Highlights of Cyprus

Welcome to Cyprus! It’s our great honor to guide you in discovering this scenic Mediterranean island. Upon arrival at Larnaca International Airport, our local guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you for around 1 hour to the selected hotel in Nicosia. On the way, he or she will give a brief introduction about this Cyprus best tour.

Useful Information from our Experts:
1. Please Book a Flight to Larnaca: Cyprus is divided into northern and southern parts. The UN established the Green Line, a military buffer zone, to avoid conflicts between the South and North Cyprus. The crossing of the board between the two sides is regulated according to the Green Line Regulation. Nowadays, EU and UK visitors can enter Cyprus visa-free and are allowed to travel through the Green Line no matter which port they enter. In addition, tourists from USA, New Zealand, and Canada, as well as EFTA countries including Iceland, Switzerland, and Norway are exempt from visa as well, but they can pass the Green Line only if they enter from the south through Larnaca or Paphos Airport. Here, we recommend you book a flight to Larnaca Airport, which is more convenient with more flight options.

2. Money Exchange: People in South Cyprus usually pay in euros (1USD=0.93EUR). Some stores or restaurants also accept American Express and Mastercard. Lira (1 USD=32.45TRY) is widely used in North Cyprus. You can also pay in euros, but it may be more expensive than using lira. You can exchange cash in advance in your country or at the airport and local banks after arriving in Cyprus. One thing you need to be aware of is that the exchange rate at the airport may be lower than that at banks.
➤Banking Hours: May - September 8:15-13:30 from Monday to Friday; October - April 8:30-13:30, 15:15-16:45 on Monday, while 8:15 -13:30 from Tuesday to Friday.

Free Time Suggestion:
If you arrive early, you can dine at Kathodon Greek Restaurant & Coffee Shop, a seven-minute walk from your hotel. The soutzoukakia, Greek baked meatballs in tomato sauce, is very popular with customers. The meatballs are usually made of ground beef seasoned with cumin. You can enjoy the meatballs with rice or pasta. Zivania, a traditional Cypriot drink, is recommended as an aperitif, which is made by distilling and fermenting the mixture of grape residues and local dry wines.

Accommodation: Castelli Hotel Nicosia (3 stars) or similar

Today, our guide will pick you up at the hotel after breakfast and head to today's first stop, Ledra Street, located on the Green Line and divided into two parts (the Greek part and the Turkey part). Today, we will visit the Greek part, a pedestrian street with cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops. At the end of Ledra Street, we will visit the Leventis Municipal Museum. This Mediterranean-style museum has five rooms with various historical artifacts from 3000 BC to 1960 AD, such as ancient Nicaean fossils, medieval glassware, Venetian-era maps, old books of foreign travelers during the Ottoman Empire (1299 - 1922), and an extensive collection of jewelry and embroideries. You can also find some mini replicas of artifacts in the museum's souvenir store. After that, follow our guide's steps to Venetian Walls, built in the 16 century, and its best-preserved city gate, Famagusta Gate, where you can best appreciate the grandness and solidity of the walls. Then, we will visit the House of Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios, a villa of an Ottoman diplomat. The floor plan of this two-story mansion is in the Greek letter Π, with a garden in the central courtyard and three hammams around. The reception hall on the second floor is considered the most unique room decorated with exquisite wood carvings and colorful paintings. You can also see jewelry, pottery, and clothing samples from the Ottoman period.
 ➤Tip: The wooden staircases between the first and second floors can become loose over time, so be careful when climbing.

Leaving the villa, you will cross the Green Line with our guide and enjoy leisure time at Buyuk Han. It was a caravanserai during the Ottoman period, with an Islamic prayer room in the courtyard. The first floor was used as warehouses and stables, while the second floor was used as a resting place for the caravanserai merchants. Nowadays, it has been developed into a commercial area with many craft stores and restaurants. You can try Börek, a kind of Turkish pancake filled with minced meat, spinach, or cheese. You can have it with a cup of Turkish coffee or tea.
➤Tip: Most stores here require cash in euros, and very few accept liras or dollars. So it is advisable to bring some cash in euros with you.

After a short break, an exploration of the northern part of Nicosia will begin. You will first visit local bazaars such as Grand Bazaar and Arasta Quarter with our guide, then ramble around the park where Venetian Column stands, and finally, head to residential neighborhoods such as Samanbahçe Quarter and Arabahmet Quarter to experience local people's life. Finally, we will send you back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Castelli Hotel Nicosia (3 stars) or similar

Today, our guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel after breakfast and drive around 40 minutes to Saint Hilarion Castle in the Kyrenia Mountain range. It is said that this building was initially constructed by a monk named Hilarion and was remolded into a castle in the Byzantine Era (330 - 1453). On the second floor of this three-story castle, there is a "Queen's Window" built in Gothic style, where you can have a bird's-eye view of the whole Kyrenia and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
➤Tips
1. The staircases between different floors are steep. So, pull the rope well on both sides when climbing.
2. You'd better wear comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes to avoid getting hurt.

Then we will head to the Bellapais Monastery, also named Abbaye de la Belle Paix, meaning the abbey of beauty and peace. You can shoot beautiful pictures at its winding corridors and gardens, which also offer a stunning panoramic view of Kyrenia. The abbey became famous for Bitter Lemons of Cyprus, written by contemporary British novelist Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990). The bitter lemon tree in the book may not be found anymore. But you can taste a cup of bitter lemonade at the café near the abbey.

