A tour of Nicosia and Kyrenia packs two very different places in Cyprus into a single outing, starting with a walk on Ledra Street. Travellers comparing tours in Greece will find this a Cyprus option that crosses a border.
The sections ahead take the Ledra Street walk, the border crossing into Northern Nicosia, Kerynia’s harbour and castle, and Bellapais Abbey in turn, then the best months, booking and the usual questions.
What is a nicosia and kyrenia tour?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour is a full day trip to Northern Cyprus that covers Nicosia as well as Kyrenia. A Polish-speaking tour leader leads the group, and the day includes a walk, a border crossing and a visit to Bellapais Abbey.
On a nicosia and kyrenia tour, the day begins on foot along Ledra Street in Nicosia. After that walk, the group passes over the border and visits Northern Nicosia, Kyrenia and Bellapais Abbey.
Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus, and people have lived there for over 5,500 years. Kyrenia is a coastal city known for its old harbour and castle, and holds a yearly arts festival.
- Format: full day trip
- Language: Polish-speaking leader
- Pickup: available
- Cancellation: free
In short, a nicosia and kyrenia tour joins the capital with a north-coast city in a single day.
Where does a nicosia and kyrenia tour go on the island?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour goes to two places on Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Nicosia lies in the centre of the island, while Kyrenia sits on the north coast, where the Kyrenia Mountains overlook the coast.
Among the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus ranks third for size. A United Nations buffer zone runs across the island, and the part called Northern Cyprus makes up its northern third.
Nicosia’s first settlers made their home on the fertile Mesaoria plain. Kyrenia is the capital of the smallest district of Cyprus. Readers wanting more on the town can open the Kyrenia tour post.
- Island: eastern Mediterranean
- Nicosia: island centre
- Kyrenia: north coast
- Divide: UN buffer zone
A nicosia and kyrenia tour therefore takes in the centre of Cyprus and its northern coast.
What does a nicosia and kyrenia tour show on Ledra Street?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour shows Ledra Street, a major shopping street in central Nicosia that links Nicosia with North Nicosia, the northern part of the city. The group walks along it at the start of the day, before crossing the border.
Ledra Street leads away from Eleftheria square and runs from south to north. The larger part lies in the area the Republic of Cyprus controls, while a brief northern stretch lies in North Nicosia.
A barricade once blocked the street at the UN buffer zone. It came down in April 2008, and the street then became a crossing point. Listings differ on which crossing the tour uses.
- Length: about 1 km
- Name: ancient Ledra
- Parallel: Onasagorou Street
- Southern stretch: largely pedestrianised
A nicosia and kyrenia tour begins on a street that links the two parts of Nicosia.
How does a nicosia and kyrenia tour cross the Green Line?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour crosses the border to visit Northern Nicosia, per the listing. The Green Line, also called the United Nations buffer zone, runs through the middle of Nicosia and divides the city into southern and northern sections.
The listing names no crossing point, so listings differ on where the group crosses. The buffer zone runs for 180 kilometres and varies in width from under 20 metres to over 7 kilometres.
UNFICYP, the United Nations force in Cyprus, patrols the zone. Nicosia International Airport became part of it after the ceasefire of 16 August 1974 and now hosts that mission’s headquarters.
- Area: 346 square kilometres
- Nicosia: last divided capital
- Zone villages: Pyla, Deneia
- Crossing: listings differ
The zone separates the capital’s southern and northern sections, and a nicosia and kyrenia tour includes a border crossing.
What does a nicosia and kyrenia tour show in North Nicosia?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour visits Northern Nicosia, one part of the divided city, but the listing names no stop there. The sights in its old city include the Selimiye Mosque, a former Gothic cathedral, and Büyük Han, the largest caravanserai in Cyprus.
The Selimiye Mosque was once the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, where the kings of Cyprus were crowned. Its inside space is 66 metres by 21 metres, and the building holds 2,500 worshippers.
The Ottomans built Büyük Han in 1572. Under British rule, it housed the city’s first prison. After a restoration, the inn was revived as an arts centre with galleries, workshops and courtyard cafes.
- Centre: Sarayönü Square
- Universities: four
- Students: over 34,000
- Courtyard: mosque, fountain
Listings differ on which of these old city sights a nicosia and kyrenia tour visits.
Why do the walls matter on a nicosia and kyrenia tour?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour starts in Nicosia, a city that the Venetian walls surround. In the mid-16th century, during a war with the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Venice rebuilt them completely, and they still stand largely intact.
In 1567 the Venetians chose Giulio Savorgnan and Francesco Barbaro, two Italian military engineers, as the designers. The medieval walls were demolished, and the new walls have eleven pentagonal bastions.
The old city lies inside the walls, and the walls have three gates: Paphos Gate, Famagusta Gate and Kyrenia Gate. The Kyrenia Gate historically opened the way north towards Kyrenia.
- Circuit: about 5 kilometres
- Moat: Pedieos water
- Ottoman war: 1570
- Flag: based on walls
The walls are a major tourist attraction, though listings differ on whether a nicosia and kyrenia tour stops there.
