How To Visit These 10 Greek Islands Close To Turkey In One Day

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Post author Nicky

Written by our local expert Nicky

Nicky, originally from the UK, is now a local in Turkey. She moved to Marmaris, Türkiye for love 12 years ago and is now your Turkey travel planner.

Here is a guide on how to visit the Greek islands from Turkey in one day – and which islands in Greece you can reach.

Greece Travel Blog_How To Visit The Greek Islands Near Turkey In One Day

If you want to confuse your friends and family totally, check in on your social media in your Turkish holiday resort, and then check in on a Greek island a few hours later!

It’s possible (and wholly recommended) to visit a Greek island on a day trip from Turkey. However, which islands you can visit depends on where you stay in Turkey. The closest Greek island to Turkey is Samos, which is 70km from Izmir; read on to find out what Greek islands you can get to from Turkey: 

How To Visit The Greek Islands From Turkey In One Day

Although there are several options—some easier than others—most people will consider visiting the Greek islands while holidaying on the Turkish south coast. In that case, there are ten destinations to choose from: Chios, Kalymnos, Kos, Leros, Lesbos, Patmos, Rhodes, Samos, Symi and Kastellorizo.

All are beautiful islands in their own right, and you can choose to either stay a few nights or visit for the day, eat a Greek lunch, and take the ferry back to Turkey in the early evening. Yes, that might be a rather long travel day, but it’s completely worth it!

BOOK FERRY TICKETS ONLINE

10 Greek Islands Close To Turkey 

GREEK ISLANDS CLOSE TO TURKEY

Here are the Greek islands you can reach from Turkey

  1. Chios from Çeşme – Chios Island Guide ↳ 
  2. Kalymnos from Bodrum/Turgutreis – Kalymnos Island Guide ↳ 
  3. Kos from Didim & Bodrum/Turgutreis  – Kos Island Guide ↳
  4. Leros from Didim & Bodrum/Turgutreis – Leros Island Guide ↳
  5. Lesbos from Ayvalik & Izmir – Lesbos Island Guide ↳
  6. Patmos from Kuşadası & Bodrum/Turgutreis- Patmos Island Guide ↳
  7. Rhodes from Bodrum/Turgutreis, Marmaris & Fethiye- Rhodes Island Guide ↳
  8. Samos from Kuşadası & Seferihisar – Samos Island Guide ↳
  9. Symi from Bodrum/Turgutreis- Symi Island Guide ↳
  10. Kastellorizo from Kaş 

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Roundtrip Ferry Services & Price List

1. Ferry Services To Chios Island

Quiet Islands In Greece - Windmills in Chios

ÇEŞME TO CHIOS FERRY 
  • Pedestrian Cost: 45-50€ 
  • Automobile Cost: 150€ 
  • Operators: Ertürk Lines, Turyol Official, Tilos Travel Turkey

2. Ferry Services To Kalymnos Island

Things to do in Kalymnos Island, Greece - Colorful boats in Pothtia

BODRUM/TURGUTREIS TO KALYMNOS FERRY 
  • Pedestrian Cost: 50€ (Daily: 40€)
  • Operator: İDO

3. Ferry Services To Kos Island

Things to do on Kos Island - Beautiful street with flowers in the old town of Kos

DIDIM TO KOS FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 100€ (Daily: 60€)
  • Operator: Yeşil Marmaris
BODRUM/TURGUTREIS TO KOS FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 36-40€ (Daily: 25-30€)
  • Automobile Cost: 280€
  • Operators: Tilos Travel Turkey, Dentur Avrasya, Yeşil Marmaris, Turkish Sea Lines, Bodrum Sea Lines, Bodrum Express Lines 

There is a daily ferry to Kos during the summer months if you’re in Bodrum or any surrounding areas, such as Gumbet or even up to Kusadasi. During the winter months (mid-October to mid-April), the ferry is less frequent, and the crossing is more likely to be choppy. The ferry may also be canceled at short notice during poor weather – those Mediterranean winter storms can be nasty!

However, if you’re visiting in the summer, you’re unlikely to run into poor weather because rain is almost non-existent during the peak months! The crossing takes just under an hour, and there are usually two crossings in the morning and two heading back in the evening. Check the last crossing times, though, because if you miss it, you’re stuck on Kos until the following day.

Best Things To Do In Kos:

 

4. Ferry Services To Leros Island

DIDIM TO LEROS FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 90€
  • Operator: Yeşil Marmaris
BODRUM/TURGUTREIS TO LEROS FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 60-120€ (Daily: 40€)
  • Operators: İDO, Yeşil Marmaris

5. Ferry Services To Lesbos Island

Things to do in Lesbos - Rocky alleyway with green plants in the historic village of Molyvos

AYVALIK TO LESBOS FERRY
  • Fast Catamaran Cost: 35€ 
  • Pedestrian Cost: 30€ (on the car ferry) 
  • Automobile Cost: 80€ 
  • Operators: Jalem Tur, Turyol Official
İZMIR TO LESBOS FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 60€
  • Operator: İZDENİZ

6. Ferry Services To Patmos Island

Dodecanese Island Group - Patmos

KUŞADASI TO PATMOS FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 80€
  • Operator: Tilos Travel Turkey
BODRUM/TURGUTREIS TO PATMOS FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 70-80€ (Daily: 60-65€)
  • Operators: İDO, Tilos Travel Turkey

7. Ferry Services To Rhodes Island

Acropolis Of Lindos, Rhodes, Greece

FETHIYE TO RHODES FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 85€ (Daily: 65€)
  • Operator: Tilos Travel Turkey
BODRUM TO RHODES FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 80-140€
  • Operators: Tilos Travel Turkey, Yeşil Marmaris
MARMARIS TO RHODES FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 90€ (Daily: 55€)
  • Operator: Yeşil Marmaris

If you’re in the Dalaman area, you can visit Rhodes, known locally as Rodos, from Marmaris port. The crossing takes a little longer here, around 1.5 hours, but it’s incredibly scenic, and you can even sit on the top deck and soak up some sun.

