So, yes, a really good trip but the route needs some tweaking. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Conquering the 29 switchbacks...and then being almost beside myself at the next 5kms up into the Park itself...nobody warned us that the last leg was going to be the death of us all...I hate hills so for me that was the 'big day' of the trip. What did you think of your group leader? Sabrina was OK. She is a bit health and safety conscious...tried to be a bit too controlling but to be fair she did lighten up as the trip went on...so much so that she started singing to us! She'll win no Eurovision song contest but it was different. Her life would have been made a lot easier with decent support. She was badly let down by her support crew...her No.2 was supposed to be in training to be a tour guide, all I can say if God help future Exodus tours! The driver seemed to be on some strict Trade Union laws..he only drove, we had to unload bags on several occasions, whilst he stood there and watched us. The bicycles provided need attention...of all the trips I have done (+/-9) they were by far the worst. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? The grappa cures all aches & pains and the Montenegrin wine gets better the more you drink! Is there anything else you would like to add? Quite a few people on our trip had done the tour the week before (Split to Dubrovnik?)...why not combine the two?
Reviewed September 2016 Victoria Loxley Trip: Cycling Bosnia & Montenegro Cycling in Boasnia Herzegovenia and Montenegro This is a trip of endless views round every mountainous corner - beautiful country, wine, food and people. Loved Mostar and Dubrovnik - and well worth going early for a Dubrovnik city break pre bike tour - thankfully organised by Exodus. The cycling is great and the climbs are long - but it's worth it for the descents. Truly great holiday and helped massively by such great guides, especially the lovely Sabina. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Getting to the top of the big mountain climb after a personal health battle 2 months earlier. It felt amazing, amd then we were chased by a big storm and were back at the hotel for a beer before the worst! What did you think of your group leader? She was awesome.....so fabulous to meet Sabina. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Do Dubrovnik. Do some hill training. Love wine! Is there anything else you would like to add? Put this on your list of destinations to discover.
Reviewed August 2016 Hazel Bennett Trip: Cycling Bosnia & Montenegro Cycling in Bosnia and Montenegro This trip was graded as moderate/challenging and that was spot on! Apart from the first day, every day involved hill climbs and some steep descents. The scenery was magnificent and was ever changing. No one day was the same and my breath was taken away at every twist and turn in the road. Some of the off road section are not for the feint hearted but are easily negotiable with care. Cycling was a fantastic way to see these fabulous countries. A mix of culture was added to the pot through local cuisine and wine tasting. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Every day was different and had its own beauty. However, the final descent into Mostar will never be forgotten. I could not take enough photos on that section. It was absolutely breathtaking! As a personal challenge, the hill climb and 29 hairpins up to the mountains to reach Lovcen National Park was an inspiration to us all. The group had bonded so well and everyone supported each other on this tough section. What did you think of your group leader? The group leader, Sabina, was amazing. Her local knowledge and her ability to be in tune with the needs of the whole group, made the trip sensational. Sabina could not do enough for us and her choice of local restaurants was fantastic and we got good value for money. We also had a young, trainee guide with us who had a great sense of humour and was very helpful. Our support vehicle driver, Laurenc, was amazing. He was articulate and eloquent and it was good to hear about the history of these countries from all three. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Dubrovnik is much more expensive than the other countries, especially in the Old Town where prices are hiked. You can get Bosnian currency from ATMs once you arrive there. Is there anything else you would like to add? A really memorable trip for me and one of the best groups I have been with.
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