7 Greek Islands You Can Visit on a Day Trip from Rhodes

When people are researching island-hopping in Greece, they’re often surprised to learn that day trips to other islands often aren’t feasible.

This is partly because distances are just so much longer than you might expect, and partly because ferry routes are designed for residents who are usually travelling to/from Athens or another hub, not visiting neighbouring islands for a day.

And when you do find a viable day trip itinerary, especially in the Cyclades, it’s often on one of the extortionately expensive fast ferries (for example, a return from Naxos to Paros with SeaJets will set you back the best part of €60 this year).

So if you’d like to check a few islands off your list whilst you’re in Greece this summer, it pays to know where it’s possible to take day trips.

I do usually recommend Naxos and Paros as good bases if you want to see a few islands. They’re very close and there are frequent ferries throughout the day between the two. From Naxos you can also visit the Little Cyclades, and from Paros you can visit Antiparos. There are infrequent excursions to Santorini and Mykonos from both. Syros, Mykonos and Tinos are also easily combined, as are Milos, Kimolos and Sifnos.

But recently, I was on Rhodes, heading to the beautiful little island of Symi, when I clocked the ferry timetable at the port.

This made me realise what a cracking base Rhodes is for island-hopping.

Ferry company Dodekanisos Seaways have organised the schedule so that you can visit a different island every day of the week on a day trip from Rhodes, and presented it in a really user-friendly way. Nice move, Dodekanisos Seaways!

You can see the routes and timetables on the Dodekanisos Seaways website, however I can’t find quite the same format pictured above on the website, so here are the 2025 details for you (please cross-check this information before booking anything through as ferry timetables are liable to change throughout the season):

ISLAND	FREQUENCY	DAYS	APPPROX. JOURNEY TIME	TIME ON ISLAND
Symi	Daily	Daily	1 hr	variable
Chalki	2 days per week	Wed	1 hr	4.5 hours
Kastellorizo	1 day per week	Tues	2.5 hours	4.5 hours
Kos	6 days per week	Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun	2.5 hours	4.5-5.5 hours
Kalymnos	6 days per week	Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun	3 hours	3.5 hours
Nisyros	1 day per week	Weds, Thurs	2.5 hours	5 hours
Tilos	1 day per week	Thurs	2 hours	3.5 to 6.5 hours

This schedule allows you visit some of the most stunning harbour towns in Greece – Symi, Chalki, and Kastellorizo, as well as a few more off-the-beaten-track destinations such as Tilos. I’ll go over the highlights in a minute, but first, a few things to note:

Most of these trips are on the same boat (the Dodekanisos Express) that leaves Rhodes at 8am and takes different routes on different days.
It’s the same boat there and back, so you’ll be picking it up again on its return journey to Rhodes. This is why you can’t visit Patmos on day trip (unfortunately), as there’s no time before the return journey.
Symi is served by multiple ferry companies and vessels so you have plenty of choice on sailing times and boats. Just be aware that they don’t all leave from the same dock.
I recommend using Ferryhopper to check ferry times and companies.
I also use Ferryhopper for booking my tickets in advance if I’m travelling at a busy time. Some of the boats are pretty small.
Apparently there are discounts on return tickets for some routes if you purchase on the Dodekanisos Seaways website or from the kiosk.
Duration of the stay on the island also varies depending on the day, check that it’s long enough for you before booking.
If you’re really prone to seasickness, you might want to either check the wind forecast or stick to larger car ferries going to Symi. Look for the car symbol on Ferryhopper.
Fast ferries can be up to twice the price (and speed) of the slower car ferries.
Here’s an example of Rhodes-Symi routes on Ferryhopper on a random August morning:

ISLAND HOPPING HIGHLIGHTS

Symi

Symi is one of the most popular day trip destinations from Rhodes so you can easily find a travel option that suits you. It’s worth noting that there are several different places the ferries will dock in the harbour depending on the size of the ferry.

The main attraction here is its beautiful harbour town, Gialos. Enclosed by steep slopes lined with pretty neoclassical mansions, it’s a memorable sight. The architecture here has protected status and many of the mansions have been restored. If you have the time I really recommend staying overnight because Gialos as it glows pink at sunset is one of the prettiest sights I’ve ever seen.

I have a 3 Day Itinerary for Symi which gives you a good overview of what to do.

Panormitis Monastery is the other big attraction on Symi. It’s on the south of the island – there are water taxis and a bus from Gialos, and the larger of the Dodekanisos Seaways ferries stops here too.

I recommend beach lovers make it out to Agios Georgios Dysonas (also known as St George), one of the most incredible beaches I’ve ever been to. Here you can swim in dazzling turquoise waters at the base of a steep cliff – but be warned, there are no sun loungers or facilities. Alternatively, you can take a water taxi to a small beach with tavernas like Emporios or Agia Marina.

Colourful mansions of Symi's harbour town Gialos from the sea. — Gialos.

Chalki

Chalki’s main town and harbour, Emporio, is just as picturesque as Gialos, although its hills are not as steep. It doesn’t get the same number of daytrippers as Symi, the vibe here is laid-back and a bit bougie.

If you have the energy (and it’s not too hot) you can walk over to the lovely sands at Pontamos Beach, and then up to the abandoned village of Chorio and its 14th-century Crusader castle.

