Feel the quiet thrill of standing where empires rose and fell – ruined theaters above the sea, painted chapels hidden in cool mountain valleys, silent streets behind barbed wire. Walk and wonder with a local archaeologist and a small circle of curious travelers, then unwind over lingering village meals, harbor sunsets, and character‑filled hotels that feel a world away from everyday life.
Join our expert-led Cyprus archaeology tour to explore the incredible archaeological heritage of the island of Cyprus, including its many UNESCO World Heritage sites. From Ancient Cyprus, through its Byzantine and Medieval periods, we circumnavigate the island to visit Cyprus’ three World Heritage sites, Neolithic Choirokoitia, the city of Paphos, and the Painted Churches of the Troodos Mountains.
In the Turkish-controlled North of Cyprus, we visit ancient Salamis, Famagusta, Kyrenia, Bellapais Abbey, St. Hilarion Castle, and North Nicosia.
In the Republic of Cyprus, you’ll discover the history of Cyprus, including remains of the Egyptian Pharaohs, Greek Kings, Templar Knights, and Byzantine rulers. There’s no more comprehensive Cyprus tour on the market!
Our unique Cyprus archaeological tour extends forward in time to 1974, as we explore the Green Line, the UN Buffer Zone, and the Ghost town of Varosha, abandoned in terror in 1974 when Turkish tanks began the occupation of Northern Cyprus.
Should you have any questions about this tour, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.
During the long, warm season in Cyprus, we take advantage of the sunshine to spend time on the water and relaxing by the pool, go walking in villages, and explore mountains and coastal trails. We design our tours to avoid the crowds and give you time to get lost in the moment.
With a maximum of only 12 guests, we’re a happy little company of explorers who relish each day’s historical discoveries and socializing over delectable wine and food. At night, we come home to boutique accommodation that shows off the very best of Cyprus.
The experiences you have on tour with us create memories of a lifetime. The history of the Mediterranean comes alive through its rich storied history and its continuation of ancient ways into the present is clear in the ways of life and food and wine traditions that provide us with such sensational, regionally-specific dishes and local wines.
Our thrilling Cyprus trip begins in Larnaca, the major international gateway to Cyprus.
We meet this evening at our luxury hotel for a welcome drink and head out to a wonderful Cypriot feast with local wines. Enjoy a restful night’s sleep in preparation for the upcoming week of adventure…
Meals: D
Overnight: Larnaca
After breakfast at our hotel, we head out with our tour leader on a walking tour of Old Larnaca and visit the Church that holds the remains of Saint Lazarus. Lazarus came to Cyprus after returning from the dead and lived the remainder of his life in Larnaca.
Then we head across the UN Buffer Zone into Northern Cyprus to meet our archaeologist for a private tour of the ancient Greek city-state of Salamis on the coast of eastern Cyprus. There is evidence that the site was first occupied in the 11th Century BC.
We travel just a few miles further to ancient and stately Famagusta, which was founded in 274 BC after an earthquake toppled much of Salamis. Here we try local cuisine and wines over lunch and tour this remarkable city, marvelling at its churches, mosques, and medieval buildings and mighty walls.
Next, it’s on to 1974. We tour the abandoned Famagusta coastal resort of Varosha that was abandoned in terror of the advancing Turkish tanks and troops on 14 August 1974. You have the choice of walking or cycling this eerie open-air museum.
Returning to Larnaca, we end our day with a farm‑to‑table dinner, featuring time‑honored local recipes, as the sun sets on our first full day of adventuring in Cyprus!
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Larnaca
After breakfast at our hotel, we travel north to the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia. We begin with a tour of the Cyprus Museum, followed by the UN Buffer Zone, the Green Line that marks the northern part of the city as under the occupation of Turkey.
We then cross the border zone into North Nicosia, where lunch options range from contemporary cafes on ancient sites, to the cafe of the Great Inn, to the many cafes lining Northern Nicosia’s Old Town squares.
Meeting again after lunch, we take a private guided tour of the astonishing Old Town of North Nicosia, before crossing the Green Line again and checking into our luxury boutique hotel just outside the city walls of Old Nicosia.
Dinner tonight is an old, atmospheric, high-quality traditional Nicosian restaurant with an elegant twist on traditional Cypriot and Greek specialties.
Meals: B, D
Overnight: Nicosia
After an early breakfast at our hotel, we cross the Green Line to visit St. Hilarion Castle, high on the Kyrenia mountain range. Named after an obscure monk who lived on the hilltop, the Byzantines fortified the hillside in the 11th century, and it is the best preserved of the three castles that defended the island against Arab raids. Built in three separate self-contained levels, the third level is for the very active (and mountain goats!)
