Getting from Chios to Lipsi

If you are heading to Lipsi from Chios you are making your way from one of the most overlooked islands in the northeastern Aegean to a small island in the northern Dodecanese group, relatively close in regional terms. It has a pretty harbour village, uncrowded beaches and an atmosphere of complete calm.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chios to Lipsi. 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 overnight Piraeus to Lipsi ferry, which runs around 3 times a week and takes around 9 to 10 hours. The total journey takes the better part of two days. A more practical sea approach is to take the ferry from Chios to Samos and then connect to Lipsi via Leros, keeping the journey within the eastern Aegean and northern Dodecanese.

Getting there by air

Lipsi has no airport. The nearest airport is Leros. Chios has its own airport with daily connections from Athens. Flying from Chios to Athens and then Athens to Leros, followed by the short ferry from Leros to Lipsi taking around 20 to 40 minutes, gives a total journey time of 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 Leros and take the short ferry across to Lipsi. It is the most practical approach by a significant margin. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chios to Piraeus and board the overnight Piraeus to Lipsi ferry, which takes your vehicle and arrives in the morning.