A Paphos shore excursion turns a cruise call at Limassol into a guided day on the west coast of Cyprus, with Roman floor mosaics, the rock of Aphrodite and the old harbour fort. Our Greece Tours homepage lists port days and day trips in Greece and Cyprus.
Read on for the tour to book, the drive from the ship, the UNESCO sites and myths, the timing back to the gangway, the solo route, the harbour, what to pack and the questions cruise guests ask.
What is a Paphos shore excursion?
This is a guided day tour for cruise passengers whose ship docks at Limassol. The group travels west to Paphos, about 50 km from Limassol. A guide shows its legendary sites, and the group returns to Limassol the same day.
A shore excursion is a trip booked for the hours a ship spends in port. A Paphos shore excursion starts and ends in Limassol. Limassol sits on the southern coast of Cyprus. Paphos is a seaside city in the southwest of Cyprus. It is the capital of the Paphos District.
Only Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca are larger cities in Cyprus. The GetYourGuide listing for the tour promises UNESCO mosaics, the birthplace of Aphrodite and Paphos Castle. Those three draws headline the listing.
Royal Caribbean calls Paphos a short drive from Limassol on its Limassol shore excursion page. EOS Tours designs its Paphos shore excursion for cruise passengers. Both sellers treat the city as a day trip from the ship.
Transport comes with the trip. GetYourGuide marks pickup as available, and EOS Tours lists an air-conditioned vehicle. Travellers who sleep in Paphos instead of on a ship can browse our Paphos tours for town and day-trip plans.
Which Paphos shore excursion can cruise passengers book?
Four sellers list a trip from Limassol to Paphos. GetYourGuide sells a day tour. EOS Tours runs a private half-day trip. Viator takes bookings through Gangwaze, and Royal Caribbean lists an outing on its Limassol page. Their lengths and stops differ.
GetYourGuide lists a Paphos shore excursion under the title “Limassol: Shore Excursion Paphos Day Tour – Myths & History”. The listing files it as a day trip and gives 5.5 hours as the length. It marks the tour as a private group.
EOS Tours names its version “Shore Excursion: Paphos Half-Day Tour – Myths & History”. Its own page lists 5.5 hours, a live guide in English and a maximum of 6 or 19 guests. The page calls the trip private, easy and open year-round.
The EOS Tours page lists an expert guide, park admission and time for lunch as included. Lunch and drinks are excluded. EOS Tours also lists a second Paphos trip from Limassol, “Limassol: Private Paphos Tour – Kolossi, Aphrodite & Ruins”.
Gangwaze lists a tour of the same name as a Viator booking. Its page gives 6 hours, an 8:00 am start and an experienced local guide. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before the start. This Paphos shore excursion sits under the Limassol shore excursions on Gangwaze.
Royal Caribbean lists “Paphos: Myths, Legends & Ancient Landmarks” on its Limassol page. The page names Aphrodite’s Rock, Paphos Archaeological Park and the Tombs of the Kings as the stops. It presents the outing for travellers who like ancient mythology and coastal views.
Beside Paphos, the Royal Caribbean page lists Kourion with Kolossi Castle and an Old Limassol walk. It also lists a wine and village tour and a catamaran cruise. Pick the Paphos shore excursion whose listed length fits your ship’s time in port. Each seller holds its own terms, so read the live listing before you book.
What does the Limassol to Paphos shore excursion include?
Listing 458037 for this Paphos shore excursion on GetYourGuide includes a local guide. It also includes a fully insured, air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver. Entrance fees to Paphos Archaeological Park are included too. A lunch break is built in, but the meal is not.
This Paphos shore excursion is a private group tour that lasts 5.5 hours. GetYourGuide labels the listing a new activity. EOS TOURS (Cyprus) is the provider, and the page lists a live guide in English and Russian.
Pickup is included, and the ticket information gives the pickup point and time. For a Paphos shore excursion, the booking box asks for a booking at least 10 hours ahead. The page says to check availability for starting times.