We travel from the heights of the Kyrenia Range to Kyrenia Harbor, where lunch is at a lovely harborside taverna – a postcard-perfect spot for lunch!
After lunch, we tour the 16th-century Venetian Castle that is built over a Crusader fortification, including its 12th-century chapel and Shipwreck Museum.
Our final stop of the day in Northern Cyprus is Bellapais, where Lawrence Durrell lived and where he wrote “Bitter Lemons.” We tour Bellapais Abbey, a 13th-century monastery that was home to the canons who had been the custodians of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before the fall of Jerusalem.
Returning to Nicosia, dinner tonight is at your leisure.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Nicosia
After breakfast at our hotel, we bid farewell to Nicosia and head south to one of the most exciting Neolithic sites in the world – the UNESCO World Heritage site of Choirokoitia. Our archaeologist guide leads us on a private tour of this ancient site, inhabited from the 7th to the 4th millennium B.C.
Beginning our journey west to Paphos, we tour the Crusader stronghold of Kolossi Castle. It was fought over by both the Knights Templar and the Knights of St John because of its strategic significance.
After lunch at a village taverna, we enter the realm of the goddess Aphrodite, visiting the beach where, according to myth, she emerged from the sea, carried naked on a wave of sea foam. We travel further westwards to the archaeological site of Palaipafos. We have a private tour of Palaipafos by our archaeologist guide. The oldest part of Palaipafos is the Sanctuary of Aphrodite, which was built by the Myceneans around 1200 BC.
It’s time now to continue our journey to Paphos, check into our harborside hotel, and eat a meze feast at one of Paphos’ oldest and most famous traditional tavernas – a truly fitting ‘welcome’ to Paphos!
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Paphos
After breakfast at our hotel, our tour guide leads us on a walking tour of old Paphos and Paphos harbor. We visit ancient churches, the catacomb of Agio Solomoni, a medieval fort, and much more.
After a leisurely lunch, we enjoy a private tour of the astonishing archaeological site of Nea Paphos with our expert archaeologist guide. The Roman mosaics of this UNESCO World Heritage site will amaze you!
This evening is free for you to choose a traditional taverna or chic contemporary restaurant to discover Paphos specialties and regional wines.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Paphos
After breakfast, we’re later reunited with our archaeologist guide as we explore the important ancient city of Curium (Kourion).
We head down the clifftop to Kourion Beach for a seafood feast, and in the afternoon we return to Paphos to visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Tombs of the Kings where our archaeologist guide.
Dinner tonight is at your leisure along the Paphos waterfront.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Paphos
After breakfast at our hotel, today is yours to spend however you like. Whether it’s reading a book on your balcony, getting in some spa time, or simply walking, shopping, and eating, that day is at your leisure.
We recommend a harbor cruise or a tour of the Akamas National Park by boat and Jeep that includes a visit to the Blue Lagoon.
Meals: B
Overnight: Paphos
After breakfast at our hotel, it’s time to leave the southern coast of Cyprus and head into the mountains. We journey to the village of Kalopanayiotis, high in the Troodos Mountains, and check into our Small Luxury Hotels of the World mountain lodge.
After lunch, we take a tour of the village of Kalopanayiotis, which includes a visit to Agios Ioannis Lampadistra Monastery (Saint John Lampadistis Monastery), one of the monasteries included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the Painted Churches of the Troodos Mountains.
We venture further along the Setrachos River trail (Trail No. 1) to a 16th-century Venetian bridge. Our walk takes 90 minutes, is a circular route, is 3.9 km and is graded “easy.”
Dinner tonight is in an award-winning restaurant with a panoramic view of the Marathasa Valley.
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Kalopanayiotis
After breakfast, we’re reunited with our archaeologist guide as we go hunting for the UNESCO World Heritage 10th-century painted Byzantine churches and monasteries hidden throughout the Troodos Mountains.
We’ll stop on the way at a sensational winery for another Cyprus feast and local wines.
For our last evening together, we gather in an elegant restaurant with spectacular views for a farewell dinner.
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Kalopanayiotis
After our last breakfast together, our lovely driver returns us to Larnaca airport.
If you’d like to stay in Cyprus, we’ll be happy to help you make reservations to extend your stay until next time, when we see you on tour with us again.
If you are joining our Malta tour, we’ll be flying out at lunchtime for the next leg of our epic adventure!
Meals: B
David Pearlman is an archaeologist with over four decades of field experience across Cyprus and the wider Mediterranean, combining serious scholarship with a lifelong passion for exploring landscapes on foot. He holds a B.A. in Classics from the University of Cincinnati (1980) and an M.A. in Archaeology and Soil Science from the University of Minnesota (1984), and has been at the heart of some of Cyprus’s most important excavation and survey projects since the late 1970s.
