The Tombs of the Kings, the necropolis of Nea Paphos

The Tombs of the Kings are the other half of a visit to Kato Paphos, and for many people the more surprising one. You go down into courtyards open to the sky, ringed by columns carved from the rock, with the sea close by. Here’s what UNESCO says about them, how to get there and how to fit them into your day. The whole quarter is covered in Kato Paphos.

What they are

UNESCO uses their Greek name, Tafoi ton Vasileon, and describes them as the necropolis of Kato Paphos, lying north of the remains of Nea Paphos. They belong to the first site of the serial Paphos property, Kato Paphos, alongside the ancient city, and joined the list in 1980. How people were buried in Hellenistic and Roman Paphos, with sarcophagi and stelae, is shown at the Paphos Archaeological Museum.

Among the things the listing says make Paphos exceptional are the rock-hewn peristyle tombs, in other words tombs laid out around a colonnaded courtyard, all carved from the stone. UNESCO counts them, along with the villas, palaces and fortresses, among what best explains the town’s ancient architecture. The rest of the listing is in UNESCO World Heritage in Cyprus.

How they’re protected

Most of the Paphos site is publicly owned, because the Department of Antiquities has gradually bought land within and around the excavations. There’s no buffer zone, but the antiquities law sets up controlled areas around the sites, limiting the height and style of new buildings. UNESCO flags the development pressure in this busy tourist area, hardly surprising with so many hotels along Tombs of the Kings Road.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Pafos for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Getting there

The bus is the easiest way. The Tombs of the Kings station, on the avenue of the same name, has the 611 from Kato Paphos harbour, the 612 from Paphos Airport, the 615 to Coral Bay and the 618 and 603 to Karavela. From the harbour castle it’s about 2.5 km as the crow flies, and from Kennedy Square in the Paphos old town, 1.5 km.

If you’d rather walk, the council’s coastal path from the harbour runs through the Tombs of the Kings area on its way to Chlorakas. It’s flat and runs beside the sea, best at the start or the end of the day.

When to go and what to pair them with

My plan would be Paphos Archaeological Park in the morning and the tombs later on, once the heat drops. According to OpenStreetMap, Faros beach is about 750 m away, so your post-visit swim is sorted. And if you have a spare hour in the morning, St Paul’s Pillar in Paphos is a few minutes from the park, among the columns of a 5th-century basilica. I don’t have an official 2026 source I can quote for times and prices, so check before you go.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Tombs of the Kings on GetYourGuide.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Paphos: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Pafos for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.