A Guide to Ferries From Turkey to Rhodes
The island of Rhodes lies in the Dodecanese archipelago, temptingly close to the turquoise waters of the Turkish Riviera. Catamaran boats connect Marmaris and Fethiye with Rhodes Town in just an hour or two. While most passengers use the ferries for day trips, it’s also possible to stay for longer.
Logistically, ferry travel between Rhodes and Turkey is straightforward, though weather can occasionally wreak havoc with plans. Our trip included a last-minute scramble when boats out of Rhodes were canceled for two days in late May. In this guide we’ll explain the options for travel between Rhodes and Turkey, plus potential snafus and alternative routes.
All sites are marked on our Google map.
Ferries from Marmaris to Rhodes (and Rhodes to Marmaris)
Ferries from Fethiye to Rhodes (and Rhodes to Fethiye)
Alternate Ferry Routes Between Turkey and Rhodes
Ferries Between Kaş and Rhodes via Kastellorizo (Meis)
Ferries Between Bodrum and Rhodes via Kos
Ferry Tickets
It’s best to buy tickets in person at the port, ferry company office, or local travel agency. As an international crossing, bookings require extra processing time, so plan to get tickets the day before departure.
Ferry tickets come in several types and prices. A one-way ticket is the most expensive – sometimes it costs almost as much as a round-trip day ticket. The latter is the most economical option, while an open return ticket (for a round trip spanning multiple days) falls somewhere between. Travel agencies and hotels offer day-long excursions, which include a ferry ticket with a markup.
Most passengers need a valid passport, but check requirements for your country. Ticket vendors scan passports during booking. Most ports require passengers to check in an hour early to have their passports checked and get a boarding pass. Upon arrival, everyone goes through a traditional immigration control with another passport check.
Ferries from Marmaris to Rhodes (and Rhodes to Marmaris)
From May to late October, one to two ferries per day run in each direction between Marmaris and Rhodes. Travel time to Rhodes is 60 minutes, and the departures are timed to allow day-trippers roughly five hours of sightseeing. For example, a 9 a.m. boat from Marmaris arrives in Rhodes at 10. Allowing 30 minutes for passport control, passengers have until about 3:30-3:45 before returning to the port for the ferry back.
In Marmaris, ferries dock at the Cruise Port, near the Netsel Marina. From the town center, it’s a 15-minute walk, or you can take a dolmuş (minibus, pronounced dol-mush) with pink stripes and a Yanlanci Bogaz sign. The port also has a taxi stand nearby.
In Rhodes, ferries use the main Tourist Port, right across the street from the medieval city walls. Follow the road just past the dolphin statue and cross through the gate to the Old Town.It’s important to arrive at least an hour before departure in both directions. There were long lines during our May trip, although they moved quickly.
Yesil Marmaris Lines and Sea Dreams are the main operators. Their websites show the same boats at the same times, although Sea Dreams currently offers slightly lower prices. As of August 2024, a one-way ticket costs €40 while a single-day round trip ticket costs €47, and a multi-day round-trip ticket costs €60.
Ferries from Fethiye to Rhodes (and Rhodes to Fethiye)
Ferries between Fethiye and Rhodes run year-round. During the high season (May through September), there are one or two crossings per day in each direction. Winter schedules taper to just two boats a week. Travel time is about an hour and 45 minutes. This allows for roughly four and a half hours of sightseeing time. For example, a 9 a.m. boat from Fethiye arrives in Rhodes at 10:45. After passport control, passengers have until 3:30 before returning to the port for the returning ferry at 4:30.
In Fethiye, ferries dock at the main harbor adjacent to the historic center. (Note that Google maps shows the ferry route as a dotted line ending in a different part of town: this was not where we arrived. We marked the correct harbor on our map.) If you’re staying in Ölüdeniz or another resort area near Fethiye, local travel agencies can book tickets and provide a transfer to Fethiye.
In Rhodes, ferries use the main Tourist Port, right across the street from the medieval city walls. Follow the road just past the dolphin statue and cross through the gate to the Old Town. Be sure to arrive at least an hour before departure in both directions. Although lines moved quickly when we were in Rhodes, they were quite long.
Tilos Travel is the main operator. As of August 2024, a one-way ticket costs €45, a single-day round trip ticket costs €65, and a multi-day round-trip ticket costs €85.
Weather Cancellations
Most boats running between Rhodes and Turkey are fast catamarans which are vulnerable to weather. The port of Rhodes is fairly windy year-round – and ferry cancellations are a concern regardless of season. Check weather forecasts regularly and ask ferry ticket agents about cancellations. We learned two days ahead of time that our return boat to Turkey wasn’t going to run. Fortunately we were able to get a boat the next day, before the winds kicked in. Although we had to leave Rhodes early, we were lucky to avoid getting stranded and missing a later flight.
Alternate Ferry Routes From Turkey to Rhodes
Traveling to or from Rhodes via other Greek islands opens up some other options, including Bodrum and Kaş on the Turkish coast. The benefit of these routes is that the enormous ferries running them are all but impervious to bad weather.
Ferries Between Kaş and Rhodes via Kastellorizo (Meis)
The tiny island of Kastellorizo, known to the Turkish as Meis, lies just 20 minutes from Kaş, mid-way between Fethiye and Antalya. We hopped on the ferry from Kaş, stayed overnight on the impossibly scenic island, and then took the big Blue Star boat to Rhodes.
Meis Express operates ferries from Kaş to Kastellorizo, with morning departures from Kaş and afternoon departures from Kastellorizo. The route runs from the beginning of April through October, with two boats in each direction per day at the peak of summer. As of August 2024, prices were €30 for a one-way ticket, €35 for a same-day round-trip ticket, and €40 for an open return ticket.
As with the other international crossings, passengers should arrive an hour early – both harbors are scenic enough that this is hardly a chore. The tiny offices can get bogged down processing everyone; we waited for half an hour to get through passport control on Kastellorizo. Because of this, we recommend planning to stay for at least a few hours before catching a connecting ferry.
Several types of ferries connect Kastellorizo and Rhodes. Dodekanisos Seaways runs catamarans once or twice a week with a travel time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, from mid-May through mid-October. SAOS Ferries operates larger boats up to three times per week during the summer; these take nearly five hours. (Note: SAOS refers to Kastellorizo as Megisti.) Blue Star Ferries has mega-ferries departing twice a week year-round which take three and a half hours. Prices as of August 2024 range from €17.50 one-way on Blue Star to €39 one-way on Dodekanisos Seaways’ catamaran.
Ferries Between Bodrum and Rhodes via Kos
From Bodrum, ferries run to the Greek island of Kos, where it’s possible to get another boat to Rhodes. Some boats run directly between the two islands; others stop at Tilos or Symi (Simi) en route.
As with the other international crossings, passengers should arrive an hour early. Because of this, we recommend planning to stay for at least a few hours before catching a connecting ferry.
Bodrum Express runs boats from Bodrum to Kos year-round, with as many as three departures per day. Smaller, faster catamarans take just half an hour, while the larger ferries take 50 minutes.
Dodekanisos Seaways runs catamarans once or twice a week with a travel time of 3 hours and 35 minutes, from mid-May through mid-October. From May to October, Blue Star Ferries runs daily boats to Kos, four departures per week to and from Symi, and two per week to and from Tilos. In winter, the schedule is reduced. Note: Blue Star has a handy list of official ferry vendors on the network page: scroll down to “Domestic routes agencies” and click on the relevant island.
Further Reading
For more on the area, see our posts
A Guide to the Towns of the Turquoise Coast: Antalya, Kaş, and Fethiye