Looking for a Greek island getaway that’s less than an hour from Türkiye? Or perhaps you’re wondering how to travel between Bodrum and Kos?
Look no further than the Bodrum to Kos ferry! You’ll trade döner for gyros, bougainvillea-lined streets for ancient wonders, and the possibility to relax on dozens of sun-drenched beaches.
Whether you’re traveling from Bodrum to Kos on a day trip or using Kos to start your Greek island hopping trip, this blog post explains how to get to Kos from Bodrum by ferry (and vice versa!).
It has everything you need to know about the trip, including the ferry schedule, prices, what’s it like onboard, and much more. If you want to take it even further, we also wrote a post titled Bodrum to Kos Day Trip that has a step-by-step itinerary for getting the most out of your day trip.
For your information: We’ve taken the Bodrum to Kos ferry multiple times when we traveled to Bodrum (both to Kos and from Kos). This post was last updated in May 2024 with new information.
Quick Bodrum to Kos Travel Tips
🤔 Is it worth doing the day trip to Kos from Bodrum? Yes! In fact, taking the ferry to Kos is one of the first points in our 10+ Day Trips From Bodrum Guide — visiting Kos is one of the most popular things to do in Bodrum!
🗺️ This ferry route goes both ways — from Bodrum to Kos, and from Kos to Bodrum. There are also multiple departure points from Bodrum (Bodrum Castle, Turgutreis, and Bodrum Cruise Port), although the most popular is from Bodrum Castle because it’s in the center.
🛂 Bring your passport! We can’t stress this enough — you’re literally crossing a border (a maritime one 😁) and a passport is required if you want to enter Greece (or Türkiye if you’re going the other way).
🛳️ Also check if you need a visa. Since Greece is part of the Schengen zone, you’ll either fall under the visa-free scheme (if your passport is from USA, AUS, the UK, etc) or you’ll need a valid Schengen visa to enter.
🎫 If you’re traveling during the summer, it’s best to buy tickets ahead of time. After all, the Bodrum to Kos ferry is one of the most popular tourist ‘attractions’ in Bodrum!
🏃♂️Be first ones to disembark the ferry if you don’t want to wait in line for a long time. We talked about our experience under the Arrival at Kos section.
⏰ There is a time difference between Türkiye and Greece in the winter. Make sure you keep an eye out on the time, especially when it’s almost time to depart back to Turkey!
📱 Your Turkish SIM card will not work in Kos. We recommend buying a cheap eSIM package on Airalo (i.e. a 3GB or 5GB package), as you’ll need mobile internet to get around, scan QR codes on menus, and so on.
Location & Tickets
Bodrum Ferry Terminal Location
The ferry departs from three places in Bodrum: Bodrum center (near Bodrum Castle), Bodrum Cruise Port, and Turgutreis.
If you’re located in Bodrum center, then we recommend departing from the Bodrum Castle location since it’s the closest and most convenient. We usually buy tickets from this point and will use it as a reference in this section.
Near Bodrum Castle, there will be three or four small buildings that sell ferry tickets to Kos (as well as tours, car rentals, etc, but we digress). We usually buy our tickets at the Bodrum Express Lines office, but we don’t think there’s really any difference, so pick whichever place you like best. 🙂
On the same pier as the aforementioned ticket kiosks is also where you’ll depart for Kos. You’ll need to come here before your departure time to collect your tickets (i.e. exchange the ‘temporary ticket’ for actual tickets) and go through passport control.
Kos Ferry Terminal Location
The ferry pier on Kos island is located near the waterfront harbor — click here for the exact coordinates on Google Maps.
There are also a few small kiosks that sell tickets to Bodrum if you’re planning to take the trip in reverse (i.e. Kos to Bodrum).
This is where you’ll also go through passport control and arrive/depart on the ferry.
Buying tickets for the Bodrum to Kos ferry
There are two places where you can buy tickets for the Bodrum Kos ferry: in-person and online.
You can buy tickets at either the Bodrum ticket office or at the Kos kiosk. You can also buy online!
We usually buy our tickets on the Bodrum side, so we’ll talk about our experience — When buying the tickets, the employee will give you a laminated timetable and ask which ferry you prefer. After choosing, you’ll need to provide your passport and wait a few minutes as they enter the information into their system. Afterwards, you can pay for the ticket by card or cash.
After you’re done, the employee will give you a piece of paper (your ‘temporary ticket’). Don’t lose it, as you’ll need to check into the ferry on the day of departure with this paper!
We usually buy our tickets the day before our trip (since we travel during the shoulder season 😁), but if you want to take the Bodrum Kos ferry in the summer, be sure to buy your ticket ahead of time.
Bodrum – Kos Ferry Price
You can check the latest Bodrum Kos ferry ticket prices online — we recommend Ferryhopper because they have a user-friendly interface and it’s sometimes even a few Euros cheaper than buying in-person!
You can also save a few Euros by buying the ‘day trip’ ticket, which means you’ll depart and return on the same day (versus departing on one day and returning a few days later).
If you’re planning to take your car on the Bodrum Kos ferry, you’ll also need to ‘buy’ a ticket. This goes for motorcycles, regular cars, SUVs, caravans (camper vans), and so on.
There are a few different options depending on what you want to do. We took Bodrum Express Lines and they offer an Excursion Ticket (you leave in the morning and come back later in the same day) for 30 EUR per person. However, there’s also the option to buy a Return Ticket, which means you’ll return on a different day and pay a bit more.
You can save a few Euros and take the slower ferry (which takes an hour) over the fast catamaran (which takes 30 to 45 minutes).
Passport Control
When taking the Bodrum Kos ferry, you’ll be crossing an international border and, therefore, will need to go through proper passport control. 🙂
Before buying tickets, make sure you have the proper visa (either to Greece or Türkiye, depending on the direction) — check iVisa or your consulate for further details.
