Nicosia is the world's last divided capital: an old city inside a ring of Venetian walls, cut in two by the Green Line that runs through its middle. For a visitor that means something unusual — two city centres a few hundred metres apart, both walkable in an afternoon. Nicosia is also the closest city to Ercan Airport: 20 minutes, 18 km, a fixed £45, which makes it the quickest place on the island to land and settle into. Here's how to reach it from all three airports, what to see inside the walls, how the Ledra Street crossing works, and how to get around a city that isn't built for hailing taxis.

Airport transfers to Nicosia

All three airports connect to Nicosia; the difference is the border and the driving time. Every fare is fixed before you travel — no meter, no surcharge for the crossing, no night tariff.

The return direction costs the same: Nicosia to Ercan Airport. Give us your flight number when you book and we'll track it — a delayed landing changes neither your car nor your price. For a side-by-side comparison of every route, see our airport transfer prices guide.

Inside the walls: things to do in Nicosia

Almost everything worth seeing sits inside the Venetian walls, within walking distance of everything else. Half a day covers the main stops; a full day covers both sides of the city.

  • Büyük Han — built in 1572, just after the Ottoman conquest, and the largest caravanserai on the island. Two storeys of arcades around a courtyard with a small mosque and fountain in the middle. It served for a while as a prison under British rule; today it's craft workshops and shaded tables where you drink your coffee. The most pleasant pause in the city.
  • Selimiye Mosque — begun in the 13th century as the Gothic Cathedral of Saint Sophia, where the Lusignan kings were crowned. It was converted to a mosque in 1570 and two minarets were added. The result is unmistakably Cypriot: a French Gothic west front, pointed arches, minarets. Dress modestly and remove your shoes at the door.
  • Bedesten — right beside Selimiye, a medieval church later used as the Ottoman cloth market. Restored, and now a venue for cultural events.
  • Bandabuliya — the municipal covered market, also next to Selimiye: fruit and vegetables, hellim cheese and olives, spice stalls and small eateries. Mornings are the liveliest.
  • Arasta street — the bazaar street running from Selimiye down towards the Ledra crossing: fabric shops, tailors, souvenirs, coffee. This is where you see the everyday city.
  • The Venetian walls — a circular rampart built between 1567 and 1570 with eleven heart-shaped bastions. Kyrenia Gate to the north and Famagusta Gate to the east still stand; you can walk the moat, and several bastions are now parks or squares.

Midday heat inside the walls is heavy in summer, so keep sightseeing to the early morning or late afternoon. Mosque and museum hours shift around prayer times and weekends — check at the door.

Crossing at Ledra Street (Lokmacı)

At the end of Arasta street is the Ledra Street / Lokmacı pedestrian crossing, which joins the two halves of the old city. You cross on foot and it takes minutes: a checkpoint on each side, passports shown, no fee to cross. On the far side begins Ledra Street, the south's main shopping street — shops, cafés, a steady crowd of pedestrians. The Cyprus Museum is also on the southern side.

A typical day looks like this: Selimiye, the Bedesten and Büyük Han in the morning, lunch at Bandabuliya, then through the crossing in the afternoon for Ledra Street and the south, back through the same gate before evening. The two sides use different currencies; cards work in most places, but a little cash in each makes life simpler.

For the detail on passports, visas and which crossings to use, we've collected it in our passport, visa and border crossing guide — worth reading if you're flying into the south and staying in the north.

Getting around Nicosia

Nicosia isn't a resort town; it's a working capital that spreads a long way beyond the old walls. Two practical consequences: parking inside the walls is genuinely difficult, and there are far fewer empty taxis cruising for fares than in Kyrenia. Don't build an evening around flagging one down.

So we run fixed-price rides around the city for the length of your stay — booked in advance or by message on the day:

  • Hotel to the old city, and back after dinner
  • Hospital, clinic or laboratory appointments, with the driver waiting
  • Ministries, banks and business meetings; the shopping centres outside the centre
  • University campuses and student residences
  • Dinner inside the walls or out around Dereboyu

The price is agreed before you set off, the driver knows the right entrance, and you can hold the same car for the return.

Business, medical and university visits

As the capital, Nicosia holds the ministries, the public offices, the head offices of the banks and the island's largest hospitals — including Near East University Hospital and the Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital. For medical visits we usually set up a waiting arrangement: the driver drops you at your appointment, waits, and brings you back; if things run long, you call the car. The same applies to business days with several stops — a half-day or full-day car with driver, charged by the hour, with the price known from the start.

Nicosia is also a university city, home to large campuses including Near East University and Cyprus International University. We run the airport-campus-residence triangle constantly during registration weeks, term starts and family visits; the details are in our university and student transfer guide.

Day trips from Nicosia

Nicosia sits in the middle of the island, which makes it an easy base.

  • Kyrenia — 25 to 30 minutes over the mountain pass. The harbour, the castle and the Shipwreck Museum make a comfortable half day; see our Kyrenia guide.
  • Famagusta — east of the capital, a full day for the walled city and the ruins of Salamis. See the Famagusta guide.
  • Güzelyurt — about 35 km west, citrus country with Soli and Vouni nearby. Our Güzelyurt guide has the details.

Any of these can be arranged as a full day with a driver: he waits at every stop, parking stops being your problem, and the fare is agreed before you leave.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a taxi from Ercan Airport to Nicosia, and how long does it take?

18 km, about 20 minutes, and a fixed £45 — £80 return. The price is locked in when you book; traffic and flight delays don't change it.

What happens at the border if I fly into Larnaca?

Your transfer crosses the Green Line by car. You stay in the vehicle, have your passport ready for a brief check, and passengers pay no crossing fee. Larnaca to Nicosia is about 50 minutes at £80, with no surcharge for the border.

Can I see both sides of Nicosia in one day?

Yes — most visitors do exactly that. The Ledra Street crossing is on foot and takes minutes, so a morning in the north, an afternoon in the south and a return through the same gate is a comfortable plan. Carry your passport.

Do you also arrange short rides around the city?

Yes. Beyond airport transfers we run journeys within Nicosia at fixed prices — hospital, university, business meeting, shopping centre or dinner. Waiting time and hourly hire are both possible; just ask when you book or message us during your stay.

Arriving in Nicosia or leaving from it — see fixed transfer prices or book your transfer in two minutes.