North Cyprus on Foot (8 days)

Today you will be met on arrival at Ercan Airport and transferred to your hotel, a journey of around 45 minutes.

We will have snacks and drinks at the hotel before checking in and overnight.

We start the day with an introductory briefing giving information about the country, history and indeed everything that you may need to know to get your trip of to a flying start. 

After the welcome meeting we set out for a visit to Kyrenia Castle, with its famous Shipwreck Museum, containing one of the oldest trading ships ever found. We enjoy lunch at one of the little harbour-side restaurants and then walk through the old town, getting a feel for its history.

After our visit we return to the hotel.

Dinner at the hotel.

Our walk will be through the famous and dramatic Besparmak or Five Fingers Mountains, at around 700m above sea level. The walk will be 17km long, and is an easy to moderate standard. 

These mountains are a dividing range separating the north coast from the Mesaoria Plain to the south and they provide the walker with stunning views. In spring a plethora of flowers can be enjoyed, but a walk here is a pleasure at any time of the year. Our walk reveals the best of the mountains and the ay is broken with a delicious picnic lunch under the pine trees.
Dinner at hotel.

An exciting 4WD trip today as we continue our exploration of the Besparmak Mountains. First we visit Alevkaya Herbarium and see many different types of local flowers - especially orchids - and wild plants.

We will have a BBQ lunch under the pine trees, then drive to Antiphonitis Monastery, hidden one in the forest clearings. We will have a coffee break at Esentepe village and then drive back along the coastline to the hotel – a great day out.

Today we enjoy an interesting trip to the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia. This city has been the capital of the island for hundreds of years and offers lots of things for us to see. We start at the Dervish Pasha Mansion, now a museum, where you see something of the Ottoman lifestyle of Cyprus. Then we visit St Sophia Cathedral, the Bedestan and the Buyuk Han or Great Inn. 

Later we head to St. Hilarion’s Castle, the largest castle in the whole of Cyprus and one with a wonderful view over Kyrenia and the Mediterranean.

Dinner at hotel.

Today we head east towards the Karpas Peninsula ad Incirli Cave. Incirli Cave is one of the few caves to be found in North Cyprus, and is about 150m long. The cave is at Çınarlı village where there is also a famous ‘wish tree’ as well. We can enter the cave so bring a torch!

After our visit we head to Kantara Castle, where Richard The Lionheart captured and imprisoned the last King of Cyprus. We enjoy an 8km walk after our picnic lunch in the mountains, under the pine trees.

A great chance to see local Cypriot life as we head east for the Karpas Peninsula, the so-called panhandle.

Our day involves exploring local villages as we see how halloumi (Cypriot cheese) is made – tasty with local bread fresh from the old oven. We’ll walk a way (6km) and visit a 3rd century ancient basilica before returning to Kyrenia.

Later we enjoy a gala night at the Kybele Restaurant.

Today your tour ends with a transfer to Ercan Airport.