After ‘checking in’ to your ferry from Bodrum, there will be a line for passport control and customs. First, you’ll need to scan your items through an X-ray machine (similar to those in airports) and then get ‘stamped out’ of Turkey.
After arriving at Kos island, you’ll wait in line to get ‘stamped in’ to Greece. From personal experience, we highly recommend being the first ones off the ferry and the first ones in line, because the lines at Greece’s passport control are a nightmare (🥲). When we traveled at the end of April, it took us nearly an hour under the sweltering heat to pass passport control because there were only 2 booths working.
On the way back (Kos to Bodrum), you’ll follow a similar process. You’ll go to the kiosk to get ‘stamped out’ of Greece and wait in a little outdoor area for the ferry back to Bodrum. If you’d like, there’s also a large duty free store there. After disembarking from the ferry, you’ll go through Turkish passport control (get ‘stamped in’ to Türkiye) and pass your items through an X-ray machine.
Bodrum Kos Ferry Timetable
You can check the Bodrum to Kos ferry timetable online — click here for the English version.
Like many ferry routes around the world, the number of departures depends on the season. For example, there are only one or two sailings per day during the winter (and the duration on Kos is also shorter). During the summer, there are multiple sailing per day (up to 3 or 4).
If you’re traveling during the winter, keep in mind that there is a 1 hour difference between Turkey and Greece (because Turkey doesn’t practice daylight savings time).
The Ferry Trip From Bodrum to Kos
Now that we have all the logistics out of the way, it’s time to get to talk about our experience of taking the ferry from Bodrum to Kos! Here’s a general overview of the trip, as well as everything you need to know (departures, seating, on-board amenities, etc).
Departure from Bodrum
When we bought tickets, the salesperson said to be at the dock about an hour before departure (our ferry was scheduled to depart at 9:00 in the morning and we were told to be there at 8:00).
We arrived at the ticket office around 8:15 am, ‘checked in’ (gave our temporary tickets and exchanged them for actual tickets), and queued in line for the security check/passport control/ferry.
Our ferry was scheduled to leave at 9:00 am on the timetable, and it departed right on the dot (9:00 am).
We arrived at 9:40 am.
Arrival at Kos
Although we arrived right on the dot as expected, the biggest problem was passport control on the Greek side.
We disembarked the ferry along with the other passengers, but since we were in the middle / toward the back, we had to wait in a long line to get our passport stamped. We arrived at the ‘border’ (passport kiosks) around 9:42 am and finally finished around 10:35 am (almost a whole hour).
There was a separate line for EU/EEA/EEA passport holders (since Greece is in the European Union), but it was also fairly disorganized. A couple ahead of us had Bulgarian passports, asked the employees if they could go to the EU line, and still had to wait about 20 minutes before they were escorted ahead.
The biggest travel tip we could give you here is to be one of the first passengers off the ferry. 😅 Interestingly, when we were writing this article, a lot of reviews on Google Maps also mentioned the long lines when going through passport control, so it’s not a new problem unfortunately.
Aboard The Ferry: Seating & Amenities
Now let’s talk a little about being onboard the Bodrum to Kos ferry. Our ferry was the Fahri Kaptan 5 (interestingly, our Bodrum to Datça ferry was the Fahri Kaptan 2 — is there an entire fleet? 😉). Your experience might vary depending on which ship you take.
There are two levels on this ship: the first floor and the second floor. The majority of the seats on the ferry are located on the first floor. The seats are typical ferry seats and are in a 3 – 4 – 3 configuration (three seats on the left, four in the middle, three on the right in one row). There is a spacious pocket on the back where you can put your items, as well as armrests.
When you enter the ship, there will be a small snack and drink kiosk on the right side. Here you can buy tea, coffee, water, soda, and small snacks like packaged croissants, crackers, cookies, and so on. In the middle is a staircase that leads to the second floor.
Now onto the second floor. We sat here on the way back (Kos to Bodrum) and it was an interesting experience — it feels more like some sort of VIP penthouse ferry seating (although anyone can sit here, they just have to be quick :)). There are much fewer seats here than on the first floor. The seats are also super plush and much more comfortable — they look like couches instead of typical ferry seats. There are also tables around the seats, and some fellow passengers played a card game during the trip. The view from the second floor is also arguably better.
There are also toilets on board.
It is possible to take pets on the Bodrum Kos ferry — on the ferry website, it states, Pets; like cats and dogs, those have a valid international vaccination and health card besides any other document which Greek government requires, can be accepted for carriage in case both parties agreed in advance. However, be sure to check the full text (click here) ahead of time, as some dog breeds are not allowed.
Bodrum, Kos, and Beyond
Planning a trip to Bodrum, Kos, or beyond and want to make the most of your visit? Check out some of our other blog posts for travel guides, insider tips, and even more inspiration!
BLOG POSTS ABOUT KOS
🧿 Bodrum to Kos Day Trip: A Step-by-Step Itinerary
BLOG POSTS ABOUT BODRUM
🧿 Bodrum City Guide
🧿 The Best Areas to Stay in Bodrum
🧿 10+ Amazing Bodrum Day Trips
🧿 Bodrum Castle Guide
⭐️ Book hotels and accommodations in Bodrum →
⭐️ Book tours and activities in Bodrum →
OTHER INTERESTING PLACES
Datça is a beautiful peninsula that’s easily accessible via the Bodrum – Datça ferry. It makes for a nice day trip from Bodrum, or the next destination in your Aegean or Mediterranean trip:
🧿 Bodrum – Datça Ferry Guide
🧿 Ultimate Datça Travel Guide: Everything you need to know
🧿 Old Datça (Eski Datça) Travel Guide
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