Getting from Symi to Ithaca

If you are heading to Ithaca from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to an island in the Ionian Sea, on the opposite side of Greece. It is the legendary home of Odysseus with a deep central bay at Vathy that is one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the Ionian.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Ithaca. No Dodecanese island is connected by sea to any Ionian island. 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 either flying to Kefalonia and taking the short ferry from Sami to Ithaca, which takes around 20 to 30 minutes, or driving to Astakos for the direct ferry to Ithaca, which takes around 2 to 2.5 hours and runs daily.

Getting there by air

Ithaca has no airport. The nearest airport is Kefalonia. 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 Kefalonia, followed by the short ferry from Sami to Ithaca, 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 Kefalonia and take the short ferry across to Ithaca from Sami. It is the 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 and drive to Astakos for the direct ferry to Ithaca.