Ferry to Dodecanese Islands
Every crossing in one place
Ferry to Dodecanese Islands
Every crossing in one place
More routes than anyone else.
Compare fares, times & routes in one place.
Change plans easily with flexi tickets.
Book e-tickets & manage trips in-app.
Live ship tracking & real-time updates.
Top-rated customer support when you need it.
Ferries to Dodecanese Islands are available with Blue Star Ferries, Dodekanisos Seaways, Hellenic Seaways, Ido & Turyol.
There are approximately 314 daily sailings and up to 927 weekly sailings to Dodecanese Islands. Please note that ferry schedules can change throughout the year and usually increase during the high season. Take advantage of our deal finder for the latest sailing times and availability.
There are 21 ports in Dodecanese Islands. The most popular port is Symi (Simi) Port with 95 weekly sailings.
The Bodrum to Kos ferry sails approximately 9 times per day and up to 62 times per week, with an average sailing duration of 30 minutes. The Bodrum Kos ferry costs approximately $93. Please be aware that prices do not include booking fees.
The Rhodes to Symi (Simi) ferry sails approximately 3 times daily and up to 19 times weekly, with a sailing duration of 1 hour 20 minutes. Rhodes Symi (Simi) ferry is $88 on average. Exclusive of booking fees.
Prices will vary depending on number of passengers, vehicle type, route and sailing times. Pricing is taken from searches over last 30 days and exclusive of service fees, last updated September 26.
The Dodecanese is a chain of islands tucked into the far southeastern Aegean close to the Turkish coast. The name literally means "twelve islands," though today the group includes around 15 larger islands and dozens of smaller islets, with roughly 26 inhabited overall.
As the Dodecanese are located so far from the mainland, journeys from Athens are considerably longer than in the Cyclades — often 10 to 18 hours by overnight conventional ferry — so many travelers fly directly into Rhodes or Kos and do their island hopping locally, using the dense network of short ferries and hydrofoils that connect the islands to each other.
Piraeus is the primary gateway for Greece island hopping and the only major Athens port with regular service to the Dodecanese, principally to Rhodes and Kos via overnight conventional ferries. Located about 20 minutes from central Athens by metro, it's the practical starting point if you're travelling entirely by sea rather than combining a flight with local ferries.
Rafina, which is useful for Cyclades routes like Mykonos and Tinos, has little to no direct service to the Dodecanese, so it's rarely a practical starting point for this part of Greece.
Lavrio is in a similar position: it mainly serves nearby Cycladic islands such as Kea and Kythnos and doesn't offer meaningful direct access to the Dodecanese.
As the crossing from Piraeus is long, most travel in the Dodecanese takes place locally between the islands themselves. Rhodes and Kos act as the main regional hubs, each offering a dense network of short ferry and hydrofoil connections to nearby islands.
From Rhodes, regular services connect to Symi, Chalki, Tilos, Karpathos and Kastelorizo, whereas Kos provides frequent connections to Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos and Nisyros. As a result, many travelers fly directly into Rhodes or Kos and base their entire island-hopping itinerary around these local ferry routes, rather than traveling by sea from Athens.
The routes below are the most popular when planning a Dodecanese trip, whether they're arriving by ferry from Athens or island hopping locally after flying in.
The table below summarises journey times for some of the most popular Dodecanese ferry connections, comparing high-speed and conventional options.
| Route | High-Speed Ferry | Conventional Ferry | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens (Piraeus) to Rhodes | N/A | 17 hours and 55 mins | Dodecanese |
| Athens (Piraeus) to Kos | N/A | 11 hours and 55 mins | Dodecanese |
| Rhodes to Kos | 2–3 hours | 7 hours and 15 mins | Dodecanese |
| Rhodes to Symi | 1 hour and 10 mins | 1 hour and 40 mins | Dodecanese |
| Rhodes to Karpathos | approx. 2.5–4 hours | approx. 6–8 hours | Dodecanese |
| Kos to Kalymnos | approx. 30–50 mins | 1 hour and 5 mins | Dodecanese |
| Kalymnos to Leros | 45 mins | N/A | Dodecanese |
The ferry to Rhodes is the main entry point into the Dodecanese by sea, arriving into a medieval Old Town that's one of the best-preserved in Europe. From Athens it's an overnight conventional crossing of approximately 18 hours, while locally Rhodes runs frequent short connections to Symi, Kos, Tilos, Chalki, Karpathos and the tiny island of Kastellorizo, making it a convenient base for onward island hopping.
