A Kos to Bodrum day trip crosses the sea from Greece to Turkey and brings you back to Kos on the same day. If you want other plans from the islands, look through our tours in Greece.
This page covers what the day includes, the timings, the meeting point at Kos port, the crossing, the documents and border controls, the history and sights of Bodrum, food, the bazaar, a Turkish bath, the weather and the questions travellers ask.
What does the Kos to Bodrum day trip include?
The Kos to Bodrum day trip from the provider Kos Activities includes a boat ticket from and to Bodrum. It also includes legal document preparation for travelling. The format is independent, so you explore Bodrum on your own.
The listing is titled “From Kos: Independent Day Trip to Bodrum”. Its inclusion list has two lines only: the boat ticket from and to Bodrum, and the legal document preparation. The list names no meals, no entry tickets and no host in Bodrum. You plan those parts of the day yourself.
The first highlight reads “Spend a day exploring the city of Bodrum on your own”. The description begins at the port in Kos, where you are picked up. From there you take the boat cruise across the Aegean Sea to Bodrum. Once you have passed through passport control and customs, you explore the ancient city alone.
The Kos to Bodrum day trip is therefore a transport and paperwork package. The town itself is yours to walk. The listing counts the cruise across the sea that splits Kos from Bodrum as a highlight. The boat ride is part of the day.
Another tour seller offers a different package for a Kos to Bodrum day trip. Its page lists a transfer from your hotel to Kos port and back. It also lists round-trip tickets for a ferry or catamaran. The tour described here names no hotel transfer, so read each inclusion list before you choose a seller.
The listing also offers free cancellation. A full refund stays possible when you cancel 24 hours or more ahead. For a Kos to Bodrum day trip, that leaves the plan open until the day before you sail.
How long is the Kos to Bodrum day trip, and how is the day timed?
The Kos to Bodrum day trip lasts 6 hours in total. The itinerary gives you 5 hours of free time in Bodrum. To see the starting times, check availability.
Those are the two figures the listing gives. The whole trip lasts 6 hours, and the free time in Bodrum lasts 5 hours. The listing sets no single start time. It asks you to check availability. Check the start time on your chosen date first, then build the rest of the day around it.
The itinerary lists the day in a fixed order. First comes the start at the port in Kos, then the crossing to Bodrum. Next is the free time in Bodrum, then the crossing back. The last step is the arrival at the starting point.
On every Kos to Bodrum day trip, the free time sits in the middle of the day. After passport control and customs in Bodrum, your free time begins. At the end of the day, the description says, you take the boat back to Kos port. You arrive in time for your onward journey, so keep an eye on the clock.
The listing adds that itineraries are for reference only and subject to change. Treat the order as the plan, and check the details for your own date.
Because the format is independent, nobody sets your route during the 5 free hours. You choose the order of your own day: sights first and lunch later, or the other way round. Plan your Kos to Bodrum day trip around the return boat, and your day in Turkey stays calm.
Where do you meet for the boat at Kos port?
The listing names one meeting point for the Kos to Bodrum day trip: Geor. Averof 1, Kos 853 00, Greece. Be at the meeting point 30 to 40 minutes before departure, because of the passport control procedures.
The description says you are picked up from the port in Kos. The itinerary names the same address, Geor. Averof 1, as the place where you arrive back. So the Kos to Bodrum day trip starts and ends at one spot.
Know which part of the harbour you need for a Kos to Bodrum day trip. A travel blog says ferries to Bodrum leave from the smaller international port. It sits on the north-western edge of Kos harbour, behind the Achilleas Hotel & Apartments on Geor. Averof street. Your meeting address carries the same street name.
The same blog warns that Google Maps wrongly points to the domestic port on the eastern side of the harbour. Only ferries to other Greek islands leave from there. On foot, the two ports are a good 20 minutes apart.
The blog calls the international port small, with portacabins, booths and a small seating area in a partly covered concourse. It says the port has little shade. It also notes that the small customs facility still has room for a duty-free shop.
A ferry booking site tells its passengers to reach the boarding point at least 60 minutes before departure. That rule is for its own ferry tickets. For the Kos to Bodrum day trip, the listing asks for 30 to 40 minutes before departure.
