Kaş to Kastellorizo Ferry: Times, Tickets and Day Trip Guide

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Kastellorizo (Meis in Turkish) sits just off Kaş, and a small passenger ferry gets you there in about 20 minutes. Two Turkish operators, Meis Express and Meis Ferry Lines, run the route. In summer a day trip is easy: you go over in the morning and come back in the late afternoon. You need your passport, you leave Turkey and enter the Schengen area, so check your visa situation before you book.

Quick answer

Crossing time: around 20 minutes. Sources quote anything from about 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the boat and the sea.
Operators: Meis Express and Meis Ferry Lines, both from Kaş harbour. Passengers only, no cars.
Season: daily or near-daily sailings from roughly June to October. In winter it can drop to about one sailing a week.
Documents: a passport. Some nationalities also need a Schengen visa, and possibly a multiple-entry Turkish visa to get back into Turkey.
Day trip: yes. A typical pattern is out at 9:00–10:00 and back from the island around 16:00, which gives you about five to six hours ashore.

Sailings and operators

	Meis Express	Meis Ferry Lines
Route	Kaş – Kastellorizo	Kaş – Kastellorizo
Crossing	about 15–30 min	about 15–30 min
Frequency	daily in high season, fewer in spring and autumn, roughly weekly in winter	similar pattern
Vehicles	no	no
Pets	not allowed (per Ferryhopper)	cats and dogs with health papers, arranged in advance (per Ferryhopper)

We could not open a full published timetable from either operator, so these times come from aggregators and recent traveller reports. Treat them as typical, not guaranteed:

Morning departure from Kaş: usually between about 9:00 and 10:00. In summer there can be two boats about 30 minutes apart.
Return from Kastellorizo: usually around 16:00, arriving in Kaş about 30 minutes later.
Evening extras: in summer, some days have a late return, so you can have dinner on the island. Turkey’s For Life mentions occasional evening round trips by Meis Express. One traveller report mentions extra sailings on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Fares (as of October 2026): the Meis Express website showed a €25 online fare for Kaş–Meis. Ferryhopper listed one-way fares from about €17.50. A traveller paid €28 return with Meis Ferry Lines in September 2025. Traveller reports also mention a Greek port tax of about €5 and a Turkish harbour fee of a few euros paid at Kaş. These amounts change, so check when you book.

Tickets and the port

Booking. You can buy online from the operators or through Ferryhopper, or at the ticket offices facing Kaş harbour. Have your passport with you, because the company passes your details to immigration. Buying the day before is sensible in summer. Agencies in Fethiye, Kalkan and Ölüdeniz also sell the full day trip with transfers to Kaş.

Arrive early. Operators and Ferryhopper ask for about an hour before departure in summer. Travellers report that 30 minutes was usually enough on quiet days, but queues build when boats are full.

Leaving Kaş. The departure gate is at the harbour, past the day-trip boats. You show your ticket, pay the Turkish harbour fee if it is not included, and go through Turkish passport control for your exit.

Arriving on Kastellorizo. There is a small immigration point at the harbour where you are admitted into Greece and the Schengen area. Since April 2026, the EU Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors digitally, with fingerprints and a photo, instead of stamping passports. This can slow things down on a busy morning. Some reviews mention long waits.

What to carry: passport, euros in cash (smaller boat operators and cafés on the island often take only cash), swimwear and a towel, sun protection. Withdraw euros in Kaş before you go.

Passports and visas

You are crossing an external Schengen border in both directions, so this is not a casual hop:

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can travel on a passport or a national ID card, according to Ferryhopper.
Visa-exempt nationalities can enter Greece without a visa for short stays under the Schengen 90-in-180-days rule. A day trip counts as one day.
Nationalities that need a Schengen visa must already have one that is valid for Greece. You cannot get one at the harbour. (The Greek express visa issued on Kastellorizo is only for Turkish citizens.)
Coming back into Turkey: if you entered Turkey on an e-visa or another visa, check whether it is single- or multiple-entry. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets this by nationality. A single-entry visa ends when you leave, so you would need a new one to return. Visa-exempt visitors simply re-enter under their usual allowance.

