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10 Day Cyprus Tour
offered by supplier M19330 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 10
day(s)
Group Size: 2
- 12
people
Destination(s):
Cyprus
Specialty Categories:
Archeology/History
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: Yes
Minimum Per Person Price: 2800 Canadian Dollar (CAD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 2800 Canadian Dollar (CAD)
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Cyprus remains Aphrodite’s island. According to Greek chroniclers the island was her birthplace and visitors can still see the three great rocks at Petra tou Romiou where she was said to arrived on a great shell. Certainly her cult flourished in this lush land that breaks upon the sea. Beaches, ancient sites, food and wine, hiking, are some of the many activities that travelers can experience. The senses become distorted on the Island; the present becomes the past, time fades, and there is the persistent fragrance of lemons.
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: We arrive in Larnaca and drive the south coast to our hotel which is on the outskirts of Paphos. We have dinner in a local restaurant looking out on Homer's wine dark sea, the Mediterranean. Why not try mezedhes (in essence a tapas) and a local wine, such as Commandara, a desert wine that may be the oldest continuously produced wine in the world.
Day 2: After being fortified with the strong Cypriot coffee we take a guided tour of Upper Paphos. Among the sites we see are the Tombs of the Kings, underground sepulchers influenced by Ptolemaic Alexandria. We walk onwards to the Agia Kyriaki, a 12th century Church, built on an earlier Byzantine structure. Close by is Panayia Angelokistos or "Our Lady built by Angels", a church with a 6th century mosaic of the Virgin and Child protected by the archangels Michael and Gabriel. This church actually forms part of the defensive wall of Kato Paphos. Kato Paphos is one of the most important archaeological ruins on Cyprus, with mosaics depicting Greek myths, including that of Theseus and Dionysos. In the afternoon we will go north to Coral Bay where we spend the remainder of the day on the beach. We return to our hotel in the evening for dinner.
Day 3: This morning we tour Palepafos or Old Pafos, the site of the Temple of Aphrodite. We walk through the ruins of her temple and will also visit the Lusignan Court, the House of Leda with its mosaic of Queen Leda and Zeus (as swan), and the 12th Century Church of Panagia Chrysopolitissa. The church is dedicated to the Virgin. We drive north, stopping at Petra tou Romiou, twin rocks in the sea, said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite. Our travels now take us into South Cyprus and to the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates ("God of the Woods"), a 7th century shrine. We continue to Kourion, a centre founded by the Mycenaean's, maintained by the Romans, and now a historical record of the influences that have spread over the island. The basilica, built over a pagan temple, was in turn destroyed by Arab invaders and now only the foundation is left. Shrubs have grown up around the stone, the only sound the persistent wind. There is a well maintained Roman theater, baths, stone fountains, and the House of the Gladiators. We return to our hotel in the early evening.
Day 4: We leave our hotel and drive east to Agia Napa and check into a second hotel. This will allow us to explore the central part of the island. On the way we make two stops. Outside of Limassol we will stop at one of the major wineries for a tour, tasting, and an opportunity to shop. We also stop at Limassol Castle. Remainder of the day spent on the beaches of Agia Napa.
Day 5: Today we travel inland into the Troodos Mountains. The scenery is spectacular, with waterfalls, wild sheep, and roadside Byzantine churches. We will drive as far as the Pafos Forest, a dense wooded area that has never been inhabited. Our first stop in the Troodos will be Kykko Monastery, secreted in a forest. The church has wonderful baroque interior, lively mosaics, and the venerated icon of the Madonna and Child, said to have been painted by St. Luke. We will continue to Agios Ioannis Lampadistis, the monastery of St. John. There are three churches on the site, ranging from the 12th century to the 15th century and the churches are decorated with frescoes, mosaics, and the dome of the oldest church with Christ Pantocrator, the Greek Orthodox icon. We make final stops at Panagia tou Moutoulla (Our Lady of Moutoulla), built in the 13th century and Archangelos Michail (Church of the Archangel Michael) built in the 16th century. Both have a great number of wall paintings. We return to the beaches of Agia Napa to catch the late day sun. Tonight we have dinner at a local tavern.
Day 6: We begin in the morning with a walking tour of Larnaka. We will tour the Archeological Museum, the Pierides Musuem, and the remnants of the Acropolis. Travelers will then have the option of shopping in Larnaka or taking to the beach.
Day 7: We are up early and on the road to Nicosia. Now Cyprus begins to change, as we leave the tourist havens of the south coast and begin to catch glimpses of watchtowers and fences of the Green Line. On the way we will make stops at the ruins at Tamassos, mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey, Panagia Chrysospilostissa, a church built from much older catacombs, and Archangelos Michael, a church rebuilt for the third time in the 17th century. We will reach Nicosia by mid-afternoon and check into our hotel. After getting settled we will take a walking tour of the old town which is enclosed within thick walls. We will have dinner at a café in Laiki Geitonia, a trendy area of Old Nicosia. Perhaps you'll have the Kleftiko (goat), washed down with a strong red wine.
Day 8: Today we cross into North Cyprus. We have a walking tour of the city called Lefkosa by the Turkish Cypriots. Among the sites will be Selima Mosque, originally the finest Gothic Cathedral in Cyprus and Haydarpasa Mosque, once St. Catherine's Church. We leave the city in the mid-morning for Salamis, built by Rome and the most important archaeological site on Cyprus. We explore this site thoroughly, including the baths, latrines, gymnasium and theatre and later tour other sites close by; St Barnabas Monastery, a Bronze Age settlement at Enkomi-Alasia and the Royal Tombs. We return to South Nicosia in the evening.
Day 9: In the morning we will pay a visit to St. John's Cathedral and then spend the remainder of the morning touring the Cyprus Museum. In the afternoon we return to the south coast and once again check into our hotel in Agia Napa. The remainder of the day is spent on the beaches.
Day 10: Ready ourselves for our return home.
Member discount:
10% discount for InfoHub customer. Request a free gift certificate.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- 4 star Hotel
- Transportation
- Guide
- Museum fees.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Cyprus
History Whiz
Archeology/History
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