Cyprus Group Tours

Great holiday which I would expect from Explore. Guide was really good, Driver equally as good. Hotel was also decent. The only thing I might suggest is that somehow a half a day/evening is spent in Nicosia.

I enjoyed a lovely spring break walking and sightseeing in North Cyprus. If you enjoy spring flowers and orchids then definitely go in springtime. The walking was at the easy end of walking up and down and across the side of mountains on forest tracks and rocky goats tracks. You do need hiking boots and some people benefit from walking polls. It was lovely to enjoy the spring sunshine, blue skies and blue Mediterranean sea in the distance. The temperature late April was ideal for walking. The trip was a mixture of walking and sightseeing (monasteries and castles) which is an ideal mix. The packed lunches on walking days are unique (in a good way and all vegetarian). The optional day to visit the Roman ruins of Salamis, the ghost city of Varosha and Famugusta (Orthello's castle and tower, and fabulous baklava) ought to be a permanent part of the itinerary. Overall, a well balanced trip between walking and sightseeing :>

Absolutely brilliant trip! The itinerary was excellent combining culture, home visits, historical sites as well as some truly stunning walks. The hotel was great with very accommodating staff, comfortable rooms and good food. Our guide, Mehmet, is passionate about his country and the protection of the beautiful natural environments there and his enthusiasm rubbed off on everyone during the week. He was also pretty flexible allowing people to dip in and out of walks if needed which was useful if they felt a route might be too challenging. Our driver, also Mehmet, was great, too!

Excellent trip combining varied walks in the mountains or coastal paths along with visiting historic sites and being welcomed into local homes to sample life in North Cyprus. Our guide Tuğberk was very experienced and knowledgeable, he is also a biologist and knew so much about the spring flowers and nature that we came across, some of them endemic to the island. I love travelling in spring for this reason alone: its perfect weather, not too hot and everywhere is lush and green, I’ve never seen so many different types of flowers. I loved hearing about the complex history of Cyprus, and he tried to cover as much as possible and was very helpful in answering any questions we had. Some of the walks were challenging in parts, definitely use a pole as there are some steep moments but it’s always so rewarding for the amazing views and sense of achievement. I must also mention the brilliant cheery driver Mehmet who clearly loves his job and the gorgeous intern Damla who will make an excellent guide one day, she was a great addition to the mix and was so kind and helpful. We stayed at the Ship Inn which is in Zeytinlik about 40 mins walk from Kyrenia but you can jump on a local dolmuş (80tl) which takes you near to the lovely port, which has plenty of good places to eat and drink. There are a few places to eat nearby, we loved the Heybe Corba which did a great kebab with a free water/tea for about 600tl, the hotels food was abit expensive but really good. I loved the hotel, it was very clean, rooms were spacious with a balcony, great pool, and bar. Breakfast was good. There was a pack lunch every day, it was abit too much for me and an extra weight to carry, I felt bad that couldn't eat much of it as it was quite stodgy and pastry based, it needed to be half the size and maybe more varied with a sandwich instead some days but I like that it was supporting a small local business that provided the food. Most people fly in from the UK to Larnaca in the south, but I flew from Turkey into Ercan (it was a 1-hour flight from Antalya for £26!) so, maybe consider coming in that way as I had combined it with time in Turkey beforehand. Overall, I really enjoyed this trip, it was a great bunch of people (11 of us in total, which was a good size). We had such a laugh and got to experience some gorgeous walks in the mountains and see many beautiful things. I was tired but happy by the end, thank you to everyone that was there, you made it a very memorable adventure 🙂.

An absolutely wonderful week, North Cyprus is beautiful and our guide Ilhan was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Our driver Mehmet was also very welcoming and cheerful. All our fellow group members were great and we had a brilliant week together. I can highly recommend Explore and will definitely book with them again .

My best trip with Explore so far! A really packed itinerary with some beautiful walks in the mountains. Our guide, Ilhan, was very well informed and knowledgeable. He really went the extra mile taking us to restaurants, to see hallooumi being made and to see his orchard. All in all a really wonderful holiday.