At face value, a day trip by ferry from Kos to Bodrum seems like an attractive proposition. A short boat trip across azure Aegean waters with an appealing destination at either end of the route – it sounds like a worthy addition to a holiday itinerary.
However, as many reviewers on Google Maps will testify, the reality can be one of lengthy, disorganised passport queues, sweltering sun in inadequate port facilities, and not nearly enough time on the ground at the destination to make the trip worthwhile.
Planning the trip from Kos
I visited Kos in October 2023 and despite the bad feedback, I thought that, if all went well, this would be a good way to round off my week’s holiday. In preparation, I checked Marine Traffic daily and the ferries seemed to be keeping reasonable time compared to scheduled departures. So, I planned an itinerary around a few sights in Bodrum and set off to see if that would work.
Several companies run ferries between the port of Kos and Bodrum. It’s easy enough to book online and reasonably priced. I booked the Sea Star Makri from Tilos Travel. There may be cheaper options, but I thought the schedule looked suitable, providing all ran to time.
The first thing we realise is that almost all the boats in either direction depart within an hour or so of each other, and the small customs facility at the Kos port can quickly become overcrowded, both on entry to and exit from Greece. There are few amenities and little shade, just a few portacabins and booths and a small seating area in a partially covered concourse. Of course they somehow manage to make room for a duty-free shop. Many travellers report having to wait in blazing sun on the quayside, apparently for hours some days.
Setting off on the crossing
I was fortunate to find check in with the ferry company took only a couple of minutes and the passport queue took maybe ten to fifteen minutes – nothing like the horror stories of mid-summer. The main disappointment for me was that although the ship was boarded promptly, departure was inexplicably delayed and it did not hit full speed on a crossing which took almost double the advertised time, with no adverse weather. This meant arrival in Bodrum was around 45 minutes behind schedule.
Passing customs at the Turkish side was more organised. Passengers queue quayside in a confined space to enter a permanent customs post (with duty-free shop, naturally). However, this was all handled quite efficiently, so I was glad to be free to explore Bodrum with a reasonable portion of my time still in hand.
Around Bodrum
Bodrum Castle
After taking in the views around Bodrum harbour with its ranks of yachts and tour boats, my first port of call was Bodrum Castle, conveniently located a few steps away from the ferry port. This impressive structure overlooks the harbour with substantial bastions offering all around views of sea and city. A museum of underwater archaeology is distributed across several buildings within the castle walls, and I found it easy to spend a good portion of my visit taking in the history, architecture and well-presented exhibits.
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
Thereafter I took a stroll around the port and a couple of blocks north to the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. While regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, today this is a small museum beside the remaining ruins. I find it sad that while a modest attempt with video and models is made to give an indication of what would have been, the visitor must either use a great deal of imagination to envisage the ancient spectacle of the towering structure, its gleaming facade illuminated by flaming torches, visible at night to mariners miles out at sea. Alternatively, visit the British Museum, which apparently houses numerous artefacts from here.
Bodrum Ancient Theatre
From the Mausoleum, it was another few blocks north via some rather quaint if precipitous steep streets to the Ancient Theatre. This Greco-Roman structure is quite well preserved and free to visit, offering tremendous panoramic views over the city, the castle, port and bay below, and to distant hazy hills beyond. I’ve seen that some cultural events are still held here but on the day of my visit, it was all peace and quiet, apart from frantic traffic on the busy dual carriageway outside.
Return journey
One must return to the port in good time before departure, though check in is not necessary on the return leg, so I concluded my day with a quick wander around the shopping streets close to the port. I didn’t have time for even a quick kebab so no culinary report to file on this occasion. There were also too many guys hustling tourists to visit their knock-off clothes shops or restaurants, so I did not linger.
The queue for passport control formed quite early but was processed efficiently. There was a small security check with some bags being scanned, slightly half-heartedly. Boarding was straightforward and then after another pleasant if sluggish crossing, the Sea Star Makri pulled into Kos.
Re-entering Greece at Kos Port
This is the pinch point that has greatest potential to spoil things, even with a modest number of passengers to handle. The queue for passport control extends onto the quay with only the very front portion of the queue being under cover, in the immediate vicinity of the passport booths.
In this instance, arriving passengers were at least being processed slowly but steadily and the queue gradually edged forward. One member of staff had the queue well organised, but then disorganisation threatened the calm if sedate progress. Disputes among staff arose, and some chancers attempted to to barge through to the front by following disabled travellers who were being ushered through by this disruptive official.
Cue much complaining from other travellers and further debate among the staff, until the queue jumpers are put back in their place. Now, I know it doesn’t help that passengers don’t play ball but surely the staff do this every single day. How can they make such a meal of it, like they had no experience of having to handle these tasks? Most curious, to put it mildly.
Conclusion – is a day trip from Kos to Bodrum worth it?
In conclusion, then – is a day trip from Kos to Bodrum worth it? Ultimately, I enjoyed my day, the weather was great – Bodrum is a real sun-trap – both ports are pleasant destinations with a variety of attractions, and given favourable conditions it can be a worthwhile excursion.
Price wise, I thought the price was fair but depending on budget one may find the ticket price a touch steep, particularly given the effective duration of time spent in destination.
However, the key issue is really queuing time – queuing to check in, queuing for passport control on departure, queuing to board, and queuing to enter at the journey’s end. Delays that run into the hour, two hours total – and at peak season I understand that can potentially happen at each end – eat into the day to the point that, no, it is certainly not worth it. However, 10-15 minutes here and there I found tolerable.
Even at that improvements should really be quite feasible to make, given the daily passenger volumes appear to be in the hundreds, not thousands. Bigger port facilities, more space and larger waiting areas plus staggered departures would all help the cause. It is curious that the domestic ferry port in Kos has acres of open tarmac that exceed capacity, but the international port is crammed into such a tiny corner.
These issues are not new, and I have read that they happen at other ports where travel occurs between Greece and Turkey. Given that I spotted many Turkish-flagged sailboats in Kos marina, a yacht trip, if you can afford it, might be a better and smoother experience.
Useful Links
Book Sea Star Makri at Tilos Travel
Exas Travel Ferry Tickets and Excursions
NB I’m not affiliated and offer no recommendation on these companies.
Important Information
It’s important to note that ferries leaving Kos for Bodrum depart from the smaller international port. This is located on the north-western edge of Kos harbour, behind the Achilleas Hotel & Apartments on Geor. Averof street. Google Maps wrongly indicates departure from the domestic port, at the eastern side of the harbour, from where only ferries to other Greek islands depart. As the crow flies, this is a short distance over water but on foot is a good 20 minutes walk away. If travelling, it’s therefore essential to ensure you know from where your boat departs. Even with the usual delays, it make take too long to walk to the correct point of departure if you firstly arrive at the wrong place.