Rhodes to Marmaris Day Trip: Ferry Times, Tips and Tours

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Rhodes to Marmaris is a straightforward day trip to do on your own. A fast ferry leaves Rhodes Town in the morning, the crossing takes about an hour, and the same company brings you back in the late afternoon, which leaves time for the castle museum, the old quarter, the bazaar and the waterfront. Plan around two things: passport control on both sides, and the one-hour time difference that starts when Greece puts its clocks back at the end of October.

Short answer

• Operator: Sea Dreams, a Rhodes-based company, runs the crossing from Rhodes Tourist Port. Its autumn 2026 timetable uses the King of Rhodes and the Kartepe.
• Crossing time: 60 minutes, according to the operator’s timetable.
• Day-trip times (as of October 2026): Up to 24 October the boat leaves Rhodes at 09:00 and leaves Marmaris for the return at 17:15. From 25 October it leaves Rhodes at 08:30 Greek time and returns from Marmaris at 16:00 Turkish time.
• Time ashore: About seven hours with the earlier timetable and about five and a half from 25 October, minus border formalities.
• Documents: A passport, or a national ID card if your country is on Türkiye’s ID-card list. Be at the port 60 minutes before departure.
• Fare: Sea Dreams lists a same-day return at €67 per adult, including €20 port tax, for the 09:00 sailing (as of October 2026).

The ferry: operator, port and season

Who runs it

Sea Dreams is a local Rhodes ferry company. For Marmaris it sells same-day returns, one-way tickets and returns on a different day. Ferryhopper, Direct Ferries and Ferryscanner list Sea Dreams as the operator, and on the Turkish side Yeşil Marmaris Lines sells the crossing. The boats take foot passengers only, so you can’t bring a hire car. The Marmaris to Rhodes ferry guide covers the route from the Turkish side.

Which port in Rhodes

Sea Dreams and its GetYourGuide listing name the departure point as Rhodes Tourist Port (Touristiko Limani), at the Sea Dreams kiosk marked “Tickets for Marmaris”. Sources use different names for the harbours in Rhodes Town. One port guide calls the harbour used by Turkey ferries Kolona, the middle harbour just outside the Old Town walls. Some Turkish booking sites say Mandraki, and the big Akandia port mainly serves domestic car ferries. Head for the kiosk.

Timetable (as of October 2026)

Sea Dreams says all departure times are local: Greek time in Rhodes, Turkish time in Marmaris.

We worked out the arrival times for 15–24 October from the 60-minute crossing, since both countries are on the same clock until 25 October. A few November dates, such as 20, 27 and 30 November, only have an afternoon departure from Rhodes, so you can’t do a day trip on those days.

Both sailings on 14 October were cancelled because of bad weather, so keep an eye on messages from the operator. Other sources disagree with these times. Direct Ferries showed Rhodes departures at 09:00 and 16:00 for mid-October. Yeşil Marmaris Lines showed Marmaris departures at 09:00 and 16:00, where Sea Dreams lists 08:45 and 17:15. The time on your ticket is the one that counts.

Season

The route runs all year, but a day trip needs a morning boat out of Rhodes and an afternoon boat back the same day. In peak summer Sea Dreams adds a second morning departure at 10:30, listed from 2 July to 21 September 2026. In December 2026 the operator’s schedule shows that pattern only on a handful of early-December dates. On most other dates the only boat is the Kartepe, which mostly leaves Rhodes in the afternoon. For other routes, see the ferry season calendar.

The time difference and your return ferry

Turkey has stayed on UTC+3 all year since September 2016. Greece puts its clocks back one hour at 04:00 on Sunday 25 October 2026. Until then Rhodes and Marmaris show the same time. From that date until the end of March, Marmaris is one hour ahead. Sea Dreams’ October timetable says the clocks differ until 28 March 2027.

• Going out: The 08:30 from Rhodes arrives at 10:30 Marmaris time. The crossing still takes an hour, but you lose an hour on the clock.
• Coming back: The 16:00 from Marmaris arrives in Rhodes at 16:00 Greek time. A watch left on Rhodes time reads 15:00 when the boat leaves.
• Check-in: Be at Marmaris port by 15:00 Turkish time, which is 14:00 in Rhodes.

