Ciro Trail: Mostar – Dubrovnik (5 days)

Day 1. Arrival: Mostar, Capital of Herzegovina 

City of Mostar
Visit this city built by the Ottomans along the Neretva River, without forgetting its Old Bridge connecting the two shores of the city. Unique for all of its dwellings and monuments, united in a harmonious town planning, the city preserving its character, while being a place of artisanal production and an important center of commercial exchanges.
Profesional guide included in tour.

Accommodation/Hotel: BikeFriendly hotel in Mostar**** 
Dinner: local cousine (on request)

Day 2. cycling Ćiro Trail: Alongside of Neretva river
9:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Mostar

By bike: Mostar – Čapljina 
– Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
– Trail length/altitude: 65km/258mnv
– Difficulty: Easy

Railroad of Ciro, an old railway line started from Mostar, along the Neretva river, before crossing the hinterland, until Dubrovnik, today, is the name “Ciro Trail” given to a path for cyclotourist on this old railway line, built between 1898 and 1901, at the time of the steam engines.

Mostar is our city of departure
We cycle through the city of Mostar passing by Old bridge. Then, we will be passing near a wine route, before reaching the medieval village of Blagaj, at the source of the Buna river, famous for its tekke. After visiting Blagaj, we continue cycling through local villages with stunning views along the Neretva River all the way to the town of Čapljina.
– Picnic somewhere along the river Neretva

Ottoman city of Pocitelj
After an amazing ride along the river Neretva to the town of Čapljina, we cycle further through the city center, and start with a short climb to the Ottoman town of Počitelj. Počitelj is a historic town of oriental-Mediterranean character, also known as the “City of Stone” as Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić called it. It is located in the Neretva Valley, only 3km from Čapljina. This quiet unusual town was first mentioned in 1444 in the charters of King Alfonso V, as a fortified town on the Neretva.

Accomodation/Hotel: BikeFriendly hotel in Čapljina****

Day 3. Cycling on Ciro Trail – Herzegovina hinterland 
9:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Čapljina

By bike: Čapljina – Hutovo – Neum 
– Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
– Trail length/altitude: 60km/610mnv
– Difficulty: Moderate

Cycling to the Herzegovinian hinterland, we will first visit Mogorjelo – Roman Villa Rustica, which is located at the exit from the town of Čapljina. After the tour, we cycle through local villages, over three Ćiro bridges, passing by Hutovo blato. In village Dračevo we take macadam trail and in its length of 18km provides some amazing views, and includes 10 Ćiro tunnels and a bridge designed by the Eiffel. This path is located in the heart of the Herzegovian karst, stopping, on the way, at various observation points and rest areas, until the old Hutovo railway station.
– Picnic: willage Hutovo caffe shop 

Further from the village of Hutovo, as we continue cycling towards Neum, it’s important to know that we are using the old road from Mostar to Neum, passing through local villages. This road used to be the only way to reach the sea. Nowadays, there is a fast road from Neum to Stolac that cars use, while the old road is preserved for the enjoyment of cyclists. From the village of Hutovo to Neum, there are approximately 25 kilometers of cycling, with a few ascents before the descent to Neum, where we will see the sea and check into our hotel.

Accomodation/Hotel: BikeFriendly hotel in Neum****

Day 4. Cycling on Ciro Trail: The hinterland of Neum 
9:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Neum

By bike: Neum – Hutovo – Ravno 
– Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
– Trail length/altitude: 50km/500mnv
– Difficulty: Medium

On the third day of your journey, you will have the route from Neum to the village of Ravno. The first 25 kilometers of cycling will be on the same route you took the day before, just in the opposite direction, all the way to the village of Hutovo, where you had coffee. After that, you’ll continue on the Ćiro route towards the village of Ravno, which is flat and offers incredibly beautiful views of Popovo Polje. During the time of Yugoslavia, before the war, the entire Popovo Polje was cultivated, and farmers engaged in agriculture, providing food for all of Herzegovina. Today, this area is much less cultivated.
– Picnic: willage Hutovo caffe shop 

Additionally, on this route, you will pass by many Ćiro stations that have been privatized. When Ćiro was discontinued, the railway stations were given to their workers, so they are now privately owned, and many people live in them. Your hotel, Stanica Ravno, used to be a Ćiro station a long time ago but has since been restored into a well-known restaurant and a beautiful hotel.
You will also pass by numerous abandoned villages and empty houses on this route. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful segment that still carries the spirit of a bygone era and evokes a sense of the past. It’s a route that leaves a profound impression of earlier times.

