A bodrum to kos ferry carries passengers across the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece. It works as a one-way transfer or a day trip beside our Greek tours.
This post covers the route and both harbours, the crossing, passport checks and what the listings include. Sights, weather and common questions come last.
What is the bodrum to kos ferry?
The bodrum to kos ferry is a passenger sea link between Bodrum, a port town in Turkey, and Kos, a Greek island of the Dodecanese. It crosses a short stretch of the Aegean Sea and runs as a one-way transfer or a same-day return.
Bodrum is a port town in Muğla Province, Turkey. Its port sends ferries to nearby Turkish and Greek ports and islands, and Kos ranks first among them. The bodrum to kos ferry is therefore the main Greek link of the port, serving a town where tourism is the main industry.
Between the two ports lies a 20-kilometre stretch of the Aegean Sea. A single crossing carries passengers out of Turkey and into Greece, so the sea trip also works as a border crossing. Bodrum stands on the Turkish shore, and the town of Kos stands on the Greek one.
Listings sell the crossing in three forms: a one-way ticket, a same-day return ticket and a roundtrip with hotel pickup in Bodrum. Tickets are sold per person. The ticket covers the ferry only, so passengers explore the island of Kos on their own, without a tour leader.
- Start: Bodrum, Turkey
- End: Kos, Greece
- Distance: 20 kilometres
- Tickets: One-way or return
The bodrum to kos ferry joins two ports on opposite shores of the Aegean, in Turkey and Greece.
Where does the bodrum to kos ferry leave from?
The bodrum to kos ferry leaves from Bodrum harbour, where the old castle port lies beside Bodrum Castle. Check-in stands next to customs, and passengers go through passport control before boarding. Other listings name the cruise port as the starting point.
Listings describe the castle port as the old port next to Bodrum Castle. The castle, also known as the Castle of St Peter, is one of the main attractions of the Bodrum peninsula. Ticket titles name the castle port, which makes the meeting place clear to travellers who book a same-day return.
Check-in for the bodrum to kos ferry stands next to customs. Passengers then go to passport control before they board. Listings ask passengers to check in well before departure, and one review adds that passport control queues are shared by all ferries on the dock, whatever the destination.
Bodrum also has cruise berths and three large marinas. One listing sells its return ticket from the cruise port instead of the castle port. Air passengers land at Milas-Bodrum Airport, 36 kilometres north-east of town. Local public transport rests on shared taxis called dolmuş, and certain listings include hotel pickup.
- Port: Castle port
- Landmark: Bodrum Castle
- Check-in: Beside customs
- Alternative: Cruise port
Travellers find the bodrum to kos ferry at the castle port of Bodrum, beside check-in and customs.
Where does the bodrum to kos ferry arrive?
The bodrum to kos ferry arrives at the port of Kos town, the principal town and municipal seat of the Greek island. A medieval fortress of the Knights Hospitaller guards the harbour entrance, and the old town lies within walking distance of the quay.
The island and its principal town share one name, Kos, and listings call the arrival point simply Kos port. One review of a listing says that passengers walked from the port straight into the old town of Kos, so the quay and the centre of town lie close together.
A fortress of the 14th century stands at the entrance to the harbour of Kos town. The Knights Hospitaller built it, and the same order built Bodrum Castle across the water. Passengers on the bodrum to kos ferry therefore cross between two strongholds of one medieval order.
Listings offer a return leg to Bodrum on the same day, so day visitors spend the hours in between ashore. After the bodrum to kos ferry docks, they explore Kos on their own. The sights of the wider island are covered in the post on a Kos island tour.
- Port: Kos town harbour
- Fortress: Knights Hospitaller
- Old town: Walkable from port
- Return: Same-day option
Travellers step off the bodrum to kos ferry at Kos port, close to the harbour fortress and the old town.
How does the bodrum to kos ferry cross the sea?
The bodrum to kos ferry crosses the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to the Greek island of Kos in the Dodecanese. Passengers board in Bodrum and sail to Kos. Listings offer the crossing as a one-way transfer, a return ticket or a day trip.
The Aegean is a long inlet of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. The Anatolian peninsula marks its eastern boundary, and Bodrum is a Turkish city on that coast. Kos belongs to the Dodecanese, in the southeastern Aegean. The bodrum to kos ferry links Anatolia with this Greek island group.
