Treasures of Cyprus: Self-Launched Island Circuit
8 days · Cyprus
Olta Travel Cyprus charges £1,065
No-markup version: ~£672 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Olta Travel Cyprus's 8-day "Treasures of Cyprus" group tour, covering the same headline sights — Larnaca, Lefkara, the Troodos mountains and Kykkos Monastery, Nicosia's divided old town, Paphos's mosaics and Tombs of the Kings, and Famagusta with Salamis and Varosha. Instead of a coach, guide and 4-star hotel base, you'll use Cyprus's cheap intercity buses (KTEL/OSYPA), a base in Larnaca or shared between Larnaca and Paphos, and self-booked walking tours and tastings. Note that Famagusta/Salamis/Varosha lie in Northern Cyprus — crossing at the Ledra Palace or Agios Dometios checkpoint in Nicosia is straightforward on foot or by local dolmuş, but bring your passport and check current crossing advice. Costs are rough estimates for one traveller in shoulder season.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Larnaca
Larnaca
Fly into Larnaca International Airport and take local bus 425 or 429 into town (about €1.50, ~20 mins) rather than a private transfer. Check into a hostel or guesthouse near the seafront or Finikoudes. Spend the late afternoon walking the palm-lined promenade, seeing St Lazarus Church from outside, and getting oriented around Larnaca Castle. Pick up a bus card (Motion) for cheaper fares and grab dinner at a cheap meyhane or souvlaki joint in the old town lanes.
🚌Airport bus 425/429 to city centre, ~£1.50
🛏Hostel or family guesthouse near Finikoudes, Larnaca (~£18-25/night)
- →Finikoudes promenade walk
- →St Lazarus Church (exterior)
- →Larnaca old town lanes
Larnaca museums and Lefkara village
Larnaca & Lefkara
Morning in Larnaca: visit the small Pierides Museum and Larnaca Castle (combined tickets are cheap), spot the Statue of Zeno of Citium and the Kamares Aqueduct on the edge of town. After lunch take intercity bus 408 toward Kofinou/Lefkara or a shared taxi (about €10-15 pp) up to Lefkara, the lace-and-silver village. Wander the embroidery lanes and the Museum of Traditional Embroidery and Silversmiths, pop into the Holy Cross Church, taste loukoumi at a village confectioner, and look out for a short halloumi-making workshop or farm visit (book ahead via a local provider or ask at the village cooperative) before busing back to Larnaca.
🚌Local + intercity bus Larnaca–Lefkara return, ~£6
🛏Hostel or family guesthouse near Finikoudes, Larnaca
- →Pierides Museum
- →Larnaca Castle
- →Kamares Aqueduct
- →Lefkara lace lanes & embroidery museum
- →Holy Cross Church, Lefkara
- →Loukoumi tasting & halloumi workshop
Troodos mountains, Kykkos and Omodos
Troodos & Omodos
This is the trickiest day without a car. Cheapest route: catch the intercity bus to Limassol, then a mountain bus up to Troodos (routes run a few times a day — check times the day before and plan a long day). From Troodos, a taxi or arranged local driver covers Kykkos Monastery, the Throni Hill tomb of Archbishop Makarios III and Omodos village with its Holy Cross Monastery; split the fare with other hostel travellers or join a small-group Troodos/Kykkos day tour booked via GetYourGuide if bus timings don't work. Finish with a winery tasting in Omodos (several small wineries accept walk-ins). Alternatively base one night in Omodos to avoid the long return.
🚌Bus Larnaca–Limassol–Troodos return plus shared taxi/tour (~£25-30 total)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Larnaca, or village guesthouse in Omodos (~£22)
- →Kykkos Monastery
- →Throni Hill & Makarios III tomb
- →Omodos village walk
- →Holy Cross Monastery, Omodos
- →Winery tasting
Nicosia: the last divided capital
Nicosia (Lefkosia)
Take the intercity bus from Larnaca to Nicosia (about €4, ~1h15). Do a self-guided old-town loop: the Cyprus Museum (small entry fee, excellent archaeology), the Venetian walls and Famagusta Gate from outside, the Archbishop's Palace, the Cathedral of St John the Theologian with its painted interior, and a coffee stop in the Büyük Han caravanserai on the northern side after crossing the Green Line on foot at Ledra Street (passport needed). A GetYourGuide or Nicosia Walking Tours old-town tour (roughly £15-20) adds the history the group tour's guide covered. Bus back to Larnaca in the evening.