The itinerary names these stops in order:
- Pickup at the Port of Limassol or the New Port passenger terminal, the two options the listing names.
- Aphrodite’s Rock for 20 minutes, tagged photo stop, visit, guided tour and sightseeing.
- Agia Solomoni Catacomb and Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa, tagged pass by and optional.
- Paphos Archaeological Park for 1.5 hours, tagged visit, sightseeing and self-guided tour.
- Paphos Castle for 1.5 hours, tagged break time, lunch, guided tour, free time, sightseeing and walk.
- Drop-off at the New Port passenger terminal or the Port of Limassol.
Lunch and additional drinks are not covered, and travellers buy them locally. The listing leaves personal expenses out of the Paphos shore excursion as well. The Paphos Castle stop carries an extra fee.
The listing says the vehicle seats up to 6 or 19 passengers. It warns that the car is cosy rather than spacious. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund, and the page offers reserve now and pay later.
The listing bans pets, smoking in the vehicle, alcohol and drugs, littering, and food and drinks in the vehicle.
How long is the drive on a Paphos shore excursion from Limassol port?
The listing sets 40 minutes of driving from the port to Aphrodite’s Rock. It adds 25 more minutes to the first stops in Paphos. A 5-minute hop joins the park and the castle. The drive back from the castle takes 70 minutes.
Written sources give three distances between Limassol and Paphos. Wikipedia puts Limassol port 60 kilometres from Paphos. The Adventour Begins cruise guide says Paphos lies about 70 kilometres away, roughly a 1-hour drive. Cruisemapper gives about 50 kilometres and a 1-hour drive to Paphos Archaeological Park.
Wikipedia places Aphrodite’s Rock in Kouklia, a village about 16 kilometres east of the city of Paphos. The first leg of a Paphos shore excursion from the port ends at that rock.
Two pass-by stops lie inside Paphos. Wikipedia notes a sacred tree at the entrance of Agia Solomoni. People who hang a personal offering on it are believed to be cured of ailments.
Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa is the second pass-by stop. The listing says Apostle Paul is believed to have been flogged at the Church of St. Kyriaki. Wikipedia lists Agia Kyriaki as another name for the Panagia Chrysopolitissa basilica.
The listing says the guide tells stories as the vehicle drives through the heart of ancient Paphos. It marks the itinerary as for reference only and subject to change. The operator reserves the right to adjust it while keeping the quality and scope of the day. Count the minutes of a Paphos shore excursion with that in mind.
Which UNESCO sites fill a Paphos shore excursion?
The Paphos World Heritage Site has three parts: Nea Paphos, Palaepaphos at Kouklia and the Tombs of the Kings. In town, the Paphos Archaeological Park holds the mosaic villas, which the GetYourGuide listing calls UNESCO mosaics.
UNESCO inscribed the ruins of ancient Paphos in nineteen eighty. It named two reasons for the listing. Criterion (iii) calls the site a unique witness to a vanished civilization. Criterion (vi) ties it to events or traditions of outstanding universal value.
Nea Paphos is the part that holds the mosaics. On a Paphos shore excursion, it is the stop inside town. Nicocles, the last ruler of the city-kingdom of Paphos, founded it in the late 4th century BC. The new city served as a deep-water port, replacing the unusable harbour at Palaepaphos.
The city became the capital of Cyprus in the 2nd century BC, replacing Salamis. Earthquakes in the 4th century AD moved the capital back to Salamis. The mosaics on a Paphos shore excursion come from this former island capital.
Nea Paphos covers much of the Kato Paphos district today. The Cyprus Department of Antiquities manages it as the Paphos Archaeological Park. Polish teams began digging there in nineteen sixty-five, and excavations continue across the site. The UNESCO stop on a Paphos shore excursion is still a working dig.
Every Paphos shore excursion that shows the mosaics enters this park, because the villas stand inside it. Visit Cyprus says the mosaics site stays open daily all year, and the gates open at 8:30 am. In summer, from 16 April to 15 September, they close at 7:30 pm. In the other half of the year the closing time is 5 pm.
