Day 1 – To Kyrenia: Fly from London Heathrow to Larnaca with British Airways. Transfer to the Onar Village Hotel* in Kyrenia for 6 nights. (D)

Day 2 – Kyrenia: Visit St Hilarion Castle, perched dramatically on a mountain top. Continue to Bellapais, once the home of Lawrence Durrell and inspiration for his book Bitter Lemons. See the 12th-century Augustine Bellapais Abbey, set on a cliff top. Return to the picturesque harbour and see the Byzantine castle, enlarged by the Venetians, and the Shipwreck Museum. (B, L, D)

Day 3 – Famagusta & Salamis: Visit Famagusta this morning and walk through the gates of the walled city to the Venetian Palace, the gothic cathedral of St Nicholas and Othello’s Tower, built by the Lusignans. Continue to the ancient Hellenistic / Roman city of Salamis, with its elegant colonnade, hypocaust, mosaics and monuments overrun with wild flowers. End the day’s sightseeing at St Barnabas Monastery. (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Nicosia: Morning drive to Nicosia and explore the old city. Visits include the Venetian Column, St Sophia Cathedral, the covered bazaar and Buyuk Khan (an Ottoman caravanserai). Continue to a traditional Ottoman town house laid out as a folk museum. (B, D)

Day 5 – Kantara: Morning visit to the delightful fishing harbour of Bogaz, followed by a drive into the mountains for breathtaking views along the Karpaz peninsula. Visit the Lusignan fortified Kantara Castle, a crusader stronghold first recorded when Richard the Lionheart captured Cyprus in 1191. (B, L, D)

Day 6 – Kyrenia: Full day at leisure. (B, D)

Day 7 – To London: Transfer to Larnaca airport for a flight to London Heathrow with British Airways. (B)

Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals

Private Journeys: In addition to the Escorted Group Tour departures, this itinerary may be taken at any time as a Private Journey, subject to availability.

* Accommodation / tours: If you would like to stay at the Onar Village Hotel with international flights and transfers, but without the included tours as per the itinerary, this can be arranged. Please contact Cox & Kings for more details and prices.

Accessibility: The excursions to St Hilarion Castle and Kantara Castle involve climbing a number of steps up to the sites.