Kos - Karpathos
Ferry to Dodecanese Islands
Kos - Karpathos
Ferry to Dodecanese Islands
See ferry fares and operators from all over the world in one spot, and find the sailing that fits your trip. Booking early is usually the surest way to get a good price and plenty of choice.
Discounts are available with Direct Ferries all year round. If a senior discount applies to your crossing, it's applied for you automatically once the right age bracket is selected in the passenger options.
Students and recent graduates can claim a 5% saving. Register with our partner Student Beans to verify eligibility, then apply your discount code at checkout.
Resident discounts also apply to a number of Spanish and Italian routes — pick the "Residents" option during search and the fare adjusts automatically. Be ready to show proof of address, such as an ID card or residency certificate, at check-in.
Requirements for travel documents change from route to route, so check what's needed ahead of time. A valid passport is usually required for Kos to Karpathos travel, plus any visa or national ID relevant to your nationality. Since the rules depend on your citizenship and destination, our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide is the place to check for the latest guidance and avoid delays at check-in.
To book, just add your departure port, arrival port and preferred date, and you'll see every fare and sailing on offer. You can also compare alternative routes and times to find your best match.
Look out for early-bird pricing and flexible ticket options, such as upgrades or flexi-fares that let you make changes down the line. Entering accurate details — passenger count, vehicle specs and so on — keeps the process running smoothly.
As soon as your booking is confirmed, a confirmation email will land in your inbox. What happens next with your boarding pass depends on the operator you've booked.
Some operators issue boarding passes right away, while others need you to check in at the port itself. Where it's supported, the Direct Ferries app lets you check in online in advance.
You'll usually find ticket desks close to the ferry terminal. Giving yourself a little extra time before departure means you can collect tickets and check in without any stress.
Bring your confirmation email and valid photo ID, such as a passport or identity card, to check in. Pet owners should have vaccination and insurance documents on hand, and anyone with a resident discount should carry proof of address.
There are a few reasons departures from Kos to Karpathos might not show for your chosen date — a schedule change, sold-out sailings, or a seasonal lull are the most likely. Try another date or check alternative routes through our Route & Port finder.
Booking your Kos to Karpathos ferry well ahead of time generally works in your favour — you'll usually find better fares and a wider choice of departures and cabins.
A few weeks ahead is usually enough notice to catch the best offers, though fares can still fluctuate with the season and remaining space.
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Located in the Dodecanese group of islands, the Greek island of Kos is around 4km from the coast of Bodrum in Turkey. The island is around 40 km long and 8 km wide and has a number of towns and villages. The main town and port is also called Kos, but the island's other villages include Kefalos, Tingaki, Kardamena, Mastihari, Antimachia, Marmari and Pyli. Kos Town is usually quite and there is lots to do there. There are plenty of restaurants, bars and clubs in the town which have led to the island as a whole becoming very popular with tourists. For those visitors looking for a bargain, practically everything is available in the island's shops from ceramics to fur, shoes to books and clothes and jewellery to leather products. The most popular tourist centres on the island often also have many small shops offering handmade goods such as ceramics and embroideries along with more traditional local products such as honey, herbs, wine, sweets and spices.
There are daily services between Kos and Piraeus along with services between Kos and the rest of the Dodecanese, the islands of the north eastern Aegean and Turkey. The trip by conventional ferry can take up to 13 hours, depending on the intermediate stopovers, and the trip with a high speed boat can take between 5 and 8 hours.
The Greek island of Karpathos lies in the Aegean Sea and is the second largest of the Dodecanese group of islands. The island sits between the neighbouring islands of Crete and Rhodes and is widely regarded as being one of the most spectacular of all the Greek islands. Unlike many of its neighbours, and probably as a result of its relatively remote location, Karpathos only began to develop in the last couple of decades. However, the development that has taken place is largely restricted to the southern parts of the island. The northern and central parts of the island have retained their authenticity and are largely unspoilt, with pretty little villages that seem miles away from tourism. Perhaps the island's most famous features are its beaches with golden sand and crystal clear waters. The island is popular with families and also with hikers who like to explore the many trekking paths that criss cross the island.
Ferries from Karpathos depart to the ports of Piraeus, Rhodes, Heraklion, Milos, Anafi, Sitia, Santorini, Chalki and Kasos.
