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
(277 Ratings)
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David_g
Nov 1, 2025
The guide was fantastic... - The guide was fantastic and very knowledgeable The tour showed the history of Cyprus from ancient times to recent conflicts with free time also in walled Famagusta
Review provided by Viator
Aileen_s
Oct 23, 2025
Excellent trip - It was interesting and informative. The guide Emma was excellent and the bus was well driven and a high standard.
Review provided by Viator
Alexandru_a
Oct 5, 2025
We loved the tour and our... - We loved the tour and our guide Emma was very nice and knowledgeable! Especially liked the ruins of Salamis
Review provided by Viator
Lbeesto
Sep 27, 2025
An amazing day to the occupied north of Cyprus - An excellent day out. Coach picked us up outside our hotel which wasn’t on the list given but contacted tour operator who arranged the pick up. Coach was comfortable and thankfully air-conditioned. Tour guide was very informative giving an insight into the areas we travelled through and history of Cyprus. Driving along the buffer zone and crossing into Northern Cyprus was very surreal in this day and age but the old town of Famagusta is beautiful. Visiting the ghost town of Varosha was very strange seeing all the buildings empty and neglected. A great day out and as it states a full day. We left our hotel at 8 in the morning and got back around 7 at night.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K4940tdandyc
Sep 20, 2025
Great Tour to Northern Cyprus and Famagusta. - We had a fantastic day albeit a long one. I can highly recommend this tour to Famagusta which was very informative thanks to our Tour Guide Emma. The coach was a good spec with aircon thankfully ! Northern Cyprus and Famagusta is a beautiful part of Cyprus Highly recommend the trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lucia_g
Sep 18, 2025
Very interesting trip - The day trip to the Turkish part of Cyprus involves a fairly long route and the very hot temperature made the day a bit tiring. However, I think this tour was very good and I recommend it. Famagusta is a beautiful town, Salamis an interesting archaeological site and the ghost town of Verosha a unique experience. Excellent both the driver and the guide Hermioni that I greatly appreciated for historical, linguistic and organizational skills.
Review provided by Viator
Alan_s
Nov 23, 2025
A long day but very... - A long day but very interesting. Could have been longer at the ghost town didn't manage to see all of it
Review provided by Viator
Michael_e
Oct 11, 2025
Famagusta - Really enjoyed this excursion. A long day but a lot packed into it. George was a great guide , really upbeat with a great sense of humour. Fascinating but emotional visit to Varosha to see what had happened there.
Review provided by Viator
Puja_s
Jan 11, 2026
The sites were cool to... - The sites were cool to see, but I wished we had more time in the abandoned city. Lunch was decent. The rating I’m giving is solely for the sites we saw. My lower rating stems from the conduct of the guide, Hermione. Our group wasn’t big. When I first got on the bus, she asked if I was American and if I brought my passport. I didn’t think much of it and confirmed. A Portuguese person got on a couple stops later. The guide came down the bus and once again asked where I was from. I thought it was weird because I had literally just gotten on the bus and confirmed I was from the US when she asked, but I figured she just forgot, and said California. When the last person got on the bus a stop or two later, she recited where everyone was from, skipping me (the only non-European). When the time came to collect passports, she asked me for the third time where I was from despite holding my passport in her hands, and then proceeded to turn it over, open it and examine it as if to verify I’m actually American. She didn’t do this to any other passengers, and had no problems remembering where they came from. Thereafter, she pretty much did not deign to speak with me, not even when she passed me entering a shop. The one other time she spoke to me, she asked where in the US I was from (again, odd to me considering she remembered where everyone else in our small group came from and I had already told her I’m from California). On the way home, I overheard parts of her conversation with two dudes on the tour mentioning “refugees,” “dark skinned people,” “not sending them back,” and “look at England.” I don’t know that I’d recommend this tour to others based on my experience.
Review provided by Viator
Eg4us
Oct 4, 2025
not for those not able to walk long distances - found it too much for me. full day left at 7.45am got back at around 7.30pm. ghost town now been looted 51 years since its been left , for those that cant walk well i do not recommend it
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $79
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).