Best Cyprus Tour from Larnaca

Our guide will pick you up from the hotel at the agreed time and officially set off for the escorted sightseeing. The first stop will be Ledra Street, located on the Green Line, a military buffer zone which was established by the UN to avoid military conflict between the North and South. Managed by different regimes (Greek and Turkey), the street appears in two different styles. We will visit the Greek side, a pedestrian street full of shops, cafes, and restaurants. The next stop will be Leventis Municipal Museum, which is nearby. Here, you can see relics, including delicate clothes, daily items, pictures, and so on, which span from the Chalcolithic era, about 5,000 years ago to the present day.

Then, we will head to Venetian Walls. Surrounding the old town of Nicosia, it is the most significant and best-preserved historical relic in the city, with a length of 5 kilometers (3 miles) and a height of 12 meters (39.4 feet). It is roughly in a circle, with 11 fortifications on top at an equal interval. Due to the Green Line Regulation, walking the entire length of the walls is impossible. However, our guide will take you along the paths of the walls to Famagusta Gate, the best-preserved city gate, where you can appreciate the grandeur and solidity of the walls.
► Tips:
1. There is no shade on the walls, so you’d better apply sunscreen or take a sunhat or parasol.
2. The path is not flat on the Venetian Walls, so sneakers or other comfortable shoes are necessary.
3. You may encounter many hungry cats on the way; feed is allowed, but you’d better not touch them to avoid being scratched.

After leaving Famagusta Gate, we will take you to the House of Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios, a villa built in the Ottoman-Turkish architectural style whose upper hall has been preserved in its original form, with carved ceilings, scarlet velvet sofas, silk curtains, and huge oriental carpets. It is as if you were hear the people who lived here in the past talked with each other. Then, you will pass through the Green Line with our guide to Buyuk Han, Cyprus's most impressive Ottoman architecture. You may also appreciate some handmade artworks made from silkworm pupae here. After a short break in Buyuk Han, an exploration of those little-known but fascinating places will begin. Following our experienced guide’s step, you will hang out at the local bazaars such as Grand Bazaar and Arasta Quarter. Then, stroll at the park where the Venetian Column is situated, experience local people’s life at Samanbahçe Quarter, a residential neighborhood, and finally take a mini urban adventure in the Arabahmet Quarter, where houses from the Ottoman Empire stand. At the end of the day, we will transfer you back to the hotel in Nicosia.

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

After breakfast, we will drive to the Kyrenia Mountain Range, 30 kilometers (17 miles) north of Nicosia. Here, you will visit the Saint Hilarion Castle. This fairy-tale fortress was the inspiration of the castle in the ‘’Snow White and Seven Dwarfs’’. Located on the hilltop, it offers stunning panorama views of Kyrenia and the Mediterranean Sea.
► Tips:
1. You need to walk uphill for a while to reach the castle, so it is better to wear comfortable shoes to avoid any injury.
2. There may be a lot of mosquitoes in the mountains, so you'd better bring mosquito repellent with you.

We will then proceed to the Bellapais Monastery, a Gothic style monastery consisting of the main hall, cloisters, gardens, underground dining room and pulpit. In the afternoon, we will drive to the 16-century Kyrenia Castle, which houses a shipwreck museum preserving a trading cargo ship from 300 BC. Built alongside the sea and adjacent to the harbor, it shows wonderful views of Kyrenia Harbour as you climb the battlements with our guide. After visiting the castle, you can spend some leisure time to stroll around the Kyrenia Harbour to experience the deep history of this city as well as to enjoy its relaxing vibe. Finally, we will transfer you back to the hotel in Nicosia.

Recommended Restaurant for Dinner: Piatsa Gourounaki
This restaurant, a 5-minute walk from the hotel, serves mainly Greek and European cuisine and barbecue. It costs 15-25 euros per person. You can try Souvlaki, a popular traditional Greek fast food. It is grilled pork, lamb, beef, or chicken kebabs. Before grilling, the meat is marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs (such as oregano and rosemary), which give it a rich flavor. Once cooked, the meat is tender with a crispy crust. You can eat it straight off the skewer or wrapped in a pita with onions, tomatoes, yogurt sauce (tzatziki), and sometimes with fries as well.
► Tips:
1. American Express and Mastercard are acceptable. You can also pay in cash in euros. In South Cyprus, people usually pay in euros, while in North Cyprus, liras and euros are both acceptable, but it may be a little expensive if you pay in euros.
2. This restaurant is very popular, and many people are coming to dine, so sometimes you may have to wait for about 20-30 minutes.

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

In the morning, we’ll move on to Paphos in the southwest of Cyprus, which is around 1 hour and 40 minutes’ drive away from Nicosia. You will firstly be guided to visit Petra Tou Romiou (Aphrodite's Rock), a sea stack on the way to Paphos. It is well-known as the birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love in Greek mythologies, aka Venus in Roman mythologies. Here, you can see two conspicuous rocks, a larger one standing on the shore is often mistaken for Aphrodite's Rock, but actually, the real one is slightly smaller in the sea. The locals believe that if one swims around Aphrodite's rock for three laps, he or she will receive eternal youth, beauty, good luck, fertility, and true love. However, the water is fierce and gets deeper near the beach. And there are no safety precautions around the water and the rocks, so you'd better not swim in the sea or climb the rocks for your safety.

Upon arrival at Paphos, our Cyprus history expert will guide you to visit the Paphos Archaeological Park, which houses remains of buildings, monuments, and wonderful Roman mosaics from the 4th century BC to the Middle Ages. The most interesting thing is appreciating the wonderful mosaic inlays while guessing which Greek fairy tales they tell.

►Tips:

Today, we will drive to Larnaca. Our first destination before transferring to Larnaca will be the Neolithic Settlement of Choirokoitia, dated back to the 7th to 4th millennium B.C., where you can see the earliest trace of human life on this Mediterranean island. Thereafter, we’ll visit Lefkara Village, a small charming mountain village famous for lace work and silver handicrafts. Wandering on the street of the village, you can see lace products hanging everywhere as decorations or for sale. It is said that Leonardo da Vinci came here and took a piece of lace when he returned to Italy. Here we will also visit the Church of Holy Cross, built in the 14th century AD, and dominates the center of the village.

After exploring Lefkara, we will continue the drive to the Larnaca Salt Lake. It offers the best view in winter (December-March) when the flamingos migrate here. Our guide will take you for a hike along the lake. If you are lucky enough, you may see flocks of flamingos flying over the water, the pink reflections make the turquoise-blue lake even more beautiful. Since such pink birds usually inhabit the center of the salt lake, so remember to bring binoculars if you want a clearer view. You’ll also set foot in the Hala Sultan Tekke on the west side of the lake with our guide, where you can watch the lake while standing in front of the prayer room window. After leaving the Larnaca Salt Lake, our guide will drive you to the old streets of Larnaca and visit the Church of Saint Lazarus. Finally, we will send you to the hotel in Larnaca.

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

Our service on this Mediterranean island will end today with the Larnaca International Airport see-off service. Hope you have enjoyed this best Cyprus tour from Larnaca with us! If you plan to travel to the neighboring destinations like Turkey, Greece, or Egypt, we will be glad to assist you.

► Notice:

Usually, you need to arrive at the terminal three hours in advance for international flights. However, Larnaca Airport has taken extra security measures recently, so we suggest you arrive about an hour earlier than planned to avoid unexpected circumstances that could cause you to miss the flight. And if you are leaving for Turkey, you can only depart from Ercan Airport.

Free Time Suggestion:

Meals: Breakfast