A Day Trip from Paphos to the Troodos Mountains: The Perfect Itinerary

If you only do one big drive from Paphos, make it this one.

The Troodos Mountains sit at the heart of Cyprus, less than ninety minutes from the coast, and they feel like a completely different country. Cool pine air, traditional stone villages, painted Byzantine churches, hairpin roads, and at the top, Mount Olympus at nearly two thousand metres. In winter you can ski. In summer it’s a glorious escape from the heat of the coast — easily five or six degrees cooler than Paphos. Here’s exactly how we’d spend the day if we had visiting friends and one chance to show them the real Cyprus.

Leave Paphos by 8:30am
Yes, that’s early on holiday. Trust us. The roads are quiet, the air is cool, and you’ll be pulling into your first stop before the day-trippers have finished breakfast.Head east out of Paphos on the B6 towards Limassol, then turn inland on the E606 towards Pano Panagia. The road climbs gently through olive groves and vineyards — the change in landscape happens almost without you noticing.

A quick word on the drive itself

The roads up to Troodos are well-maintained but narrow and winding. There are sections with proper hairpins, especially after Pano Panagia. Take it slow, use the lower gears on descents, and pull over at the marked viewpoints — there are plenty of them, and the views down to the coast are extraordinary.

9:30am — Pano Panagia and Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery
Your first stop is Pano Panagia, the village where Archbishop Makarios — the first president of independent Cyprus — was born. There’s a small museum at his birthplace if you’re interested, but the real draw is just outside the village: Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery, built in 1152. It’s still a working monastery. The chapel is beautiful, the courtyard is silent, and the monks make wine they sell at the gate. Buy a bottle for tonight. You won’t regret it. Spend about an hour here, then push on.

11:00am — The painted churches of the Troodos UNESCO route
This is the part of the day that surprises everyone. Scattered across the Troodos foothills are ten small Byzantine churches that together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the outside, most of them look like simple wooden barns. Inside, every wall and ceiling is covered in painted frescoes from the 12th to 16th centuries — saints, scenes from the gospels, intricate geometric borders. It’s like stepping into a private gallery that nobody else has bothered to visit.

12:30pm — Lunch in a mountain village
By now you’ll be hungry, and you’ll be in exactly the right place to do something about it.The villages of Kakopetria, Pedoulas and Kalopanayiotis all sit at around 700 to 1,000 metres and all have proper village tavernas. Kalopanayiotis is our pick — it’s been beautifully restored, the river runs through the middle of it, and there’s a working monastery on the far bank you can wander into after lunch. Order meze. Just say “meze for two” and let the kitchen take over. You’ll get fifteen or twenty small dishes — grilled halloumi, slow-cooked lamb, wild greens, taramasalata, hot bread, olives — and the bill will surprise you in a good way.

2:30pm — Mount Olympus and the high pine forest
After lunch, drive up to the very top. Mount Olympus — known locally as Chionistra — is the highest point in Cyprus at 1,952 metres. The road takes you up through pine forest that genuinely smells like Christmas, even in August. There’s a small ski resort near the top (closed in summer, obviously) and walking trails that loop around the summit. The Atalante Trail is the most popular: an 11-kilometre circular path that’s easy enough for anyone with reasonable shoes, with views that go all the way to the sea on a clear day. If you don’t fancy the full loop, just walk the first kilometre or two and turn back. The air alone is worth the drive.

What to pack

Even in summer, it’s noticeably cooler at altitude — bring a light jacket or fleece. Bring water, more than you think you need. Bring proper shoes if you’re going to walk anywhere. And bring a swimsuit — there’s one more stop.

5:00pm — Kalopanayiotis hot springs (optional)
if you’ve got the energy and the daylight, head back down towards Kalopanayiotis and stop at the natural sulphur springs just outside the village. They’re free, they’re warm, and after a day of driving and walking they feel exactly as good as you’d hope.

If hot springs aren’t your thing, push straight on towards Paphos.

6:30pm — The drive home
Take the same route back you came up, or — if you fancy mixing it up — drop down via the B8 through Platres, which gives you a different set of views and brings you out near Limassol. From there it’s the motorway home, foot down, sea on your right, sun setting on your left. You’ll be back in Paphos by 8pm with enough time for a shower before dinner.

A few last tips

A few things that’ll make the day go more smoothly.

Fill the tank before you leave Paphos. Petrol stations are sparse in the mountains and prices are higher when you do find one.
Don’t rely on your phone for navigation. Mobile signal cuts in and out in the mountains. Either download offline maps before you set off, or do it the old-fashioned way with a paper map from a kiosk.
Watch the weather in winter. From December to March, the upper sections can get snow and ice. If snow is forecast, either skip the day or rent a 4×4. Ordinary saloons aren’t built for it.

Ready to go?

The Troodos day trip is one of those experiences that sticks with people. They go home and tell their friends about it. Two years later, they book another holiday in Paphos and ask if they can do it again. If you need a hire car for the day — or for the whole holiday — we’d love to help. Automatic and 4×4 options available, full insurance included, free delivery to your hotel or villa. Get in touch and we’ll have a car waiting whenever you need it.