Trip toolkitAffiliate linksFull toolkit
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure
On this page
You can start on the Turkish coast, hop along a chain of Greek islands and come back into Turkey at a different port. The Dodecanese suit this best: the crossings from Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye and Kuşadası are short, and Greek ferries link Kos, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos, Rhodes and Symi with each other. EU and UK travellers need no visa for Greece; the work is in matching timetables, because several legs are seasonal.
Short answer
- Best area: the Dodecanese. Turkish boats reach Kos, Leros, Patmos, Samos and Rhodes; Greek operators connect the islands.
- Three sample routes: Bodrum → Kos → Kalymnos → Leros → Patmos → Kuşadası (8–10 days); Marmaris → Rhodes → Symi → Rhodes → Fethiye (5–6 days); Bodrum → Kos → Rhodes → Fethiye as an open-jaw trip (6–8 days).
- Greek operators: Dodekanisos Seaways, Blue Star Ferries, Saos Ferries and ANEM Ferries, among others. Turkish legs are run by Tilos Travel, İDO, Yeşil Marmaris Lines and others.
- Summer-only legs: Bodrum–Leros (until 25 October 2026) and Kuşadası–Patmos (İDO, end date not published). Most other legs run all year, with fewer sailings in winter.
- Documents: passport, or ID card for EU citizens where accepted. You leave and re-enter Turkey once, so check that your Turkish entry status allows a second entry.
- Book: leg by leg, a few days ahead in summer. Use our ferry route planner and the ferry operators list.
How island hopping from Turkey works
You make two international crossings, one out of Turkey and one back in, and in between you use domestic Greek ferries. The international legs are short passenger boats with passport control at both ends. The Greek legs are domestic, so there is no border check between islands, but carry your passport or ID card anyway.
Two things catch people out:
- Ports differ on the same island. Leros has Agia Marina and Lakki; Ferryhopper shows Dodekanisos Seaways using Agia Marina and Blue Star using Lakki on the Leros–Patmos route. Rhodes Town has separate quays for small passenger ferries (Kolona), big ferries (Akandia) and excursion boats (Mandraki). Read the port on every ticket.
- Timetables appear late. Dodekanisos Seaways, for example, announced schedule changes for 2 to 18 October 2026, and platforms often show “last year’s data” for future months. Treat frequencies below as a guide.
Route 1: Bodrum to Kuşadası through the northern Dodecanese
Four islands, each a short hop from the last, ending at Kuşadası for Ephesus. Fly into Bodrum and home from İzmir.
| Leg | Operator (as listed) | Typical crossing | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodrum → Kos Town | Tilos Travel (Sea Star Kos) and others | About 20–45 min | All year; reduced in winter |
| Kos → Kalymnos (Pothia) | Dodekanisos Seaways, Blue Star, Saos, ANE Kalymnou; from Mastichari ANEM, Lafasi | 25 min (Mastichari) to about 1 h 20 min | All year |
| Kalymnos → Leros | Dodekanisos Seaways, Blue Star, Saos | 40 min to about 1 h 35 min | All year |
| Leros → Patmos (Skala) | Dodekanisos Seaways, Blue Star, Saos, Patmos Star | About 40–55 min on the faster boats | All year |
| Patmos → Kuşadası | İDO | About 2 h | Summer 2026 from 26 May; end not published |
| or Patmos → Samos (Pythagorio) | Dodekanisos Seaways, Saos | 1 h 35 min to 2 h 35 min | All year |
| then Samos → Kuşadası | Meander Travel, Tilos Travel, İDO | 30–90 min | All year; few sailings in winter |
Crossing times are from Ferryhopper and Ferryscanner unless an operator’s own timetable is named.
Day by day
| Day | Plan | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fly into Bodrum; the airport is 36 km from the centre, according to TAV Airports | Night in Bodrum |
| 2 | Ferry to Kos Town | Tilos Travel’s Sea Star Kos left Bodrum Castle Port at 08:30, 10:30, 15:45 and 17:45 from 29 May to 24 October 2026 |
| 3 | Kos: Asklepion, old town, a bike to Lambi | – |
| 4 | Ferry to Kalymnos | Kos Town or Mastichari to Pothia; check the timetable. ANEM published separate timetables for 1–24 and 25–31 October 2026 |
| 5 | Kalymnos: Chorio, Telendos by small boat | – |
| 6 | Ferry to Leros | Dodekanisos Seaways listed 7 sailings a week on Ferryscanner (updated 15 October 2026); check the timetable |
| 7 | Ferry to Patmos | Check the timetable and your Leros port |
| 8 | Patmos: Monastery of Saint John, Cave of the Apocalypse, Chora | – |
| 9 | Ferry to Kuşadası | İDO’s October 2026 timetable: Patmos 16:30, Kuşadası 18:30 |
| 10 | Transfer to İzmir airport | Havaş links İzmir airport and Kuşadası bus station via Selçuk in about 90 minutes; check times for your direction |
If İDO is not running: go via Samos. Ferryscanner listed Patmos–Pythagorio departures between 14:35 and 16:20 (updated 14 October 2026), so plan a night on Samos and cross to Kuşadası the next morning. Meander Travel sails Kuşadası–Pythagorio, while Tilos Travel and most winter boats use Vathy, so check which Samos port your Turkey ticket leaves from. See the Kuşadası to Samos ferry guide.
