Getting from Chania to Halki

If you are heading to Halki from Chania you are making your way from the most intimate of Crete's three main cities to a car-free island just off the western coast of Rhodes in the Dodecanese group, on the opposite side of Greece. It has neoclassical sponge merchant mansions around a horseshoe harbour and a pace of life that is as slow as it gets in Greece.

Take the ferry

There is a seasonal direct ferry from Chania to Halki running in summer on the wider Blue Star route that connects Crete with the southern Dodecanese. The service runs a limited number of times per week and takes many hours with stops along the way through multiple islands before reaching Halki. Alternatively take the overnight ferry from Chania to Piraeus and then fly to Rhodes, followed by the local ferry from Rhodes to Halki taking around 1.5 to 2 hours.

Getting there by air

Halki has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Chania has an international airport with connections from Athens. Flying from Chania to Athens and then Athens to Rhodes, followed by the local ferry from Rhodes to Halki, gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Chania to Athens and then fly to Rhodes and take the local ferry across to Halki. It is the most practical approach. If you prefer to travel by sea, check whether the seasonal direct ferry from Chania aligns with your dates as it avoids Athens entirely. Give yourself at least two nights on Halki. The island is small enough to walk across in an afternoon and the pace of life rewards those who stay long enough to settle into it.