Getting from Symi to Ioannina

If you are heading to Ioannina from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to a city in the mountains of Epirus in northwestern Greece, on the western shore of Lake Pamvotis with the Pindos range behind it and the Vikos Gorge, one of the deepest in the world, an hour away.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Ioannina. Ioannina is an inland city with no sea connection. Getting there 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 flying from Rhodes to Athens and then Athens to Ioannina, or driving northwest via the E65 motorway to Ioannina, which takes around 6 to 7 hours from Athens.

Getting there by air

Ioannina has its own airport with 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 Ioannina gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. The airport is just 4 kilometres from the city centre. 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 Ioannina. It is the fastest and most practical approach. The KTEL bus from Athens Kifissos terminal to Ioannina runs several times daily and takes around 6 to 7 hours, which is worth considering if you prefer not to fly the second leg. 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 drive northwest via the E65 motorway to Ioannina.