From Shipwreck to Blue Lagoon — Iconic Full-Day Tour from Paphos

We amended the tour and the operator didn’t. When we received the picking up instructions I didn’t notice the date change until the morning. The operator wouldn’t accommodate us on the earlier date we had booked despite all records confirming the tour was for the earlier date. It was only when Viator got involved that they allowed us to join a half day tour of just the boat and transfer but wouldn’t offer this originally even though they had seats available. The boat trip itself was lovely and an easy transfer from bus to boat. However, as we hadn’t noticed the changed in date in pick up instructions (who would expect the date to change?) they won’t give us any refund even though we only got the half day tour but paid for the full day. Viator were Really good in helping us when the tour fell through but won’t refund us either. Very disappointed with the attitude and helpfulness.

Note: Please note I deleted my previous review, and posted this one. I did this because I mentioned a competitor in the original review. When I used to have a product review channel I always compared alternatives to provide a reference point (as is good practice in reviews). However, the operator wasn't happy with this, and out of respect for the vendor I have redacted the name of the competing operator (given this is a dedicated page for this vendor and not a generic review channel). ---------- We booked this tour while staying in Paphos, and unfortunately it turned out to be a disappointment. Let me be absolutely clear, I completely understand the need for some rules. Asking people to return to the bus on time is perfectly reasonable, as it is unfair for everyone else to be kept waiting. Likewise, prohibiting food and drinks on the bus makes sense if the company wants to keep the coach clean for future customers. However, the atmosphere throughout the bus journey went far beyond simply enforcing sensible rules. From the moment we boarded, the tone felt hostile and overly authoritarian rather than welcoming. At one point, our guide spent around 30 minutes talking about the island and instructed everyone not to talk during that time so people could hear her. While I appreciate that guests should be respectful, the overall delivery felt more like a lecture than a holiday excursion. There were also signs stating that anyone who vomited on the bus would be fined €20. I understand that cleaning up such a mess is unpleasant, but vomiting is not something people choose to do. This policy also makes the tour feel particularly unfriendly towards families with young children. Anyone who has children knows that accidents can happen despite the best efforts of parents. If the company does not want to accommodate that possibility, it should make it clear before people book that this is not a family-friendly tour, rather than displaying signs that feel like threats. Also, note that sea sickness tables should not be given to children below a certain age without consulting a doctor. I can understand the difficulties that tour operators have, and so I didn't let all this bother me. However, things got considerably worse when we were reboarding the bus after the first stop. One of my children must have stepped in a small muddy puddle without me noticing. The driver immediately began complaining about mud on the bus. I apologised, asked my son to scrape his shoes, and personally checked that they were clean before boarding. There were no mud attached to bottom of the shoes (obviously it was dry, being 38 degrees, so moisture would quickly disappears in the heat), but I still asked my son to scrape on the asphalt (there was no mat) as I could see the bus driver wasn't happy and I wanted to peacefully resolve the situation. Even after doing this, the driver continued his tirade in Greek. Unfortunately for him, I also speak Greek, so I asked him, "What exactly would you like me to do now?" The bus driver started going on rant about how you would not bring in mud in your own house, etc... It was clear he had a negative disposition towards tourists, and he was looking for an escuse to have a tirade. And to address his metaphor about bringing mud in a house, houses typically have a mat so one can wipe their shoes on them before entering them. If you expect that people enter the bus like they enter a house, then put a mat outside and ask people to wipe their shoes on it. The whole situation was completely unnecessary, and the trip felt like it had an oppressive atmosphere - it felt you were walking on glass. What made this even more ironic was that the company's very first stop was in an area covered in fine dust and dirt that inevitably gets on everyone's shoes. If cleanliness is such a major concern, it seems an odd place to stop. To make matters worse, the bus itself discharged water near the front door whenever it stopped, creating puddles that passengers naturally had to walk through. For context, my wife and I have been on many organised tours around the world. We are respectful travellers, follow instructions, and have never had any issues with tour operators before. The disappointing part is that the boat trip itself was actually very enjoyable. The Blue Lagoon was beautiful, the children had a fantastic time swimming and jumping into the water, and that part of the day was exactly what we had hoped for. My impression is that the company has probably dealt with irresponsible or intoxicated tourists in the past and has responded by treating every customer as though they are a problem waiting to happen. Whether that's true or not, it isn't the experience I expect when paying for a holiday excursion. I cannot recommend this tour operator, particularly for families with children. For comparison, we also went on the [NAME REDUCTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE VENDOR], which had a genuinely friendly atmosphere, fantastic staff, and was much more enjoyable for both adults and children. Please note, I have written this review precisely and carefully (been an experienced youtube product reviewer). I am not saying there should be no rules. Encouraging people to be on time is reasonable, telling people not to drink and eat on the bus is reasonable. Telling people politely listen while important information is said, is reasonable. Recommending people to bring sea sickness tables is reasonable. Telling your customers, however, to be quiet like it is secondary school for most of the trip is ridiculous. Telling that you will fine them if they vomit is not reasonable. Expecting parents to supervise their children, perfectly reasonable. However, having a bus driver give a tirade because a parent hasn't seen and controlled every footstep their child has done is really bad. The hostile nature you have towards your customers isn't reasonable, the oppressive atmosphere on the tour is horrible. And finally, no madam, I don't care whether it's customary to leave a tip for the driver. On this occasion, I chose not to.

