Getting from Symi to Heraklion

If you are heading to Heraklion from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to the capital of Crete, with the Palace of Knossos just 5 kilometres from the city centre and one of the finest archaeological museums in Greece.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Heraklion. Getting there by sea means taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, which takes around 50 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes and runs multiple times daily, and then boarding the overnight Piraeus to Rhodes ferry in reverse, arriving at Piraeus and then boarding the overnight Piraeus to Heraklion ferry, which departs around 9pm and arrives in the early morning after around 8 to 9 hours. The total journey by sea takes the better part of two to three days. Flying is considerably more practical for most travelers.

Getting there by air

Heraklion has an international airport with daily connections from Athens. Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, flying from Rhodes to Athens and then Athens to Heraklion takes around 50 minutes on the second leg. Total journey time is around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Symi to Rhodes and fly from Rhodes to Athens, then fly from Athens to Heraklion. It is the fastest and most practical approach. Note that Symi is car-free so if you are traveling with a car it would already be in Rhodes, from where you can board the overnight Piraeus ferry in reverse and then board the overnight Piraeus to Heraklion ferry, which takes your vehicle directly to Crete and arrives in the morning ready to go.