Things to Do in Famagusta: Old Town, Salamis, Varosha

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	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	150 TL	08:00-19:00 (18:00)	At least 2 h
Royal Tombs	Closed	Closed	None
St Barnabas Monastery and icon museum	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	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	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.

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.

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, 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.

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 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.

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.

---

One base, every stop within half an hour. See live prices for your dates: book a car · WhatsApp +90 546 996 1004, English spoken.