Itinerary for our Cyprus Tour

Day 1 (Friday, May 19): Arrival

Welcome to Cyprus! After your arrival at the Larnaca Airport, a Worldkind representative will meet you as you exit Customs and direct you to a shuttle that will take you to our hotel in Limassol. There are three shuttle times for pick-up, so you can plan to arrive by your preferred flight. This evening, we'll get to know one another over a welcome dinner at our hotel.

Accommodation: Atlantica Miramare Beach Hotel in Limassol (or a similar hotel) for 5 nights

Meals: Welcome Dinner at Hotel

Day 2 (Saturday, May 20): Kolossi Castle, Ancient Kourion, and old Limassol

This morning, we'll drive through Phassouri Plantations to reach Kolossi Castle. Kolossi is an interesting medieval castle and fortification tower built in 1454 by French crusaders. Nearby we will explore the remains of Ancient Kourion, with its theater, mosaics, gladiators’ house, and an early Christian basilica. We'll drive down to Kourion Beach, right below ancient Kourion, where we will have free time for lunch (not included). You may choose from several seafood restaurants by the water and wade in the Mediterranean there if you wish.

After lunch, we'll return to Limassol to enjoy a relaxed afternoon stroll along the new harbor walk with a tour of the old city. You will have some free time and may choose to wander and shop or perhaps visit Limassol Castle, an original Crusader castle rebuilt in the sixteenth century.

This evening, we'll have dinner at the hotel and possibly an optional discussion with some local Cypriot friends who will explain a bit about the modern history of Cyprus and share some of their own experiences of it.

Accommodation: Atlantica Miramare Beach Hotel in Limassol (or a similar hotel)

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included

Day 3 (Sunday, May 21): Paphos

We will spend today in the Western area of Cyprus, exploring some of the island’s finest archaeological sites. According to Acts 13:6-12, Barnabas and Paul visited Paphos, where they encountered the sorcerer Bar-Jesus and the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus. As we drive to Paphos, we will discuss this incident and learn about ancient Cyprus.

Upon arrival at the extensive Nea Paphos Archaeological Site, we'll see some of the best mosaics in Cyprus, with several well-preserved floors to view, and a nice theater too. Next, we'll visit the 16th-century CE church known as Agia Kyriaki, still in use today by churches of various denominations and languages, including Cyprus’ immigrant communities from Britain and Poland. Surrounding the church are the 4th-century ruins of the early Christian Basilica of Panagia Chrysopolitissa, said to have been the largest on the island of Cyprus. According to a local legend, the supposed St. Paul's Pillar here is the place where Paul was tied and received 39 lashes when he preached in Paphos. 

There will be free time for lunch (not included), and you can choose among numerous seaside cafes in Paphos. You can also peruse the souvenir shops along the harbor walk.

After lunch, we'll visit the Tombs of the Kings, an impressive necropolis a short drive north of the harbor. Those buried here were not really “kings,” but the name reflects the spectacular nature of these burials. If time permits, we'll also make a quick stop at the Paleo Paphos Museum and Archaeological site. Along the way back, we'll stop at "Aphrodite’s Rock" (a.k.a. Petra tou Romiou). We'll enjoy the spectacular views of Petra tou Romiou, where, according to legend, the goddess Aphrodite emerged from the sea foam. Also, according to Cypriot legend, you can regain your virginity by swimming around Aphrodite's Rock 13 times. Does anyone dare try? 

After returning to Limassol, you'll have a free evening and dinner at our hotel.

Accommodation: Atlantica Miramare Beach Hotel in Limassol (or a similar hotel)

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included

Day 4 (Monday, May 22): Byzantine Churches and Craft Village of Lefkara

Today we'll have a chance to explore the traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy as we visit churches and museums of note. The town of Kiti near Larnaca contains the Church of Panayia Angeloktisti, a mostly 11th-century church in good repair with a 5th-century apse containing a 5th-century mosaic of Jesus, Mary, and the archangels Gabriel and Michael. In Larnaca itself, we'll visit the Church of St. Lazarus, a 9th-century Byzantine church and traditionally the location of his tomb (the second time around). A few blocks from the church, there’s a medieval fort, and you will have time for lunch (not included) in the popular tourist center with its many cafes and restaurants.

