Getting from Tilos to Symi

If you are heading to Symi from Tilos you are making your way from a volcanic island in the southern Dodecanese to one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the same island group, to the north. The colorful neoclassical mansions stacked up the hillside above the port make for one of the most striking harbour approaches in the Greek islands.

Take the ferry

There is a ferry connection from Tilos to Symi via Rhodes on the Dodekanisos Seaways and Blue Star routes. Getting there means taking the ferry from Tilos to Rhodes, which takes around 1 hour 10 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes and runs 4 to 7 days per week, and then boarding the Rhodes to Symi ferry, which takes around 1 to 1.5 hours and runs several times a week. This keeps the journey entirely within the Dodecanese network and avoids Athens entirely.

Getting there by air

Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Tilos has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Tilos to Rhodes and then the local ferry from Rhodes to Symi gives a total journey time of around 2.5 to 4.5 hours and keeps the journey entirely within the Dodecanese. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Tilos to Rhodes and then take the local ferry across to Symi. It is the most natural and direct approach and keeps the journey entirely within the Dodecanese without going through Athens. Check the Tilos to Rhodes schedule before booking as departure days and times vary by season. Give yourself at least two nights on Symi. The island reveals itself completely once the day visitors leave and the harbour becomes entirely your own.