Cyprus Tours

PROGRAM

 

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1st DAY: Arrival at Larnaca or Paphos airport

and transfer to the hotel in Limassol

Check in in your hotel ,dinner and overnight stay.

 

2nd DAY: PAPHOS –

Every Tuesday until 31/03/24 and ( Every Monday from 01/04/24)

Paphos City included in the official list of UNESCO cultural and natural treasures.

Proceeding towards Paphos we stop at Petra tou Romiou where, according to Greek mythology, Aphrodite emerged from the foam of the waters. We will begin our day by visiting the monastery of Ayios Neofytos founded at the end of the 12th century by the Cypriot writer and hermit Neofytos. The Engleistra contains some of the most beautiful Byzantine frescoes (12th and 15th centuries). We will continue to visit  Tombs of the Kings which date back to the 4th century BC, carved into the rock and decorated with Doric columns.

Then we will be able to admire the famous mosaics of the house of Dionysus. The floors of these patrician villas date back to a period between the 3rd and 5th centuries AD and are considered among the most beautiful mosaics in the eastern Mediterranean. The last stop will be at the church of Panagia Chrysopolitissa, built in the 13th century, within whose complex you can see the column of St. Paul, where according to tradition the saint was flagellated.

Entrance fees included – mosaics – Euro 4.50 per person - Tombs of the Kings Euro 2.50 per person -

 

3rd DAY: CHIROKITIA - NORTH AND SOUTH NICOSIA ► Distances

(Wednesday until 31/03/24 and Tuesday from 01/04/24)

 

Breakfast at the hotel. Meeting with the guide and departure for Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus outlined by the ancient Venetian walls, known thanks to the wealth of archaeological and artistic finds contained in its museums and above all for being the last city in the world divided by a wall.

Along the way, a stop at the archaeological site of Chirokitia, an ancient Neolithic settlement; the excavations carried out have brought to light evidence of one of the most important Neolithic cultures in the world.

 

Visit to the Cathedral of San Giovanni in the archbishop's palace which houses frescoes from 1731. Passing through the Venetian walls and the Famagusta gate we will arrive at the National Museum where you can admire the fascinating collection of Cypriot finds and treasures of inestimable value . We continue to the historic center of Nicosia (Laiki Yitonia). Free time and crossing the checkpoint, visit the caravansary, Buyuk Han, one of the most famous architectural works of the Ottoman period. The Buyuk Han is located in the center of the traditional market inside the walls. We continue to the Saint Sophia Cathedral transformed into a Mosque * (visit from outside until the works are finished). Return to the hotel in the afternoon..

Entrance fees included – national museum – St. John's Cathedral – Chirokitia (THE CATHEDRAL OF Saint Sophia will be built when the work is finished)

 

4th DAY: TROODOS - BYZANTINE CHURCHES ( SAN NICOLAOS – KAKOPETRIA - PODITHOU – ASINOU ) –

Every Thursday until 31/03/24 and Every Wednesday from 01/04/24

Departure for the Troodos mountains and guided tour of some of the very famous Byzantine churches, cataloged by UNESCO as "a world heritage site to be passed down to future generations": visit to the Byzantine church of Ayios Nicolaos, completely painted with frescoes ranging from the 11th to the 17th century , and of the Byzantine church of Panagia of Potithou. Free time for lunch and we continue to visit the 12th century Asinou church. whose frescoes are among the best Byzantine examples. Return to the hotel in the afternoon.

Entrances Included - Ayios Nicolaos - Panagia di Pothithou – Asinou (collective entrances pay €10.00 per group)

 

5th DAY:. Curium and The wine routes

(Every Friday until 31/03/24 and Every Thursday from 01/04/24)

 

THE PERFUMES AND COLORS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN IN THE TRADITION  OF WINE. Kolossi - Curium –OMODOS –LIMASSOL )

 

A mixed route that will take you back in time, to discover the secrets of the oldest and most famous wine on the island, the Koumandaria, famous throughout the world, the archaeological site of Curium and the traditional village of Omodos.

 

Departure after breakfast. First stop at Kolossi Castle located in the village of the same name, 11 kilometers west of Lemesos (Limassol). It was built in the 15th century, on the ruins of a previous fortress, dating back to the beginning of the 13th century. The latter belonged to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and was the headquarters of the most important Command Center. For a few years, in the 14th century, it was under the control of the Knights Templar. The area also produced and exported the traditional sweet wine of Cyprus, which became known as "Vin de Commanderie", or Commandaria. This is one of the oldest “appellation” wines in the world, having borne the same name for eight centuries. We will then reach Curium, an important city-kingdom, today one of the most important archaeological sites on the island. Here we will visit the magnificent Greco-Roman theater from the 2nd century BC, the house of Eustolios, originally a Roman villa, which became a public center for recreational activities in the early Christian period.

We continue to the village of Omodos. Free time for lunch and visit to this important wine center and the famous monastery of Stravos (Holy Cross), founded by St. Helena in 327 AD, located in the center of the square of the same name. We also visit the Linos cellar and taste the local wine. We return to the hotel in the afternoon.

Entrance fees included – Curium – Kolossi – Linos Cellar

Curium – Eur 04.50 –– Kolossi Euro 2.50 –

 

6th DAY: FAMAGUSTA –

Every Saturday until 31/03/24 and Friday from 01/04/24

Departure in the morning towards the Turkish-Cypriot part. First visit to Salamis, founded by Teucer in 1180 BC, on his return from the Trojan War we will visit the theatre, the gymnasium, the baths.

We will then continue to the medieval city of Famagusta, whose mighty walls bear witness to its glorious past and the city's historical need to defend itself from enemy attacks.

  Afterwards we will visit the cathedral of St. Nicholas (transformed into the mosque of Lala Mustapha Pasha) in which, in the times of the Lusignans, the coronation of many of the rulers of Cyprus and Jerusalem took place. You will then have free time available for walking in the streets of Famagusta to visit the Castle of Othello (Venetian governor of Cyprus) and finally we will have the "visit" of the part of Famagusta sadly famous as a "ghost town". Return to your hotels.

Entrance fees included – Salamis – Euro 3.00 Othello Castle – Euro 3.00 (they change according to the equivalent of the Turkish lira)

 

7th DAY - FREE day for leisure

Possibility of carrying out additional excursions, to be booked on site

Dinner in the hotel

 

8th DAY Departure

Collective transfer from the hotel to Larnaca or Paphos airport

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