Don’t assume your phone or watch has switched time zones. Set a reminder in Turkish time.

Passports and entry

Rules depend on your nationality. The hub on day trips to Turkey from the Greek islands covers them in detail.

• UK citizens: The UK government says your passport must be valid for at least 150 days after you arrive in Turkey and have one blank page. You can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa.
• EU and Swiss citizens: Türkiye accepts national ID cards from 21 countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Greece. Austria and the Nordic countries are not on the list, so bring a passport.
• Other nationalities: Check the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa pages before you book.
• Back in Rhodes: Greek border control is a Schengen external border. Non-EU travellers are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which can add a few minutes per passenger.

Book with your name and document number exactly as they appear on the passport or ID card you will carry. According to the GetYourGuide listing, a child travelling with only one parent needs written consent from the other parent.

How early to be at the port

Be at the Sea Dreams kiosk in Rhodes 60 minutes before departure. The operator’s listing and Ferryhopper both say this, and Ferryhopper warns that the port gets busy in summer. At the kiosk you swap your booking for a ticket, then go through passport control.

Allow the same hour in Marmaris. You need a boarding card from the check-in desk before passport control will let you through.

What to do in Marmaris in a day

Ferries arrive at Marmaris Cruise Port, also called the passenger port. It’s about 100 metres past the Netsel Marina entrance and about 15 minutes’ walk from the centre. Everything below is within walking distance. For more on the town, see our Marmaris travel guide.

Marmaris Castle and Museum

The castle stands on a rocky outcrop above the harbour. Its present form usually dates from 1522, when Süleyman the Magnificent used it as a base for his campaign against Rhodes, the island you have just sailed from. French naval shelling badly damaged it in 1914, and it reopened as a museum in 1991. Four halls hold finds from Knidos, Burgaz and Emecik, along with material from the Marmaris area and gravestones and reliefs.

The Ministry of Culture’s museum page lists the castle as open daily from 08:30 to 18:30, with the ticket office closing at 18:00 (as of October 2026). The page gives no entry fee, so expect to pay at the gate. The MüzeKart is valid only for Turkish citizens.

The old quarter (Kaleiçi)

The old core of the town is the maze of lanes around the castle, and the museum’s official address is in Kaleiçi. You walk through these lanes on the way up. Mornings are quieter here than later in the day.

The Grand Bazaar

The bazaar is in central Marmaris, a short walk from the harbour. It sells leather, gold and silver jewellery, carpets and kilims, ceramics, cotton textiles, tea, spices by weight and Turkish sweets. Prices are rarely fixed and haggling is expected. Many clothing stalls sell copies of designer labels. You re-enter the EU at Rhodes, so check our customs allowances between Greece and Turkey before you buy.

Netsel Marina and the waterfront

The promenade between the old quarter and Netsel Marina is the town’s main waterfront walk. It’s also your route back to the ferry, so leave it for the end of the day.

Boat trips

Gulets and day-trip boats leave from the marina. When we checked the Marmaris boat tours on GetYourGuide, the shortest lasted four hours. That was a sunset trip starting around 16:00, and most ran six to eight hours. None fit around the ferry times, so if you want a boat trip, stay a night or two. See where to stay in Marmaris.

Sample timeline

All times are local: Greek time in Rhodes, Turkish time in Marmaris.

Getting around

You won’t need transport for the castle, the bazaar or the marina. If you’d rather not walk, there’s a taxi rank inside the port, and pink-striped dolmuş minibuses signed “Yalancı Boğaz” run from the centre to the port entrance.

Money and phones

Turkey’s currency is the Turkish lira. Ferryhopper says some shops take euros, but you’ll usually get a better price paying in lira. Cash is welcome in the bazaar.

EU “roam like at home” rules don’t cover Turkey. Check your tariff or switch off data roaming before you sail. For Greece, see money and mobile data on the Greek islands.

Organised tour or DIY

On your own: Buy a same-day return directly from Sea Dreams and walk to the port. If you’re staying in Rhodes Town, this is the simplest option.

