Famagusta and Salamis Excursion from Ayia Napa, Protaras, Larnaca
Protaras, Cyprus
- 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Visit the historic hotspots of Famagusta and Salamis without the hassle of figuring out transportation across the border on this tour. Hop aboard an air-conditioned bus and visit highlights such as the Monastery of St. Barnabas and the Gothic center of Famagusta, as well as Varosha, an abandoned quarter of Famagusta known as the ‘ghost town’ and enjoy the golden sands of the surrounding beach.
- Ideal for lovers of history and culture
- Travel with ease to historic highlights such as the Monastery of St. Barnabas and Famagusta's Gothic center
- Visit the atmospheric Varosha, an abandoned quarter of Famagusta known as the ghost town
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Ayia Napa, Protaras and Larnaca adds convenience
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Drinks
- Lunch
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
There might be assigned meeting points in walking distance from the accommodation. For Larnaca city centre and Makenzy area, the starting point will be from the Bus stop Arch. Makariou (Police Station) at 7:30. Please note, pick up in Ayia Napa is at 8:10-8:30 approx.; in Protaras at 8:40-9:00 approx. Exact pick up time and pick up point will be sent at latest 1 day prior to excursion.
Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
Your tour begins at your Ayia Napa hotel, where you’ll board an air-conditioned coach destined for the Monastery of St. Barnabas, dedicated to the founder of the Cypriot Orthodox Church. Here, you’ll have the chance visit the monastery’s Icon Museum and the tomb of St. Barnabas.
The tour continues to Salamis, an ancient archaeological site founded after the Trojan War, where you can to take a guided tour of the area. See beautifully preserved marble columns, a Greek theater, and Roman baths.
Then, hop back on board your coach and travel to Famagusta: spend free time exploring the town’s historic center and purchase a traditional Greek lunch from restaurants recommended by your guide.
Travelers also have the option to only visit Famagusta, omitting Salamis and St. Barnabas Monastery, in order to spend four hours of free time in the town.
Capture photographs of the Venetian walls that surround the town, and pay a visit to the Gothic church of St. Nicolas. Your final stop is Varosho, an abandoned quarter known as the ghost town, to see disused buildings that haven’t been used since the 1974 Turkish invasion.
Conclude your tour back at your Ayia Napa hotel after eight hours of exploration.
Please note, a current valid passport is required on the day of travel.
The tour continues to Salamis, an ancient archaeological site founded after the Trojan War, where you can to take a guided tour of the area. See beautifully preserved marble columns, a Greek theater, and Roman baths.
Then, hop back on board your coach and travel to Famagusta: spend free time exploring the town’s historic center and purchase a traditional Greek lunch from restaurants recommended by your guide.
Travelers also have the option to only visit Famagusta, omitting Salamis and St. Barnabas Monastery, in order to spend four hours of free time in the town.
Capture photographs of the Venetian walls that surround the town, and pay a visit to the Gothic church of St. Nicolas. Your final stop is Varosho, an abandoned quarter known as the ghost town, to see disused buildings that haven’t been used since the 1974 Turkish invasion.
Conclude your tour back at your Ayia Napa hotel after eight hours of exploration.
Please note, a current valid passport is required on the day of travel.
1
Famagusta Walled City
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
2
Salamis
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Ghost Town Famagusta
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Bring sunscreen and hat, especially in the summer months
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel. If your passport is set to expire less than six months after your trip, you could be denied boarding or entry. European Union Citizens are allowed to use Identity Cards - For other nationalities passports are required. Only original documents will be accepted at the checkpoint - no photocopies are allowed.
- Coach excursion with up to 50 passengers
- There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if the days of operation change. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- Please be advised that holders of Armenian, Syrian, Nigerian and Turkmenistan passports and cannot join the excursion, unless they have a special visa! Ukrainians that live in Cyprus with a refugee status cannot join the excursion.
- For the minors travelling with only one parent or in the care of friends or relatives a consent letter should be used for a cross-border travel.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 80 reviews
Claire_R, Apr 2026
we really enjoyed this excursion. Our guide was Olga, who was friendly and so knowledgeable. There was enough time at each location. I absolutely recommend this trip.
Jolita_S, Jan 2026
Good organising, the guide was great, sights where interesting to see. we where realy safe, everybody where important
Caroline_H, Nov 2025
A good value day trip taking in the sites of Famagusta and ancient Salamis, with an interesting walk through the abandoned, bombed 'ghost town' of Varosha.
Phillip_L, Oct 2025
If you are staying in Protaras, and interested in Cyprus sad recent history this trip is a must. A great cultural tour. Olga our guide was superb. Sadly we didn't get the opportunity to say a personal thank you, as she got off at the first drop off point.
liliana_k, Jun 2025
Olga our guide was very friendly and ensured that everyone on trip was comfortable. Very knowledgeable Explained about the invasion in great detail. We enjoyed our day
Pierluigi_F, Jun 2025
Well organized, interesting and passionate guide Olga, maybe I’d to stay more in Famagosta and less in Varosha, but it was ok
Diana_L, Mar 2025
Excellent local guide, very interesting itinerary, places where it is almost impossible to go on your own
Totally recommended
Elsa_A, Nov 2024
Olga, our guide, was great, as was our driver Theodore. It was interesting but sad to learn about the divided island. Salamis was great.
Debbie_M, Nov 2024
Fabulous dat out. Guide was brilliant with lots of useful information. Ghost town was an amazing site. Only very slight downside was could have done with a bit more time in ghost town
Anneliese_W, Oct 2024
It was a memorable day indeed and we learned many things about Cyprus' history.
The guide was amazing and contributed to our experience.