🚌Intercity bus Larnaca–Nicosia return, ~£7
🛏Hostel or family guesthouse in Larnaca
- →Cyprus Museum
- →Venetian walls & Famagusta Gate
- →Cathedral of St John the Theologian
- →Büyük Han caravanserai
- →Green Line crossing on foot
- →Optional walking tour
Paphos archaeology day
Paphos
Take the intercity bus to Paphos (about €7, ~2h) or, better, shift your base to Paphos for the next two nights to cut day trips. Visit the Paphos Archaeological Park (Nea Paphos) with its Roman mosaics and the nearby Tombs of the Kings — buy the combined ticket for both. See Paphos Castle from the harbour, the St Paul's Pillar complex and Agia Kyriaki Church, and the little Agia Solomoni catacomb church. On the way in or out, stop at the Rock of Aphrodite (Petra tou Romiou) — reachable by local bus 631 or a short taxi hop from Paphos. Skip dinner out by cooking at the hostel or eating at a cheap taverna in Ktima.
🚌Intercity bus Larnaca–Paphos ~£6, local buses ~£3
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Paphos old town/Ktima (~£20-28/night)
- →Paphos Archaeological Park
- →Tombs of the Kings
- →Paphos Castle (exterior)
- →St Paul's Pillar & Agia Kyriaki
- →Agia Solomoni Church
- →Petra tou Romiou (Rock of Aphrodite)
Famagusta, Salamis and Varosha
Famagusta (Gazimağusa), Northern Cyprus
The longest travel day. From Paphos take the bus back to Nicosia, cross the Green Line on foot at Ledra Palace with your passport, then take a dolmuş or local bus from north Nicosia to Famagusta (about 1.5h, cheap). In Famagusta see Othello's Castle from outside, the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (former St Nicholas Cathedral), and the fenced-off Varosha ghost resort from the viewing points along the beach. A short dolmuş ride gets you to Salamis ruins and the Monastery of St Barnabas. Finish with a swim at Glapsides or Palm Beach and a cheap seafood meze before heading back. If the day feels too tight, overnight in Famagusta or north Nicosia instead.
🚌Bus Paphos–Nicosia, foot crossing, dolmuş/bus Nicosia–Famagusta and local dolmuş, ~£14 total
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Famagusta or north Nicosia (~£22-30/night)
- →Othello's Castle (exterior)
- →Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque
- →Salamis archaeological site
- →Monastery of St Barnabas
- →Varosha viewpoint
- →Beach swim
Back to Larnaca — free day
Larnaca
Return by dolmuş and bus via Nicosia to Larnaca, or take a shared taxi for speed. Use the free afternoon the way the tour leaves it open: Larnaca's small museums, the salt lake and Hala Sultan Tekke mosque, the Kamares Aqueduct at golden hour, souvenir shopping in the old lanes, or simply a swim and lounger at Mackenzie or Phinikoudes beach. Cheap dinner at a village taverna or a kebab shop.
🚌Dolmuş + intercity bus back to Larnaca, ~£10
🛏Hostel or family guesthouse in Larnaca
- →Hala Sultan Tekke & Salt Lake
- →Mackenzie Beach swim
- →Larnaca shopping lanes
- →Kamares Aqueduct at sunset
Depart Larnaca
Larnaca
Breakfast at the guesthouse, a final stroll along the promenade, then local bus 425/429 to Larnaca International Airport for your flight home. Allow extra time if you're crossing back from the north on the same day.
🚌Local bus to Larnaca Airport, ~£1.50
🛏None (departure day)
- →Promenade walk
- →Airport bus
Self-launched vs. Olta Travel Cyprus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Olta Travel Cyprus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£672 | £1,065 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £393 per person (37%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Olta Travel Cyprus-style trips? Check them out here.~£672
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Treasures of Cyprus: Self-Launched Island Circuit cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £672 per person for 8 days in Cyprus. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Olta Travel Cyprus?+
Yes — Olta Travel Cyprus charges around £1,065 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £672 — a saving of roughly £393 (37%) per person.
How long is the Cyprus trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Cyprus.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, slow-travel, budget trip through Cyprus, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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