How does the sea crossing from Kos to Bodrum work?
The listing says the Kos to Bodrum day trip needs a 50-minute boat crossing from Kos port. The boat cruises across the stretch of the Aegean Sea that splits Kos from Bodrum. Ferry sites quote shorter times.
A ferry booking site gives the distance between Kos and Bodrum as roughly 18.44 km, or 9.95 nautical miles. That is the sea gap on a Kos to Bodrum day trip. Wikipedia names Kos as the main ferry link from the port of Bodrum. A ferry blog says you can see the Turkish port city from the Greek island.
Sellers quote different times for the Kos to Bodrum day trip crossing, so each number is that seller’s own claim. The booking site says the fastest boat takes 30 minutes and the average is 33. Wikivoyage says 25 minutes. A ferry blog says 20 minutes.
The booking site adds that the time changes with the operator and the sea conditions. It also depends on whether the boat is high-speed or regular. It lists three companies on the route: Dentur Avrasya, Lafasi MC and Makri Travel. The tour’s listing names no ferry company, so these names belong to the route.
Wikivoyage says one operator on the route runs a small catamaran for foot passengers only. It says the landing pier in Bodrum is in the marina by the castle. A ferry blog about the Kos to Bodrum day trip says boats leave Kos daily between 09:30 and 18:00.
The booking site lists three more facts about the boats on this route.
- Foot passengers only: cars are not allowed, so a Kos to Bodrum day trip means crossing without a car.
- No cabins: lounge seating or rest areas are provided on board.
- No night ferries: only daytime sailings run.
Which travel documents do you need for the Kos to Bodrum day trip?
Bring a passport, unless you hold a national ID card from one of twelve listed countries. The tour listing says those citizens can enter Turkey without a passport. Citizens of every other country need a passport for the Kos to Bodrum day trip.
The listing names these countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Greece. Another tour seller says the same. Its page adds that these travellers can use the national ID card alone.
The listing sets one firm limit: citizens with passports from African and Asian countries cannot travel on this trip. The other tour seller states that a one-day visit to Turkey needs no visa. Check your own passport against these lines before you book the Kos to Bodrum day trip.
Children need extra paper on top of their own valid passport or ID card. The listing asks for an official document for every minor aged 0 to 18 in three cases:
- the child travels alone
- the child travels with adults who are not their legal guardians
- the child travels with only one parent
The parents, the second parent or the legal guardian sign it to allow the Kos to Bodrum day trip. The listing adds that full custody papers also work for passport control and the authorities.
The tour includes legal document preparation for travelling. The listing does not describe the steps. A ferry booking site states that a digital entry form for Turkey is needed. Passengers over 6 years of age fill it out 72 hours before the trip. Check this rule before you travel.
How do passport control and customs work at both ports?
The Kos to Bodrum day trip has passport checks at both ports. You pass one at Kos before the boat leaves, and passport control and customs in Bodrum before the day begins. The way back brings a passport queue in Bodrum and another at Kos.
The first check on the Kos to Bodrum day trip comes at the Kos port. A ferry booking site describes a passport and customs check there. It tells passengers to keep their documents and tickets handy and to follow the signs in Greek and English.
A travel blog calls the customs area at Kos small. The blogger says it can quickly become overcrowded, both when leaving Greece and when coming back in.
In Bodrum, the listing says you pass passport control and customs before you explore on your own. The blog describes passengers queuing on the quay, in a confined space, to enter a permanent customs post. The blogger found this side more organised than Kos.
On the way home, the blog says the Bodrum passport queue formed early and moved efficiently. A small security check scanned bags.
At Kos, the blogger calls the arrival passport queue the pinch point of a Kos to Bodrum day trip. It reached onto the quay, with only the front part under cover. Staff processed passengers slowly but steadily.
A ferry booking site says busy times can call for extra time at both ports for immigration and customs. The blogger's Kos passport queue took about ten to fifteen minutes, which the blogger found tolerable.
The blog says delays of an hour or two in total eat into the day. At that point, it says, the trip is not worth it.