The word archipelago first named the Aegean Sea itself. That fits a sea full of islands, and the Turkish name for it means Sea of Islands. Listings call Kos only a short ride from Bodrum, and the Aegean islands have long linked Europe with Asia.
A transfer listing sells a one-way or return seat and lets passengers stay on Kos instead of sailing back. A day-trip listing adds a coach to and from the hotel, free time on Kos and a ferry back to Bodrum later the same day.
- Sea: Aegean Sea crossing
- Start: Bodrum, Turkey
- End: Kos, Dodecanese
- Tickets: One-way or return
The bodrum to kos ferry links the Anatolian coast with the Dodecanese in one-way or return crossings.
Which boats run the bodrum to kos ferry?
The bodrum to kos ferry runs on two boat types in listings: a ferry and a fast catamaran. One listing offers both and asks travellers to pick an option when booking. Hydrofoils, a third fast type, serve other passenger routes across the Aegean.
Listings for the bodrum to kos ferry name a ferry and a fast catamaran. One listing gives each boat its own departure time and asks travellers to choose from a menu. Details differ between sellers, so the boat type is worth checking on the booking page.
A catamaran is a twin-hulled boat. Its wide stance on the water can reduce heeling and give smaller wakes than a single-hulled boat. A hydrofoil works differently. Foils under the hull lift it out of the water as speed rises, which cuts drag. Hydrofoils mainly serve as high-speed passenger ferries.
One traveller review of a ferry transfer describes an indoor, air-conditioned boat with racks for luggage. Round-the-island sailing is a separate product from this crossing, which only links Bodrum and Kos, so travellers who want a sightseeing sail around Kos can read about a boat trip instead.
- Ferry: Listed option
- Catamaran: Fast option
- Hydrofoil: Other Aegean routes
- Choice: Pick when booking
Travellers choose a ferry or a fast catamaran on the bodrum to kos ferry, depending on the listing.
How does the weather affect the bodrum to kos ferry?
The bodrum to kos ferry depends on the wind. The meltemi, a strong dry north wind, blows over the Aegean from late spring to mid-September, and inter-island ferries cannot sail in its strongest gusts. A rough day can therefore cancel a crossing.
The meltemi has a large-scale cause. A deep low-pressure area over southwest Asia is the main one, and a trough reaching into the eastern Mediterranean drives the wind in summer. Its direction swings between north-east and north-west. The bodrum to kos ferry sails where this wind is a dominant weather influence.
The wind rises in clear weather without warning, so a bright morning does not rule out a cancelled sailing. At force 7 to 8, inter-island ferries are among the craft that cannot sail. The wind peaks in the afternoon and tends to die down at night, though it sometimes lasts for days without a break.
One theory links the name Aegean to a Greek word for a violent squall. Boat design adds a second factor, because fully submerged hydrofoils are less affected by wave action and stay more stable at sea. Listings send travellers to an availability check to see starting times.
- Wind: Meltemi, north winds
- Gusts: Force 7-8
- Season: Summer months
- Risk: Cancelled crossings
Wind decides the bodrum to kos ferry on a given day, so travellers check the forecast and the booking page.
Which documents does the bodrum to kos ferry need?
The bodrum to kos ferry needs a valid passport or other accepted travel document for every passenger, plus a visa where nationality requires one. Greece belongs to the Schengen Area and Turkey does not, so each crossing meets different entry rules.
Schengen rules set the passport test for non-EU visitors. The travel document must be valid for at least three months after the planned exit from the Schengen Area, and it must have been issued within the previous 10 years. A visa does not count as a travel document.
Visa-exempt nationals stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Nationals outside the exempt list apply for a Schengen visa, valid in every member state unless marked otherwise. Passengers on the bodrum to kos ferry cannot count on a visa at the border, since that is exceptional.
Turkey keeps its own visa list, which differs from the Schengen list. Carriers must check papers before boarding and face penalties for carrying passengers with the wrong ones. One listing asks travellers to hold the right visa before booking, and two others list visa or document services.
- Validity: Three months after exit
- Passport age: 10 years maximum
- Visa: Where nationality requires
- Short stay: 90 days maximum
Rules change, so passengers check passport and visa rules before booking the bodrum to kos ferry.
How do border checks work on the bodrum to kos ferry?
The bodrum to kos ferry involves a border check at each port, because the route links Turkey with the Schengen Area. Border officers check passengers entering and leaving the Schengen Area, Turkey runs its own passport control, and the carrier checks papers before boarding.
