Northern Cyprus: Ancient Ruins & Ghost City

Explore the historical wonders of Cyprus on a full-day tour from Paphos. Visit the ancient Kingdom of Salamis, the monastery of St Barnabas, and the city of Famagusta. Discover the hauntingly beautiful ‘Ghost Town - Varosi’ and enjoy the best sandy beaches of the island.

Duration: 11 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Choirokoitia - Take a coffee break at Choirokitia during your journey.
  • Strovilia - Pass through the Strovilia checkpoint to enter North Cyprus. All participants should have their EU ID or passport ready for inspection. Once cleared, the journey continues towards the Salamis Ruins.
  • Salamis - Discover one of Cyprus’s most significant…
What's Included
  • Licensed guide
  • Hotel pick-up/drop-off in Paphos
  • Air-conditioned transportation
  • Professional driver
What's Not Included
  • Meals and drinks
Additional Information

Discover the intriguing history of Northern Cyprus on this engaging tour. After a brief rest, cross the border to explore the ancient city of Salamis, featuring a grand theatre, Roman baths adorned with detailed mosaics, and a magnificent gymnasium.
In the old town of Famagusta, appreciate the Gothic-Ottoman architecture of St. Nikolaos Cathedral (now…

Location
Choirokoitia
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(248 Ratings)
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Sophiet1982
Apr 1, 2025
Very nice excursion. What to do - We had a great day. The excursion is really very interesting.We visited quite a lot without running. The bus was on time, in the right place. Our guide was very professional and provided us with many explanations. The city of Varosha is really surprising.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joannecg7342hi
Mar 29, 2025
Historic Cyprus - Although it was a long day, we had a full experience of historic Cyprus from the Salamis to the Turkish invasion in 1974. The driver and tour guide were excellent, always useful to have restaurants pointed out to us and the guide gave a good balance of guided tour and free time
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Big_joescotland
Mar 22, 2025
Long day,but good - Great day out, but a long day. Sites and ruins were amazing. The desolate ruins of Famagusta were breathtaking, but what a waste. It must have been stunning in its day. Guide was very knowledgeable, but did twitter on a lot !!.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jill_g
Mar 19, 2025
It is a very interesting... - It is a very interesting trip if you want to know more about when the Turks invaded Cyprus in 1974. It is very sad to see the ghost town with all the empty derelict buildings and hotels. The old walled City is beautiful to walk around also the Archiological sites. Be prepared it is a very long day. 11 hours. As we were a large group it was difficult to hear what the guide was saying. It would help if he had a microphone and speaker like a guide had on a different tour. Our guide can't remember his name was very knowledgeable.
Review provided by Viator
Traveler693161
Mar 18, 2025
Recommended - Well organized, very punctual, neat bus in which you are not allowed to eat. Good relationship between leisure time at the destinations and guidance by the guide. Also plenty of information while driving. Entrance fees were included. You can't expect much more from a trip with a large coach.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_m
Mar 16, 2025
Famagusta day excursion - The trip gives an interesting insight into the events of 1974 and the ongoing effects of the Turkish invasion. Modern Famagusta remains uninhabited with homes, hotels, shops and businesses lying empty, decaying and overgrown. It is truly shocking to see the emptiness that remains unchanged since 1974. It must have been devastating for the community to lose so much at that time. The UN has a presence there but hopefully a solution can be found soon to rebuild but memories and history will always remain. The old town still thrives as a tourist attraction with many landmarks, restaurants, bars, etc.
Review provided by Viator
Ellil123
Mar 8, 2025
Very great trip! - Great trip. Were picked up directly from the hotel and delivered again. The chosen stops were very interesting and the information during the journey exciting. The stop at Farmagusta was impressive but the story behind it was very depressing. Overall, the day was very long at 12 1/2 hours, but it is definitely worth it. Just whether you do it with children you should think carefully, the children in our group were already bored and in a bad mood on the way out, which is more than understandable with a total of about 6 hours bus ride. Even if a place as serious and steeped in history as Farmagusta makes sense for children, one should probably consider.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susan_w
Mar 8, 2025
Full but interesting day - It’s a good mixture of sites.The Church, the archeological site, the ghost town. Free time was a little short if you wanted to eat lunch. Warning about prices should’ve been given. I paid €20 for kebab which in Paphos would cost €11. Don’t go in the restaurants near the sites. One thing I would like to mention. For all of your trips from Paphos. The pick up if you are staying in the old town is Eatonwood. This is a long way down the hill to walk back at the end of an exhausting day if you can pick up people from Coral Bay, which is a long way out then surely you can arrange a route to pick up people from the old town at the top at Kennedy Square.
Review provided by Viator
87larainet
Mar 24, 2025
A long but worthwhile day - Very interesting trip. As previous reviews say it is a long day but so much to take in it is really worth it. You get to see a lot of the country and learn so much about the history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vicand26
Mar 22, 2025
A long day - With visits to the Monastery, Salamis ruins, Famagusta (old town and the closed city) it’s a packed day, so be prepared! Top tips: when you stop for a coffee break, use the loos first as the queue for the ladies’ was huge. Be wary where you eat in Famagusta. We paid 15 euros each for the smallest chicken shish and a soft drink at a restaurant near the Basilica, and spoke to some other Brits who had also been ripped off. Take some 50c coins for the toilets. Vassos was an excellent guide, really knows his history and loves Cyprus.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 9 guests
1 Adult
April 2025
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