CHRISTIANA_M, Oct 2024
I gave this tour only 3 Stars instead of Zero because we had a knowledgeable guide Evangelia who was also considerate of the harsh heat and kept us in the shade while keeping us informed with her loud speaker. She knew historical information for all attractions including the ancient site of Salamis. Otherwise the rest of the part of the bus tour was long and exhausting. I took same tour last year with MTS company which was much smoother with minimal passenger pick ups. Last year it started on a mini bus in Larnaca then met up with large Pullman Bus in Ayianapa and off we went to our attractions, smooth all the way. But for whatever reason MTS decided to separate itself from another company it used before and it was a mess. The minibus took us deep into Agianapa to switch to Pullman Bus then went on to pick up more passengers in Pullman Bus ( 10 additional stops) in Ayianapa and Paralimni and crossing the border at Derinia instead. We first visited the ghost town for a very short walk approximately 30 minutes then we went to ancient site of Salamis for approximately 45 minutes. The guided tour unfortunately was very short (30 minutes) and we saw very minimal of the site. We only had 15 minutes to see anything on our own or get a drink. The bathrooms at the sites unfortunately instead of being free require a fee. Salamis and St Barnabas required an entrance fee of 2 Euros each. We then proceeded to Monastery of St Barnabas which had a beautiful frescoe of his life and the frescoe also contained a beautifully decorated ancient column separating the panels. Dispersed around the upper walls were many column capitals imbedded in the structure. The guide did not explain how these ancient columns and capitals were used inside this structure. But it seems these beautiful capitals and column are from an earlier period structure. There are lots of icons displayed of various saints. There is also a small museum with Bronze Age Artifacts mostly from Mycenaean Period. Unfortunately we only had 30 minutes so I did not even have any time left to visit the Tomb of St Barnabas. We then proceeded to visit the walled old town of Famagusta where we had approximately 2 hours to relax, eat and spend time on our own. There is the beautiful Gothic Cathedral of St Nicholas that was converted into a mosque and worth visiting.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for your feedback regarding the pick-up process. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
We are continually working to improve our processes and appreciate your patience as we strive to provide a better experience.
Thank you for your understanding!
Michelle_C, Sep 2024
Famagusta was really interesting. Seeing the sprawling empty buildings, hearing the stories of the invasion whilst the town was in full tourist mode, food left on the table as people evacuated was a complete juxtaposition of the people enjoying the beach and swimming in the sea.
I enjoyed this part of the trip, but would probably have not bothered with anything else. Maybe I'm spoiled as I live in Greece and see lots of Churches and ruins, but it just didn't do it for me.
Do take some sandwiches and water with you, but also try and take extra for the beautiful, gentle, stray dogs that you will encounter. We gave them our sandwiches and water from our hands, they were so thirsty and hungry they took everything they could.
The tour guide lady was very good and very informative.
Iris_K, Aug 2024
Tour was interesting and informative. Tour guide and the facilities were great. The guide took inconsideration the weather conditions and told most of the info in the bus or in shade. Most interesting bit was Maras ghost town. Why 3 stars then? Well from Larnaka the tour was in total over 10 hours over 6 hours was spent just sitting in the bus. Also the entrance fees were not provided so you had two choices pay extra or sit in a bus for 2 extra hours. Considering the price of the tour it should atleast cover the 4€ entrance fees to the sights.
william_s, Aug 2024
Nice informative trip, but take an umbrella if doing this excursion in the summer months as the sun is relentless and very little shade, and a valid passport!
Keren_G, Jul 2024
My family and I really enjoyed this day trip. The guide was knowledgeable, clear and helpful. Everything went smoothly. It was fascinating visiting the ghost town, Famagusta and the Roman ruins. Definitely worth the price.
Andy_C, Jun 2024
We joined the tour at Protaras and therefore only had a small time to travel on the coach. The A/C on coach was good, driver was friendly and guide very knowledgeable. The entire trip is in Northern Turkey so remember to check you data roaming allowance. All in all it was a great value and informative tour
Sinead_K, May 2024
A brilliant tour with a very knowledgeable tour guide and lovely bus driver, who picked us up nwar the hitel we were staying in and dropped us back at the end of the tour . Highly recommend !!
tmccretton, May 2024
Tour guide was very informative about the history of Cyprus. The tour excursion was value for money. Many thanks - Tony
Jeanette_H, Apr 2024
Enjoyed the day as the guide was very informative.
Would have liked more time in famagusta old town
The ghost town felt unbelievably emotional as the guide recounted his personal experience of the time
A well organised trip . Good value for the cost.
Helen D, Dec 2017
Great guide. A full coach. Great Historic excursion.
Javier_I, Oct 2025
If you do not speak English do not worry that you understand anything at all, our guide Olga 0% interest in us
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Response from Host, Oct 2025
We’re sorry to hear you felt overlooked during the tour. Olga is a highly professional guide who consistently receives excellent feedback for her dedication and care. We regret that your experience didn’t reflect this and appreciate your comments, which help us improve.
Alvaro_O, Sep 2025
Good communication with the Enterprise. Very good explanations of the guide. Appropriate time for each visit
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amelia_s, Aug 2025
Service and 'was precise and professional, the places visited beautiful and explained accurately. Very useful and convenient pick-up and drop-off at the hotel.
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G5542FEjennyc, Oct 2019
We hadden een heel goede gids, ze heeft ons heel veel informatie gegeven. Zeker een aanrader, het was een heel leerrijke dag.
Dirk_G, Jan 2017
Ganz netter Ausflug! Salamis nicht optimal gepflegt wofür der Veranstalter nichts kann. Famagusta aus der Ferne zu betrachten ist schon beeindruckend.
From $65.71
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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