Kykkos, Chrysoroyiatissa and Omodos Day Trip from Paphos

Panayia Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery

The day starts at Panayia Chrysorrogiatissa, a monastery founded in the 12th century and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, set on a ridge at about 800 metres above the village of Panayia. Its name is usually translated as Our Lady of the Golden Pomegranate, and the present stone buildings around the arched courtyard date mostly from the 18th century. Inside the church you see a carved wooden iconostasis and the silver-covered icon that gives the monastery its fame.

Many travellers ask whether Chrysoroyiatissa Monastery is worth visiting when Kykkos is on the same route: it is quieter and more intimate, and the terrace looks over terraced vineyards and folded hills towards the sea. You have about 45 minutes here with your guide, enough to see the church, the courtyard and the view. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, as at every monastery on this tour.

Through the Paphos Forest to the high Troodos

From Chrysorrogiatissa the road climbs into the Paphos Forest, the largest forest in Cyprus, a wild landscape of Calabrian pine, golden oak and, in the higher valleys, the rare Cyprus cedar. This protected area is where the shy Cyprus mouflon, the island's wild mountain sheep, still lives, and the winding road gives wide views over ridges that roll in every direction.

This drive is a big part of why a Troodos Mountains day trip from Paphos feels so different from the coast: the air is cooler, villages are scattered and the scenery changes from vineyards to deep forest within an hour. Your guide explains the geology of the Troodos massif, one of the best-studied pieces of ancient ocean floor on land, and the history of the mountain monasteries.

Kykkos Monastery, the jewel of the Troodos

Kykkos Monastery was founded at the end of the 11th century under the patronage of a Byzantine emperor and stands at about 1,300 metres, among the highest monasteries in Cyprus. It keeps one of the most revered icons in the Orthodox world, the icon of the Virgin of Kykkos, which tradition attributes to the Apostle Luke; it is covered in silver-gilt and its face is kept veiled. The buildings were rebuilt after several fires, and the courtyards shine with modern gold-ground mosaics and frescoes.

On this Kykkos Monastery tour you spend about an hour with your guide, visiting the church and the arcades and then the Kykkos Museum, whose collection of Byzantine icons, manuscripts, vestments and silverwork is one of the finest on the island. Entry is included. If you are wondering how to get to Kykkos Monastery without a car, this is the easiest way from Paphos.

Pedoulas, a mountain village in the Marathasa valley

After Kykkos the coach descends to Pedoulas, a village at about 1,100 metres on the slopes of the Marathasa valley, famous across Cyprus for its cherries, its spring water and its steep streets of tiled-roof houses. Just below the village centre stands the small Church of the Archangel Michael, painted in 1474 and listed by UNESCO among the painted churches of the Troodos.

Pedoulas is the lunch stop of the day. Lunch is not included, but you can choose a Cypriot buffet-style meal in the village, with dishes such as souvla, grilled halloumi, village bread and fresh seasonal salads, or bring your own snacks. It is also a good moment to stretch your legs, buy local cherry preserves and enjoy the mountain air before continuing south.

Omodos village and the Timios Stavros Monastery

Omodos sits on the southern slopes of the Troodos and is one of the most beautiful villages in Cyprus, with a wide cobbled square, stone houses with wooden balconies and narrow lanes full of craft shops. At the head of the square stands the Timios Stavros, or Holy Cross, Monastery, which tradition links with a relic of the Holy Cross; its carved wooden iconostasis and arcaded courtyard are the village's pride.

You have about an hour in Omodos for a short guided walk and free time. Look for the delicate local lace, pottery, honey, grape-based sweets such as soujoukos, and arkatena, the traditional village bread. Visitors often ask about the best time to visit Omodos: spring and autumn are mild and green, while summer mornings in the mountains are pleasantly cooler than the coast.