Nisyros, the round volcanic island south of Kos, is reached in two ways. Regular Greek ferries sail from Kos Town to Mandraki, the island’s port and capital, all year but not every day. From May to October, excursion boats also leave Kardamena on the south coast of Kos every day, and they are what most people use for a day at the volcano.
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Is there a sailing?
Stay near the port: Nisyros
Getting around Nisyros
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Short answer
As of 16 October 2026, the Kos–Nisyros crossing takes 50–90 minutes (operators: Dodekanisos Seaways, Blue Star Ferries, ANEM Ferries and SAOS 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
- Regular ferries: Kos Town to Mandraki with Dodekanisos Seaways, Blue Star Ferries, ANEM Ferries and Saos Ferries; about 50 minutes on the fastest boat and around 1 hour 30 minutes on the slower ones.
- Summer boats: Kardamena to Nisyros, May to October, about 50 minutes to 1 hour, according to Ferryhopper.
- Frequency: each Kos Town operator sails only two to five days a week, and fewer in midwinter. Plan around the timetable, not the other way round.
- Fares (as of October 2026): from about €6 to €17 one way from Kos Town depending on operator; from €10 from Kardamena (Ferryhopper). Dodekanisos Seaways’ 2026 fare list shows €15.
- The volcano: the Stefanos crater is about 13 km from the port; Visit Greece lists €3 admission and daily opening 08:00–20:00 from 1 April to late October.
- Day trip: realistic from Kardamena in season or on an organised tour. On the Kos Town ferries, check that a same-day return exists before you go.
Ferries from Kos Town
Booking platforms list Kos Town (Kos main port) as the departure point for the regular ferries. The boats arrive in Mandraki, which Visit Greece describes as both the capital and the harbour of Nisyros.
| Operator | Crossing | Sailings a week | From (one way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodekanisos Seaways | About 45–50 min | About 3 | €15–17 |
| Blue Star Ferries | A little over 1 h | About 2 | €7.50 |
| ANEM Ferries | About 1 h 30 min | About 3 | €9 |
| Saos Ferries | About 1 h 30–40 min | About 2 | €7.60 |
Crossing times and fares are from Ferryhopper (fares as of October 2026); weekly sailings and Blue Star’s crossing time are from Ferryscanner (updated 14 October 2026). Ferryhopper’s monthly figures are marked “according to last year’s data”, and both platforms contain a few entries that contradict each other, so use them only to see the pattern.
October 2026: ANEM publishes a Nisyros–Kos timetable for 1 to 31 October 2026 on its website. Dodekanisos Seaways changed the itineraries of its two catamarans from 2 to 18 October 2026, so check current times on its site.
Winter: Ferryhopper’s overview has the Kos–Nisyros route running all year, with fewer sailings in months such as December and January. Some winter months show no data at all. Ask the operators before you plan a winter visit.
Summer boats from Kardamena
Kardamena is the departure port for the day boats. Ferryhopper lists two operators, Sailaway Kos and Enetikon Travel, between May and October. Sailaway is shown every day at about 50 minutes and Enetikon on four or five days a week at about an hour, both from €10 one way as of October 2026. Ferryhopper shows no car fares for the Kardamena boats.
Getting to Kardamena: KTEL Kos runs daily buses from Kos Town to Kardamena, and the airport lists Kardamena among its KTEL destinations. Some tours to Nisyros include a hotel pickup and a bus to Kardamena.
A separate ticket-only option is sold on GetYourGuide (see the cards below) if you want the Kardamena boat without a guided programme.
Fares and tickets
As of October 2026, Ferryhopper’s “from” fares on Kos–Nisyros were €7.50 (Blue Star), €7.60 (Saos), €9 (ANEM) and €15–17 (Dodekanisos Seaways), with €6 as the lowest overall. Dodekanisos Seaways’ own 2026 fare list gives €15 for Kos–Nisyros and notes that prices may be adjusted 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, and Ferryscanner also sells tickets on this route.
Check-in: Blue Star asks passengers to be at the embarkation area at least one hour before departure, with or without a car. Other operators set their own times; check your ticket.
ID: Blue Star requires an identity card, passport or driving licence to board. Non-EU travellers should carry their passport.
Luggage and pets: Blue Star allows up to 50 kg of luggage free and asks you to declare pets when booking.
Cars: Ferryhopper says you can take a vehicle on some of the ferries from Kos to Nisyros, and shows an indicative fare of about €19 for two adults and a car as of October 2026. Check vehicle space with the operator, and check whether your Kos rental agreement allows ferry travel.
Nisyros in brief
Nisyros is built around a volcano. Visit Greece describes a well-preserved caldera 4 km across, with the last strong activity recorded in 1888.
The craters: Stefanos is the most famous and accessible crater, described by Visit Greece as one of the largest and best-preserved hydrothermal craters in the world; the largest, Polyvotis, is 260 m across. Discover Greece describes walking down into the enormous, yellow-streaked crater. Visit Greece lists general admission at €3 (reduced tickets available), daily opening 08:00–20:00 from 1 April to late October, and free entry in winter, as of October 2026. Stay on marked areas and follow any signs or staff instructions.