Accomodation/Hotel: BikeFriendly hotel in Ravno****

Day 5. Cycling on Ćiro Trail – Trebinje and Herzegovinian vineyards
9:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Ravno 

By bike: Ravno – Zavala – Hum – Trebinje
– Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
– Trail length/altitude: 50km/380mnv
– Difficulty: Easy 

On the fourth day of your journey, you can expect a completely flat stretch to Trebinje. The exception is the first 5 kilometers when you have a slight incline to the village of Zavala, but after that, it’s all flat. Additionally, in the village of Zavala, you have the world-famous Vjetrenica Cave (https://www.vjetrenica.ba/en/), which I recommend visiting if you have the time.

After the village of Zavala, you’ll continue your journey along the Ćiro route, passing through the Popovo Polje and once again passing through mostly abandoned local villages and many Ćiro stations. At the 32-kilometer mark, you will pass by the Ćiro station Hum, which used to be the largest Ćiro station and held significant strategic importance. From this station, you could travel further to Trebinje, Dubrovnik, or Nikšić (Montenegro).
– Picnic: Hum station

After the Ćiro station Hum, you’ll have 20 kilometers remaining to Trebinje, and the entire stretch is flat. At the 39-kilometer mark, you will join the main road from Dubrovnik to Trebinje, but there isn’t much traffic on this route, so you shouldn’t worry. At the 46-kilometer mark, you will turn left from the main road, and you will continue cycling through local villages to the city of Trebinje. Once you enter Trebinje, route will lead you to the Ćiro steam locomotive, which is still preserved, allowing you to take a few photos before heading to your hotel.

After visiting the Ćiro steam locomotive, you’ll continue cycling through the city, and your hotel will be just 1 kilometer away. The hotel is located in the city center, so I recommend that after resting and having dinner, you visit the Old Town of Trebinje. The Old Town of Trebinje will be bustling with people, and there are many cafés where you can enjoy a coffee or you can end up having some dinner and trying the local cuisine in Trebinje.

Accomodation/Hotel: BikeFriendly hotel in Trebinje****

Day 6. Cycling on Ćiro Trail – Dubrovnik Hinterland
9:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Trebinje 

By bike: Trebinje – Tvrdoš Monastery – Ivanica – Dubrovnik
– Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
– Trail length/altitude: 42km/200mnv
– Difficulty: Easy 

On the fifth day of your journey, you can expect another completely flat stretch from Trebinje to Ivanica border, and after border you’ll have downhill to Dubrovnik. After leaving hotel and city Trebinje we will cycle thru city of Trebinje, thru local streets till we come to Tvrdoš monastery.

The Tvrdoš Monastery is a must-visit even if you aren’t a fan of the finest drink, but wine lovers have extra reason to make the 8km trip outside of Trebinje. The wines are great but it is the cellars that really intrigue, underground complexes that kept the tradition of Serbian winemaking alive in the wake of the collapse of medieval Serbia. The monastery has two cellars today so be sure to get in touch and organise a visit. There is a lot more to it than wine though, there’s that whole monastery thing. Built on the foundations of a 4th century church on the banks of the Trebišnjica, the monastery has seen every ebb and flow of Herzegovinian history since, the good, the bad and the ugly.
– Picnic: Ivanica border caffe El Passo

After having picnic and coffe in El Passo coffe shop you will leave Bosnia and Herzegovina, pass thru border and enter in Croatia. After crossing the Croatian border, you will descend towards Dubrovnik through local villages. The road is not busy, even during the peak season, so you can cycle safely. After a few kilometers of descent, the sea will start to appear. Soon, you will be cycling along the coastline, and you will reach the city of Dubrovnik. The end of the journey is at the bus station, where a local brewery is located, so you can refresh yourself with a well-deserved beer. There is also the DBAS bike shop nearby if you need anything for your bike.

Our driver will meet you at this location (link) and take over the bikes, handing over your luggage if you selected the “Storage and luggage safeguarding” option. Our journey has come to an end, and we hope you enjoyed cycling the Ćiro trail. 

In the end, we would like to thank you for using our services, and we hope you are satisfied and returning home with beautiful memories. Also, we would like to take this opportunity to ask you to leave a review on Google or Trip Advisor. Your review means a lot to us, and we thank you in advance for the time you dedicated to sharing your impressions.

Warm regards from the ERO Travel team!

• The itinerary is subject to change in terms of accommodation, lunch, picnics, locations we visit  👉 Contact us and together we will make an offer that best suits your requirements.
• Want to transfer luggage and personal belongings from hotel to hotel on a daily basis? Not a problem!
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