Leros is two islands north of Kos, with Kalymnos in between, and ferries link the two all year. Dodekanisos Seaways is usually the quickest at around 1 hour 20 minutes, Blue Star’s big ferry is the cheapest, and ANEM Ferries sails on a couple of days a week. The detail that matters most is the port: Leros has two, Agia Marina and Lakki, on opposite sides of the island.
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Is there a sailing?
Stay near the port: Leros
Getting around Leros
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Short answer
As of 16 October 2026, the Kos–Leros crossing takes 80–125 minutes (operators: Dodekanisos Seaways, Blue Star Ferries and ANEM Ferries). Season: Year-round; fewer sailings outside June–September.
Data behind this answer: ferry fares 2026 (CSV) · 2027 timetable tracker · ferry map and route data
- Operators: Dodekanisos Seaways, Blue Star Ferries and ANEM Ferries, all from Kos; the boats may call at Kalymnos on the way.
- Crossing: about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 25 minutes on Dodekanisos Seaways (55 minutes on some summer sailings), 1 hour 25 minutes to about 2 hours on Blue Star, 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45 minutes on ANEM.
- Leros ports: Blue Star arrives in Lakki; ANEM in Agia Marina; Dodekanisos Seaways uses both. Check your ticket.
- Fares (as of October 2026): from about €7.50 (Blue Star), €10 (ANEM) and €17 (Dodekanisos Seaways) one way, according to Ferryhopper.
- Season: all year, with fewer sailings in winter; Ferryhopper’s data show Dodekanisos Seaways four to six days a week from November to February.
- Day trip: possible only if a same-day return fits; most people stay at least one night.
Operators and ports
| Operator | Kos port | Leros port | Crossing | From (one way) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodekanisos Seaways | Kos Town | Agia Marina or Lakki | About 1 h 15–1 h 25 min; 55 min on some sailings | €17 |
| Blue Star Ferries | Kos Town | Lakki | About 1 h 25 min to 2 h | €7.50–8.50 |
| ANEM Ferries | Mastichari or Kos Town (sources differ) | Agia Marina | About 1 h 30–1 h 45 min | €10 |
Crossing times and fares are from Ferryhopper as of October 2026; the longest Blue Star time, just over 2 hours, is from Ferryscanner. Ferryhopper shows ANEM’s Leros sailing from Mastichari, while Ferryscanner lists it from Kos main port. ANEM’s own website publishes a Kos–Leros timetable for 1 to 31 October 2026 as an image; check the departure port there or on your ticket.
Agia Marina or Lakki?
Agia Marina, on the east coast, sits just below Platanos, the capital, and Panteli Castle. It is the more convenient arrival for a short stay or for Alinda beach.
Lakki, in the south-west, is the large natural harbour built up by the Italians and used by the big ferries from Piraeus. There is a taxi rank in Lakki.
Dodekanisos Seaways appears with both ports on Ferryhopper. If your ticket says only “Leros”, ask which one.
How often the boats run
October 2026: in Ferryhopper’s October data, Dodekanisos Seaways sails about five days a week between Kos and Agia Marina and ANEM two days a week. Ferryscanner, updated on 14 October 2026, counted seven Dodekanisos, five Blue Star and two ANEM sailings a week from Kos. Both platforms say the route runs all year.
Winter: Ferryhopper’s figures, marked as last year’s data, show Dodekanisos Seaways on six days a week in November, four in December and five in January and February. Blue Star also sails to Lakki; check its timetable for winter days.
Recent changes: Dodekanisos Seaways modified its catamaran itineraries from 2 to 18 October 2026, and Blue Star published weather-related changes for 13 to 15 October 2026. Bad weather can change itineraries at short notice, so leave a margin before a flight.
Fares and tickets
As of October 2026, Ferryhopper’s “from” fares were €7.50 to €8.50 on Blue Star, €10 on ANEM and €17 on Dodekanisos Seaways, with €35 on some Dodekanisos dates. Dodekanisos Seaways’ own 2026 fare list gives €17 to €51 for Kos–Leros, depending on the national fare scale, and says prices may change with season and demand. Blue Star’s conditions say children under 5 travel on a free ticket issued with an adult’s.
Booking: Dodekanisos Seaways and ANEM sell online on their own sites; Ferryscanner lists all three operators. Buy a few days ahead in July and August, especially with a car.
Check-in: Blue Star asks passengers to be at the embarkation area at least one hour before departure, with or without a car. For the other operators, go by the time on your ticket.
ID: a domestic route without border control, but Blue Star asks for an identity card, passport or driving licence and can refuse boarding without one. Non-EU travellers should carry their passport.
Luggage: Blue Star allows up to 50 kg free; Ferryhopper says Dodekanisos Seaways allows up to 40 kg.
Cars: some boats carry vehicles. Ferryhopper’s indicative fares for two adults and a car, as of October 2026, were about €51 to Lakki and €55 to Agia Marina. Check whether a Kos rental car may leave the island.
Leros in brief
Leros packs a medieval castle, Italian modernist architecture and Second World War sites into a small island.
