How to Spend One Day in Paphos, Cyprus: Itinerary & Guide

Spending one day in Paphos, Cyprus? This itinerary will cover the essential sights to see!

I’ve actually spent a day in Paphos twice. The first time was back in 2018 on a villa holiday with the girls, and most recently in 2024, with another group of friends.

Between the two visits, Paphos felt mostly unchanged. Treading old ground, I peered into the remains of ruined rooms in archaeological sites, stared out across the sea, and perused the souvenir shops and street art.

If you’re taking a holiday or road trip in Cyprus, chances are you’ll pay a visit to this seaside city. It’s not the largest city on the island, or the capital, but its archaeological and cultural importance gave more than enough reason for it to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980. The ancient remains of Roman villas, mosaic floors and medieval fortress make it a great place to visit to uncover fascinating glimpses of Mediterranean history.

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Getting to Paphos

The closest airport to Paphos is… Paphos International Airport. Wild, I know. Just 20mins driving distance from the airport and you’re in central Paphos, making it a great place to start or end your Cyprus holiday.

By car: Paphos is around 50mins drive from the popular resort city of Limassol (which also has a nearby airport), and an hour and a half from Larnaca. Coming from further afield, it’s an hour and 40mins drive from either the capital of Nicosia or the party town of Aiya Napa.

Parking in Paphos: Paphos has municipal car parks and street parking options. On both visits, I parked at Apostolou Pavlou Ave Parking, right on the seafront. In busier times, you may need to look a little further out and walk in. The Pafos Smart Park app allows you to find parking spots in real time. Parking is cheap, and you can pay via text. This comprehensive guide to parking in Paphos has some great additional advice!

By public transport: Buses are the only mode of public transport in Cyprus. Inter-city buses run between major hubs, but check the timetables before you travel so you don’t miss the last bus back! Ticket prices vary by journey, starting from €4 one way from Limassol to Paphos.

Guided tours to Paphos: This guided day tour with transport is available from Protaras, Limassol, Larnaca and Aiya Napa. Bear in mind you’ll only have a few hours in Paphos, though!

One Day in Paphos Itinerary

This one day Paphos itinerary covers Kato Paphos, a lively resort area close to Paphos Archaeological Park, and Paphos Old Town. You’ll tick off the most important archaeological sites in Paphos, as well as taking in more modern areas and colourful street art. And, of course, some great places to eat!

We’re starting our day in Paphos right beside the sea…

Morning: Promenade & Harbour

The seafront at Kato Paphos is a classic Mediterranean promenade, where tall trees line the spot where land meets sea. Wander past souvenir shops and oceanfront cafes, keeping your eyes peeled for statues and artworks along the way.

Paphos Castle

At the western end of the promenade, you’ll find a Byzantine fortress originally built in the 13^th century to replace the former fortress at Saranta Kolones, which was destroyed in 1222. The first fortress on the site was destroyed during a conflict, but rebuilt based on the original building.

You won’t need to spend much time here, as there’s not loads to see. There’s a ground floor courtyard, and an open roof with ramparts and a small square tower. It’s worth paying the small entry fee for the views over the harbour and archaeological park, and to see how the building has weathered the test of time.

Opening Times: 8.30am-7.30pm (summer); 8.30am-5pm (winter)
Entrance Fee: €2.50

Archaeological Park of Kato Pafos 

One of the absolute essential things to do in Paphos! This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a sprawling expanse of archaeological ruins that span from the prehistoric times to the Middle Ages, with the majority being from around the Roman era.

The mosaic floors of the four roman villas (The Houses of Dionysus, Theseus, Orpheus and Aion) form up the centre of the expansive complex. There’s also the Roman Odeon, an impressive stone amphitheatre; the Asklepieion, once the complex’s medical centre; and Saranta Kolones, the ruins of the medieval fortress replaced by Paphos Castle.