Mandraki: the port town has pebble-paved squares and houses built of volcanic stone. Above it, the Knights of St John built a castle in 1315 on a rock about 150 m high; inside the castle, in a cave, is the 18th-century Monastery of Panagia Spiliani, known across the surrounding islands for its icon, according to Visit Greece. The town beach is made of smooth black stones.
Paleokastro: on the hill above Mandraki stand the walls of the ancient acropolis, built of dark volcanic stone. The Municipality of Nisyros dates an inscription on the wall to the third quarter of the 4th century BC and gives the walls an average width of 3.50 to 3.80 m. Visit Greece notes the view over Mandraki and the islet of Gyali.
Nikia and Emporios: the two hill villages. Nikia has the Volcanological Museum, which Visit Greece calls the first of its kind in Greece, and a village square known as Porta; Emporios has the volcanological observatory and the ruins of the Pantoniki fortress.
Getting around: the crater is about 13 km from the port by road, according to Visit Greece. We could not find an official bus timetable for the island; day tours include transport, and otherwise plan on a taxi or your own hired transport.
Day trip or stay?
Day trip: the Kardamena boats and organised tours are designed for a day at the volcano plus a few hours in Mandraki or Nikia. With the regular Kos Town ferries running only on some days, a same-day return is not always possible.
Stay: a night or two lets you see the crater outside the busiest midday hours and walk between the villages. Nisyros also sits on the Greek ferry line towards Tilos and Rhodes: Visit Greece gives about 1 hour 30 minutes from Rhodes, and Dodekanisos Seaways’ fare list includes Rhodes–Nisyros. See our Kos to Rhodes ferry guide and the ferry route planner.
Combining Nisyros with the Turkish coast
There is no ferry from Turkey to Nisyros on our route list. The way in is through Kos: Bodrum to Kos Town by ferry, then the regular ferry from Kos Town or a bus to Kardamena for the summer boat. Tilos Travel’s 2026 timetable shows its Sea Star Kos sailing four times a day each way between Bodrum and Kos until 24 October, and twice a day from 25 October to 1 November. Details in Bodrum to Kos ferry and Kos to Bodrum ferry.
Doing Bodrum–Kos–Nisyros and back in one day would mean four border checks and four sea crossings; a night on Kos is the realistic plan. See where to stay in Kos and our Kos travel guide. For longer itineraries, see island hopping from Turkey.
Time zone: Greece moves its clocks back on 25 October 2026; from then until late March, the islands are one hour behind Turkey.
Turkish citizens on the express visa: Ertürk says the visa is valid only for the island you applied for, so a Kos visa does not cover a trip to Nisyros.
Organised tours
A tour makes sense here more than on most short crossings: it solves the transfer to Kardamena and the trip up to the crater. Doing it yourself with the Kardamena boat is cheaper if you are staying nearby and can get to the crater on Nisyros.
Nisyros Island Tour from Kos
Pickup near your hotel, bus to Kardamena, boat tickets, an English-speaking escort and lunch listed as included; the volcano entrance fee is extra.
Check price & availabilityKos: Ferry Tickets between Kardamena and Nisyros Island
Boat tickets only, for independent travellers who want to plan their own time on Nisyros.
Check price & availabilityTrip toolkit
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FAQ
How long is the ferry from Kos to Nisyros?
About 45 to 50 minutes on Dodekanisos Seaways from Kos Town and around 1 hour 30 minutes on ANEM or Saos. The summer boats from Kardamena take about 50 minutes to an hour.
Do ferries from Kos to Nisyros run every day?
Not from Kos Town: each operator sails on a few days a week. In summer the Kardamena boats run daily, according to Ferryhopper’s May to October data.
Can I visit the Nisyros volcano as a day trip from Kos?
Yes, from May to October, by Kardamena boat or organised tour. Tours include transport to the crater; the entrance fee may be extra.
How much does it cost to enter the volcano?
Visit Greece lists €3 general admission, with reduced tickets and free entry in winter, as of October 2026.
Can I take a car to Nisyros?
On some of the regular ferries from Kos Town, according to Ferryhopper. The Kardamena day boats show no car fares.
Timetables, prices and entry rules change; check the official source before you travel.
Sources
- Ferryhopper – Kos to Nisyros and Kardamena to Nisyros (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)
- Municipality of Kos – Getting around (accessed Oct 2026)
- KTEL Kos (accessed Oct 2026)
- Kos Airport – public bus (accessed Oct 2026)
- Visit Greece – Nisyros’ volcano (accessed Oct 2026)
- Visit Greece – Nisyros (accessed Oct 2026)
- Visit Greece – Walk through the city of Mandraki (accessed Oct 2026)
- Municipality of Nisyros – Paliokastro (accessed Oct 2026)
- Discover Greece – Nisyros (accessed Oct 2026)
- Tilos Travel – 2026 sailing plan, Bodrum–Kos (accessed Oct 2026)
- Ertürk – Gate visa conditions (Turkish) (accessed Oct 2026)
- timeanddate.com – Clock changes in Greece 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide – Nisyros Island Tour from Kos (accessed Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide – Ferry Tickets between Kardamena and Nisyros Island (accessed Oct 2026)
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