# Things to Do in Famagusta: Old Town, Salamis, Varosha > Things to do in Famagusta with summer 2026 fees, hours and time needed: the old town walk, Salamis, Varosha, plus a half-day and a one-day plan. - Canonical: https://www.kiprarent.com/en/guide/things-to-do-famagusta/ - Updated: 2026-11-01 - Language: English - Publisher: Kipra Rent A Car, https://www.kiprarent.com/ ## Quick answer - **Half a day:** The walled city loop: about 3 km, 2.5-3 hours relaxed, 4-5 hours with stops. Or Salamis plus St Barnabas instead. - **One day:** Salamis at opening, St Barnabas, a swim at Glapsides, Varosha, then the walled city as the sun drops. - **Closed:** Othello Castle and the Canbulat Museum are closed for restoration, and the Royal Tombs are also listed as closed (official summer 2026 list). - **Fees:** Salamis and St Barnabas 150 TL each, Akkule and the Namık Kemal Museum 100 TL each, students 50 TL (summer 2026 list). Varosha entry is free. - **Weekends:** Akkule, the Namık Kemal Museum and Enkomi are closed on weekends and public holidays (summer 2026 list). - **Winter:** The summer 2026 list ended on 31 October and no 2026-27 winter list was published as of 1 November 2026. Winter hours are shorter, so check at the gate. --- The things to do in Famagusta fit into one long day: walk the walled old town, see the ruins of Salamis **8 km** to the north, walk the open part of Varosha and swim at Glapsides. Two headline sights are off the list for now: **Othello Castle and the Canbulat Museum are closed for restoration**, as of 1 November 2026. Everything else below carries its fee and hours from the official summer 2026 list, plus a half-day and a one-day plan. ## What are the main things to do in Famagusta? The main things to do in Famagusta are the walled city, Salamis, St Barnabas Monastery and Varosha, with two beaches close by. Fees and hours are from the TRNC Department of Antiquities and Museums summer 2026 list, unless the row says otherwise. Students pay **50 TL** at every ticketed site. | Site | Entry (summer 2026 list) | Hours (last entry) | Time to allow | | ---- | ------------------------ | ------------------ | ------------- | | [Famagusta walled city walking route](/en/blog/famagusta-walled-city-walking-guide/) | Streets have no ticket; paid stops below | Open streets | **2.5-3 h**, 4-5 h with stops | | Lala Mustafa Paşa Mosque | **Free**, working mosque, modest dress | Not on the list | Part of the walk | | Akkule (Land Gate) | **100 TL** | 08:00-15:30 (15:00), closed weekends and holidays | Part of the walk | | Namık Kemal Museum | **100 TL** | 08:00-15:30 (15:00), closed weekends and holidays | Part of the walk | | Othello Castle | **Closed for restoration** | Closed | Outside only | | Canbulat Museum | **Closed for restoration** | Closed | None | | [Salamis ancient city walking guide](/en/blog/salamis-ancient-city-guide/) | **150 TL** | 08:00-19:00 (18:00) | **At least 2 h** | | Royal Tombs | **Closed** | Closed | None | | [St Barnabas Monastery and icon museum](/en/guide/st-barnabas-monastery/) | **150 TL** | 08:00-18:00 (17:00) | **1-1.5 h** | | Enkomi (Engomi) | **100 TL** | 08:00-15:30, closed weekends and holidays | Not timed here | | [Varosha visiting rules and hours](/en/guide/varosha-ghost-town-famagusta/) | **Free** (not an antiquities site) | Posted by season, 08:00-17:00 from November to March | **1.5-3 h** | The summer list ended on 31 October, and no 2026-27 winter list had been published as of 1 November 2026. Winter hours are shorter, so check at the gate. As a guide, Salamis and St Barnabas ran **08:00-16:30, last entry 15:30** last winter. ## What can you see in Famagusta old town in half a day? Famagusta old town fills a half day with one walking loop of **about 3 km**, which takes **2.5-3 hours** at a relaxed pace and **4-5 hours** with stops. Park outside the walls near the Land Gate, because the streets inside are narrow. A sensible order runs like this: 1. **Land Gate (Akkule):** the start of the loop, and a **100 TL** ticket on weekdays if you want to go inside. 2. **Lala Mustafa Paşa Mosque:** built in **1298-1312** as the Gothic St Nicholas Cathedral, it became a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of **1571**. It is a working mosque, free to enter, with modest dress expected. 3. **Canbulat:** closed for restoration, so this stop is outside only. 4. **Sinan Paşa:** built about **1360**. 5. **Sea Gate:** look for the Venetian lion. 6. **Othello Castle:** closed for restoration, so this stop is outside only. 7. **The walls:** the Ottoman siege ended here in **1571** after about a year. Avoid the walls at midday from June to August, because they have no shade. If you would rather spend the half day out of town, Salamis plus St Barnabas is the alternative: about five minutes apart by car and **300 TL** in entries per adult on the summer 2026 list, with no combined ticket. ## Is Othello Castle open in Famagusta? No, Othello Castle is closed for restoration, according to the TRNC Department of Antiquities and Museums list read on 1 November 2026. The same list shows the Canbulat Museum closed for restoration and the Royal Tombs closed. We have no reopening date for any of them. Older pages online, including our own walking post, may still print a ticket price for Othello Castle: the closure is the current fact. The castle remains part of the walk from the outside, so it costs you a stop inside, not the route. ## What is a good one-day plan for Famagusta? A good one-day plan for Famagusta starts at Salamis when the gate opens and ends inside the walls as the sun drops. It keeps the shadeless sites away from midday. It suits a weekday or a weekend, because none