Kyrenia and North Cyprus From Ayia Napa: Is the Long Day Worth It?

Worth it if you want Kyrenia’s harbour and Bellapais Abbey on one trip and can spend 10 hours on a coach: the Kyrenia and Famagusta day trip costs €70 per person and is rated 4.4 from 43 reviews on GetYourGuide. If Famagusta is your main interest, the shorter Famagusta and Salamis tour is €15 cheaper, and 2 hours shorter. Kyrenia is the reason to pay for the long day.

What the day contains

The listing runs by coach with an English-speaking guide. The times it gives:

• Famagusta Old Town: about 1 hour of free time, with the Venetian walls and the Gothic church of Saint Nicholas.
• Bellapais Abbey: about 45 minutes of guiding at the 13th-century abbey, which looks over the Kyrenia coast.
• Kyrenia harbour: about 2 hours of free time for sightseeing and lunch. Lunch is not included, and neither is the entrance to Kyrenia Castle, which the listing calls an optional extra.
• Varosha: on the way back the coach drives alongside the fenced-off ghost town. This is a short drive past, not a visit.

One reviewer in May said the real order differed from the description: border at Deryneia, Bellapais for an hour, Kyrenia for two hours, Famagusta last. Another reported that the group waited about 35 minutes for guests who were late back, and said the border was fast on their day. Pickup is from hotels in the morning: the listing gives 7:40 am to 8:05 am in Protaras and 8:10 am to 8:30 am in Ayia Napa, so expect an early start.

What you need at the border

You must bring your passport. EU citizens may use their national ID card instead, but only an original; photocopies are not accepted. The listing is specific about who cannot join: it names several nationalities, Ukrainian citizens who live in Cyprus with refugee status, and Greek citizens with the old handwritten ID card. The list is not identical in the two places it appears on the page, so if you are not sure your document is accepted, ask the operator before you pay.

On dress, the listing’s “not allowed” list names shorts, short skirts and sleeveless shirts. That is the operator’s rule for the day, so pack trousers or a long skirt and a covered top. Drones are not permitted.

It is also not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments, and the listing asks for comfortable walking shoes.

The alternative: Nicosia and Kyrenia in Polish

Tour	Duration	From	Rating	Guide
Kyrenia and Famagusta	10 hours	€70 per person	4.4 from 43 reviews	English
Nicosia and Kyrenia, the Tales of Two Cities tour	8 hours	€78 per person	4.1 from 20 reviews	Polish

Prices and ratings are those shown on GetYourGuide.

The second tour is offered with a Polish-speaking guide and adds Nicosia, the divided capital, with its old walls and old town, alongside Kyrenia, its castle and Bellapais Abbey. Entrance fees and the hotel transfer are listed as included; food, drinks, tips and coffee breaks are not. It is shorter by two hours and €8 dearer, and the rating rests on 20 reviews, so it is a thinner basis than the first. It says it is not suitable for wheelchair users or visually impaired people, and electric wheelchairs are not allowed. Bring your passport or EU ID here too.

What the day is not

It is not a beach day and not a relaxed one. Of the 10 hours, the listing’s own figures give you about 3 hours 45 minutes at the three stops, and the rest is driving, queuing at the checkpoint and waiting for the group. If you want more time at one place, the Famagusta tours are the better pick. How the crossing works for people who drive themselves, and why hire car insurance is the catch, is in the Famagusta guide.

Which one to book

• English-speaking, wants Kyrenia and Bellapais: the Kyrenia and Famagusta day trip, €70.
• Polish-speaking, wants Nicosia as well: the Tales of Two Cities tour, €78.
• Mostly interested in Famagusta and Varosha: skip both and read Famagusta day trips from Ayia Napa.
• Cannot cross the border, or cannot walk for long: see day trips across Cyprus for destinations in the south.