The site shuts on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday. A cruise call that lands on one of those three dates finds the gates closed.
North of Paphos harbour, about 2 km away, stand the Tombs of the Kings. Wikipedia notes that certain tombs have Doric columns and painted walls. Burials there included Rhodian amphorae among the offerings. The listing summary for the Paphos shore excursion does not name them.
Which mosaics does a Paphos shore excursion show?
Four Roman villas hold the Paphos mosaics. They are the House of Dionysos, the House of Theseus, the House of Aion and the House of Orpheus. Visit Cyprus dates the villas to the 2nd to the 5th centuries AD.
A farmer ploughing a field uncovered one of these villas in nineteen sixty-two, says Visit Cyprus. The floors show scenes from Greek mythology. The summary of the GetYourGuide listing for this Paphos shore excursion names UNESCO mosaics without naming a house.
The House of Dionysos covers nearly 2,000 square metres, and mosaics fill roughly a quarter of its inside surfaces. Visit Cyprus puts the floor mosaics at 556 square metres. Hunting scenes border three sides of the atrium. A pebble mosaic of the sea monster Scylla lies at the entrance.
The west portico of that house has four myth panels. They show Pyramos and Thisbe, Poseidon and Amymone, and Apollo chasing Daphne. The fourth panel shows Dionysos with Akme, Ikarios and the First Wine Drinkers.
The House of Theseus takes its name from its oldest mosaic. That floor shows the hero with a club facing the Minotaur. Newer floors show Poseidon and Amphitrite and the first bath of Achilles.
Wikipedia gives the villa a size of 120 metres by 80 metres. A courtyard of about 56 by 56 metres was added in the second half of the 4th century AD. The villa is the largest structure in the Polish excavation sector.
The House of Aion has one large floor with five scenes inside a geometric frame. The scenes show the birth of Dionysos, Leda and the Swan, and the beauty contest between Cassiopeia and the Nereids. The last two are Apollo and Marsyas and the triumph of Dionysos.
Aion is the Greek god of time and eternity. Polish archaeologists uncovered the central mosaic in nineteen eighty-three and named the house after it.
Floors in the House of Orpheus show Orpheus among the beasts. Others show Hercules and the Lion of Nemea, and an Amazon with her horse. Wikipedia dates three of its mosaics to the 3rd century AD.
Visit Cyprus gives the address of the mosaics as Kato Pafos, near the harbour. It also links the Paphos shore excursion mosaics to the Aphrodite Cultural Route.
Which myths does a Paphos shore excursion tell?
Two myths drive the day: Aphrodite rising from the sea, and Pygmalion’s ivory statue that came to life. The listing for this Paphos shore excursion names Aphrodite’s Birthplace beside the UNESCO mosaics and Paphos Castle.
Hesiod’s Theogony gives the first myth of the day. Cronus attacked his father Uranus and threw part of him into the sea. White foam rose on the water, and Aphrodite came out of it. A local tradition adds that the waves carried her first to Kythera and then to Cyprus.
Cyprus claimed her as its own. Homer and Hesiod name the island as her homeland, and her title Cypris means Lady of Cyprus. The Greeks agreed that she landed where Paphos now stands. The listing title for this Paphos shore excursion pairs Myths with History.
Pygmalion gives the second myth of the Paphos shore excursion. He was a legendary figure of Cyprus. In book ten of Ovid’s Metamorphoses he is a sculptor. He carves a woman from ivory and falls in love with her.
At the festival of Venus, the Roman name for Aphrodite, Pygmalion wishes for a bride like his statue. He goes home and finds the ivory lips warm. Venus has granted the wish. Later writers call the woman Galatea.
Ovid ties the name of the city that a Paphos shore excursion visits to this couple. Their daughter is Paphos, and the city takes its name from her. The Bibliotheke tells it another way, with a son named Paphos and a daughter named Metharme.
That text adds that Cinyras founded the city under the goddess’s patronage and built her great temple. It names him as either the son of Paphos or the suitor of Metharme.