of the stops below is closed on Saturday or Sunday. | Time | Stop | Why then | | ---- | ---- | -------- | | 08:00 | Salamis ruins, at least 2 h | Little shade, so go first | | 10:15 | St Barnabas Monastery, 1-1.5 h | Compact and partly indoors | | 12:00 | Swim and lunch at [Glapsides beach near the walled city](/en/guide/glapsides-beach-famagusta/) | Free sea entry, 5.4 km from the walled city | | 14:30 | Varosha, at least 1.5 h | Must end before the posted closing time | | 17:00 | Walled city, then dinner inside the walls | Lower sun on the walls | From November to March the day shortens: Varosha closes at **17:00** on the posted board, and dark falls earlier. Keep the same order, move Varosha to straight after lunch, and drop the swim. Dinner options are in [where to eat in Famagusta, by segment](/en/guide/where-to-eat-famagusta/). ## What should you know before visiting Salamis? Salamis is a large open site, **8 km north of Famagusta and about 12 minutes by car**, that needs **at least 2 hours**, closed shoes, water and a hat. Founded about **1100 BC** and abandoned in the **7th century AD** after earthquakes and raids, it has a gymnasium, baths with a hypocaust, a theatre, an agora and basilicas. Entry was **150 TL** on the summer 2026 list, 08:00-19:00 with last entry at 18:00. St Barnabas Monastery is close by, so most visitors pair them. ## Can you walk to Varosha from Famagusta old town? Yes, Varosha's official tourist entrance is **about 1.6 km south-east of the Old Town**, near Palm Beach, according to Cyprus FAQ (October 2026). Entry is **free**, only designated routes are open, and private cars are not allowed in the tourist area, so you walk or hire a bicycle or scooter once inside. Allow **1.5-3 hours**. The area was sealed from 1974 and part of it was opened in October 2020, a politically disputed decision. The hours and conduct rules are on the [Varosha ghost town visiting page](/en/guide/varosha-ghost-town-famagusta/). ## Which beaches are closest to Famagusta? The closest beach to Famagusta is Glapsides, **5.4 km, about 10 minutes** from the walled city in 2026 routing data, with free sea entry and sunbeds hired separately. The longer strip is [Long Beach on the İskele coast](/en/guide/long-beach-north-cyprus/), **23.1 km, about 30 minutes** up the coast road, with free entry on public sections. Take Glapsides when the beach is one stop in a sightseeing day, and Long Beach when it is the day. ## How do you get around Famagusta's sights? You walk the walled city and need a car or taxi for almost everything else in Famagusta, because Salamis, St Barnabas and the beaches sit outside town. A **5 km** town hop calculates to about **330 TL** on the taxi day meter, as of 2026, and most bus routes finish by 18:00-19:00. The options are compared in the [North Cyprus public transport and bus fares page](/en/guide/north-cyprus-public-transport/). Kipra Rent A Car is a Famagusta-based local rental company with VAT and third-party insurance included in every displayed price, and it delivers free of charge to any address in Famagusta. Flying in through the south? The [Larnaca Airport meet and transfer](/en/larnaca-airport-car-rental/) brings you through the Deryneia Crosspoint, **8 km and 10-15 minutes** from Famagusta. The rest of the arrival layer is in the [first-time visitor's checklist for North Cyprus](/en/guide/first-time-visitors-north-cyprus/). According to the TRNC Tourism Planning Department, North Cyprus received **2,589,729 visitors in 2025**, up **17.2%** on the year before. A week here is laid out in the [one-week plan from a single east-coast base](/en/guide/one-week-north-cyprus-itinerary/). --- One base, every stop within half an hour. See live prices for your dates: [book a car](https://www.kiprarent.com/en/book/cars?lang=en) · WhatsApp +90 546 996 1004, English spoken. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Is Othello Castle open in Famagusta?** No. The TRNC Department of Antiquities and Museums lists Othello Castle as closed for restoration as of 1 November 2026, and the Canbulat Museum too. You can still see the castle from outside on the walled city walk. **How long do you need in Famagusta old town?** The walking loop is about 3 km: 2.5-3 hours at a relaxed pace, 4-5 hours with stops. Avoid the walls at midday from June to August, because they have no shade. **Can you see Salamis and the old town on the same day?** Yes. Salamis is 8 km north of Famagusta, about 12 minutes by car. Go to Salamis at opening, since it has little shade, and keep the walled city for the late afternoon. **What can you do in Famagusta on a weekend?** Salamis, St Barnabas, the walled city streets, Varosha and Glapsides all work on a weekend. Akkule, the Namık Kemal Museum and Enkomi do not: the summer 2026 list closes them on weekends and public holidays. ## Sources - TRNC Department of Antiquities and Museums: visiting hours and fees, summer 2026 list (read 1 November 2026): https://eemd.gov.ct.tr/Z%C4%B0YARET-SAATLER%C4%B0 - TRNC Department of Antiquities and Museums: winter 2025-26 list (Wayback snapshot, 22 January 2026): https://web.archive.org/web/20260122192805/https://eemd.gov.ct.tr/Z%C4%B0YARET-SAATLER%C4%B0 - Cyprus FAQ: how to enter Varosha, seasonal hours and entrance (updated October 2026): https://cyprus-faq.com/en/north/mesta/kak-popast-na-territoriyu-varoshi/ - Driving distances dataset (routing data, 2026): https://www.kiprarent.com/data/guides/driving-distances-north-cyprus.csv --- Kipra Rent A Car: Famagusta, North Cyprus. No-deposit, no-credit-card car rental; VAT + insurance included. Booking: https://www.kiprarent.com/en/book/cars?lang=en · WhatsApp: +90 546 996 1004