Cyprus
Cyprus itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks
A good 7-day Cyprus itinerary is Larnaca → Nicosia (2 nights) → Troodos (2) → Paphos (3), flying home from Paphos. Do it in spring or autumn, hire the car when you leave Nicosia, and add the north only if you have 10 days or more.
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Key facts
- Best 7-day route
- Larnaca → Nicosia 2 nights → Troodos 2 → Paphos 3
- Minimum useful time
- 7 days for one coast plus the capital and mountains
- Time for both sides
- 10 days, with 2 nights in Kyrenia (north)
- Full island
- 14 days; 21 days adds the Karpas and slow coast time
- Best months for a full route
- April–June and September–November
- July–August
- Coast and Troodos only; skip long inland drives
- Car hire
- Pick it up the day you leave Nicosia; village roads are slow
- Crossing north by carcheck
- Needs separate insurance and a rental firm that allows it (check)
- Larnaca to Paphos drivecheck
- About 1 h 40 by motorway (check)
Route by length of trip
Match the route to the days you actually have. Fewer bases means less packing and more time at each place.
| Days | Route | Nights per stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Larnaca → Nicosia → Troodos → Paphos | 2 / 2 / 3 | Fly out of Paphos, or drive 1 h 40 back to Larnaca (check) |
| 10 | Larnaca → Nicosia (north day) → Kyrenia → Troodos → Paphos | 2 / 2 / 2 / 4 | Cross north on foot and use northern taxis, or hire a car there |
| 14 | Larnaca → Nicosia → Famagusta and Karpas → Kyrenia → Troodos → Limassol → Paphos and Akamas | 2 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 4 | Spring or autumn only; in July–August swap the Karpas for extra mountain nights |
| 21 | The 14-day route plus 2 nights Cape Greco or Protaras and 2 nights Polis or Latchi | as 14-day, plus 2 / 2 | Adds beach and Akamas time; keeps driving days short |
Nights are a starting point, not a rule. Add a night to Paphos or the Troodos if you want slower days.
7 days: capital, mountains, west coast
Land at Larnaca and go straight to Nicosia for two nights: the old town, the Cyprus Museum and a walk across the Green Line at Ledra Street. Read the crossing rules before you go.
Pick up the car as you leave the capital and drive into the Troodos for two nights in Kakopetria or Platres. Use one full day for painted churches and forest trails, and keep the driving short.
Finish with three nights in Paphos: the UNESCO mosaics, the Tombs of the Kings and a day out along the Akamas coast. Fly home from Paphos if your airline allows it; otherwise it is about 1 h 40 back to Larnaca (check).
This route works year-round, but April–June and September–November are the comfortable months. In July and August, start early and keep afternoons for the coast or the mountains.
- Day 1–2: Nicosia, on foot
- Day 3–4: Troodos villages, car needed
- Day 5–7: Paphos and the Akamas
10 and 14 days: adding the north and the south coast
At 10 days you can see both sides of the island. Keep two nights in Nicosia, cross to Kyrenia for two nights, then return south for the Troodos and four nights in Paphos. Cross on foot and take northern taxis, or hire a car in the north for those two nights; taking a southern rental car across needs separate insurance and a firm that allows it (check).
At 14 days the full loop opens up: Nicosia, then Famagusta and the Karpas peninsula in the north, back via Kyrenia, down to the Troodos, two nights in Limassol for Kourion and the wine villages, and four nights split between Paphos and Polis.
Do this route in spring or autumn. In July and August, drop the Karpas and give those nights to the mountains instead; the north-east is hot and the drives are long.
- 10 days: Nicosia 2 · Kyrenia 2 · Troodos 2 · Paphos 4
- 14 days: Nicosia 2 · Famagusta 1 · Karpas 1 · Kyrenia 2 · Troodos 2 · Limassol 2 · Paphos and Polis 4
21 days: slow version
Three weeks lets you stop moving every second day. Take the 14-day loop and add two nights at Cape Greco or Protaras for sea caves and family beaches, and two nights at Polis or Latchi for the Akamas and the Blue Lagoon.
Use the extra time for day trips rather than new bases: Larnaca's salt lake and the Zenobia wreck, the Kourion and Kolossi sites from Limassol, and a slow drive through the wine villages.
Winter changes the plan. November to March suits Larnaca for flamingos and the coast for walking, but mountain villages are quiet and some seasonal places close (check).
Practical notes for any length
Cyprus is a car island. Buses reach the main towns but not the villages, trailheads or beaches you came for. Hire the car on the day you leave Nicosia and drop it at the airport you fly out of.
Distances look small on the map. Motorway driving between Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos is quick; Troodos and Akamas roads are slow, so plan fewer stops per day than you would at home.
Book coastal hotels early for July, August and the Easter period. Check the crossing rules and any current advice before you plan a north–south route, and carry some cash for villages and small tavernas.
- Drive on the left
- Car hire from about €30–50 a day in 2026 (check)
- Keep one buffer day if you have a flight to catch
Questions people ask
What is a good 7-day itinerary for Cyprus?
Larnaca → Nicosia (2 nights) → Troodos (2) → Paphos (3), flying home from Paphos. It covers the capital, the mountains and the west coast without long drives. Hire the car when you leave Nicosia.
How many weeks should I spend in Cyprus?
One week covers the capital, the Troodos and one coast. Ten days adds the north around Kyrenia. Two weeks covers the full island loop; three weeks lets you slow down and add Cape Greco and the Akamas.
What is the best route through Cyprus?
Start at Larnaca, go to Nicosia, then either north to Kyrenia and Famagusta or south into the Troodos, and finish on the west coast at Paphos and Polis. Doing it as a loop avoids backtracking.
Do I need a car for these itineraries?
Yes for the Troodos, the Akamas and most villages; buses do not reach them usefully. You can do Nicosia, Larnaca and Paphos town without a car, then hire one for the rest.
When is the best time to do a full Cyprus itinerary?
April to June and September to November. July and August are for the coast and the Troodos only, and winter suits Larnaca, the coast and city sightseeing, with some mountain places closed (check).
Can I cross to northern Cyprus on these routes?
Yes. On foot at Ledra Street in Nicosia is simplest. Taking a southern rental car across needs separate insurance and a rental firm that allows it, so check before you book (check).
Deep dive
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