Getting from Chios to Arki

If you are heading to Arki from Chios you are making your way from one of the most overlooked islands in the northeastern Aegean to one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese, between Patmos and Lipsi. It has no cars, no proper roads and an atmosphere of complete isolation.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chios to Arki. Arki is connected to the wider network through Patmos and Lipsi, with local ferries calling a few times a week in summer. A practical sea approach is to take the ferry from Chios to Samos and then connect through the northern Dodecanese network to Arki via Patmos or Leros, keeping the journey within the eastern Aegean and avoiding Athens entirely. Alternatively fly from Chios to Athens and then fly to Leros, followed by the local ferry to Arki.

Getting there by air

Arki has no airport. The nearest airports are Leros and Kos. Chios has its own airport with daily connections from Athens. Flying from Chios to Athens and then Athens to Leros, followed by the local ferry to Arki, 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 Chios to Athens and then fly to Leros and take the local ferry across to Arki. Check the schedule before booking your flights as connections to Arki run only a few times a week in summer. Come entirely self-sufficient as the island has almost no facilities and the isolation is the whole point of being there. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chios to Piraeus and board the Blue Star ferry through the Dodecanese network, noting that no cars are permitted on Arki itself.