Keep your documents in one place so each check goes quickly. Allow for the queues on your Kos to Bodrum day trip.
What is Bodrum, the Turkish town across the water from Kos?
Bodrum is a port town in Muğla Province, Turkey, at the entrance to the Gulf of Gökova. It sits across the sea from Kos. A Kos to Bodrum day trip takes you from a Greek island to a Turkish resort.
Bodrum is both a town and a district. The district covers 650 square kilometres, and almost 200,000 people live there. Until the early 20th century, the town was a quiet place of fishermen and sponge divers. Kos is its main ferry link, so a Kos to Bodrum day trip follows the port’s key route.
Tourism became the main industry in the late 20th century. The writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı came here in exile. He took the pen name Halikarnas Balıkçısı, the Fisherman of Halicarnassus. His blue voyages in traditional fishing gulets put Bodrum on the tourist map. A Kos to Bodrum day trip lands in a resort that his voyages helped to start.
The name Bodrum comes from the medieval name Petronium. The Bodrum area covers a large peninsula. Tourist brochures stretch the name to a still wider area, effectively any resort served by the Milas-Bodrum airport. The town’s marina lies by the castle. Local share taxis and buses form the bulk of the town’s public transport.
Kos and Bodrum lie close enough to see each other across the water. The operator’s listing for the Kos to Bodrum day trip describes the first view of the port. It names white houses built like an amphitheatre on the hillside and dozens of sailboats and yachts.
What was Halicarnassus, the ancient city under Bodrum?
Halicarnassus was an ancient Greek city in Caria, in Anatolia, on the Gulf of Gökova. Modern Bodrum stands on its site. Dorians from the Peloponnese founded it, so a Kos to Bodrum day trip ends where a Greek city once stood.
Halicarnassus once belonged to the Doric Hexapolis, a league of cities that also included Kos. So a Kos to Bodrum day trip links two old league members. The league later expelled Halicarnassus. A citizen named Agasicles had kept a prize tripod instead of dedicating it to the Triopian Apollo, as custom asked.
The Kos to Bodrum day trip listing calls Herodotus the Father of History, born in Halicarnassus. Bodrum honours him with a statue. Around 457 BC, a tyrant named Lygdamis II forced him to leave. Lygdamis was the grandson of Artemisia I. She was a naval commander at the battle of Salamis in the early 5th century BC.
Under Persian rule, Halicarnassus was the capital of the province of Caria. A Kos to Bodrum day trip lands in an old provincial capital. Mausolus ruled Caria from here from 377 to 353 BC. He ruled nominally for the Persians but in practice on his own. His workers deepened the harbour, paved streets and built houses, walls and watchtowers.
Halicarnassus stayed loyal to Persia while its Ionian neighbours rebelled. Alexander the Great later laid siege to it and, with Queen Ada of Caria, captured it after fighting. Roman rule began in 129 BC. Earthquakes destroyed much of the city, and pirate attacks added to the damage. By the Byzantine era, little was left of the shining city of Mausolus.
What is the Castle of St. Peter in Bodrum?
The Castle of St. Peter, also called Bodrum Castle, is a fortress built in the 15th century by the Knights Hospitaller. The listing for this Kos to Bodrum day trip names the castle among its highlights.
The knights were based on the island of Rhodes. Their Grand Master chose a site across from Kos, where the Order already held a castle. They named the new fortress Petronium, meaning the castle of Saint Peter. The town’s name, Bodrum, comes from that word. A papal decree promised the builders a place in heaven.
Four towers rise from the walls: the English, French, German and Italian towers. Each bears the name of a nation that helped build it. The English Tower has three storeys, and its carved lion gives it a second name, the Lion Tower. If your Kos to Bodrum day trip includes the castle, look for that lion on the western face.
The castle was built for defence: its passages to the gates twist and turn, so attackers found no cover. The walls facing the land were thickened against cannon. After the knights lost Rhodes, the surrender terms handed over their fortresses on Kos and in Bodrum. Those are the two ends of a Kos to Bodrum day trip.