The cult of Aphrodite Paphia turned the myth into worship, and Paphia means “of Paphos”. Her sanctuary at Palaepaphos ran for more than fifteen centuries. Tacitus writes that her image was no human figure but a tapering stone, wider at the base.
Why does a Paphos shore excursion stop at Aphrodite’s Rock?
Myth places the birth of Aphrodite at this sea stack, and the listing names Aphrodite’s Birthplace as a highlight. Petra tou Romiou stands off the shore beside the main road between Paphos and Limassol. Read the full listing for the stop and its length.
Petra tou Romiou is a sea stack in Kouklia. It stands along the main road between Paphos and Limassol, the two ends of this Paphos shore excursion. The name is Greek for Rock of the Greek, and the same place is called Aphrodite’s Rock.
Two more stories explain the Greek name and the shore. The Digenes Akritas tells of the hero Basil, half Byzantine and half Arab, called Digenes, which means two-blood. Legend says he hurled a huge rock from the Troodos Mountains to keep off the Saracens.
A nearby rock is known as the Saracen Rock. A third legend names the beach Achni. It says the Achaeans came ashore here on their way home from Troy.
Little Lost Travel recommends a stop at the Aphrodite’s Rock Viewpoint to look at the stack from the shore. World Atlas notes that climbers are asked not to climb the rock, out of respect for its cultural meaning.
The swim is a legend with a rule. Guide to Paphos says that three laps around the rock bring luck. World Atlas says a swimmer who circles it three times gains true love, eternal beauty, fertility and youth.
World Atlas adds that rough seas put visitors off the swim. Guide to Paphos calls the rocky seabed a good spot for experienced swimmers and snorkelers. The listing summary mentions no swim at the rock. Read the full itinerary before you plan one on a Paphos shore excursion.
- The beach at the rock is pebbly, says World Atlas.
- A buffet, toilets and showers stand across the road near the car park, says Guide to Paphos.
- An underpass links the car park to the beach, and Guide to Paphos urges walkers to take it instead of crossing the traffic.
How does a Paphos shore excursion get you back to the ship on time?
Compare the tour length with your ship’s time in port before you book. This Paphos shore excursion runs 5.5 hours on its GetYourGuide listing. Adventour Begins puts a ship’s stay in Limassol at 6 to 8 hours.
The listing states a length, not a return time. The tour therefore ends 5.5 hours after it starts. The deadline is the all-aboard time, which falls before the ship sails. Subtract the 5.5 hours from that time to find the latest start.
The same listing sets a booking cut-off of 10 hours before the start. Book on the day before the port call. Its abstract opens with the words “just steps from your ship”.
Norwegian Cruise Line states: “If a Norwegian organised tour is late, the ship will wait for you”. That promise names Norwegian’s tours. It says nothing about tours from other sellers. Norwegian lists its own Paphos shore excursion from Limassol at an estimated 5 hours.
Civitatis ties its Paphos tour for cruise guests to one ship. When you book, you choose your ship from a list, and only ships on that list can book. The tour lasts 5 hours and ends at the Limassol cruise port, after 30 to 45 minutes of free time.
Civitatis also sets a rule for late guests. Its terms say that a guest who arrives late or does not show up gets no refund. Reach the meeting point at the port with time in hand.
The figures for a Paphos shore excursion leave a gap. A 6-hour stay minus the 5.5-hour listing leaves 30 minutes, and an 8-hour stay leaves 2.5 hours. Check your ship’s own times before you pick a start.
Can you plan a Paphos shore excursion on your own from Limassol port?
Yes, if you time every leg yourself. Adventour Begins calls the port a commercial harbour with no walk-out to the city. A solo Paphos shore excursion needs a taxi, a bus or a hire car. Wikipedia places the InterCity Buses links at the port.
CruiseMapper states that the terminal has a taxi rank. Adventour Begins agrees that taxis wait outside the terminal and calls them the quickest way to the town centre. DP World adds that airport taxis run on a taximeter. The fare therefore follows the distance.
