| Duration: | 4 Day(s) - 3 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Archaeological Tours |
Dip into Cyprus’ history and culture on a 3-night tour, with hotel accommodation in Paphos or Limassol included. Choose to stay in a 3-star or 4-star hotel in either city and enjoy tours of Paphos’ archaeological wonders and Cyprus’ divided capital of Nicosia.
See the famous Tombs of the Kings and House of Dionysus mosaics in Paphos, and discover the Cypriot south and Turkish-occupied north of atmospheric, walled Old Nicosia. Your tour also includes select meals, return airport transfers, and comfortable, air-conditioned transport on your tours with an expert guide.
Highlights:
A 3-night tour of Cyprus’ historical highlights and capital city from Paphos or Limassol
See Paphos’ UNESCO-listed Tombs of the Kings and famous House of Dionysus mosaics
Discover Cyprus’ capital of Nicosia, the world’s only divided capital city
See Old Nicosia’s impressive Venetian walls and the highlights of south Nicosia
Venture into Turkish-occupied north Nicosia and visit the Büyük Han caravanserai (caravan staging inn)
Stay three nights in either Paphos or Limassol, with daily breakfast and dinners included
Choose from 3- or 4-star hotel accommodations to suit your budget
Details:
Your 3-night tour showcases some of Cyprus’ top attractions: taking in the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Paphos and the major landmarks of the divided city of Nicosia, Cyprus' capital.
Choose to stay in Paphos or Limassol and enjoy daily tours from your hotel, with an included breakfast and dinner each day. A range of hotel accommodation is offered, with 3-star or 4-star hotel options in both Paphos and Limassol. Return transfers between Paphos airport and central Paphos or Limassol hotels to your Paphos or Limassol tour hotel are included, as are return transfers between Larnaca airport and your Limassol tour hotel.
Day 1: Paphos or Limassol
Start your tour with an included transfer from your central Paphos or Limassol hotel, or from Paphos International Airport or Larnaca International Airport. Check-in at your chosen hotel, then later enjoy a delicious dinner in the restaurant.
Overnight: 3-star Kapetanios Odysia or 4-star Mediterranean Beach or Elias Beach hotel or similar in Limassol; or 3-star Aloe or Kissos hotel, or 4-star Aquamare or Athena Beach hotel or similar in Paphos.
Day 2: Paphos or Limassol – Paphos – Paphos or Limassol
Enjoy breakfast, and after a pickup by coach or minivan, set off on a half-day tour of the UNESCO-listed wonders of Paphos. As you travel, learn about Paphos’ history and hear absorbing stories about its time as Cyprus’ capital during the Roman era.
On route, stop at the Byzantine church of Ayia Paraskevi in Yeroskipou to admire its interior frescoes, some believed to date back to the 8th and 9th centuries.
Then, continue to Paphos Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, visit the House of Dionysus, the remains of a 2nd-century AD Roman villa. See the well-preserved mosaics that lend the house its name, with their hunting scenes and depictions of the god of wine, Dionysus.
Next, visit the Tombs of the Kings, a 4th- and 3rd-century BC burial complex for Paphos’ wealthy elite. View the tombs, many entered via sunken courtyards, as your guide recounts how the families of the dead would often hold ceremonial meals within the burial chambers.
Break for lunch (own expense) and visit the lovely monastery of Ayios Neophytos, a 12th-century sanctuary founded by a hermit and writer Neophytos. See the frescoes inside Neophytos’ hand-carved cave, and then drive to the 13th-century Church of Panagia Chrysopolitissa, built on the site of an early Christian basilica.
Wander around the remains of the basilica outside the church and view the crumbled column where St Paul is said to have been scourged by the Romans.
Return to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure, with an included hotel dinner.
Overnight: 3-star Kapetanios Odysia or 4-star Mediterranean Beach or Elias Beach hotel or similar in Limassol; or 3-star Aloe or Kissos hotel, or 4-star Aquamare or Athena Beach hotel or similar in Paphos.
Day 3: Paphos or Limassol – Nicosia – Paphos or Limassol
After breakfast, drive to Nicosia, Cyprus’ capital and the world’s only remaining divided capital city. On the way, hear how Cyprus came to be divided into a Greek south and a Turkish-occupied north in 1974, and how Nicosia was also split in two: Greek Lefkosia and Turkish-occupied Lefkoşa.
South Old Nicosia is ringed by 15th-century walls and holds many sightseeing treasures. Head inside and visit the Byzantine Museum to admire its collections of icons before visiting St John’s Cathedral, a modest-looking 17th-century church that’s home to a beautiful cycle of frescoes.
Stop for lunch (own expense) and go inside the Archaeological Museum, just outside the city walls. View the priceless displays of ancient and medieval artifacts, and then delve into the pretty lanes of the old Laiki Geitonia district before crossing the UN checkpoint into North Nicosia.
Catch glimpses of the derelict buildings of the buffer zone before entering the occupied north of the city. Make your way to the Büyük Han caravanserai to admire its beautifully preserved Ottoman stone architecture, and then admire the exterior of the nearby Selimiye Mosque, formerly St Sophia Cathedral, as you hear about its 14th-century origins.
After leaving Nicosia, drive back to your hotel in time for dinner.
Overnight: 3-star Kapetanios Odysia or 4-star Mediterranean Beach or Elias Beach hotel or similar in Limassol; or 3-star Aloe or Kissos hotel, or 4-star Aquamare or Athena Beach hotel or similar in Paphos.
Day 4: Paphos or Limassol
Your tour concludes after your hotel breakfast. Check out and enjoy a convenient transfer to Paphos or Larnaca International Airport or a drop-off at any centrally located Paphos or Limassol hotel where you’re continuing your stay.