From a more recent era in contrast with the ancient ruins, you can also visit the Paphos Lighthouse. Built in 1888, it’s a symbol of the city’s maritime history, when Cyprus was an important military base for the British.

Opening Times: 8.30am-7.30pm (summer); 8.30am-5pm (winter)
Entrance Fee: €4.50

TRAVEL TIP: To make the most of your visit, you can download this free audio guide (or read it in written format).

Lunch in Kato Paphos

We were in the market for a quick and easy lunch when exploring, so chose to grab something on the harbour. Avoiding the enthusiastic servers trying to tempt us in at the other spots, we settled on Nautico Restaurant. We weren’t expecting too much, but I was impressed with the halloumi fingers, served with a tangy balsamic drizzle.

(Ashley ordered the ‘Big Man’ burger and it was HUGE!!)

More restaurants for lunch in Kato Paphos:
Ocean Basket (££) – seafood specialties with a harbour view
Mar Bianco (££) – seaside cafe serving typical lunch fare (including vegan gyros & vegan burger)
The Harbour (££) – grills, seafood and meze

Agia Solomoni Catacomb

This small underground chapel and catacombs is worth stopping into on your way to the Tombs of Kings! Dating back to the Hellenistic period, it was a popular medieval pilgrimage site.

An open courtyard leads into five rooms carved into rock, one of them containing a freshwater spring. A large tree also grows out of the stone complex. Local tradition considers the water and tree here to be holy, and visitors tie handkerchiefs to the tree in hope their wishes are granted and blessings given.

Opening Times: 8am-4pm (closed Sundays)
Entrance Fee: Free

Afternoon: Tombs of Kings

Walking time from Kato Paphos: Around 25mins. Local bus services and taxis are available.

Another UNESCO site, the network of tombs that make up the Tombs of the Kings date back as far as the 3rd century BC. They’re actually pretty well preserved for the most part, and visitors can actually go inside many of the tombs below ground level.

Contrarily, no actual kings were buried here – instead, it was high ranking members of society that were laid to rest within the tombs. The tombs were influenced by ancient Egyptian tradition, with open atriums and some of the decorative features that still remain.

Opening Times: 8.30am-7.30pm (summer); 8.30am-5pm (winter)
Entrance Fee: €2.50

Afternoon/Evening: Paphos Old Town

Walking time from Tombs of Kings: Around 25-30mins. Local bus services and taxis are available.

Paphos’ Old Town is a lesser-trod area for your standard tourists, who will often stick to the seafront areas. It may not live up to the grand old towns of eastern European cities such as Prague and Budapest, but it’s still worth a wander on your day in Paphos.

Street art in Paphos

One thing that surprised me about Paphos’ Old Town is the amount of impressive street art that adorns the walls. It’s a colourful contrast to the more muted tones of the buildings here; bright and bold murals that stretch to the heights of multiple story buildings. You’ll discover a real hodge-podge of styles too, from the striking Aphrodite mural to a tapestry of handmade dream catchers.

Dinner in Paphos

Laona (Old Town)

I ate at Laona in my pre-vegetarian days, and absolutely devoured the Lamb Kleftiko. Ridiculously tender and lightly seasoned, the full flavour of the meat was perfect with the simple rice and my glass of red.

More restaurants for dinner in Paphos Old Town:
Souvlaki Livadias (£) – traditional Greek street food
Palia Ilektriki Restaurant-Cafe (££) – Greek cuisine
Vitro Osteria (££) – Italian dishes
Honey (£££) – upmarket Mediterranean fare

Where to stay in Paphos

Planning to make the most of your day in Paphos by staying overnight? There are plenty of affordable accommodation options within easy reach of the main sights:

Bee Hostel Paphos (£) – mixed, male and female dorms
Kiniras Traditional Hotel (££) – simple rooms in a restored 15th century building
Veronica Hotel (££) – a short walk from the Harbour, with a large pool
Regency Boutique (£££) – stylish rooms in a great location