What to do on Kastellorizo

The island is small, and its only town, Megisti, curves around the harbour. You can see most of it on foot in a day.

The harbour front. A crescent of restored, colourful mansions, tavernas and cafés, with the Turkish coast in view. There are ladders straight into the water along the quay, so you can swim from town.
Blue Cave (Parastas). A large sea cave on the southeast coast, roughly 75 m long, that you reach by small boat from the harbour. The entrance is so low that you lie back in the boat to get in. It only runs in calm seas, so book a boat as soon as you land. A traveller paid about €15 in 2025.
Castle of the Knights. The ruins of the Knights of St John’s fortress stand on the red rock at the east end of the harbour. A metal staircase leads to views over the town and Mandraki bay.
Lycian tomb. A 4th-century BC rock-cut tomb at the foot of the castle, reached by steps from the coastal path towards Mandraki. It is described as the only tomb of its type in Greece.
Archaeological Museum. Near the castle and the port, with finds from ancient Megisti, Byzantine pieces and folk costumes. A traveller paid about €3 admission in 2025. The Folk Art Museum is in the restored old mosque nearby.
Churches. Agios Konstantinos and Eleni, the church of the island’s patron saints, is known for granite columns brought from ancient Patara. Above the town, the monastery of Agios Georgios tou Vounou (St George of the Mountain) is about 400 steps up the cliff, so go early or late.
Swimming at St George islet. A short water-taxi ride from the harbour takes you to a rocky islet with clear water, a café and sunbeds. Boats get busy around the 16:00 ferry, so agree your return time.
Mandraki. About 15 minutes’ walk east along a paved coastal path. This quieter bay has a small beach.

From Kas: Round-trip Ferry Transfer to Kastellorizo

5 hours

Useful if you want the round-trip ticket and passport paperwork arranged in advance; port taxes are paid separately in cash.

Check price & availability

Back in Kaş: Kekova by boat

Kastellorizo is one boat trip from Kaş. The other classic one stays in Turkish waters, so you do not need a passport. Daily boats run east to Kekova to see the submerged Lycian ruins (from the boat) and the castle village of Simena (Kaleköy), with swimming stops. Plan it for a different day.

Kas: Kekova Island Sunken City & Historical Sites Boat Tour

8 hours

Full-day boat trip from Kaş with the sunken city, Simena castle and several swim stops.

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Where to stay

For an area-by-area comparison and hotel picks, see our where to stay in Kastellorizo guide.

Most visitors base themselves in Kaş and do Kastellorizo as a day trip. The old town around Kaş harbour is the most convenient, with the ferry a short walk away.

If you want to stay on the island, rooms are concentrated on the western side of Megisti harbour. A few guesthouses and apartments sit at the eastern end and around Mandraki. Places are limited and summer fills early, so book ahead. You will also need a ferry back on a day when one actually runs.

FAQ

How long is the ferry from Kaş to Kastellorizo?

The crossing itself is around 20 minutes. Allow extra time for passport control on both sides, which can take longer than the trip.

Can I do Kastellorizo as a day trip from Kaş?

Yes, from roughly June to October. Morning boats and a late-afternoon return give you about five to six hours on the island. Outside summer, check the schedule carefully, because sailings can be weekly.

Do I need my passport?

Yes. You exit Turkey and enter Greece. EU citizens may use a national ID card. Everyone else needs a passport, and some nationalities also need a Schengen visa.

Can I continue from Kastellorizo to other Greek islands?

Yes. Ferries connect the island to Rhodes and on to Piraeus, and there are flights to Rhodes. Buy a one-way ticket from Kaş and check the Greek ferry schedule first, because connections are not daily.

Is there a car ferry?

No. The Kaş–Kastellorizo boats take foot passengers only.

Do they accept Turkish lira on the island?

Plan on euros. Bring cash for small boats, the museum and cafés.

Other crossings from the Turkish coast are on our routes overview.