Turkey turned the castle into a museum in the 20th century. The Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology now holds amphoras, ancient glass, and bronze, clay and iron items. The standout is the Uluburun wreck, from the 14th century BC, laden with copper ingots. On a Kos to Bodrum day trip, a castle visit is a museum visit too.
What remains of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus?
Only the foundations remain at the site of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, beside a small museum. This tomb was once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. If you add it to a Kos to Bodrum day trip, expect ruins, not the tomb.
The tomb rose about 45 metres high and held 400 free-standing sculptures. Antipater of Sidon put it on his list of wonders. It stood for sixteen centuries. Then earthquakes shattered the columns and sent the bronze chariot crashing to the ground. Of the six wonders now destroyed, it was the last to survive.
The Knights Hospitaller reused its stones. They built its marble into the castle walls and burned much of it into lime. By the early 16th century almost every block was gone. Polished marble from the tomb can still be seen in the castle walls. So a castle visit on a Kos to Bodrum day trip shows part of the Mausoleum.
In the 19th century the British Museum sent Charles Newton to search for the tomb. He found three corners of the foundation, a broken chariot wheel and the statues of Mausolus and Artemisia. The statues and lions are in the British Museum, so a Kos to Bodrum day trip shows only the site.
The small museum next to the site offers exhibits and a video presentation. Archaeologists found that grave robbers dug a tunnel under the grave chamber long before the knights came. The Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, inside the castle, holds a model of the Mausoleum. On a Kos to Bodrum day trip, you can pair it with the site.
What else can you see in Bodrum, from the windmills to the ancient theatre?
A Kos to Bodrum day trip lets you see the windmills, the ancient theatre and the Myndos Gate. The operator’s listing names the windmills and an ancient Greek theatre with 13,000 seats.
A Kos to Bodrum day trip leaves room for the windmills on the ridge west of the bay. There are seven in a line. People used them from the mid-18th century until the late 20th century to grind corn into flour. The area is open to stroll around, and the sunset view over the next bay draws visitors.
A travel blog places the ancient theatre north of the Mausoleum, up steep streets. On a Kos to Bodrum day trip, the climb brings wide views over the town, castle, port and bay. The blog calls the Greco-Roman theatre quite well preserved, and cultural events are still held there.
Mausolus began the theatre in the 4th century BC. The Romans gave it its present form in the 2nd century AD. It was restored in the late 20th century and now serves as an event space.
The Myndos Gate is the only survivor of the monumental gates in the 7-km wall of ancient Halicarnassus. The remains are two stumps and a short course of wall foundations. The site stays open to explore around the clock. Myndos, the destination of the road west, now lies buried beneath the resort of Gümüşlük.
Smaller sights fill the town too. The Maritime Museum, on the north side of the castle, shows Bodrum’s sailing and fishing traditions: gulets, sponge-fishing and sea-shells. The Zeki Müren Art Museum is the former house of a singer-songwriter, now holding memorabilia such as his costumes. Both are indoor stops for a Kos to Bodrum day trip.
How can you spend the free time on a Kos to Bodrum day trip?
Pick one plan for the free time on a Kos to Bodrum day trip. Either follow the ancient sights north of the port, or wander the small streets and the marina. The listing lets you explore Bodrum on your own.
A travel blog describes a simple history route for a Kos to Bodrum day trip. The castle stands steps from the ferry port. From there you stroll round the port and walk a couple of blocks north to the Mausoleum. The ancient theatre lies further north, up steep streets.
The listing offers a second plan for travellers who are not history lovers: stroll through the small streets instead. Another tour seller calls these lanes “sokaks”. Old mosques stand in the town too. The Kızılhisarlı Mustafa Paşa Mosque, just north of the castle, was built in the 18th century.
The marina is a third place to walk. It is now full of leisure craft, but it was once the shipyard and the general harbour. Bodrum’s main product has long been the traditional gulet. This boat has two or three masts and now runs on diesel, with only auxiliary sail power. The Tepecik Mosque stands midway along the marina front.
Whatever you choose on your Kos to Bodrum day trip, watch the clock. A travel blog advises returning to the port in good time before the boat leaves. Choose two or three stops, and leave the rest of the town for another visit.
What can you eat and drink in Bodrum?