Inland, we'll have a relaxed afternoon with free time to stroll around an old Cypriot village with its narrow lanes and houses crowded together. The picturesque village of Lefkara is a great place for browsing the stores selling silver jewelry and Lefkara lace - both produced in Lefkara for generations. Visit the Lefkara Ethnological Museum, with its informative displays, and the lovely Church of the Holy Cross.

This evening, we will enjoy dinner at a seafood restaurant on the beach at Zygi with a possible visit from more local Cypriot friends who can tell us about the modern environmental movement in Cyprus.

Accommodation: Atlantica Miramare Beach Hotel in Limassol (or a similar hotel)

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included

Day 5 (Tuesday, May 23): Painted Churches of the Troodos Mountains: UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Today we'll spend a full day in the Troodos Mountains, exploring some of the historical painted churches of the region, which include several UNESCO World Heritage sites. Some are only open for visitors by arrangement, and we will be privileged to have access to see interiors that would be challenging to visit alone. In Platanistasa, the church of Timios Stavros tou Agiasmati (Church of the Holy Cross) is a small church with amazing frescos from 1494. 

In Lagoudera we will visit one of the most important Byzantine churches in Cyprus. Panagia tou Araka, a church that dates to the 12th century, also contains beautiful hand-painted frescos. The church’s name comes from the word arakiotissa, which means “of the wild pea”—a common plant in this area of the mountains.

In the village of Kakopetria, we'll see Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis (St. Nicholas of the Roof), an 11th-century monastery, with a name coming from its steeply pitched roof. The frescos here were painted over a long period of time (11th to the 17th century), but most are from the 13th and 14th centuries.

After lunch (not included), we'll visit Troodos, a tourist stopover that sits on the slopes of Mt. Olympos, where we will enjoy some free time before returning to Limassol for a free evening and dinner at our hotel.

Accommodation: Atlantica Miramare Beach Hotel in Limassol (or a similar hotel)

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner included

Day 6 (Wednesday, May 24): The Mountain Monasteries: Timios Stavros, St. John Lampadistis, & Kykkos

After breakfast, we'll say goodbye to Limassol and our hotel and continue our Cyprus tour by traveling to Timios Stavros (Holy Cross) Monastery in Omodos. The monastery church contains relics of great significance to Cypriot Orthodox Christians. Omodos is a lovely town with good restaurants and shops, and you will have a short time to explore it.

Next, we'll continue to Kalopangiotis to visit the Monastery of St. John Lampadistis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. There, we will enjoy its vivid frescos, some from the 1200s and some from the 1400s. 

We'll have a late lunch (included) at the Kykkos Monastery with its lavish church, famous for its icon of the Virgin Mary and reliquary. The complex also contains a wonderful museum of Byzantine icons. 

This afternoon, we'll arrive at our final hotel in the city of Nicosia, our base for the rest of the trip. After checking in, you'll have free time to explore the city and a chance to have dinner out on your own tonight (not included).

Accommodation: Centrum Hotel within the ancient Venetian walls of Nicosia (or a similar hotel)

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included

Day 7 (Thursday, May 25): Historic Nicosia

This morning we will take a walking tour of old Nicosia. We will see the Venetian fortification walls in the old city, the Green Line, and the Liberty Monument where we will learn more about the modern history of Cypriot politics and EOKA. The Archbishopric complex includes St. John’s Cathedral and a Byzantine Art Museum that boasts an impressive collection of icons. We'll enjoy a traditional lunch of "mezes" (included) in the old city before we walk through the Ledra Street border crossing into the Turkish northern part of Nicosia. 