Bus 30 stops outside the port and runs along the coast road into Limassol, says Adventour Begins. EMEL runs the city buses, and Wikipedia counts around 53 lines in the Limassol district. For a Paphos shore excursion by public bus, the InterCity link is the one that names Paphos. Adventour Begins calls those buses more relevant for longer trips.
Adventour Begins describes a cruise-line shuttle from the port to the city centre. It stops near the marina or the Old Town. A shuttle ends in Limassol, so a Paphos shore excursion still needs another ride. DP World lists the Limassol Airport Express for the Paphos and Larnaca airports. It runs 24/7, and the driver sells the tickets on board.
Adventour Begins lists car rental as available and calls the roads in Cyprus good. A driver who parks at the terminal on a self-guided Paphos shore excursion finds 330 spaces, says DP World. The lot has no booking system, and the first 20 minutes are free.
DP World also gives the way in from the Paphos side. Take the port exit at the Limassol New Port roundabout and head north towards the port. Then take the first exit at the roundabout there to reach the New Passenger Terminal.
Our Limassol day trip from Paphos page gives the motorway and the bus times from the Paphos end. Use it to plan the ride back.
Where do cruise ships dock for a Paphos shore excursion?
Cruise ships dock at the DP World Limassol cruise terminal, the main cruise port of Cyprus. Wikipedia says cargo and cruise ships use Limassol Port. A Paphos shore excursion therefore begins in Limassol and heads west.
A Paphos shore excursion from Limassol begins in a port that DP World Limassol runs. The company won a 25-year concession for the multi-purpose port and the cruise terminal. Its About Us page dates the start to February of twenty seventeen.
The 7,000 square metre passenger terminal began work in July of that year. CruiseMapper gives the East Berth a length of 480 metres and says it takes the biggest passenger ships.
The terminal FAQ puts the ship about 50 metres from the Departures Hall, though the distance depends on the berth. Duty-free shops operate in the terminal, and Wi-Fi is free for the first 30 minutes.
A car park beside the building has 330 spaces. The FAQ places Limassol city centre 15 minutes away by car.
The harbour at Paphos works at a smaller scale than the Limassol port that serves this Paphos shore excursion. Wikipedia describes the port as a small marina and a fisherman shelter. Cyprus Mail reports, citing the Paphos fishing association, that strong sea turbulence has created problems at the entrance.
A report on the cbn.com.cy news site, sourced to InBusinessNews, lists long-term plans for Kato Paphos harbour. They include a pier of 40 to 50 metres as an anchorage point for larger cruise ships. Today the ship for a Paphos shore excursion still docks at Limassol.
Cruise Industry News lists 26 calls between April and November for one ship that homeports at Limassol. Cyprus Shipping News says other lines dock there between April and October. It expects July and October to be the busiest months. CruiseMapper gives a wider window, February through December.
A Paphos shore excursion is one day on shore. Our Cyprus tours page lists the island’s other day trips.
What does Paphos harbour and its castle add to a Paphos shore excursion?
The harbour adds the sea front, and the castle adds a fortress with a long record. Paphos Castle marks the west side of the port. The GetYourGuide text for the Limassol day tour to Paphos names the historic Paphos Castle.
Visit Cyprus, the official tourism portal, describes what survives today. It is the sixteenth-century Ottoman restoration of the western Frankish tower, with Venetian additions. An inscription above the only entrance tells of that work.
The main part is a big square tower around an enclosed courtyard. The ground floor has a central hall with small rooms along its two long sides. The Ottomans used those rooms as prison cells.
The Ottomans removed the cannons when they handed the administration of the island to the British. The British used the castle as a salt store until it was declared an Ancient Monument under the Antiquities Law.
The castle is the fort at the harbour that a Paphos shore excursion names. Wikipedia places the ruins of the Genoese Towers 80 metres east of it, at the entrance to the port.
