Getting from Symi to Mykonos

If you are heading to Mykonos from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to the most cosmopolitan island in the Cyclades, on the opposite side of the Aegean. It has a maze of whitewashed lanes above the port, long beaches on the south coast and some of the best beach clubs in Greece.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Mykonos. 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 or Rafina to Mykonos ferry, which runs up to 12 times daily in summer. Flying is considerably more practical for most travelers.

Getting there by air

Mykonos 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 Mykonos takes around 40 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 Mykonos. It is the fastest and most practical approach. Book ahead in July and August as flight spaces fill up fast. 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 conventional Piraeus to Mykonos ferry, which takes your vehicle directly to the New Port.