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🇨🇾Things to Do in Cyprus
From the Tombs of the Kings in Paphos to the beaches of Ayia Napa - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Cyprus is politically divided between the Republic of Cyprus in the south and the Turkish Cypriot north, a genuinely different administration crossing a UN buffer zone through Nicosia. Most standard tourism concentrates in the Greek Cypriot south's beach resorts and ancient sites, with the north's Kyrenia harbor as an increasingly popular add-on for those crossing over. Here are 6 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Tombs of the Kings, Paphos
An underground necropolis carved from solid rock, dating to the 4th century BC and named for its grand scale rather than any actual royal burials found there - a UNESCO World Heritage site.
📍 Paphos
🚉 Cyprus has no railway: bus 615 runs along the Paphos seafront to the necropolis every 20 minutes, about 10 minutes from the harbour.
Nissi Beach, Ayia Napa
One of Cyprus's most photographed beaches, with a small connected islet reachable on foot at low tide - the anchor of Ayia Napa's resort and nightlife scene.
📍 Ayia Napa
🚉 Bus 101 and 102 loop from Ayia Napa's central square to Nissi Beach in 10 minutes, running late into the evening through the summer season.
Troodos Mountains
Cyprus's mountainous interior, home to painted Byzantine churches (also UNESCO-listed) and Mount Olympus, the island's highest peak, with skiing possible in winter.
📍 Troodos Mountains
🚉 Intercity buses run from Nicosia and Limassol to Troodos Square, but only once or twice a day - the villages of Omodos, Kakopetria and Platres really need a hire car.
Aphrodite's Rock
A sea stack off the coast near Paphos, tied in Greek mythology to the birth of Aphrodite - a popular sunset viewpoint along the coastal road.
📍 near Paphos
🚉 Bus 631 between Paphos and Limassol stops at Petra tou Romiou on the coast road, about 25 minutes from Paphos - the pebble beach is reached through a tunnel under the highway.
Kyrenia (Girne) Harbour
A horseshoe-shaped harbor in Northern Cyprus, ringed by a Crusader-era castle and waterfront restaurants - reachable by crossing one of the checkpoints through the UN buffer zone from the south.
📍 Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus
🚉 Kyrenia is in the north: cross at the Ledra Street or Ayios Dometios checkpoints in Nicosia, then a dolmus minibus over the mountains takes about 40 minutes.
Kourion
An ancient Greco-Roman city on a coastal cliff near Limassol, with a well-preserved amphitheater still used for performances and mosaic floors from a Roman-era villa.
📍 near Limassol
🚉 Bus 16 from Limassol runs to the Kourion archaeological site in about 30 minutes, stopping near the Greco-Roman theatre above the cliffs.
Mark Cyprus, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Cyprus?
A week covers Paphos, the Troodos Mountains and a beach resort like Ayia Napa well. Ten days lets you add a crossing into Northern Cyprus to see Kyrenia.
What's the best time to visit Cyprus?
April-June and September-October have warm, comfortable weather without peak-July/August heat and crowds. Ski season in the Troodos Mountains runs roughly January-March.
Is Cyprus good for a first-time visit?
Yes - the Republic of Cyprus side is well set up for tourism with English widely spoken, and a rental car makes the Troodos Mountains and ancient sites easy to combine with the beach resorts.
Do I need a visa to visit Cyprus?
The Republic of Cyprus is an EU member but not yet in the Schengen Area; many nationalities, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can still visit visa-free for short tourist stays. Check the official visa information for your nationality: mfa.gov.cy.
What are some things to do in Cyprus on a tight budget?
Nissi Beach and most of Cyprus's beaches are free to access, walking the Tombs of the Kings and Kourion's ancient sites is inexpensive relative to similar ruins in Italy or Greece, and Troodos Mountains hiking trails cost nothing.
Can I rent a car in Cyprus, and what licence do I need?
Yes, and the Troodos villages and the Akamas coast are hard to see without one. EU and EEA licences are valid as issued; other visitors may drive on a home licence for visits, with an International Driving Permit if it is not in the Latin alphabet. Minimum age is usually 21 to 25. Traffic drives on the left. The important local rule is insurance across the Green Line: a car hired in the south is not normally covered in the north, and separate cover must be bought at the crossing - hire cars from the north generally cannot come south at all. Official rules sit with the Department of Road Transport, reachable through the government portal at gov.cy, with visitor guidance at visitcyprus.com.