Eat kebab, mezedes and the sweet kazandibi, and drink Turkish coffee or tea at a traditional coffee shop. The operator’s listing for the Kos to Bodrum day trip names all of these as popular Turkish specialties.
Start with savoury food on a Kos to Bodrum day trip. Kebab means roasted meat dishes. Meze are small starter dishes, similar to Spanish tapas. A ferry booking site points to pide with minced meat, spinach, pastirma or cheese. A travel wiki lists a fish restaurant with castle views and a seafood restaurant on the marina front.
Sweet dishes come next. Kazandibi is a caramelised milk pudding. It was developed in the kitchens of the Ottoman Palace and is a popular Turkish dessert today. The same ferry site suggests lokma, which is deep-fried dough covered with honey, as a stop after your pide. The travel wiki also lists a bakery that sells desserts such as baklava.
Turkish coffee is made in a pot called a cezve from very finely ground beans, and it is not filtered. The ferry site shows coffee with a sea view on the Bodrum promenade. That makes a good break on a Kos to Bodrum day trip. Tea is the other drink the listing names for a traditional coffee shop.
Diet and custom matter on a Kos to Bodrum day trip too. The travel wiki says Bodrum catering is aimed at visitors who eat meat. Vegans and people who avoid gluten have limited choices. During Ramadan, the ferry site asks visitors to avoid eating, drinking and smoking in public in daylight, out of respect.
What is the Bodrum bazaar like, and which money can you use there?
The Bodrum bazaar is a really big market where you can practice your bargaining. On a Kos to Bodrum day trip, you find souvenirs, folk art, crafts, clothing and food there. Plenty of stallholders accept euros, and almost everyone speaks Greek or English.
On a Kos to Bodrum day trip, the market is close. The ferry booking site says to walk 10 minutes towards it after you arrive in Bodrum. It lists clothes, jewelry, local products, street food and Turkish delicacies. The travel wiki says the city bus station is next to the bazaar and feels like part of it.
The operator’s listing describes a lively atmosphere at the bazaar, with the aromas of spices and local produce. Another tour seller says it suits people who like walking, crowds and bargaining. That seller also warns that clothing brands are not necessarily genuine. One travel blogger reports touts near the port urging visitors into clothes shops and restaurants.
Bargain here on a Kos to Bodrum day trip. The travel wiki says to haggle at street markets. For clothing, open well below the first figure named. A wiki entry on Turkey calls first offers in tourist shops frequently inflated.
Turkey’s own currency is the Turkish lira. The operator’s listing says plenty of stallholders accept euros on a Kos to Bodrum day trip. A wiki entry on Turkey says shops aimed at tourists frequently take euros and US dollars. It also warns that a vendor can enter euros instead of lira on a card machine. Check the amount.
What is a Turkish bath, and where can you try one in Bodrum?
A Turkish bath, called a hamam in Turkey, is a steam bath or a place of public bathing. The listing for the Kos to Bodrum day trip suggests visiting one in Bodrum for a little relaxation.
The listing says Turkish bathhouses have held a special place in Turkish culture for hundreds of years. It describes a steam room and a highly skilled masseur. Another tour seller lists a sauna, a scrub and a body massage in a full hamam package. The word hammam means bath and comes from an Arabic root linked to heat.
In a modern hamam, Wikipedia says, visitors undress and keep a modesty garment or loincloth. They move into hotter rooms that make them sweat. Staff of the same sex then wash them with soap and vigorous rubbing. Bathers end by washing themselves in warm water. A bath can be one stop on a Kos to Bodrum day trip.
The hammam follows the model of the Roman baths, called thermae. Its layout runs from an undressing room to a cold room, a warm room and a hot room. Accessories from Roman times survive in modern hammams. The peştemal is a cloth of silk or cotton that covers the body. The kese is a rough mitten used for scrubbing.
Where can you try one on a Kos to Bodrum day trip? Wikivoyage lists Turkish baths at Fabrika Sk 48, southeast of the city bus station. The baths are separate by gender, and both sides are open daily from 07:00 to 23:00. Another tour seller also puts an authentic hamam near the bus station. Check the hours first.