Leaving the mountain range, we will continue driving to the downtown area of Kyrenia, where you will first visit the Kyrenia Castle, which is located by the sea. The Byzantines built the castle to ward off the Arabs. It now houses the Shipwreck Museum, which display exhibits of Cyprus' maritime heritage, flora and fauna, and historical artifacts from the Ottoman period. You can also see a wreck of a 4th-century Greek merchant ship discovered in 1965. The castle is nestled in the Kyrenia Harbor, where you can take a leisure walk and see the sunset over the Mediterranean Sea to run out the rest of the day. Finally, we will drive you back to the hotel in Nicosia.

Recommended Restaurant for Dinner: Piatsa Gourounaki
It is a traditional Greek restaurant only a seven-minute walk from your hotel. You can try Politiki, the authentic Greek Cabbage Salad here. Cabbage is the centerpiece of the salad, and carrots and bell peppers are used as side dishes. The special sauce blending olive oil, lemon juice, and red wine brings a unique flavor to the salad. You can eat it with grilled meat, as the sour salad can neutralize the greasiness of the meat.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Castelli Hotel Nicosia (3 stars) or similar

In the morning, we will drive to a southwest city of Cyprus, Paphos. After driving for around 1 hour and 40 minutes, we will arrive at today's first sight, Aphrodite's Rock, also known as Petra Tou Romiou, a sea stack on the way to Paphos. It is said that Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was born in the foam of the sea near the rock. Locals believe that if childless couples pray to Aphrodite, they will get their babies soon. So every year, many couples come here to make a wish, hoping that the goddess of love can give them an offspring of their own.
➤Tip: You may see some people swimming in the waters or climbing up the rocks on the shore to take photos. We advise you to refrain from doing so, as there is no protection around the rock and the water not far from the shore suddenly becomes deep.

Then, we will continue driving for about 30 minutes to Paphos Archaeological Park, an ancient Roman ruin from the 2nd-3rd century that houses four villas covered with exquisite mosaic floor tiles. The House of Theseus (the son of the sea god Poseidon) is the largest building in the ruin, which is well worth a visit.  It contains more than one hundred rooms, many of which preserve delicate mosaics telling the stories of Theseus. The one depicts Theseus killing the Minotaur is the most interesting. 
➤Tips:
1. The park is large, and some paths are not flat, so please wear comfortable shoes.
2. There is almost no shade in the park, so if you visit it in summer, remember to bring sun protection gear and some drinking water to avoid heatstroke.

Our last stop today is Tombs of the Kings. Actually, it is not for kings, but a noble tomb complex dating back to the 3rd century BC. These tombs were built in courtyard styles under the influence of the ancient Egyptians, who believed that people should be buried in catacombs similar to the houses. Finally, we will drive you back to the hotel in Nicosia.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Castelli Hotel Nicosia (3 stars) or similar

Today, we will head to Larnaca. Before transferring to Larnaca, we will first visit the Neolithic Settlement of Choirokoitia established in the 7th to 4th millennium B.C. Here, you can see cylindrical houses, wooden bowls, bone needles, and some ornaments and labor tools made of stones back then. After that, we'll head to Lefkara Village, which is famous for its lace work and silver handicrafts. The Margarita, a classic Lefkara hand-embroidered pattern, has even been printed on Cypriot note. Here, we will also make a pilgrimage to the Church of Holy Cross, also known as Timios Stavros Church, whose dome and walls are decorated with delicate frescoes. If time permits, you can visit a folk museum in the village, which hosts an annual folklore exhibition during the tourist season from April to October every year, displaying local hand-embroidered crafts and silverware, etc.

Leaving Lefkara Village, we will continue driving for about 30 minutes to Larnaca Salt Lake. Flocks of flamingoes migrate here every winter from December to March, attracting many photographers and bird lovers. If you visit here at the right time, you may see these elegant pink birds flying over the crystal-blue lake. Hiking along the shore, you will step into Hala Sultan Tekke adorned with intricate murals on the west side of the lake. You can see the salt lake from the window of its prayer room.
➤Tips:
1. Remember to bring a telephoto lens if you want to get a clear picture of flamingoes, as they always settle at the center of the lake.
2. You may need to walk on the muddy shore of the lake if you want to take a closer look at flamingoes. So you'd better not wear new or expensive shoes. We don't recommend you go barefoot either to avoid being stabbed by sharp stones or glass.
3. You need to wear pants, long sleeves, and take off shoes when entering Hala Sultan Tekke. There are robes provided at the entrance of the mosque.

After exploring the Larnaca Salt Lake, our guide will drive you to the old streets of Larnaca, where you can take a leisure walk and see colorful houses and artistic graffiti. Finally, you will make a pilgrimage to the Church of Saint Lazarus to admire the golden-covered woodcarving iconostasis. At the end of the day, we will escort you to the hotel in Larnaca.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Leonardo Boutique Hotel Larnaca (4 stars) or similar

The private tour on this Mediterranean island will end today. Our guide and driver will transfer you to the Larnaca Airport. Hope you have had a fulfilling and happy time! If you are interested in our service in other countries, please feel free to contact us.

➤Notice:
We recommend you arrive at the airport one more hour in advance than you planned, as it has recently enhanced security measures.

Free Time Suggestion:
If you depart late today, Larnaca Medieval Fort, a ten-minute walk from the hotel, is a good place to kill time. It preserves the ammunition and cannons from the Ottoman period. There is an outdoor theater with a capacity of 200 people in its central courtyard. Symphony concerts and dramas are performed here every summer. Climbing on the battlements, you will catch a stunning view of the Mediterranean Sea. The fort opens at 8:00 a.m. and requires a €2.50 ticket for entry. You can finish visiting it in about 20 minutes. If time permits, you can also ramble along the Finikoudes Beach near the fort, bringing you an unforgettable memory. It takes about 8 minutes to walk back to the hotel from the beach.

Meal: Breakfast