Wine Tasting in Cyprus: Winery Tours, Tastings and Prices (2026)

Wine tasting in Cyprus costs €5 to €25 per person at most wineries in 2026, and a guided tour with a tasting €10 to €30. Expect three to six wines, often with halloumi, lountza or local cheese, in a visit of 45 minutes to two hours. Book tours at least a day ahead, check winter hours before driving into the hills, and decide who is driving before the first glass.

Prices and hours below are for November 2026. For where to go, see our 10 best wineries to visit in Cyprus and more wineries to visit, by region.

How much does wine tasting cost in Cyprus?

A basic tasting of two to four wines costs €5 to €10. A guided tasting with a tour of the cellar and a platter costs €15 to €30. Private and premium experiences, with older vintages, sommelier glassware or a vineyard walk, run from €35 to €55 per person, or a flat fee for a small group.

Public holidays usually mean different hours. LionSpirit, for example, opens 10:00–16:00 on 24 and 31 December 2026 and closes on 25 and 26 December and 1 January.

What does a winery tour and tasting include?

A typical visit starts with a walk through the production area: the stainless-steel tanks, the barrel cellar and the bottling line. At Tsiakkas the tour itself takes about 40 minutes before you sit down to taste; Oenou Yi in Omodos runs 30 to 45 minute tours of the winery and vineyards, daily from 10:00 to 18:00. Some wineries add the vineyards: Marathasa's group tour walks through nearby terraces, and its 3-hour 4x4 tour drives up into them.

The tasting itself is usually three to six wines, from a white Xynisteri through rosé to reds such as Maratheftiko, often ending with Commandaria, the island's sweet wine. Food is common: Zambartas serves halloumi, lountza, seasonal fruit and bread with its own olive oil, Nelion serves local cheese and cured meats, and Vlassides pairs four wines with four cheeses. For a full meal, Ktima Christoudia serves a €15 brunch and Oenou Yi's Playia restaurant in Omodos opens for lunch on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Do you need to book a winery visit in Cyprus?

For tours, yes. Vlassides, LionSpirit and Nelion's Winemaker's Journey all need booking at least a day ahead, and Tsiakkas asks for a minimum of four guests on its guided tour, combining individual bookings. Simple tastings are often possible on arrival: Zambartas accepts same-day bookings and walk-ins when there is space, and Nelion welcomes walk-ins during opening hours.

Small family wineries are a different matter. The person who pours the wine may also be the one pruning the vines, so phone first. Kyperounda, whose vineyards sit at 1,400–1,500 m, among the highest in Europe, opens on weekdays 09:00–15:30; call 25 532043 before the long drive up. Kamanterena's tasting room near Stroumbi opens on weekdays 08:30–15:00, with weekends by appointment.

Winery etiquette

• Arrive on time. Tours run at fixed slots, such as Vlassides at 11:00, 13:00 and 14:30 on weekdays.
• Say if you are driving. Hosts are used to it and will point you to the spittoon.
• Tell them about allergies when you book if a platter is included.
• Bring children if you like. Tsiakkas welcomes under-18s on tours and serves them no alcohol; count them in your booking.
• Buying is welcome, never required. The tasting fee covers your visit; take a card or some cash if you plan to buy bottles.

Can you drive after a wine tasting in Cyprus?

Very little. The legal limit in Cyprus is 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath (50 mg per 100 ml of blood). For drivers licensed less than three years, learners, motorcyclists, taxi drivers on duty and professional drivers it is 9 micrograms per 100 ml of breath. In February 2026 the House rejected a proposal to cut the new-driver limit to zero, so these limits still apply. Police run regular breath tests.

Practical options:

• Designated driver. Most wineries are on narrow, winding hill roads, so this is the simplest choice.
• Use the spittoon. Spitting is normal at tastings and nobody will mind.
• Stay the night. Omodos, Kalopanagiotis and Kathikas all have village rooms, and Marathasa sells a two-night Culture & Wine package with Casale Panayiotis from €315 per person sharing.
• Book a tour with transport (below), or hire a taxi or private driver for the day.

Winter brings rain and fog to the Troodos; our driving in the rainy season guide has tips.

Are there organised wine tours in Cyprus?

Yes. Cyprus Taste Tours runs the Troodos Vino Venture, a day trip of about eight hours to three Troodos wineries, which on its Limassol departure have included Zambartas, Ayia Mavri and Linos, with a meze lunch at a taverna in Omodos. It costs €116 per person, with door-to-door pickup from Limassol and Paphos (08:30–09:30) and from Larnaca, Ayia Napa and Protaras (08:00–09:00). The same company runs a Troodos food and wine tour with lunch, sold through GetYourGuide, with pickups from Nicosia too. Both were running in November 2026.

For a longer trip, Tim Syrad Wine Tours runs a five-day, four-night Cyprus wine tour based at the Alasia Hotel in Limassol, with six winery visits including Marathasa, Vouni Panayia and Makarounas, and four lunches or dinners. The 2026 tours ran in May and October; the next is 4–8 May 2027, at £1,649 per person sharing, without flights.

Many Troodos day trips from Paphos and Limassol also include a single winery stop. They are cheaper, but the tasting is short and the winery is often not named in advance, so check before booking if wine is your main interest.

When is the best time for wine tasting in Cyprus?

Late August to early October is harvest time. Wineries are busy and full of activity, and the wine villages hold grape and palouze festivals; in 2026 the Limassol Wine Festival ran from 26 September to 4 October. Our wine villages of Cyprus guide lists the village feasts.

Spring (March to May) is green, mild and quiet, and good for combining tastings with walks.

Winter is fine if you plan. Hours shrink: Tsiakkas closes at 16:00 on weekdays from November to April, and LionSpirit's tasting room closes at 18:00 from Sunday to Thursday. Snow can close the highest roads, and early January brings closures, with Tsiakkas shut until 6 January.

Summer visits are best in the morning or early evening. The mountain wineries are cooler than the coast, and some stay open late: from April to October LionSpirit's tasting room opens until 20:00 from Tuesday to Saturday.

What should you buy at a Cyprus winery?

• Local grapes. White Xynisteri, red Maratheftiko and the rarer Giannoudi and Promara are what make Cypriot wine distinctive. Our 10 Cyprus grape varieties to know explains each one.
• Commandaria. The sweet wine of 14 villages north of Limassol; see our Commandaria guide.
• Cellar-door bottles. Some wines are sold only at the winery, such as Kyperounda's 2018 Petritis and 2016 Psila Klimata.
• Zivania and grape sweets. Several wineries make zivania, and Ktima Christoudia makes soutzoukos from grape must during the harvest.

Cellar-door prices are reasonable: Nelion's bottles ran from €9.50 to €22 in 2026, and Makarounas' Aerides Xynisteri was €9.50. Pack bottles in checked luggage if you are flying. For shops and gift sets, see where to buy wine in Cyprus.

Related guides

• A guide to the best wine routes in Cyprus
• Wine bars in Cyprus
• Cypriot wines and Commandaria for Christmas
• Erimi area guide: wine country near Kolossi
• Kathikas area guide
• Cyprus festivals month by month