What is the weather and the sea like on the Kos to Bodrum day trip?
The weather on the Kos to Bodrum day trip turns hot and sunny in summer. The listing says Bodrum is very hot in summer, so wear a hat and comfortable walking shoes. Wikipedia puts the summer average near 34 degrees Celsius.
For a Kos to Bodrum day trip, two sources describe the climate. Wikipedia calls it a hot summer Mediterranean climate, with very hot, mostly sunny summers and mild, humid winters. Wikivoyage adds that climate and popularity give Bodrum a longer holiday season than other Turkish resorts. Wikipedia puts the winter average near 15 degrees Celsius.
Another tour seller says the summer heat in Bodrum can be unbearable. It adds a bottle of water to the hat and the comfortable walking shoes. Pack the same way for any Kos to Bodrum day trip in the hot months. That seller lists its Bodrum trip from April to October.
Wikivoyage says the water temperature lags a month behind the land. Late spring is a good time for shore-based activities. June to October is better for water sports, with sea temperatures above 24 degrees Celsius. That matters if you plan a swim on a Kos to Bodrum day trip.
Wikivoyage says town beaches are pebble but good for swimming, a plus on a Kos to Bodrum day trip. It calls the waters of Bodrum calm, sheltered and clear, and good for scuba training. Windsurfing is better on the more exposed west coast. One travel blog describes a crossing in October with no adverse weather and calls Bodrum a sun-trap.
What else do travellers ask about a Kos to Bodrum day trip?
What is the island of Kos like before a Kos to Bodrum day trip?
Your starting island belongs to the Dodecanese group of Greece. Only Rhodes and Karpathos are larger in that group, per Wikipedia. Its shoreline stretches for 112 kilometres in all. Its chief town and harbour share the island name.
Turks call the island İstanköy, a name that grew from the Greek words for “to Kos”. The Plane Tree of Hippocrates stands in the centre of Kos town, and scaffolding holds up its limbs. Cos lettuce is named after the island too.
Is there a sandy beach near Bodrum for the free hours?
Wikivoyage points to Gümbet or Bitez for sandy beaches. Gümbet is the next bay west, 4 kilometres from the centre of Bodrum. Wikipedia says Bodrum is just 4 kilometres east of Bitez. Bitez has blue flag beaches that are active mainly in summer.
Wikivoyage lists bus 2-48 to Bitez every 15 minutes, daily from 07:00 to 21:30. Camel Beach, a small resort strip to the west, has a waterbus from Bodrum Marina. Check your return boat first, then decide whether a beach fits your Kos to Bodrum day trip.
When are the main Bodrum sights open?
Wikivoyage lists Bodrum Castle as open daily, from 09:00 to 22:30 in summer and 08:30 to 17:30 in winter. It lists the Mausoleum site as open daily from 08:30 to 17:30. Each entry carries an update date, so recheck the hours before you travel.
The ancient theatre, the Maritime Museum and the Zeki Müren Art Museum are listed for Tuesday to Sunday only. All three close at 17:30. If your Kos to Bodrum day trip falls on a Monday, check those three first.
What practical tips help on a Kos to Bodrum day trip once you land?
Wikivoyage says Bodrum, its approach roads and the peninsula have 4G from all Turkish carriers. 5G is limited to the city centre. It also says free WiFi can be found in public squares and cafes.
On safety, Wikivoyage lists ordinary precautions: guard your valuables and keep clear of drunks. It also says to watch the traffic, including marine traffic such as jet skis. It says to keep children away from stray dogs. It adds that Turkey is considered high risk for rabies, so a bite means you need immunising.
What are the luggage, pet and wheelchair rules for a Kos to Bodrum day trip?
The Kos Activities listing for this Kos to Bodrum day trip gives no rules on luggage, pets or wheelchairs. A ferry booking site states rules for its own tickets on the route. It sets the usual luggage limit at 1 piece per person, up to 50 kg.
It allows pets, with rules that vary by ferry company. Larger pets use the ship’s kennel. Pets under 10 kg can stay in a carrier, and service dogs skip the kennel. For wheelchairs, it asks travellers to contact its support team.