Schengen law subjects every person who crosses an external border to a check, whether inbound or outbound. The controls sit at roads, airports, seaports and on trains. A sailing between Turkey and Greece crosses such a border, so passengers expect a check at the Greek port.
Non-EU visitors also meet the Entry/Exit System. At the first crossing, an officer takes a face picture, scans fingerprints, or does both, and later crossings only verify identity. Stamps in the passport have ended, and a manual stamp is the fallback if the digital system fails.
Queues form at both ports. The Entry/Exit System has caused bottlenecks at certain border points, and traveller reviews on listings mention long waits. One listing asks passengers on the bodrum to kos ferry to reach the meeting point early, because passport control comes before boarding.
- Departure: Passport control first
- Arrival: Passport control, customs
- Non-EU visitors: Face and fingerprints
- Passport stamps: Ended, manual backup
Passengers keep papers ready for the border checks on the bodrum to kos ferry.
Who can use the bodrum to kos ferry?
The bodrum to kos ferry carries adults, children, day-trippers and one-way travellers who hold valid travel papers. Listings add a signed-document rule for certain minors, mark two tickets as wheelchair accessible, and list non-swimmers as unsuitable for one ticket type.
Adults with valid papers can join the bodrum to kos ferry, and children carry their own passport or ID card. One listing sets an extra rule for minors who travel alone, with adults who are not their legal guardians, or with one parent. They carry a signed document that authorises the trip.
Nationality decides the paperwork, not the right to board. EU citizens show a passport or national identity card at Schengen checks. Schengen states give visa-free access to candidate-state nationals except Turkey, so Turkish passport holders check visa rules first. Rules change, so check before travel.
Day-trippers use listings that run in both directions, from Bodrum to Kos and from Kos to Bodrum. A one-way ticket and a return ticket both exist. One return listing names the Bodrum cruise port as its start, and Bodrum has cruise berths. Two listings are wheelchair accessible.
- Adults: Valid papers needed
- Children: Own passport or ID
- Minors: Signed document, certain cases
- Mobility: Two listings wheelchair accessible
Travellers with valid papers can plan the bodrum to kos ferry one way or as a day trip.
What can travellers see in Bodrum before the bodrum to kos ferry?
The bodrum to kos ferry starts in Bodrum, a port town built on ancient Halicarnassus. Before boarding, travellers can see Bodrum Castle with its underwater archaeology museum, town houses with white walls, and the ruined site of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.
Bodrum Castle contains the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, the biggest museum of its kind. Its ancient glass collection is one of the four largest in the world. Two ancient shipwrecks have been rebuilt inside, and the castle garden holds a myrtle and a plane tree.
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was a tomb built between 353 and 351 BC for a Carian satrap and his sister-wife. It stood about 45 metres high, with thirty-six columns below a stepped pyramid. Earthquakes brought it down between the 12th and 15th centuries. Today the foundation and a small museum remain.
Halicarnassus began as a Dorian Greek city and later served as the capital of Caria. Listings sell return tickets from the castle port, so the fortress is the first sight before the bodrum to kos ferry. Renovation work has closed parts of the castle, and access changes, so travellers check before travel.
- Castle: Underwater archaeology museum
- Glass: Among four largest
- Mausoleum: Foundation, small museum
- Houses: White exterior walls
Travellers see the castle and the Mausoleum site before the bodrum to kos ferry.
What can travellers see in Kos after the bodrum to kos ferry?
The bodrum to kos ferry lands in Kos Town, the main port of the island. There travellers can see the Knights Hospitaller fortress at the harbour entrance, the Plane Tree of Hippocrates in front of that castle, and the narrow streets of the Old Town.
The Knights Hospitaller built the fortress at the entrance to the harbour of Kos Town. The same order built Bodrum Castle. When Rhodes fell, the surrender terms handed over the knights’ fortresses in Kos and in Bodrum together. The bodrum to kos ferry therefore links two forts of one order.
The Plane Tree of Hippocrates grows in the town centre, in front of that castle. The fortress and the tree therefore form one stop near the harbour. Travellers who stay longer on Kos, or return another day, can add a food tour for local flavours.
Listings for the crossing describe free time after landing in Kos Town. Day-trippers walk the narrow streets of the Old Town and look for souvenirs at the bazaar. One listing also names the Asklepion and the beaches as options for the rest of the day.