Platanos and Panteli Castle: from Agia Marina you can walk up to Platanos and climb about 500 steps to the castle. Visit Greece says it was founded in the Byzantine period, first mentioned in 1087, and later strengthened by the Knights of St John. It lists free entry to the castle with a ticketed church museum, and summer hours of 09:00–14:00 and 16:00–20:00 (as of October 2026).
Lakki: the Italians built the town in the 1920s and 1930s around their naval base, and it was called Portolago until 1947. Its rationalist market hall, cinema, school and town hall draw architecture fans.
War history: the Leros War Museum is in Italian-built tunnels at Merikia, next to Lakki, according to the municipality. The Battle of Leros in autumn 1943 ended with the surrender of the British and Italian garrison on 16 November. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Leros War Cemetery, on the shore of Agia Marina bay, holds 183 burials and is always open.
Beaches: Alinda, north-west of Platanos, is the long organised beach; Vromolithos, to the south, is quieter.
Getting around: Leros has one municipal bus line and taxi ranks in Platanos and Lakki. Agia Marina, Platanos and the castle are close enough to walk; for Lakki and the museum, take a taxi or hire a scooter.
Day trip or stay?
With crossings of well over an hour each way and sailings that do not run daily on every operator, a day trip from Kos only works if the timetable on your date has a morning departure and an afternoon return. For most visitors, one or two nights on Leros is the better plan, or making it one stop on a longer hop.
Combining Leros with Kalymnos, Patmos and Turkey
Northbound from Kos: Kos → Kalymnos → Leros → Patmos is the classic Dodecanese chain. Dodekanisos Seaways, Blue Star and Saos link Kalymnos and Leros, and the same operators continue to Patmos. See Kos to Kalymnos ferry, Samos to Patmos ferry and island hopping from Turkey.
From the Turkish coast: arrive on Kos from Bodrum (Tilos Travel’s 2026 timetable shows four sailings a day each way until 24 October and two a day from 25 October to 1 November) and continue to Leros. See Bodrum to Kos ferry.
Back to Turkey from Leros: in season, Tilos Travel’s Sea Star Kos left Leros for Bodrum Cruise Port at 17:00 every day from 15 May to 25 October 2026, which closes a neat loop: Bodrum → Kos → Kalymnos → Leros → Bodrum. We found no winter sailing from Leros to Turkey. Details in Bodrum to Leros ferry. Out of season, return via Kos with the Kos to Bodrum ferry, or go north to Patmos for İDO’s summer link to Kuşadası (Kuşadası to Patmos ferry).
Time zone: Greece moves its clocks back on 25 October 2026; from then until late March, the islands are one hour behind Turkey. Check which country’s time your Turkey ticket is printed in.
Turkish citizens on the express visa: Leros is one of the islands in the scheme, but the visa is valid only for the island you applied for, according to Ertürk, so it does not allow Kos–Leros travel.
Plan the whole route with our ferry route planner and check month-by-month status on the ferry season calendar.
Trip toolkit
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FAQ
How long is the ferry from Kos to Leros?
About 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 25 minutes on Dodekanisos Seaways (55 minutes on some summer sailings), and about 1 hour 25 minutes to 2 hours on Blue Star. ANEM takes 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45 minutes.
Which port on Leros will I arrive at?
Blue Star uses Lakki, ANEM uses Agia Marina, and Dodekanisos Seaways appears with both. The port is printed on your ticket.
Does the Kos–Leros ferry run in winter?
Yes, with fewer sailings. Ferryhopper’s data show Dodekanisos Seaways four to six days a week from November to February; check Blue Star’s timetable for its Lakki sailings.
How much is the ferry from Kos to Leros?
As of October 2026, from about €7.50 on Blue Star, €10 on ANEM and €17 on Dodekanisos Seaways, according to Ferryhopper.
Can I go from Leros straight back to Turkey?
Until 25 October 2026, yes: Tilos Travel sailed daily from Leros to Bodrum at 17:00. Outside that season, go back via Kos.
Timetables, prices and entry rules change; check the official source before you travel.
Sources
- Ferryhopper – Kos to Leros (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryhopper – Dodekanisos Seaways (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ferryhopper – Leros to Patmos (accessed Oct 2026)
- ANEM Ferries – October 2026 timetables and online booking (accessed Oct 2026)
- Dodekanisos Seaways – 2026 passenger and vehicle fares (PDF) (accessed Oct 2026)
- Dodekanisos Seaways – company site and online booking (accessed Oct 2026)
- Dodekanisos Seaways – schedule changes 2–18 October 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
- Blue Star Ferries – general conditions of travel (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)
- Visit Greece – The Castle of Panteli (accessed Oct 2026)
- Municipality of Leros – Sightseeing and museums (accessed Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia – Lakki, Leros (accessed Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia – Battle of Leros (accessed Oct 2026)
- CWGC – Leros War Cemetery (accessed Oct 2026)
- Olympic Holidays – Getting around Leros (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ertürk – Gate visa conditions (Turkish) (accessed Oct 2026)
- timeanddate.com – Clock changes in Greece 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
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