On the other side of the Green Line, we will have another tour. We'll visit the Büyük Han Cultural Market, which was at one time a caravanserai, historic St. Sophia Cathedral (turned Selimiye Mosque), as we stroll among the numerous open-air merchant shops, where you can purchase souvenirs. 

Tonight, you will again be free to explore the culinary delights on offer at Nicosia's local restaurants (not included).

Accommodation: Centrum Hotel in Nicosia (or a similar hotel)

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included

Day 8 (Friday, May 26): Kyrenia and the North

This morning, we will again cross the Green Line into Northern Cyprus, occupied since the 1974 Turkish Conquest. Our first stop is St. Hilarion’s Castle, the remains of a spectacular palace complex. Magnificent views of the coast from its watchtower, including the port city of Kyrenia, reward us for the ascent. Next stop is the Mediterranean harbor town of Kyrenia, which has been a significant port for centuries and played an important role in the Crusades. We will cross a moat to enter Kyrenia's massive castle in the harbor, which offers lots of options for exploring. Wander through tunnels and galleries of the 12th-to 16th- century construction, visit the Shipwreck Museum with its sunken Greek galley, and climb to the ramparts for spectacular views down onto the harbor. In Kyrenia, you'll have free time to choose among the many restaurants along the harbor for your lunch (not included).

Next, we'll head to the charming nearby town of Bellapais, the location for the book Bitter Lemons by Lawrence Durrell (fans of The Durrells of Corfu will recognize him as the oldest Durrell son). At the center of the town, we will see the remains of the impressive 13th-century Bellapais Abbey.

Tonight, we will have dinner at our hotel (included) where we'll be joined by another local friend--Philippos Drousiotis, from the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative, which you can be proud to support through your travel! Philippos will talk to us about the Initiative's work on "Sustainable and Experiential Tourism."

Accommodation: Centrum Hotel in Nicosia (or a similar hotel)

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included

Day 9 (Saturday, May 27): Famagusta and Ayia Napa

Today we travel east and again cross into Northern Cyprus. One of the highlights of the day will be visiting the Monastery of Apostle Barnabas before continuing to the remains of the significant port city of Salamis. According to Acts 13:5, Barnabas, Paul, and John Mark arrived at this coastal city and spent time preaching in the local Jewish synagogues. We'll enjoy touring Salamis's large archaeological site.

In Famagusta, we'll visit the Gothic Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, consecrated in 1328 and converted into a mosque after the Ottoman Empire captured Famagusta in 1571. We will also see ruins of several other large, ancient churches, and the remains of a large fortification wall.

After lunch (not included), we travel south to explore the beautiful Cape Greco and the Sea Caves. At Ayia Napa, we'll have free time in the afternoon for one last chance to swim in the Mediterranean.

Tonight, our farewell dinner (included) will be at a restaurant in the beach town of Ayia Napa. Then, it's back to the hotel for some rest before your flights tomorrow.

Accommodation: Centrum Hotel in Nicosia (or a similar hotel)

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included

Day 10: Departure (Sunday, May 28)

Today, transfer back to Larnaca Airport for flights home. There are three shuttle times for drop-off so you can plan to leave in good time for your flight. We hope you've enjoyed your Cyprus tour and will have safe travels home.

Meals: Breakfast at Hotel 

*Travel is often full of surprises and requires flexibility. WorldKind continually strives to improve travel itineraries. If such improvements can be made, we reserve the right to vary itineraries and to substitute hotels. If unforeseen circumstances beyond our control make changes necessary, we will make every effort to substitute hotels and venues of similar standard and location whenever possible.

Included

Prices for Cyprus Tour

10 days, 9 nights:

• $3495 (USD) per person in a shared, double room*
• $399 (USD) single supplement  

*$100 discount available if you pay by check or money order

Payments for Cyprus Tour

Fully Refundable Booking Period! 