David’s fieldwork began in 1976 on the multinational excavation of the prehistoric settlement at Kastellatio in Sicily’s Belice Valley, followed in 1977 by Brock University’s excavation of the Late Bronze Age temple site at Larnaca‑Kition in Cyprus. For nearly a decade (1978–87) he served as supervisor of the Vasilikos Valley Project, excavating Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement and cemetery sites at Kalavasos and contributing to the publication of this key aceramic Neolithic and Bronze Age landscape.
From 1980–84 he held leadership positions with the Canadian Palaipaphos Survey Project, serving as crew leader and ethnographic consultant as the team systematically mapped four western river valleys and identified more than a hundred new sites. His expertise was also sought at major archaeological sites across Cyprus, including Kissonerga‑Mosphilia, Peyia‑Maa‑Paliokastro, Pyla‑Kokkinokremmos, and Hellenistic/Roman tomb rescue excavations at Kato Paphos ahead of modern development.
After many years “in the trench,” David began applying his archaeological eye to cultural tourism. In the late 1980s, he founded EXALT (EXcursion ALTernatives), an off‑the‑beaten‑track 4×4 and trekking company based first in Paphos and then island‑wide, designing nature and heritage excursions into remote valleys, mountain villages, and coastal landscapes that mainstream tourism rarely reached.
Since 2004, he has worked as a freelance guide and excursion architect all over Cyprus, and today leads small‑group archaeological and historical journeys. A veteran of hundreds of overland excursions and trekking expeditions, and the author of several articles and documentary scripts on Cypriot archaeology, landscapes, and tourism, he describes himself as a “hunter‑gatherer of off‑the‑beaten‑track exploration experiences,” always looking for new ways to open “the right doors for sophisticated travellers to walk through.
On tour, David weaves together archaeology, geology, environment, and everyday Cypriot life, moving easily from Bronze Age tombs and Neolithic round houses to modern farming, village coffee‑house politics, and the practical realities of living on a divided island. He guides primarily in English and also speaks German and Greek, which helps him connect with both local communities and international travellers. Guests repeatedly praise his professionalism, encyclopaedic knowledge, and infectious enthusiasm
We had a fabulous tour with David. He was an excellent guide with extensive knowledge of the island, archaeology and local sites. Really feels like you are getting an insiders view of this amazing island. Highly recommended.
David is very professional not only about archeology that is his main profession but also about geology as well as for the flora of the island.
David was our guide. A charming and knowledgable Archeologist / Local Guru who has spent many years in charge of digs around Cyprus. We saw Venetian bridges, Deserted villages, hatching turtles, free-roaming donkeys and horses, cat sanctuaries, Ancient churches built into the side of mountains, rare birds, and more. We loved it!
Experienced Cypriot tour guide, Eleni Ellinas was born in Famagusta in what is now Northern Cyprus and has curated private walks of the border zone of Cyprus for several years now. Here’s Eleni’s perspective on the authenticity she brings to Take Me To Europe Tours:
“My purpose is simple yet profound: to provide you with an insider’s perspective of Cyprus. Together, we’ll embark on a journey that allows you to perceive our island in a way few get to experience. Like many avid travellers, I yearn to uncover the hidden paths, to immerse myself in the essence of the places I visit. My passion extends to engaging with locals, exploring their cuisine, traditions, culture, and history – all integral components of a truly authentic experience.”
Eleni’s community involvement includes her work with Home for Cooperation (H4C), a community center situated in the UN buffer zone, which is the dividing line between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.
If you’re lucky, Eleni will show you the apartment on Palm Beach in Varosha that her family fled during the Turkish occupation in 1974. With thousands of 5-star reviews, we feel extremely lucky to have such a warm, intelligent, and genuine human being as Eleni as our primary Cypriot tour leader.
Eleni is an incredible storyteller and one of the kindest and most thoughtful guides I’ve ever had. If you want to better understand the history of Cyprus this is the tour for you. Eleni is absolutely wonderful. What a gem!
Eleni was a fantastic host. She was informative and personalised our trip. She gave a great insight into Cypriot culture and history through the ages. She had great conversation and the tour was explorative showing hidden gems of the city and buffer zone.
A MUST!… there’s no way one can miss Eleni’s tour. She is super friendly, thoughtful and knowledgeable about history, culture and of course the city. She tailored the tour to what we wanted to see and know more about which was great… I think she convinced us to come again to Cyprus to explore more of this beautiful island. Thanks, Eleni!
Our tours are physically active! Clambering around archaeological sites, castles, acropoli, and fortresses is an essential part of the Take Me To Europe tour experience, and stairs are everywhere in Europe! On our Cyprus tour, you will need to be able to