If not, you can hop on a water taxi to the uninhabited islands of Areta and Alimia, or the beaches of Trachea and Kania.

Boats in the harbour at Emporio. — Emporio

Kastellorizo

It’s safe to say that if you like Symi and Chalki, then you’ll also enjoy Kastellorizo.

Another beautiful neoclassical harbour, Kastellorizo is tiny (it’s the smallest inhabited Greek island) and is located out in a different direction to the rest of the islands. It’s just 800 metres from the Turkish Coast, opposite the town of Kaş. You might also see it referred to by the Greek name Megisti or its Turkish name Meis.

A leisurely lunch in the harbour is the name of the game here. A day trip will give you just enough time to eat, take a few swims, explore the town, and spot turtles in the harbour. There’s a castle and monastery up the hill but hiking both ways will take a big chunk out of your time so I recommend getting a taxi up and walking back down.

You can also take a short boat trips to nearby islands of Ro and Agios Georgios, or best of all to the incredible Blue Cave (the light conditions are best in the morning so head here first before you lunch).

Kos

Kos is one of the larger and more touristic islands in the Dodecanese thanks to its international airport and vast sandy beaches. Kos Town is lively and, whilst it’s not quite the medieval wonder that Rhodes Old Town is, it has some interesting sites spread around the city such as Neratzia Castle and the Ancient Agora. But history fans will probably want to make for the Asclepieion which is an easy bus ride from town.

I have a full guide to Kos Town here.

If you’re here for the beach then hire a bike and get on the cycle path north to Tigaki (unless the wind is blowing from the north, in which case stick to the south coast). Or hop on the bus south of Kos Town to the hot springs at volcanic Therma Beach.

If you rent a car you might be able to squeeze in the wild south coast beaches like Golden Beach and Paradise Beach, the scenic Agios Stefanos which has ruins and a chapel-topped islet, and the abandoned mountain village Haihoutes which is now home to a memorable cafe.

Kalymnos

Kalmynos is a big and unusual island. It’s much better suited to a longer trip than a day trip. It’s a different vibe to the neat and boujie Symi. The landscape is vast and wild. Visitors here are usually a) Greek diaspora Aussies and Americans coming back for the summer, b) rock-climbers, c) northern Europeans who holiday in Massouri/Myrties.

The ferry calls in at the main town Pothia and I’m going to be honest here and say that Pothia is best of Kalymnos. It’s quite scrappy and not really geared towards tourism in the way that places like Symi and Chalki are, although it does have a small archaeological museum and a nautical museum about the history of sponge diving.

I recommend hopping in a taxi over to Myrties. It’s less than 20 minutes in the car but 40 minutes on the bus (you can find timetables on the KTEL website). In Myrties you can have a leisurely lunch, hit the beach, or visit the islet of Telendos.

If you like weird offbeat places then you might get a taste for Kalymnos (and I can also recommend Leros), but both really need more than one day.

Nisyros

For some reason, Nisyros is overlooked even though it features the same combination of volcanic landscape and whitewashed architecture that you’ll find on Santorini and Mykonos. It’s the cooler younger brother.

Nisyros is home to Greece’s youngest active volcano. You can visit Stefanos crater which still belches sulphurous flames (don’t worry, it hasn’t erupted since 1888). Laid-back port town Mandraki has a cool vibe.

It’s more frequently visited from neighbouring Kos where there are many excursions, but once a week it’s also possible from Rhodes and you get a decent 5 hours on the island.

That said, visiting Nisyros on a day trip from Rhodes has its own challenges.

Buses to the crater are set up to meet the tour boats from Kos, so your options for reaching the crater are likely to be limited to taxis (and there aren’t a huge number) and rental car/scooter. It’s definitely easier if you have your own wheels. If you don’t, it might be worth speaking to a travel agency in Rhodes to see if you can find more information on the taxi/bus situation.

If you do have a car or scooter then you can also call in at the pretty caldera villages of Nikia (which has a Volcanological Museum) and Emborios, head down to Pali for a quick swim, or to the Municipal Bath House for hot springs, then back to Mandraki to wander.

I love this shot below of Nisyros that I took whilst flying overhead – you can clearly see the outline of the volcanic crater:

Tilos

Tilos is probably one of the least well-known Greek islands, and I don’t just mean on this list. I very rarely see any mention of it online.

Tilos doesn’t have a fancy harbour that looks great on postcards, it doesn’t have a volcano or any sandy beaches, or any big religious or historic attractions. For this reason, it has been largely left alone by tourism.

So if you’re looking to visit somewhere that feels more like the Greece that you backpacked to in the 1980s, then you’ll love Tilos.

It’s gaining a reputation as a sustainable and eco-friendly destination thanks to its green energy project, and its focus on nature activities like birdwatching and hiking, So if you’re finding Rhodes a bit fast-paced then Tilos might well call to you.

Excursion Boats from Rhodes

As well as ferries, there are many excursion boats from Rhodes that visit Symi. This might be more convenient if you’re staying outside Rhodes Town and would like a transfer, or fancy visiting multiple stops in a day. There are many boats on offer but the two main itineraries are:

10 Most Beautiful Beaches on Rhodes

A Short Break on Symi – 3 Day Itinerary

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