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6 nights/7 days sample itinerary
Welcome drinks upon arrival followed by introduction to programme by wine expert.
Visit to one of the major wineries in Limassol to witness the production and to sample the new wines. Walking tour of Limassol town centre with lunch before continuing to the splendid ruins of the ancient city-kingdom of Curium to see the theatre, Roman baths with mosaics and early Christian basilica. Continue to the Crusader Castle of Kolossi where the Knights of St John first made the sweet desert wine “Commandaria”, one of the oldest named wines of the world. Return to hotel in Limassol.
Explore the vine-covered hills surrounding Limassol. First stop is Ayios Amvrosios Winery followed by wine tasting at the village of Vouni. Lunch in a village taverna is followed by a visit to Olympus Winery and the picturesque village of Omodhos with its traditional wine press. Continue to the Vine Museum at Koilani and return to hotel in Limassol.
Tour to Nicosia, capital of Cyprus since the 11th Century AD. Visit the Archaeological Museum housing an important collection of Cypriot antiquities and art treasures. Drive through the well-maintained Venetian Walls to the Byzantine Museum boasting an icon collection that spans 1,000 years of art. Next-door is the small, magnificently painted Cathedral of Nicosia. Nearby the House of the Ottoman Dragoman Kornesios whose restoration won the Europa Nostra award in 1988. Visit to Omeriye Mosque and Hammam before enjoying some leisure time to browse at "Laiki Yitonia", a restored 19th Century neighbourhood. Overnight in Limassol.
Check out and departure for Paphos. En route stop at Anogyra village to visit the Domaine Nicolaides winery.
Near Paphos enjoy a photostop at Petra Tou Romiou, a chunky, rugged rock marking the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, Ancient Goddess of Love & Beauty. Visit the Museum housing ritual objects found at her Sanctuary and used for the worship of her cult.
In Paphos stop at the Tomb of the Kings, an imposing ancient necropolis carved out of solid rock.
Next to the picturesque harbour, visit the 3rd Century AD Roman mosaics depicting evocative mythological scenes. Last stop is the Pillar of St Paul where the Apostle was bound and whipped which is located near the remains of an early Christian basilica dating back to the 4th Century.
Check in at hotel in Paphos and overnight.
Today your wine expert accompanies you to Fikardos Winery and K&K Winery in Kathikas Village near Paphos. After a traditional lunch at Kathikas village tavern, visit Vouni-Panayia Winery.
Time-permitting visit to the Monastery of St Neofytos to visit the 12th Century "Egkleistra" an enclosure carved out of the mountain by the hermit Neofytos who was so popular during his lifetime that pilgrims would visit his hermitage. In the end, he had to protect his privacy with a retractable ladder. The enclosure contains some of the finest Byzantine frescos dating from the 12th to the 15th Century. The Monastery opposite contains an interesting Ecclesiastical museum.
Return to your hotel in Paphos.
Limassol Wine Festival: There is an annual wine festival in Limassol early Sept. It is a fun, unsophisticated mass event and best to visit in the early evening before it gets too busy and chaotic. |