Shorter loop back to Bodrum: in season you can drop Patmos and return from Leros. Tilos Travel’s Sea Star Kos left Leros for Bodrum Cruise Port at 17:00 daily from 15 May to 25 October 2026. That makes Bodrum → Kos → Kalymnos → Leros → Bodrum a neat 5 to 7-day circuit with no extra flight. Details: Bodrum to Leros ferry.
Skip the direct Turgutreis–Kalymnos boat. Booking platforms list it, but we could not confirm it ran in 2026; going via Kos is the dependable option. See Turgutreis to Kalymnos ferry.
Island background: Kos travel guide and Kuşadası to Patmos ferry, which includes a short Patmos guide.
Patmos Guide Tour to St. John Monastery, Cave of Apocalypse
Private car, driver and licensed guide with entrance tickets; useful on a tight Patmos day before the afternoon boat. The listing describes pickup at the cruise terminal, so confirm the meeting point at Skala.
Check price & availabilityRoute 2: Marmaris, Rhodes, Symi and back to Fethiye
A compact loop for anyone flying into Dalaman. Both Marmaris and Fethiye have airport buses, so you fly in and out of the same airport but never retrace the same sea crossing.
| Leg | Operator | Typical crossing | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marmaris → Rhodes Town | Yeşil Marmaris Lines (Sea Dreams) | 50–60 min | All year; a few days a week in winter |
| Rhodes → Symi (Gialos) | Dodekanisos Seaways, Sebeco Lines, Blue Star, Saos | 45 min to 1 h 40 min | All year |
| Symi → Rhodes | Same operators | 50 min to 1 h 35 min | All year |
| Rhodes → Fethiye | Tilos Travel (Sea Star) | About 1 h 25 min to 1 h 45 min | Daily 27 April–24 October 2026; selected days in winter |
Day by day
| Day | Plan | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalaman airport → Marmaris | Muttaş line 48-26, allow about 1.5 hours |
| 2 | Ferry to Rhodes | Yeşil Marmaris showed Marmaris 09:00, Rhodes 10:00 for mid-October 2026 |
| 3 | Rhodes: Old Town, Palace of the Grand Master; or Lindos by KTEL bus | – |
| 4 | Ferry to Symi, night in Gialos | Ferryhopper showed Dodekanisos Seaways and Sebeco daily in October (last year’s data); check the timetable |
| 5 | Symi morning, ferry back to Rhodes | Check the timetable |
| 6 | Ferry to Fethiye, then airport | Tilos Travel’s 2026 timetable: Rhodes 16:30, arriving about 18:15. Muttaş line 48-25 links Fethiye bus station with Dalaman airport |
A night on Symi is the point of this route: day-trippers get only three to four hours in Gialos. If you would rather keep Rhodes as your base, see our Symi day trip from Rhodes.
Flying home the same evening as the Fethiye boat is tight. Weather can delay or cancel sailings, so book a night in Fethiye or a flight with plenty of margin.
Island background: Rhodes travel guide, Marmaris to Rhodes ferry and Fethiye to Rhodes ferry.
Rhodes: Palace of the Grand Master E-Ticket & Audio Tour
Pre-booked palace entry with a self-guided audio tour on your phone; the listing also offers a Lindos acropolis option. Buying at the gate is the cheaper alternative.
Check price & availability
Rhodes: Symi Island & Panormitis Monastery Day Trip by Boat
Return boat from Mandraki with free time at Panormitis Monastery and in Symi town; for travellers who prefer not to move hotels.
