Getting from Chios to Karpathos

If you are heading to Karpathos from Chios you are making your way from one of the most overlooked islands in the northeastern Aegean to a long mountainous island in the southern Dodecanese, on the opposite side of Greece. It has a strong local culture and the extraordinary village of Olympos in the north where centuries-old customs are still very much alive.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chios to Karpathos. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight Chios to Piraeus ferry, which runs around 3 times a week and takes around 9 hours, and then boarding the Piraeus to Karpathos ferry, which runs around 3 times a week and takes around 13 to 20 hours. A more practical sea approach is to take the ferry from Chios to Samos and then connect south through the Dodecanese network to Karpathos via Rhodes, though this still takes the better part of two days.

Getting there by air

Karpathos has its own airport with daily connections from Athens. Chios has its own airport with daily connections from Athens. Flying from Chios to Athens and then Athens to Karpathos takes around 1 hour 15 minutes on the second leg. Total journey time is around 4 to 5 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Chios to Athens and then fly to Karpathos. It is the fastest and most practical approach. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chios to Piraeus and board the Piraeus to Karpathos ferry, which takes your vehicle and arrives in around 13 to 20 hours depending on the route.