It’s important to note, though, that the crossing between Marmaris and Rhodes involves an open-sea crossing at one point, which means the ride can occasionally be a little choppy. If you’re prone to seasickness, make sure you have your medication with you, or grab some ginger biscuits from the market before you go!

There are two crossings daily during the peak summer months and two coming back in the late afternoon/early evening. Again, be sure not to miss the last ferry back; otherwise, you’ll be looking for a hotel on Rhodes for the night.

In general, the last ferry will get you back to Marmaris around 6 pm, but make sure to check the times as they’re subject to change.

Again, the winter months see a drastically reduced timetable, which means checking crossing times online beforehand.

Best Things To Do In Rhodes:

 

8. Ferry Services To Samos Island

The Largest Islands in Greece - Samos Island

SEFERIHISAR TO SAMOS FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 45€ (Daily: 35€)
  • Operator: İDO
KUŞADASI TO SAMOS FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 52€ (Daily: 41€)
  • Operators: İDO, Tilos Travel Turkey, Meander Travel

9. Ferry Services To Symi Island

Panormitis Monastery Greece - Symi Island

BODRUM TO SYMI FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 85-120€ (Daily: 65-75€)
  • Operators: Tilos Travel Turkey, Yeşil Marmaris

10. Ferry Services To Kastellorizo Island

Kastellorizo island, Dodecanese, Greece - Quiet Islands In Greece

KAŞ TO KASTELLORIZO FERRY
  • Pedestrian Cost: 40€ (Daily: 35€)
  • Operators: Meis Ferry Lines, Meis Express

How To Book Ferry Tickets From Turkey To The Greek Islands

Balkan Flags_Greece 2

If you’re staying in either of these areas for more than a week, a day trip to a Greek island from Turkey is a fantastic idea. It’s a great way to visit two entirely different destinations during one holiday while also allowing you to improve your passport stamp collection.

Booking Tickets

You can book tickets in three ways.

Option 1. First, you can book via an excursion or tour operator, who will do all the paperwork for you and will also arrange a pick-up from and drop-off at your hotel.

Option 2. You can book tickets at the port office yourself. Booking tickets yourself is cheaper, but you must make your own way to the port.

Option 3. You can book ahead of time online.

BOOK FERRY TICKETS ONLINE

In Bodrum, getting to the port is pretty easy because of its central location. In Bodrum, you must visit the port if you want to book tickets directly. On the other hand, in Marmaris, you’ll have to jump in a taxi, which will cost you around 20 Lira, and take you straight to the port entrance. The Marmaris port office is located at the marina.

Don’t Forget Your Passport

You will have to show your passport when booking your tickets. Prices vary, but you can expect to pay around 45 Euros for an adult return ticket. If you choose to book via an excursion vendor or tour operator, you will pay about 10 Euros more.


Passport And Visa Issues When Traveling Between Turkey And Greece

Of course, you’re leaving Turkey, albeit for the day, and entering another country, which means you need to have your passport with you. Ensure that you have more than six months of validity left on your passport for entry into Greece. It would be best to take your Turkish e-visa or residency permit with you, which will be checked and stamped as you exit the port passport control desk and re-stamped as you enter Turkey later that day.

As visa requirements for Greece depend upon your country of origin, you will need to check whether you need a specific visa to visit Greece on the Greek government website. For the most part, this shouldn’t be an issue as Greece is part of the Schengen Zone, but it’s always a good idea to double-check.

You’ll have around six hours on either island and while that might not sound a lot, you’ll be surprised how much you can cram into those few hours.

There is plenty to see and do on both Greek islands on a day trip from Turkey. Rhodes, in particular, has a beautiful blend of old and new to check out.

Comments (6)

    1. Another? You will need your passport to travel between any two countries globally, including between Greece (EU) and Turkiye (non-EU). Hope that helps.

  1. Hi

    We are looking to travel from Cape Town in June. There are direct flights from Cape Town to Istanbul and I was thinking perhaps this is a good way to spend some time in Turkey and some time in Greece.

    Ideally we want a summer holiday focused mostly on super cool island and beach locations with amazing food. We dont need to go to the most overcrowded spots – but beautiful and interesting and off the beaten track places would be cool too. Perhaps a mix of both.

    We are a family of 5 (kids ages 16, 14 and 10). We are relatively budget conscious. We are on EU passports.

    Any suggestions of an itinery?

    Best
    Clinton

  2. Hi, We will be flying in from Cape Town to Istanbul for a week but would like to visit a Greece Island for 3 nights also (Samos or Limnos) – can this be done with our e-visa?

    South Africans visiting only Greece needs a schengen visa – I am not sure if you are a Turkey Visitor, if an e-visa will be accepted for 3 nights and then return to Turkey for couple of days before departure to Cape Town.

    1. As a South African passport holder, visiting Greece requires a Schengen visa. The Turkish e-visa you mentioned is valid only for entry into and travel within Turkey, so it wouldn’t be accepted for entering Greece, including the islands like Samos or Limnos.

      If you’re planning to visit Greece during your stay in Turkey, you will need to apply for a Schengen visa for the Greece portion of your trip. Once you have the Schengen visa, you can re-enter Turkey with your Turkish e-visa after visiting Greece.

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