This isn’t a tour inside the buffer zone, it skirts around it Interesting enough but a dishonest title, you can go up to the barriers but never inside the BZ

If you would like to experience a walking tour around the buffer zone and want to hear the history surrounding it, please book this tour. Eleni gave us such an insight into the history regarding the events of 1974, the current situation, and hopes for the future. However, for me, the most important part of this tour was the most moving, emotional aspect of Eleni’s experience and family history, which brought all of the events to life. I took this tour with my husband, Ian, and daughter Helen who had previously experienced this tour with Eleni and recommended it to us. It was the right length of time, the parking is next to the start of the tour, and there is a toilet (the yellow submarine). We stopped for coffee and delicious cakes towards the end of the tour and took pleasure in speaking to Eleni and the other tour guests. We enjoyed this so much that we are doing it again in August with our wider family, including our two Grandsons.

We lucked out a private tour with Eleni. It was myself, my husband and our 3 children. It was like being on a long walk with a dear friend who taught us about, not just history, but her history. I can't imagine going to Nicosia with anyone else.

This was an amazing and insightful tour and one of the best things that we did on our trip to Cyprus. Eleni was lovely, personable and very knowledgeable. Her personal insights made the difference, really helped us to understand the complexities around the conflict. Additionally, when I booked for the wrong date in error, she was able to rearrange and make herself available to us on very short notice. We will definitely recommend the tour to others. Thank you Eleni!

This tour was probably my favorite thing I did on my trip to Cyprus. The guide contacted me in advance and asked if I was ok with crossing over to the north on the tour as another guest had requested this. I replied that that sounded great and so that’s what we did. We were a small group, so able to ask questions at any time and take breaks when/where we liked. The guide brought the history to life and I learned so much. The guide was very balanced in her explanations. Highly recommended!

We had the absolute pleasure of having a private tour with Eleni on 22 Jan 2024. Frankly, we were not sure of what to expect when we were booking the tour. We met near the buffer zone at the Cyprus side. From there we explored the UN buffer zone and crossed the border into the Turkish side. It was quite a learning experience to see and experience a place frozen in time. You’ll be surprised to see a stark contrast of how things are quite different when you cross a short border. Being an history buff, it was definitely one of the main highlights of our stay in Cyprus. For those planning to book this tour, I would recommend reading a bit about the history so that you could appreciate the tour much more. Plus go with Eleni, one most friendly tour guides we have across. And if possible, do book a private tour if you would love to sit and talk a bit more like we did.

Excellent walking tour. Eleni was an engaging and passionate guide offering historical and personal insights that really brought the area and the people's experience to life.

Eleni was a great tour guide with personal ties to the story of the wall. It was a very interesting tour.

It is one of the best tours I have been on! Highly recommend!! It is not only about the buffer zone. Eleni took us to the city center and recommended a lot of great restaurants to us.

I highly recommend Eleni Ellinas. She is knowledgeable, professional, and a joy to be with. I spent three days touring with Eleni (Inside the Buffer Zone of Nicosia, Explore North Lefkosia, "The Last Divided Capital City in Europe", and Famagusta and Varosha) and was impressed with her breadth and depth of knowledge. In addition to having a firm grasp of the history of this region, Eleni shared her own personal experiences. She knows people on both sides of the border. In addition to visiting the more familiar sites of the region, we explored many of the lesser-known places together. Eleni has a wealth of knowledge to share and is a delightful, remarkable, person and tour guide. I was so impressed with Eleni that I look forward to returning to Cyprus and embarking on her other tours.

The conflict was beautifully brought to life with some amazing stories and family memories. We wouldn't have seen/enjoyed our visit to the buffer zone nearly as much without Eleni's perspective - thank you :) - all highly professional...

What a wonderful tour! Eleni was incredibly knowledgeable and patient, and expertly guided our group through and along the buffer zone. Eleni shared many recommendations of sights to see and restaurants to try while in Nicosia. 5/5, would highly recommend!

I can't reccomend this tour enough. Eleni is a fantastic guide who gave an amazing tour. She not only has deep understanding of the historical and political context of Cyprus but also deep personal insights into the divided city. Aside from all this, she is super friendly and welcoming. A must do tour for anyone interested in the history of Cyprus!

I wish I could give more than 5 stars. This tour was the highlight of my trip and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the history of Nicosia/Cyprus. Eleni was incredibly knowledgeable and obviously cares very deeply about the community. She was very kind and patient with the group on the tour I attended. If you are unsure whether to sign up, do it and you will not regret!

Just completed a fascinating and informative three hour walking inside the buffer zone tour with Eleni. The time just flew by as she guided us into the United Nations buffer zone where we could take photographs of the once famous Ledra Palace hotel and received a concise unbiased and emotional historical view of the Island of Cyprus. We then visited many green line area some of which have only recently become accessible from former United Nations guard posts. We were also treated to drinks at a nearby bakery which was a fantastic experience. Eleni was very kind especially to my son David and made the tour interesting and I was quite moved by her own family experiences as a child growing up after the partition in 1974. I wasn’t sure I would come back to Cyprus after my father passed away as he was in the British Army stationed in Cyprus in the 1950’s before independence and we spent many holidays on the island as a child. I am so glad I returned after 30 years and this tour was and will be the highlight of my visit. You can contact Eleni on instagram or via travel platforms and you will not be disappointed also Eleni provides walking tours in the Turkish controlled northern Nicosia or other visits to Famagusta and beyond. The tour is also incredible value for money

This walking tour of the buffer zone was how I started my Cyprus trip, and it was a memorable and informative experience on the culture, politics, and personal stories of Cyprus. Eleni was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide. She was in communication prior to the tour and made it very easy to find the location. Her personal experiences, as well as her relationships with people who live in the buffer zone made for a meaningful and personal perspective. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Nicosia!

We enjoyed and excellent tour with Eleni. Very interesting look at the buffer meeting locals along the way. Would definitely recommend

Two of my friends had already recommended this tour to me and now that I've experienced it myself I have to say the tour is amazing - it takes you into and around the buffer zone, a very peculiar and bizarre place which has been there for half a century. Eleni is a wonderful, kind-hearted guide, she chats with everyone, makes sure everybody is involved, she tells many interesting stories as you go along the way that you'd otherwise never know and really gives an inside feel of how things went down in Cyprus, how the people feel about it and what the future holds. It grabs your attention and makes you think about it even after the tour has ended. I drove for two hours from Paphos to Nicosia just to take part in this one tour and it was worth every single penny and every single minute spent on the road. Thank you, Eleni, for such a wonderful time! I'll make sure to pass the word to whoever else is travelling to Cyprus!

Eleni guides with passion, bringing characters, stories and local memories that envolve us until the end. An amazing experience, strongly recommended for those interested in better understanding a unique situation that marks the Country and its population for decades.

Despite such hot weather this was an excellent tour and Eleni our guide set the pace according to our age and energy levels. She also made sure we were in the shade as much as possible. We found the information clear and non judgemental and were fascinated and saddened by a beautiful city that was so divided. The three hours flew by. I cannot recommend this trip highly enough, it was a wonderful end to an amazing holiday.