Check price & availabilityRoute 3: open-jaw from Bodrum to Dalaman
This joins the two routes above: fly into Bodrum, hop south through Kos to Rhodes, and fly home from Dalaman.
| Leg | Operator | Typical crossing | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodrum → Kos | Tilos Travel and others | About 20–45 min | All year |
| Kos → Rhodes | Dodekanisos Seaways, Blue Star, Saos | 2 h–2 h 20 min (Dodekanisos), 2 h 30–2 h 50 min (Blue Star) | All year |
| Rhodes → Symi → Rhodes (optional) | See Route 2 | – | All year |
| Rhodes → Fethiye or Marmaris | Tilos Travel; Yeşil Marmaris Lines | 50 min to 1 h 45 min | Fethiye daily until 24 October 2026; Marmaris all year |
Ferryhopper showed Dodekanisos Seaways daily on Kos–Rhodes in October 2026, but flagged the data as last year’s. Saos is listed at five to seven hours, so avoid it if time matters. Allow six to eight days: two on Kos, two or three on Rhodes, one on Symi if you add it.
Why open-jaw: returning to Bodrum would mean retracing the Kos–Rhodes leg. easyJet lists UK flights to both Bodrum and Dalaman; see our flights guide. Transfers are covered in Bodrum airport transfers and Dalaman airport transfers.
Also possible: the North Aegean
Further north, Ayvalık → Lesvos → Chios → Çeşme works with İzmir as the airport at both ends. Jalem Tur and Turyol sail Ayvalık–Mytilene all year, Ertürk sails Chios–Çeşme all year, and between the islands Ferryscanner lists only Blue Star Ferries, about 2 h 25 min to 3 h (updated 26 August 2026). Check the Blue Star timetable before you commit. See Ayvalık to Lesvos ferry and Çeşme to Chios ferry. Further north still, Lemnos and Samothrace have their own guides: Lemnos travel guide and Samothrace travel guide.
Fares at a glance
Adult one-way fares, as of October 2026. Platform figures are lowest “from” prices, often marked as last year’s data.
| Leg | Fare | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bodrum–Kos | About €25–35 | Ferryscanner, feribotseferleri.com.tr |
| Kos–Kalymnos | From €5; Dodekanisos from €12 in October | Ferryhopper |
| Kalymnos–Leros | €6.30–42 | Ferryscanner |
| Leros–Patmos | From €5–6.30 | Ferryhopper |
| Patmos–Kuşadası | €50 | İDO tariff via e-Yaşam Rehberi |
| Patmos–Pythagorio | €7.40–41 | Ferryscanner |
| Samos–Kuşadası | About €37–39 | feribotseferleri.com.tr, samosaferibot.com |
| Rhodes–Symi | Blue Star from €6.50, Dodekanisos from €18 | Ferryhopper |
| Kos–Rhodes | Blue Star from €11.50, Dodekanisos from €22 | Ferryhopper |
| Rhodes–Fethiye | €55 | Ertürk fare table, 14 October 2026 |
Yeşil Marmaris’s fare table for 21 September 2026 to 31 March 2027 lists Marmaris–Rhodes at €63 one way or same-day return and €90 for a return on a different day (checked 30 October 2026). Our trip cost calculator adds up a full route.
Practical tips
Booking: buy the two Turkish legs first, as they are the least frequent, then the Greek legs. We found no single ticket covering a whole route. Dodekanisos Seaways sells online on its own site, and Ferryscanner lists most of the operators on these routes. Our ferry route planner shows which links exist from each port, and the ferry operators page lists who runs what from Turkey. Month-by-month status is on the ferry season calendar.
Luggage: Ferryhopper says Dodekanisos Seaways allows up to 40 kg of luggage free. İDO’s travel rules allow one suitcase or one handbag per passenger free. Rules on other boats vary, so pack light if you are changing islands every day or two.
Time zones: Turkey stays on UTC+3 all year. Greece puts its clocks back on 25 October 2026, and from then until late March the islands are one hour behind Turkey. Check whether a ticket shows Greek or Turkish time, especially on the return leg.
At the ports: Tilos Travel and Dodekanisos Seaways both ask you to be at the port about an hour before departure. Expect Schengen entry checks and EES registration for non-EU travellers at your first island.
Weather: keep a spare day before any flight. Blue Star published weather-related itinerary changes for 13 to 15 October 2026.
Passports and visas
EU and EEA citizens can enter Greece with a passport or national ID card. UK citizens need no visa for up to 90 days in any 180 days; GOV.UK says the passport must be under 10 years old on arrival and valid for three months after you leave the Schengen area. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully running since 10 April 2026; GOV.UK says Greece has indicated it will not take fingerprints and photos from UK travellers, but follow officers’ instructions.
Back into Turkey: UK citizens can stay visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days with a passport valid for at least 150 days from arrival (GOV.UK). The German Foreign Office points out that a short trip out of Turkey does not start a new 90 days. If you entered on a single-entry e-Visa, it is used up when you leave for Greece.