- Harbour: Fortress at entrance
- Order: Knights Hospitaller
- Tree: Castle square
- Old Town: Narrow streets, bazaar
The bodrum to kos ferry reaches a harbour fortress and the plane tree in Kos Town.
Why do travellers take the bodrum to kos ferry as a day trip?
The bodrum to kos ferry suits a day trip because the sea between the two ports is only 20 kilometres wide. Listings sell same-day return tickets, so travellers visit a second country and come back before the day ends.
Bodrum is a port town in Turkey, and Kos is a Greek island of the Dodecanese. The port of Bodrum has ferries to other Turkish and Greek ports and islands, and Kos is the top destination among them. Kos Island International Airport can be reached from Bodrum by boat across the same sea.
Listings for the bodrum to kos ferry sell a ferry ticket for both ways. Morning sessions return later the same day. One listing adds hotel pickup in Bodrum and a host who helps with travel papers at the port. Another listing sells the trip in the other direction, from Kos to Bodrum.
The two shores share a past. A Carian king who ruled from Halicarnassus held Kos for a time. Koan and Cretan settlers arrived in Bodrum in the early 1920s, and sponge diving spread there afterwards. Kos still has a Turkish community, estimated at 2,000 people.
- Sea: 20 kilometres wide
- Ticket: Same-day return
- Pickup: Hotel, in Bodrum
- Direction: Both ways
Travellers pick the bodrum to kos ferry for a day trip because the crossing is short.
What do travellers carry on the bodrum to kos ferry?
The bodrum to kos ferry calls for a passport above all, as the listings name it under what to bring. Travellers also carry the booking voucher, sun cover, water and a plan for seasickness, because the crossing is open to sun and wind.
The passport comes first. One listing names it under what to bring, and another asks travellers not to forget it. The booking voucher comes second. One review reports a voucher that carried no seller name, which sent travellers from office to office until the third one printed the tickets.
Sun cover matters on the open deck, because a listing describes a ferry with open and closed areas. Water matters too, since motion sickness rarely brings dehydration. A volcano trip to Nisyros, an island between Kos and Tilos, has a hot semi-arid climate, so the same sun cover and water carry over.
Seasickness has a short plan for the bodrum to kos ferry. Measures include keeping the head still and focusing on the horizon, and listings also describe an open-air deck. A day return ticket suits one small bag. Listings show taxes and fees as included, which keeps cash or a card for spending on the island.
- Passport: Named in listings
- Voucher: Shown at check-in
- Sun cover: For open deck
- Seasickness: Watch the horizon
A passport, a voucher and a small bag cover what the bodrum to kos ferry asks of each traveller.
What do travellers ask about the bodrum to kos ferry?
The bodrum to kos ferry raises five common questions: booking ahead, which side to board from, how a return ticket works, what the border queue is like and what rough sea means. The answers below come from listings and reference works.
Do travellers book the bodrum to kos ferry ahead of time?
Booking ahead is how the listings work. Each page asks for a date, offers reserve now and pay later, and gives a full refund when travellers cancel a day before. Both day-return listings say the ferry leaves every day from late spring to December, so travellers outside that season check first.
Which side do travellers board the bodrum to kos ferry from?
The day-return listings board on the Bodrum side, and the return leaves from Kos port. Bodrum has two ports for this crossing, the old one beside the castle and a newer cruise port, and each listing names one. A review reports being sent to the wrong ship, so the destination on the ticket matters.
How does a return ticket work on the bodrum to kos ferry?
A return ticket on the listings is a same-day ticket, so travellers check in again at Kos port for the trip back. One listing states that there is no refund when the ferry is missed. A separate listing sells the crossing one-way or return, so the ticket type is a choice at booking.
What is the border queue like on the bodrum to kos ferry?
Check-in at an office beside customs comes first, then passport control, before the ferry leaves Bodrum. Reviews of two listings report a long wait at customs or immigration in Kos, and one says passengers stayed on board while the office was overcrowded. Day trippers therefore keep slack in the plan for island time.
What happens in rough sea on the bodrum to kos ferry?
Rough sea comes with strong etesian winds, which can blow at force 7 to 8. One reference article lists inter-island ferries among the vessels that cannot sail in such wind, so a cancelled crossing is possible. The listings do not state a weather refund rule, so travellers ask the seller.