On the east coast of Cyprus, three thousand years of history fit into a few kilometres. Your driver collects you from your hotel; in the morning you walk among the marble columns of Salamis by the sea, see the Royal Tombs that recall the funerals described by Homer and St Barnabas Monastery, and in the afternoon explore the Venetian-walled city of Famagusta (Gazimağusa) with the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, a Gothic cathedral turned mosque, and Othello Castle.
The gymnasium and theatre of ancient Salamis by the sea, the tombs of kings buried with their horses, St Barnabas Monastery, the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque – once a Gothic cathedral – and Othello Castle: the east coast of Cyprus by private car with driver. Suggested duration 8 hours; pickup from hotels in Famagusta (Gazimağusa), Iskele, Bafra and the rest of the region. Prices start at €320 per vehicle, paid to the driver on the day.
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Salamis, the Royal Tombs and St Barnabas Monastery lie a few kilometres apart, just north of Famagusta's walls; there is no public transport between them and walking in summer heat is hard. With a private car you step out at each gate and enjoy lunch at leisure in a café inside the walls.
The programme covers the gymnasium, baths and theatre of Salamis; the Royal Tombs; St Barnabas Monastery and Icon Museum; and in Famagusta the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, the ruins of the Venetian Palace, Othello Castle and the walls. If you like, we add a swim at the beach next to Salamis.
Pickup from Famagusta, İskele and Bafra is with the six-hour package; from Nicosia, Kyrenia, Çatalköy, Alsancak and the Karpaz with the eight-hour package. The price is per vehicle, not per person.
Stops are shown in a typical order; your driver waits at every stop.
In Salamis, the most important city of Cyprus in antiquity, the gymnasium with its re-erected colonnaded courtyard, marble statues and pools still shows what a Roman centre of sport and education looked like. The adjoining baths keep remains of frescoes and mosaics, and from among the ruins you look straight out to sea.
The largest theatre on the island in Roman times, with room for about 15,000 spectators, has had its lower rows restored and occasionally hosts performances. The nearby Kampanopetra Basilica and the agora recall Constantia, the city's name in the Christian period.
In this necropolis of the 8th and 7th centuries BC, the rulers of Salamis were buried with their chariot horses, weapons and treasures, in rites reminiscent of the funerals in Homer's epics. At the entrance to some tombs, the skeletons of the sacrificed horses can still be seen in place.
Dedicated to St Barnabas, who was born in Salamis and spread Christianity in Cyprus with St Paul, the monastery's present church dates from 1756 and houses an Icon and Archaeology Museum. Beneath a small chapel nearby lies the saint's tomb, traditionally discovered in AD 477.
Built between 1298 and 1312, the Cathedral of St Nicholas is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the eastern Mediterranean; the Lusignan kings were crowned here as kings of Jerusalem. Converted into a mosque after 1571, its façade and rose window still inspire admiration, and an ancient tree shades the square in front.
The 14th-century Lusignan citadel at the harbour entrance was remodelled by the Venetians in 1492; the lion of St Mark is carved above its gate. It takes its name from Shakespeare's Othello, set in “a sea-port in Cyprus”. The roughly 3 km of Venetian walls around the city, with their bastions and moat, are among the most impressive in the Mediterranean.
Times are an example; your driver adapts the day to traffic, season and your wishes.
Legend says Salamis was founded by the hero Teucer on his return from the Trojan War, who named it after his native Greek island. The horse and chariot sacrifices in the Royal Tombs show that rites of the kind Homer describes really took place in the city's early centuries. In the following centuries Salamis became the island's most powerful city-kingdom.
In Roman times Salamis was a centre where St Paul and St Barnabas preached around AD 45. After 4th-century earthquakes it was rebuilt under the name Constantia, but Arab raids in the 7th century drove its people to nearby Ammochostos – today's Famagusta.
