Famagusta City Tour with Salamis and Varosha 'Ghost Town'
Excursions & day trips

Famagusta City Tour with Salamis and Varosha 'Ghost Town'

from
£56.00
Free cancellation
Language: English
Mobile voucher accepted
Duration: more than 8 hours

This experience meets the Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria. By choosing this experience you can protect the places you love, care for the environment and support local communities.

Do this because
  • Visit Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus and discover a land stuck in a time warp
  • Discover the walled old town of Famagusta and see sights such as the Gothic mosque
  • Enjoy a guided walking tour among the crumbling ruins of the ‘ghost town' of Varosha
  • Walk among the ruined temples and the theatre of the ancient city of Salamis
  • Expert local guide with an unrivalled knowledge of northern Cyprus and its history
What to expect

This full day tour to the occupied 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 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 since the Turkish invasion and was only opened to visitors in 2020. It's a surreal experience to walk on overgrown streets of crumbling façades with rusted shutters and broken windows.

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What's included
  • check Transport
  • check English-speaking guide
  • check Entrance and border fees
  • check Full insurance cover in the occupied northern area
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 occupied northern part of Cyprus
  • You'll need your passport/ID card to cross the border into the occupied 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 occupied north 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.

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