Getting from Symi to Ios

If you are heading to Ios from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to an island in the southern Cyclades, on the opposite side of the Aegean. It has some of the finest beaches in the Cyclades on its south coast and a Chora above the port that comes alive in the evening.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Ios. 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 Piraeus to Ios ferry, which runs multiple times daily in summer and takes around 4 to 7 hours. Flying is considerably more practical for most travelers.

Getting there by air

Ios has no airport. The nearest airport is Santorini. 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 Santorini, followed by the short ferry from Santorini to Ios taking around 35 minutes, gives a total journey time of around 6 to 7 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 Santorini and take the short ferry across to Ios. It is the most practical approach. If you are traveling with a car, note that Symi is car-free so your vehicle would already be in Rhodes, from where you can board the overnight Piraeus ferry in reverse and then board the conventional Piraeus to Ios ferry, which takes your vehicle directly to the island.