The ferry to Kos serves the second-largest island in the Dodecanese, known for its flat, cyclable terrain and long sandy beaches. It functions as the northern hub of the group, with short hops to Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos and Nisyros, and a direct high-speed link south to Rhodes that takes around 2–3 hours.
The ferry to Symi is one of the most popular short hops in the Dodecanese, taking under an hour from Rhodes and arriving into a harbour lined with pastel-colored neoclassical houses. Its small size and easy day-trip distance from Rhodes make it a common addition to itineraries that don't have time for a longer island chain.
The ferry to Karpathos reaches one of the more remote and less-developed islands in the Dodecanese, roughly midway between Rhodes and Crete, known for traditional mountain villages and long, quiet beaches. It's usually reached from Rhodes, either by high-speed ferry in around 3–4 hours or by a longer conventional sailing, and makes a good add-on for travelers who've already spent time on the busier northern islands.
The Dodecanese cover more ground and feel more varied than Greece's other island groups, ranging from Rhodes' historic Old Town and lively resorts to remote, sparsely populated islands close to Turkey. The islands below are among the most popular and the best-connected by ferry, making them natural building blocks for a Dodecanese itinerary.
The best Dodecanese itineraries are usually built around flying into Rhodes or Kos and then working through the islands locally, rather than starting the trip with a long overnight ferry from Athens. The sample itineraries below show how a handful of popular short hops can be strung together into a one- to two-week trip.
Good to know: This route follows the Dodecanese's main north-south ferry corridor, so connections are relatively frequent even outside the busiest summer weeks.
Good to know: This northern Dodecanese chain sees fewer tourists than the Rhodes–Kos corridor, so it suits travelers who'd rather avoid the busiest islands even in peak season.
Good to know: Karpathos has fewer sailings than the northern islands, so it's worth checking the return schedule before committing to how many days you spend there.
Good to know: This is the slowest way into the Dodecanese, but it's a scenic overnight crossing and a good option for travelers bringing a vehicle who'd rather not fly.
For more travel inspiration, see our Greece Island Hopping Guide and Top 10 Islands for Budget Travelers.
Yes, there is a car ferry to Dodecanese Islands. Blue Star Ferries, Dodekanisos Seaways, Hellenic Seaways, Anem Ferries & LAFASI provide car ferries to Dodecanese Islands.
Pets are allowed to travel on ferries to Dodecanese Islands with Blue Star Ferries, Dodekanisos Seaways, Hellenic Seaways & Sea Dreams.
The price of a ferry to Dodecanese Islands can fluctuate by route, operator and season. Please visit our special offers page for all the best ferry offers available.
The best time to take a ferry to Dodecanese is between May and June and September and early October, when the seas are calmer and ferry schedules are frequent without peak-season crowds. July and August offer the most sailings but are also the busiest and most expensive months, while winter crossings are more limited.
Book ferry tickets to Dodecanese Islands online with Direct Ferries by using our Deal Finder and compare routes, prices and operators for the best deals.
We recommend you download our app to easily manage your booking and follow your ferry in real time.
Find out what it's like onboard the ferries before you travel.
Eating Your Way Through Italy: A City-by-City Food Guide
The Perfect Italy Road Trip
Oktoberfest: The Complete Guide to Munich's Legendary Beer Festival
How to Plan a Holiday to Greece from the US: A Complete Guide
Slow Travel in France: Take the Long Way This Summer
The Biggest European & American Festivals 2026
Sailing Your Own Odyssey
Alternative Channel Ferry Routes with Brittany Ferries
The Best Coffee Spots in Italy
Take the Scenic Route to Spain with Brittany Ferries
