WILDER: Bosnia Bikepacking
The second in our WILDER series, our 8 day Bosnia & Herzegovina trip will take us in a loop from the old city of Mostar. We’ll ride through remote mountain villages, on to the bustling city of Sarajevo, through modern ski-towns, and little visited corners of the country. Carrying all the basics we need on our bikes, we’ll take on stunning gravel climbs, ride through high mountain plains, along remote mountain trails, and even take a spin on a Bobsleigh track from the Winter Olympics. We’ll experience two contrasting sides of Bosnia - it’s bustling and cosmopolitan cities, packed with atmosphere and history, and rural Bosnian life that can feel frozen in time.
Bosnia has a troubled past, and reminders of the war of the 90’s are never far away. We’ll have a local as part of our team who can share their experiences and history of the country as we move through it’s different regions.
It’s a wild ride, suitable for experienced off-road riders who crave long days in the saddle and are comfortable in wild landscapes. Expect daily averages of 70km+, 1500m+ climbing days being the norm, and some chunky trails and descents.
The mid-ride cafe stops are few, the rewards are plenty.
Ready to come over to the WILDER side?
Price: £1095
Book your spot by placing a £300 non-refundable deposit through Ticket Tailor. Remaining balance due 60 days before via bank transfer. All SITW expeditions have a minimum number to run, that must be reached by 60 days before the trip. The minimum number for this trip is 8. We will confirm when this number has been reached, please do not book flights until we confirm. See Booking & Cancellation terms here.
Itinerary
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Distance/Elevation: 5km
Sleep: Mostar
Breakfast/Dinner: Not included/Included
Today you can meet us in Dubrovnik (Croatia) at midday for an optional transfer to Mostar (add at booking), or meet us directly in Mostar for the start of our trip. There’ll be time to build bikes and take them for a quick spin before dinner together in the Old Town (included).
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Distance/Elevation: 63km/1630m
Sleep: Konjic
Breakfast/Dinner: Included/Included
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Distance/Elevation: 32km/1600m + optional extra rides/hikes
Sleep: Lukomir
Breakfast/Dinner: Included/Included
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Distance/Elevation: 64km/840m
Sleep: Sarejovo
Breakfast/Dinner: Included/Not included
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Distance/Elevation: 35km/1500m
Sleep: Jahorina
Breakfast/Dinner: Included/Included
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Distance/Elevation: 64km/1400m
Sleep: Jalasca Homestay
Breakfast/Dinner: Included/Included
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Distance/Elevation: 67km/1000m
Sleep: Nevesinje
Breakfast/Dinner: Included/Included
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Distance/Elevation: 67km/500m
Sleep: Mostar
Breakfast/Dinner: Included/Included
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We’ll say our farewells over breakfast, with an optional transfer back to the airport or city in Dubrovnik for your onward travels.
What’s included?
Sisters in the Wild guides + local support team
Your hosts will be an all female Sisters in the Wild team, led by British Cycling leaders who’ve spent weeks riding trails in the area to find the best routes for our adventure. There’ll be a minimum of one leader per 8 riders, with a locally operated 4 x 4 support vehicle to help in case of issues.
Accommodation
Eight nights accommodation included, no camping on this trip. We’ll stay in a real mix of places, sometimes in the only option for miles! Expect a mix of mostly modern 3* hotels, with a rustic mountain huts, a stay on a village farm, and a Soviet style homestay or hotel thrown in. Most nights (5/8) will be on a twin room basis, with private bathrooms. One will be a basic dorm room, and the other two may involved shared bathrooms or room capacity over two (we’re still confirming this night).
Food
Breakfast: Breakfast included everyday
Dinners: Six of eight dinners included. Two nights (Sarejevo and final night in Mostar), we’ll book a place for you to order and eat whatever you like (you’ll pay).
Lunch/snacks: Not included. We’ll make sure you know where you can pick up food for the ride.
Access to our gear library
Ortlieb bikepacking bag loan if you need it, for a small fee.
Hammerhead navigation device loan if you need it
Luggage storage
Storage of your bike bag and extra luggage whilst we are on the trip.
Ride Routes
Each participant will be provided with a specially curated collection of routes and route briefings via Komoot, and a free map bundle to access/navigate them.
Optional add ons:
Transfer for you and your bike bag from Dubrovnik (Croatia) to our trip start point in Mostar (Bosnia) - £50 each way
Discounted MTB hire through our partners at Green Visions (£25 per day)
Ortlieb bikepacking bag loan if you need it (£20 per kit)
Key things not included:
A bike, helmet, and your own tools/spares
Lunches and snacks
Travel & public liability insurance (mandatory)
FAQ
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You can secure your spot by paying a non-refundable £300 deposit via Ticket Tailor. Will will confirm once the minimum trip number has been reached. Please do not book your flights until this point.