Organised: The GetYourGuide product below is run by Sea Dreams, so you sail on the same boat. It includes the return crossing and the port tax. There’s also an optional shopping tour, valid 1 May to 31 October 2026: a short guided bus ride, a hilltop photo stop and about 40 minutes at a gold centre, followed by about four hours of free time. It suits first-timers who’d like a guided start. Skip it if you’d rather spend that time at the castle.

Hotel transfers: For 15 May to 31 October 2026, Sea Dreams lists pickup areas in Rhodes Town, Faliraki, Ixia, Kolymbia and the south of the island. Check the extra cost when you book.

Compare the price with the operator’s direct same-day fare before you book.

What about Rhodes to Fethiye?

Tilos Travel runs Rhodes to Fethiye on its Sea Star boats and lists the crossing at about 1 hour 45 minutes. Its 2026 timetable has a morning departure from Rhodes, at 08:25, only from 22 May to 20 September, with the return leaving Fethiye at 16:30. As of October 2026, boats leave Rhodes only in the afternoon, so Fethiye isn’t a day trip. The timetable doesn’t say whether its times are Greek or Turkish, so check with the operator.

FAQ

How long is the ferry from Rhodes to Marmaris?

Sea Dreams lists 60 minutes. From 25 October, Marmaris clocks show two hours later than your Rhodes departure time, because Turkey is then one hour ahead.

Is Marmaris an hour ahead of Rhodes?

Only in winter, from 25 October 2026 until the end of March 2027. In summer both are on the same time.

Can I go with just my ID card?

Yes, if your country is on Türkiye’s list of 21 countries, which includes Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy and Switzerland. UK, Austrian and Nordic citizens need a passport.

Does the day trip work in winter?

On some days. In November 2026 there’s an 08:30 from Rhodes with a 16:00 return on most dates. In December the pattern appears only on a few dates, so check the operator’s monthly timetable.

Is the organised tour worth it?

It uses the same boat as a direct ticket. The extras are the bundled port tax, the optional shopping tour and transfers. If you can walk to the port, a direct same-day return is simpler.

Timetables, prices and entry rules change; check the official source before you travel.

Sources

• Sea Dreams – Rhodes–Marmaris timetable and fares (accessed Oct 2026)
• Sea Dreams – October 2026 Marmaris schedule (accessed Oct 2026)
• Sea Dreams – November 2026 Marmaris schedule (accessed Oct 2026)
• Sea Dreams – December 2026 Marmaris schedule (accessed Oct 2026)
• Sea Dreams – Marmaris trips (accessed Oct 2026)
• Sea Dreams – Transfer information (accessed Oct 2026)
• GetYourGuide – Rhodes: Marmaris Day Trip by High-Speed Boat (accessed Oct 2026)
• GetYourGuide – Marmaris cruises and boat tours (accessed Oct 2026)
• Yeşil Marmaris Lines – Ferry timetable (accessed Oct 2026)
• Ferryhopper – Rhodes to Marmaris (accessed Oct 2026)
• Ferryhopper – Day trips from Rhodes to Turkey (accessed Oct 2026)
• Direct Ferries – Rhodes to Marmaris (accessed Oct 2026)
• Ferryscanner – Rhodes to Marmaris (accessed Oct 2026)
• Ferries in Greece – Sea Dreams (accessed Oct 2026)
• The Mediterranean Traveller – Rhodes port map (accessed Oct 2026)
• Tilos Travel – Fethiye–Rhodes timetable 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
• To Vima – Clocks go back on 25 October 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
• Wikipedia – Daylight saving time in Turkey (accessed Oct 2026)
• GOV.UK – Turkey entry requirements (accessed Oct 2026)
• Republic of Türkiye MFA – Countries whose citizens may enter with national ID cards (accessed Oct 2026)
• Republic of Türkiye MFA – Visa information for foreigners (accessed Oct 2026)
• Ministry of Culture and Tourism – Marmaris Museum (accessed Oct 2026)
• Turkish Museums – Marmaris Museum (accessed Oct 2026)
• Küre Ansiklopedi – Marmaris Museum and Castle (accessed Oct 2026)
• MedGulets – Marmaris Grand Bazaar (accessed Oct 2026)
• Marmarisinfo – Marmaris Cruise Port (accessed Oct 2026)
• European Union – Mobile roaming costs (accessed Oct 2026)