What does a nicosia and kyrenia tour show in Kyrenia?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour visits Kerynia (Kyrenia) after the group crosses the border. The listing names no sight inside the town, so listings differ on the stops there. The town lies on the northern coast of Cyprus.
Kyrenia is a city known for its historic harbour. The oldest document that mentions it, the Periplus of Pseudo Skylax, lists it as a harbour town, and that text rests on fourth-century BC knowledge.
Kyrenia is also the capital of the Kyrenia District, which is the smallest district in Cyprus. Nicosia District borders it on the south, and the district takes in much of the north coast.
- Legend: Achaean founders
- Festival: annual arts event
- Universities: three in town
- District: Lapethos, Karavas
The harbour town of Kyrenia is the coastal stop that a nicosia and kyrenia tour names.
Which castle belongs to a nicosia and kyrenia tour?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour names no castle in its listing, but Kyrenia Castle stands in the town of Kyrenia. The Venetians built the 16th-century castle over an earlier Crusader fortification, and the Shipwreck Museum sits within its walls.
Research suggests that Byzantines built the first castle in the 7th century. King Richard of England took it in 1191, and John of Ibelin made it larger from 1208 to 1211.
The Kyrenia Shipwreck is an ancient Greek merchant ship from the 4th century BC. A diving instructor found it in November 1965, and the ship now stays on show inside the castle.
- Chapel: reused Roman capitals
- Walls: cannon embrasures
- Tomb: Ottoman admiral
- Moat: once a harbour
Kyrenia Castle and the ancient ship stand in the town that a nicosia and kyrenia tour visits.
Why does a nicosia and kyrenia tour stop at Bellapais Abbey?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour stops at Bellapais Abbey because the listing names it as one of the places on the day. The abbey is the ruin of a monastery from the 13th century, in Bellapais, a small village of the Kyrenia District.
The monastery was founded by Aimery de Lusignan, and its first buildings date from 1198 to 1205. The White Canons took over in 1206, so later documents call the site the White Abbey.
The Kyrenia Mountains are a long, narrow range along the northern coast of Cyprus, made primarily of limestone, and Mount Selvili is the highest peak. A separate post covers the Famagusta ghost town tour.
- Cloister: 18 arches
- Church: best preserved part
- Refectory: concerts and lectures
- Altitude: 220 m
A nicosia and kyrenia tour stops at a site that is also a museum with a restaurant and cafe.
Which season suits a nicosia and kyrenia tour?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour runs in Cyprus, an island with a subtropical climate, warm to hot summers and very mild winters at sea level. Sunshine stays abundant across the whole year, and especially so from April to September.
Summers stay hot and dry until mid-September. July and August bring an average coastal maximum near 37 degrees Celsius by day, and summer skies over the island are almost cloudless.
Winters are rainy and rather changeable, and a short autumn and a short spring sit between winter and summer. Autumn and winter rainfall differs somewhat from one year to the next.
- Warm: April to November
- Rain: November to March
- Snow: Troodos Mountains only
- Humidity: lower in summer
Temperature and rainfall for a nicosia and kyrenia tour vary with altitude and, less so, with distance from the coast.
How do travellers book a nicosia and kyrenia tour?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour is booked through a listing, where travellers pick from the available dates on the booking page. The listing marks pickup as available and cancellation as free, and a Polish-speaking tour leader leads the full day trip.
Polish is a West Slavic language in the Indo-European family, written in the Latin script, with seven grammatical cases. Listings differ on other tour languages and on the group size.
The booking page also shows the tour length. Border documents are not covered in the listing, so listings differ on them. Another Nicosia outing is covered in the Nicosia day trip post.
- Pickup: available, points differ
- Cancellation: free, per listing
- Language: Polish-speaking leader
- Dates: booking page
Travellers pick a date and note the free cancellation when they book a nicosia and kyrenia tour.
What do travellers ask about a nicosia and kyrenia tour?
A nicosia and kyrenia tour is a full day trip to Northern Cyprus, and the listing marks pickup as available, cancellation as free and the tour leader as Polish-speaking. The answers below cover the places, the language, pickup, cancellation and the border crossing, all from the listing.
Which places does a nicosia and kyrenia tour cover?
The listing opens the day with a stroll on Ledra Street in Nicosia, then names Northern Nicosia, Bellapais Abbey and Kerynia (Kyrenia) as places to visit. Listings differ on the stops inside each town.
Does the tour leader on a nicosia and kyrenia tour speak Polish?
Yes, the listing describes the tour leader as Polish-speaking. It names no other language, so listings differ for travellers who need one. Polish is the official language of Poland, where it is primarily spoken.
Is pickup offered on a nicosia and kyrenia tour?
Yes, the listing marks pickup as available and shows Nicosia as its map location. Listings differ on the exact pickup points, because the listing does not name them.
Is cancellation free on a nicosia and kyrenia tour?
Yes, the listing states free cancellation for the full day trip to Northern Cyprus. It does not describe a deadline or refund steps, so listings differ on those terms.
Is the border crossing part of the nicosia and kyrenia tour?
Yes, the listing has the group cross the border after the Ledra Street walk. Nicosia is Europe’s last divided capital. Listings differ on the crossing point and on border documents.