We’ll then ask for the remaining balance to be paid 60 days before the trip by bank transfer. If you cancel between 60 days and 28 days, you’ll get 50% back. Cancellation within 28 days is non-refundable, but you can transfer your booking to another person should you find one. View the full booking terms and conditions here.
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This is the second of our WILDER series. Bikepacking trips in wild landscapes that go that little bit further. Longer days, bigger climbs, more thrilling descents, wilder terrain, more solitutde, and even more memories to be made. With average daily mileage of 70+km, 70% off-road terrain, and a mix off all types of trails, this a trip well suited to experienced gravel riders who love long days in the saddle and some embrace some chunkier gravel terrain.
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Bosnia is not served with direct flights from the UK.
We recommend flying to Dubrovnik (Croatia) whilst is well served by budget airlines. From here, you can take public transport to Mostar (buses run several times a day, 3 hrs). Or, you can book an optional transfer with us, and we will coordinate a pick up at Dubrovnik bus station at 12 noon on Saturday 21st September, and dropping off around 2pm on the last day (Sunday 29th). Cost is £50 each way. Regular buses run between Dubrovnik bus station and airport.
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We encourage riders to feel that they have the freedom to ride at their own pace. There will be SITW guides out on the routes who may move back and forth amongst the group, and a support vehicle at checkpoints each day. We will also share any cafe stops or recommendations each day, for regrouping on the ride.
Whilst riders are welcome to ride with our guides, and we will have a group leaving time each day, it is important for this trip that you are comfortable with navigating yourself using a navigation device. There will be checkpoints each day, and guides and/or support vehicles will be sweeping the rides to support any issues.
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Beautiful, wild, remote.
We will experience a real mix of terrains, with lots of gravel roads, some tarmac sections, and other sections of more chunkier 4x4 style tracks. Most days will involve a big climb and/or a big descent of over a 1000 metres, often off-road. There are some steep and rough off-road descents that require advanced bike handling skills, and short sections of hike-a-bike. This trip is not suitable for nervous descenders.
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We would recommend a hardtail MTB, or a thick tyre gravel bike ONLY if you are very experienced riding chunkier off-road terrain with it, and have a minimum of 47mm tyres. Gravel bikes with less than this are not suitable for this trip. We may ask to chat to you before the trip to check in on your experience level.
Hardtail MTB bike rental is available locally for £28 per day.
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There is one riding option per day, and we will ride between our accommodation each day, with rides between 35km 75km with between 900 and 1600m of ascending. Add in around 80% gravel:tarmac, and some challenging terrain, and these can feel like big days. A good level of stamina is required.
We suggest that you are comfortable riding 50+ miles in a day in hilly terrain, for multiple days. You should be confident and experienced riding on mixed gravel/off-road terrain, and comfortable with long climbs and long gravel-descents. There are rougher downhill trails that make be unrideable for short sections and require dismount and short hike-a-bike (up to 500m). The gravel roads can be loose and rocky in places.
Feel free to drop us an email if you have any questions on the riding and level of experience we’d recommend.
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Unfortunately this trip is not suitable for new gravel riders. We’d recommend checking out our Gravel camps or Slovenia Bikepacking trip for a better suited challenge.
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This is a bikepacking trip, which means we’ll be carrying our luggage on our bikes! We can lend you bags if you need them, for a small fee. Without the need to camping gear, we aim to pack as light as possible.
We’ll help you get ruthless with your packing on day one, and share a full packing list in advance of the trip.
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Empty bike bags/boxes and luggage not needed fro the week can be left at our hotel in Mostar.
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It is mandatory to get personal travel/health insurance for this trip, that includes off road cycling as an allowable activity. You must also have 3rd party liability cycling insurance. For the later, we recommend getting as part of Cycling UK’s membership subscription
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Breakfast will be at our hotels, and will mostly be a Bosnian style buffet.
Dinners will be at our hotels, or at local restaurants. On the two nights that dinner is not included, we will recommend a place for a group dinner and help with making a reservation.
We will pass on dietary requirements given at booking. Bread and meat play a heavy part in Bosnian food, and Gluten Free/ Vegans may find choices in some parts of the route can be limited. With the help of our local support team, we will try to find the best options for you.
Lunches are not included, but we will recommend places en route to pick up supplies.