Book with confidence! Your payments are fully refundable until February 7, 2023.

Book by December 31, 2022, with a $600 (USD) deposit at the time of booking. 

The remaining balance for your trip is due by January 31, 2023.

*This tour is contingent upon sufficient travelers.

Refunds for Cyprus Tour*

Cancellations after February 7, 2023 will receive the following reimbursements:

• 100-75 days prior to departure: 75%
• 74-50 days prior to departure: 50%
• 49-25 days prior to departure: 25%
• 24-15 days prior to departure: 15%
• 14 days & after prior to departure: No refund

*WorldKind strongly recommends that participants secure their own Travel Insurance with a "Cancel For Any Reason" (CFAR) policy to cover any non-refundable portions of your travel plans. We have a very thorough blog post that explains all about CFAR policies here and our complete guide to Travel During COVID here to help you make the best decisions that are right for you.

Since COVID is a known issue, CFAR policies are some of the few travel insurance policies that allow for cancellations due to fear of COVID or border closures because of COVID (although most travel insurance policies with trip cancellation policies will cover you if you are actually ill, from COVID or another illness, and are unable to travel). You can research and compare different plans and providers at the Squaremouth website. Make sure to read the policies carefully before purchasing one. To read WorldKind's complete rules on Cancellations, Refunds, and what counts as a "Creditable Event" for Reimbursements or Transfer Credits, please consult our complete Terms and Conditions. 

WorldKind begins planning your tour months, and sometimes even years, in advance and puts in a significant amount of time and effort to design world-class, educational travel programs. Because of the time and expenses involved in planning, preparing, and pre-paying for portions of your tour on your behalf, we have already incurred substantial non-recoverable costs and expenses. The COVID pandemic has hit the tourism and hospitality sectors particularly hard. To keep people employed who are needed to make this type of travel possible requires that they be paid fairly and equitably for the work that they have already done on your behalf. Past certain dates and regardless of the reason for cancellation, WorldKind itself is unable to recoup certain costs and expenses. If cancelation occurs and if we can recover more costs than anticipated from our vendors, WorldKind will certainly make every effort to pass on those recovered costs to our guests. We are in this pandemic together, and when we agree to journey together, we accept a certain amount of risk together. That is why purchasing good Travel Insurance coverage with a CFAR policy mitigates a great deal of risk, which should help you travel with more ease of mind. 

As of November 2022: If you are visiting from the U.S. or Canada, you may enter the Republic of Cyprus for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes without a visa. You must have six months' validity left on your passport when you enter, and your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay if you plan on transiting a Schengen zone country in the EU. You will need sufficient proof of funds and a return or onward ticket. Up-to-date visa information, and information for citizens of other countries, can be found here: https://www.cyprusembassy.net/visa.html

As of April 2022, travelers are no longer required to fill in passenger locator forms. Covid protocols remain with advice for travelers and tourist facilities to be found here: https://www.visitcyprus.com/index.php/en/news/774-covid19-travel-protocol 

PLEASE NOTE: While Cyprus currently has no entry requirements related to one’s vaccination status, countries within the EU are free to change entry requirements and domestic restrictions at any time, and businesses within the EU continue to be able to refuse service based on vaccination status. Additionally, given the ever-changing nature of entry requirements and close proximity in which group members will be traveling together, at this time WorldKind is NOT able to accommodate unvaccinated clients without a medical exemption. We also require that all participants read and sign the complete COVID-19 Release Form and agree to the COVID-19 Health and Safety Pledge.

This Cyprus tour involves a substantial amount of walking. There are no extended hikes, but some of the ancient sites are large and involve being on your feet for a significant portion of the visit. 

The most taxing walk will be the visit to St. Hilarion’s Castle, which requires a steep climb with a few minutes of strenuous effort. Kolossi Castle involves stairs to get inside, and there are multiple levels on the grounds. The Tombs of the Kings require you to descend and ascend stairs to see inside. A few sites offer step-free access in a compact area (e.g. Agia Kyriaki in Paphos has walkways with ramps) but the majority of historical visits involve stairs, uneven ground, and a fair amount of walking. 