The CBN report adds that the Paphos municipality and the Cyprus Ports Authority discussed expanding the breakwater behind the castle. The aim is to protect the monument and the port facilities. The same report also mentions shops and a pedestrian street on the beachfront.
Paphos Lighthouse is another landmark from the age of ships. Wikipedia says it was built under British administration as a landfall marker for ships bound for Paphos harbour. The white tower is 20 metres high. It stands on Paphos point, the peninsula that reaches into the sea at the south-west end of the island.
What do you wear and bring on a Paphos shore excursion?
Wear light summer clothes, comfortable shoes, a hat and sunglasses. Carry water, a card, small cash, your ship card and a photo ID. Paphos airport records an average August high of 30.4 degrees Celsius, so sun cover matters from the first stop.
Wikipedia’s climate table for Paphos airport credits the Meteorological Service of Cyprus. It lists an average July high of 29.9 degrees Celsius, with 390.6 hours of sunshine and 0.3 millimetres of rain. Visit Cyprus describes summer as a season of high temperatures and cloudless skies, with a sea breeze on the coast.
Visit Cyprus advises very lightweight summer clothing for June, July and August. Pack that for a Paphos shore excursion and add a sun hat and sunglasses, as one tour review advises.
Paphos Life warns that visitors get very hot walking around the archaeological park in summer. It advises avoiding the middle of the day. Visit in the early morning or late afternoon, with a hat and plenty of sun block. Shelters stand at intervals around the site.
Comfortable shoes matter on this Paphos shore excursion. A review of a Limassol cruise terminal tour to Paphos notes that the park involves walking and standing. Paphos Life found the ground muddy in places after rain and advises sensible footwear in spring, autumn and winter.
Bring a water bottle on a Paphos shore excursion. Direct Line Cruises, a cruise agency, calls hydration important in port. It adds that a place to buy a bottle is not guaranteed. Paphos Life reports vending machines outside the main mosaics that sell drinks, crisps and snacks. The same bottle and hat suit an Akamas tour on another day.
Visit Cyprus states that major credit cards are widely accepted in major towns and tourist areas. It adds that contactless payment is available at nearly all point-of-sale terminals. Direct Line Cruises advises small money for cab fare, tips and water bottles.
Direct Line Cruises states that the ship card is required to get off the ship and back on. It says a photo ID is just as important to carry. Cruise line staff tell passengers when a passport is needed on return to the ship.
Visit Cyprus states that a passport is required by all travellers, with named exceptions. EU citizens can enter Cyprus with a national identity card, provided it has a photograph. Pack the document that fits your passport status before a Paphos shore excursion starts.
What do travellers ask about a Paphos shore excursion?
Five practical questions come up on a Paphos shore excursion: wheelchair access, languages, rain, tender boats and currency. Wheelchair access is partial and English is widely spoken. Ships need no tender at Limassol, and the euro is the currency.
Can wheelchair users visit the Paphos Archaeological Park?
Visit Cyprus rates the park as partially accessible to wheelchairs. Paphos Life says a wheelchair can reach the larger part of the park. The going turns trickier beyond the lighthouse, and Paphos Life calls that ground not suitable for wheelchairs.
Which languages do people speak in Paphos?
Greek and Turkish are the official languages of Cyprus. Visit Cyprus states that English is widely spoken. It adds that French, German and Russian are spoken within the tourism industry.
Does rain affect a Paphos shore excursion?
Wikipedia’s Paphos airport table lists 18.7 millimetres of rain in April and 18.0 in October. It counts days with at least one millimetre of rain: 4.1 in April and 2.5 in October.
Do cruise passengers take a tender boat at Limassol?
No. A Limassol cruise port guide on Adventour Begins states that ships berth alongside at the pier. It adds that no tendering is required. The guide places the ships at the New Port of Limassol.
Which currency does a Paphos shore excursion use?
Cyprus uses the euro, introduced as its official currency in place of the Cyprus pound. Visit Cyprus lists seven banknote values from 5 to 500 and eight coins from 1 cent to 2 euro.