After the fall of Acre in 1291 Famagusta became one of the richest ports of the eastern Mediterranean, its merchants building dozens of churches. Passing to Venice in 1489, the city was enclosed by the mighty walls that still stand, and after a long siege in 1570–1571 it fell to the Ottomans. In the 19th century the poet Namık Kemal spent his years of exile within these walls.
Prices are per vehicle and include fuel, motorway and bridge tolls, parking and the driver. Guide, meals and hotel are added as options.
| Duration | FirstClass Van (1–6) | Vip Sprinter (1–16) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 hours | €320 | €420 |
| 8 hours | €440 | €560 |
| 12 hours | €580 | €780 |
| 24 hours · 1 night | €720 | €820 |
| 36 hours · 1 night | €1060 | €1450 |
| 48 hours · 2 nights | €1560 | €1980 |
| Add-on | Price | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed guide | €200 | Per day, whatever the group size |
| Lunch | €15 | Per person, for each lunch in the package |
| Dinner | €15 | Per person, for each dinner in the package |
| Hotel accommodation | €60 | Per person per night (sharing a double room) |
Example – 2 persons, 8 hours, FirstClass Van: Private vehicle & driver + Lunch = €440 + €30 = €470
Can be added as options: Licensed guide, Lunch, Dinner, Hotel accommodation.
Distances are approximate road kilometres to the main sight (one way). We also pick up from hotels and addresses not listed – just enter yours in the form.
| Area | Distance | Suggested package | Airport transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Famagusta (Gazimağusa) | ≈ 1 km | 6 hours | Famagusta (Gazimağusa) transfer |
| Iskele | ≈ 20 km | 6 hours | Iskele transfer |
| Bafra | ≈ 35 km | 6 hours | Bafra transfer |
| Nicosia (Lefkoşa) | ≈ 60 km | 6 hours | Nicosia (Lefkoşa) transfer |
| Catalkoy | ≈ 70 km | 8 hours | Catalkoy transfer |
| Kyrenia (Girne) | ≈ 75 km | 8 hours | Kyrenia (Girne) transfer |
| Alsancak | ≈ 85 km | 8 hours | Alsancak transfer |
| Karpaz Peninsula | ≈ 80 km | 8 hours | Karpaz Peninsula transfer |
Ideal for history and archaeology lovers, faith travellers, families and anyone staying on the east coast of Northern Cyprus who wants to see the island's ancient and medieval heritage in one day. At Salamis you walk about 2 km over a flat but extensive site; inside the walls it is flat and easy.
A guide is optional. Without one, your driver takes you to each stop, waits and helps along the way, but does not give tours inside museums and sites. For in-depth explanations, tick the guide in the form.
No other passengers and no waiting for anyone – the car is yours all day.
The order and length of stops are flexible, with no compulsory shopping stops.
The price is fixed at booking and paid to the driver on the day.
Vixride is a TÜRSAB-licensed travel agency (licence 14798); vehicles and drivers are insured.
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Detailed explanations at historic sites and museums are the job of licensed guides; your driver does not guide at the sites or in the museum. Whether a guide is required in this region, and the fee, are shown in the booking form – if required, the fee is added automatically.
Yes. The drive from Kyrenia to Famagusta is about an hour each way, so departures from Kyrenia, Nicosia and the Karpaz need the eight-hour package; the programme stays the same.
Yes. The beach right next to Salamis lets you swim in the shadow of the ruins, and we can also stop at nearby beaches such as Glapsides.
Yes, it is open to visitors outside prayer times. Dressed appropriately and with your shoes off, you can enter and see the traces of Gothic architecture inside.
We have a separate Kyrenia & Bellapais tour; we suggest spreading the two over consecutive days with the same driver. If you want to fit both into one day, the 12-hour package covers the highlights of both towns.
The tour price is per vehicle: the package costs the same whether one or six people travel in the van. Only lunch, dinner and hotel accommodation are charged per person. The guide fee is per day and does not depend on the group size.
Nothing is charged online at booking; you pay the driver on the day of the tour in cash (EUR, USD, GBP, TRY) or by card. Free cancellation and date changes; please let us know at least 24 hours in advance.
