Getting from Chios to Patmos

If you are heading to Patmos from Chios you are making your way from one of the most overlooked islands in the northeastern Aegean to an island in the northern Dodecanese group, relatively close in regional terms. It is where John the Apostle wrote the Book of Revelation and the 11th century monastery of Saint John the Theologian above Chora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chios to Patmos. A practical sea approach is to take the ferry from Chios to Samos and then connect south through the Dodecanese network to Patmos, which keeps the journey within the eastern Aegean without going through Athens or Piraeus. Alternatively take the overnight Chios to Piraeus ferry and then board the overnight Piraeus to Patmos ferry, which runs 3 to 5 times a week and takes around 7 to 8 hours. The total journey by sea takes the better part of two days.

Getting there by air

Patmos 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 short ferry from Leros to Patmos taking around 1 hour, 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 short ferry across to Patmos. It is the most practical approach. If you prefer to travel by sea, take the ferry from Chios to Samos and connect south through the Dodecanese to Patmos, which avoids Athens entirely. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chios to Piraeus and board the overnight Piraeus to Patmos ferry, which takes your vehicle and arrives in the morning.