Getting from Thessaloniki to Ikaria

If you are heading to Ikaria from Thessaloniki you are making your way from the second largest city in Greece to one of the world's Blue Zones, a mountainous island in the eastern Aegean where people live measurably longer than almost anywhere else on earth and the local explanation tends to involve sleeping late, eating well and ignoring schedules.

Getting there by air

Ikaria has its own small airport with connections from Athens running around 3 times a week. Thessaloniki has an international airport with daily connections to Athens. Flying from Thessaloniki to Athens and then Athens to Ikaria takes around 50 minutes on the second leg. Total journey time is around 4 to 5 hours. Check the schedule carefully as flights are limited and do not run daily. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Take the train, bus or drive

Thessaloniki is connected to Athens by train, taking around 4 to 5 hours, and by KTEL bus, taking around 5 to 6 hours. From Athens the Piraeus to Ikaria ferry runs around 3 times a week and takes around 7 to 11 hours. Ikaria has two ports, Agios Kirikos in the south and Evdilos in the north, so check which port your ferry arrives at before booking accommodation as the mountain road between them takes well over an hour.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Thessaloniki to Ikaria. Getting there means traveling to Piraeus for the ferry to Ikaria.

Your best option

Fly from Thessaloniki to Athens and then fly from Athens to Ikaria. Check the schedule carefully as flights are limited and do not run daily. Build flexibility into your plans once you arrive. Ikaria runs on its own schedule and that is entirely the point. If you are traveling with a car, drive from Thessaloniki to Piraeus via the E75 motorway and take the Piraeus to Ikaria ferry, which takes your vehicle and arrives in the morning.