Turkish citizens using the Greek express visa (kapıda vize) cannot follow these routes as written. Ertürk says the visa is valid only for the island you applied for and that you cannot travel on to another island; Tilos Travel says it does not allow travel to the mainland. Check the current rules with the operator before planning any multi-island trip; our Turkish gate visa guide has the details.
Trip toolkit
Links in this section are affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Prices and terms are set by the provider.
FAQ
Can I start in one Turkish port and return to another?
Yes. Operators sell one-way tickets, so you can leave Turkey from one port and come back through another.
Which island-hopping legs only run in summer?
Of the legs above, Bodrum–Leros (Tilos Travel, 15 May to 25 October 2026) and Kuşadası–Patmos (İDO, from 26 May 2026, end date not published) are seasonal. Fethiye–Rhodes runs daily only from late April to late October and on selected days in winter.
Can I island hop in winter?
Partly. Bodrum–Kos, Marmaris–Rhodes, Kuşadası–Samos and the main Greek inter-island links run all year, but with fewer sailings, more weather cancellations and some closed hotels. Seasonal Turkish legs stop.
Can I take a car?
No. None of the Turkey–Greece boats on these routes carry vehicles. Hire a car or scooter on the larger islands; see taking a car to the Greek islands.
Timetables, prices and entry rules change; check the official source before you travel.
Sources
- Dodekanisos Seaways – company site, destinations and fleet (accessed Oct 2026)
- Dodekanisos Seaways – schedule changes for Dodekanisos Pride and Express (4 Oct 2026) (accessed Oct 2026)
- Dodekanisos Seaways – Symi to Rhodes: what to check before booking (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryhopper – Dodekanisos Seaways (accessed Oct 2026)
- ANEM Ferries – timetables (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryhopper – Kos to Kalymnos (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryscanner – Kalymnos to Leros (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryhopper – Leros to Patmos (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryscanner – Patmos to Pythagorio (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryhopper – Kos to Rhodes (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryhopper – Rhodes to Symi (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryscanner – Mytilene to Chios (accessed Oct 2026)
- Blue Star Ferries – itinerary changes due to bad weather, 13–15 Oct 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
- Tilos Travel – 2026 sailing plan, Bodrum–Kos and Bodrum–Leros (accessed Oct 2026)
- Tilos Travel – Fethiye–Rhodes timetable 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
- Tilos Travel – Greek islands gate visa (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryscanner – Bodrum to Kos (accessed Oct 2026)
- feribotseferleri.com.tr – Bodrum–Kos sailings (accessed Oct 2026)
- IDO Aegean Islands – travel rules (Turkish) (accessed Oct 2026)
- e-Yaşam Rehberi – IDO Kuşadası–Patmos timetable and fares (Turkish) (accessed Oct 2026)
- Capital – IDO’s new Aegean season, 10 routes (18 Mar 2026) (accessed Oct 2026)
- Feribotseferleri.com.tr – Kuşadası Samos ferry guide 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
- Samosaferibot.com (Meander Travel) (accessed Oct 2026)
- Yeşil Marmaris Lines – Marmaris–Rhodes ferry ticket (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ertürk – Fethiye–Rhodes fares (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ertürk – Gate visa conditions (Turkish) (accessed Oct 2026)
- Jalem Tur – Sailing times (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ertürk Lines – Çeşme–Chios timetable (accessed Oct 2026)
- TAV Airports – Milas-Bodrum Airport brochure (PDF) (accessed Oct 2026)
- Havaş – Bus services (accessed Oct 2026)
- Muttaş – line 48-26 Marmaris Otogar – Dalaman Airport (accessed Oct 2026)
- Muttaş – line 48-25 Fethiye Otogar – Dalaman Airport (accessed Oct 2026)
- easyJet – Flights to Bodrum (accessed Oct 2026)
- easyJet – Flights to Dalaman (accessed Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK – Greece entry requirements (accessed Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK – Turkey entry requirements (accessed Oct 2026)
- European Commission – Entry/Exit System (accessed Oct 2026)
- Auswärtiges Amt – Türkei: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise (accessed Oct 2026)
- timeanddate.com – Clock changes in Greece 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide – Patmos Guide Tour to St. John Monastery, Cave of Apocalypse (accessed Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide – Rhodes: Palace of the Grand Master E-Ticket & Audio Tour (accessed Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide – Rhodes: Symi Island & Panormitis Monastery Day Trip by Boat (accessed Oct 2026)
Was this page helpful?
No name or email needed. ›