Old city visits involve walks at an average pace and occasionally negotiating hills. Traditional villages are often built on hills with steep, narrow streets, and, of course, you will be walking to and from the bus park to see churches and other sights.

The hotel in Limassol is fully wheelchair accessible with level access around most of the grounds as well as indoors. There is an elevator to all floors and seating areas all around the site. The hotel in Nicosia has two steps up to the front door but is wheelchair accessible inside with elevators. Both hotels have hard floors in public areas and rooms rather than carpets.

Flights

WorldKind's programs don't include airfare, which gives you the freedom to use any airline provider you prefer. Perhaps you have frequent flier or credit card miles to use or have a favorite air carrier. Ultimately, your flights are your choice and responsibility, but if you would like help with your bookings, we have partnered with StudentUniverse who are happy to help you. They are able to provide airfare at discounted rates for certain demographics (e.g., youth, student, faculty, and staff), and are happy to help all WorldKind travelers with their bookings.

A few important things to note:

• Because of the changing nature of international travel during COVID times and the minimum group requirements we have for a group program, we ask that you NOT book any airline tickets until after the close of our booking period (January 31, 2023). After that point, we will send you some flight suggestions for the main tour's arrival and departure dates, but ultimately, your flight bookings are up to you. 
• This tour will begin on Friday, May 19 from Larnaca International Airport (LCA) and end on Sunday, May 28 with drop-offs at LCA, so you will need to book your flights into Larnaca and NOT Nicosia.

Arrival Information

Sometimes, participants prefer to arrive a day or two before our Cyprus tour begins to get over jet lag, but whenever and wherever you choose to arrive in Cyprus, you will need to meet the group by the evening of May 19 at the hotel in Limassol or take one of the timed shuttles from Larnaca International Airport.

The only thing better than traveling and learning is helping others at the same time!

WorldKind encourages our clients to be more “world kind” global citizens and good global guests who take less from the world and partner more in making our global home a more just, equitable, and sustainable place for us all. So, whether you design, journey, or learn with WorldKind, you can know that you're also helping to support that mission. Each year we plan a "Friends and Family" tour, consulting our past travelers and loved ones to see where they'd like to go - though everyone is welcome and we love to meet new friends!

WorldKind is a "for-purpose" organization that is committed to using our time, talent, and treasure to benefit others. As part of that mission, we established the WorldKind Foundation. We use proceeds from our special "Framily" journeys to support projects that make the world a kinder place, especially those with an educational or environmental focus. It is important to us that we contribute to our host destinations, so we look at how we can support local causes.

Our income from this journey will fund two great organizations. We will support YESLiberia and the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative.

YESLiberia, which stands for "Youth Empowerment Services," is a Liberian-led and volunteer-run NGO* that is trustworthy, effective, and fiscally responsible. The goal of the organization is to empower young people through meaningful service-learning opportunities in education, healthcare, and technology.

This trip, we are also pleased to support the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative. You'll have a chance to learn more when we meet Philippos Drousiotis, who will join us to talk about the Initiative's work on "Sustainable and Experiential Tourism." The CSTI aims to harness tourism demand (tour operators, agents) with the supply of tourism resources (small producers and their communities) so as to develop a sustainable approach to tourism in Cyprus. Offering a memorable experience for the tourist, this approach also provides a clear economic benefit to villages marginalized by mass tourism, while minimizing adverse socio-economic and environmental impact. Their work promotes their key goals: Sensible preservation, conservation and protection of the environment and the prudent use of natural resources; Reduction of the impact of our carbon footprint as a result of all our activities related to tourism; Improvement of the conditions of life in socially and economically disadvantage communities due to tourism; Promotion of sustainable means of achieving economic growth and regeneration; and Research and education.