Famagusta city tour with visits to Salamis and Varosha 'Ghost Town'
Excursions & day trips

Famagusta city tour with visits to Salamis and Varosha 'Ghost Town'

4.4/5
Excellent
Based on 198 reviews
from
$70.00
Free cancellation
Language: English
Mobile voucher accepted
Duration: more than 8 hours
Why you’ll love this…
  • You'll visit the northern part of Cyprus and discover a land stuck in a time warp
  • The tour includes a visit to Famagusta's walled old town, where you'll see the gothic-style mosque
  • There'll be a guided walking tour through the crumbling ruins of the ‘ghost town' of Varosha
  • You'll wander through the ruined temples and ancient theatre of the historic city of Salamis
  • An expert local guide will share their unrivalled knowledge of Northern Cyprus and its history
What to expect

This full-day tour to the northern part of Cyprus takes you to three of the territory's most intriguing spots. You'll discover the ancient city of Salamis, the old town of Famagusta and the ‘ghost town' of Varosha. Elpida, one of our local guides, says "northern Cyprus is a place frozen in time. We can even pinpoint the date – 1974. And the result is an Instagrammable potpourri of unfinished hotels, half-ruined churches and skinny minarets."

Your journey into the past starts all the way back in classical times at Salamis. You'll explore its ruined temples, the partially restored theatre and more. Stavroula, another of our local guides, says "not only is Salamis steeped in ancient myth, but Saint Barnabas, who brought Christianity to Cyprus in the first century, is buried in a nearby monastery."

After free time for lunch, you'll visit Famagusta, whose old town is still protected by intact defensive walls built by the Venetians centuries ago. Your guide will show you sights such as the castle and the Gothic cathedral-turned-mosque. Elpida says "in front of the main entrance is a fig tree that was planted by the Crusaders who built the cathedral – so it's the oldest living thing in Famagusta. To round off the visit, there's a walking tour in the ‘ghost town' of Varosha. This once-popular beach resort lay abandoned for more than 50 years. It's a surreal experience to walk on overgrown streets of crumbling facades with rusted shutters and broken windows.

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What's included
  • check Transport
  • check English-speaking guide
  • check Full insurance cover in the northern area
  • check Admission fees
What to remember
  • Just so you know, because of local restrictions at Strovillia checkpoint, only passport holders from EU member states, the UK, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland can travel to and from the northern part of Cyprus
  • You'll need your passport/ID card to cross the checkpoint into the northern part of Cyprus
  • Lunch is not included
  • Please note, single parent families or those travelling without both parents need to provide extra documentation for anyone under the age of 18 when travelling into the northern part of Cyprus. This includes a 'letter of authorisation' from the missing parent, as well as supporting documents including birth certificate of the child, passport copy of the missing parent or a copy of a court order. Templates of these letters are readily available on search engines however we recommend you consult a lawyer prior to travelling on holiday
  • This experience doesn't follow our general cancellation policy. If you need to cancel, you must do so at least 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
  • Not suitable for guests with reduced mobility
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Provider
TUI CYPRUS LTD
Booking fee
Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.
Cancellation policy
Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 1 day before the experience begins.

What people say about this experience

Excellent

4.4/5

Based on 198 reviews from verified customers

61%
28%
11%
0%
1%

Review categories

Value for money

4.5/5

Service

4.5/5

Safety

4.5/5

Staff

4.5/5

  • Bubba

    From United States of America - July 2025

    Traveled as a couple

     

    45 - 54 years old

    Excellent

    Overall rated

    4/5

    The visit to the "ghost town" could have been longer. Overall a good visit to the North of the island.

  • Subita

    From United States of America - July 2025

    Traveled with family

     

    35 - 44 years old

    Excellent

    Overall rated

    5/5

    Very knowledgeable guide Loved all the stops Lovely air conditioned coach

  • Karen

    From United States of America - July 2025

    Traveled with family

     

    35 - 44 years old

    Excellent

    Overall rated

    5/5

  • Aggela

    From United States of America - July 2025

    Traveled as a couple

     

    35 - 44 years old

    Excellent

    Overall rated

    5/5

    The tour guide was exceptionally good and everything was very well organised

  • Debanian

    From United States of America - July 2025

    Traveled with family

     

    45 - 54 years old

    Excellent

    Overall rated

    5/5

    A very interesting tour, with a very knowledgeable guide. Learned a lot about Cyprus history. Perhaps some forewarning that no shade in the Ghost City ...

  • Sarah Taylor

    From United States of America - July 2025

    Traveled as a couple

     

    35 - 44 years old

    Excellent

    Overall rated

    5/5

    Tour guide Chris was lovely and very knowledgeable

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