Everything was perfect, 100% go to see more from Cyprus ❤️ on the sea and on the land :) we are glad we went

Very interesting day with some lovely views!! The tour guide wasn’t very people friendly!! Made it sound like a school trip!! Driver was excellent!!

Lovely day, well organised. Would of liked longer at blue lagoon as you only get an hour, but was a really enjoyable day. Shipwreck they take you to was great to see. Guide had a lot of information about everywhere we went and about Cyprus as a whole.. really interesting 👌

Fantastic day out and highly recommend. Blue Lagoon is beautiful although was unfortunately a bit chilly for me to swim personally, however many did go into swim and had fantastic time. Nice inclusive drinks after the swim stop included. This was followed by a couple of hours free time in Latchi with some great restaurants to have lunch in. We will be back again in October and definitely doing this tour again. Highly recommend this tour and guide was very informative

The experience was amazing the blue lagoon was beautiful and the caves the tour guide gave us enough time to explore everything

We were approached on our hotel sunbeds and sold what was described as a jeep tour with a visit to the Blue Lagoon. While we did visit the Blue Lagoon, the rest of the trip did not match what was advertised, as we spent most of the day traveling by coach rather than in jeeps or on a boat. When we booked, we were also told that car seats would be provided and that, by law, children must use them in the jeeps. However, no car seats were provided at all on the day, which was concerning. Unfortunately, the tour guide, Ester, came across as quite abrupt and, at times, rude. For example, a young couple who boarded the bus were told off for not checking in, even though they had simply followed instructions to sit down when they got on. Later, another group politely asked about seating and were sharply told “no” in a way that felt unnecessary and uncomfortable. These moments were awkward to witness and likely embarrassing for those involved. Aside from this, the day itself was generally enjoyable, and we were given interesting information about the areas we visited. However, the amount of time spent on the coach was much more than expected based on how the trip was sold. At the end of the tour, we were told it is “normal” to leave a 10% tip per person. There were 8 adults and 2 children in our group, and although we were told we received a discount (£40 per adult and £20 per child), we later found tickets advertised online for around €35 per person. Given this, we chose not to leave a tip. Overall, it was a decent day, but the experience was let down by misleading sales information and the guide’s attitude.

Superb - genuinely don’t go anywhere else This tour was spectacularly good. The information, the timekeeping, the experience, the tour hosts - all was exceptional. Cannot fault anything. This is what a true customer experience is all about. The communication of what was happening on the day was informative and faultless. Both the driver and tour host - Ester were friendly and accommodating throughout the whole tour. Would go far as to say this was one of the best excursions I have been on (and have been on a lot!) Thanks to EOS Tours which means the ‘whole’ team in the background too!

This is an absolute must! We had such an incredible time, Esther (tour guide) was amazing and so nice, cracked many jokes with us. Everyone else on the trip were so nice and we got along with everyone. My group absolutely recommend!! Thank you 🩷