A Pserimos day trip from Kos is a short boat ride to a small island in the Dodecanese. You swim, snorkel and eat lunch in a quiet bay. This post covers the crossing, the island, the bay and the booking rules. The homepage lists more Greece Tours like this one.
Each tour card below opens a live GetYourGuide booking. Departure times and boat types are shown on each card.
What is a Pserimos day trip from Kos and what does the half day include?
A Pserimos day trip from Kos takes a boat to Pserimos for a swim and returns the same day. It comes as a half-day or full-day outing. The boat type sets what the ticket includes.
The half-day Pserimos day trip from Kos is a motorboat trip with lunch. Guests swim and snorkel at Pserimos, eat lunch on board and swim again at the Blue Lagoon. Then the boat returns to Kos. The motorboat has a sun deck, sun beds, a shaded area and restrooms. Drinks are bought at the bar on the boat.
If you plan to cross into Turkey as well, the homepage also lists Turkey tours.
The second format is a snorkelling cruise on a diving boat. This Pserimos day trip from Kos lasts half a day. The boat offers a shaded deck for cover and a roomy sun deck for lying out. Guests snorkel, swim and sunbathe. The ticket does not cover food or drinks.
The diving boat hands out a mask, a snorkel, fins and a wetsuit. A safety and equipment briefing comes before the swim. A small group of beginner scuba divers also uses the boat. The format suits beginners, families and guests who do not dive.
The catamaran format fills a full day of about seven hours. On this Pserimos day trip from Kos, coffee and snacks are served as the boat leaves Kos. The crew hands out free snorkelling gear: masks, fins and goggles. The deck is wide, and the group is small.
The crew prepares a Greek lunch on the catamaran itself. Bottled water, soft drinks, beer and white wine cost nothing for the whole cruise. The half-day motorboat sits at the other end, with lunch included and drinks sold at its bar.
The third format is the three-island cruise. A Pserimos day trip from Kos on this cruise fills a full day and also calls at Kalymnos and Plati. On the wooden-boat version, lunch is a barbecue with vegetarian options. Drinks are not included, and guests buy them separately.
A Pserimos day trip from Kos suits different guests depending on the format. The half-day motorboat is family-friendly and fits couples and solo travellers. The catamaran is for guests who want a small, friendly group, such as couples and honeymooners. The diving boat welcomes families too.
Group size changes with the boat. The half-day motorboat takes 200 passengers. The catamaran sails with a small group. The diving boat shares its deck with a small beginner scuba group instead of a crowd.
Each boat follows a set route and a set order of stops. Guests choose how to spend the time at each stop. On a Pserimos day trip from Kos they swim, snorkel, sunbathe on deck or rest on the beach. On the half-day motorboat, guests can ask for a vegetarian or vegan lunch.
The diving boat is back in Kos by early afternoon, which makes it a half-day trip. The catamaran needs about seven hours from departure to return, which makes it a full-day trip.
How do you get from Kos to Pserimos on a Pserimos day trip from Kos and how long does the crossing take?
The dive boat, catamaran and half-day boat on a Pserimos day trip from Kos all board in Kos harbour. The dive boat needs about 45 minutes to reach the island. A wooden boat on one three-island cruise sails from Mastichari instead.
Kos Town is the main port of the island. A Pserimos day trip from Kos by three-island cruise can start here too. One cruise boards at the port along Akti Kountourioti. A second cruise boat waits at the harbour, opposite the Port Police.
The dive boat berths in Kos harbour, 50 metres from the Dolphins roundabout. It leaves in the morning and arrives at Pserimos after about 45 minutes. The snorkelling cruise by dive boat is sold as a half-day trip, and it departs every morning.
Mastichari is a fishing village and resort on Kos, 7 kilometres from the airport. Its port has boats that depart regularly to Kalymnos. A Pserimos day trip from Kos can also begin here, on a traditional wooden boat. That full-day cruise calls at Kalymnos, Pserimos and Plati, then brings guests back to their hotel in the late afternoon.
A public ferry is a second way across. It runs between Pserimos and the port of Mastichari. Ferry sources disagree on the crossing time, and distance figures differ too, so this post gives neither. The 45 minutes belongs to the dive boat alone. A Pserimos day trip from Kos on another format has its own sailing time.
Hotel transfer depends on the format. The full-day three-island cruise from Kos Town offers an optional transfer. The named pickup areas are Kos Town, Psalidi, Agios Fokas, Lambi Beach, Tigaki, Marmari, Mastichari and Kardamena. Pickup times depend on the area. Guests without the transfer go straight to the port.
The catamaran works differently. A Pserimos day trip from Kos by catamaran starts directly from Kos harbour. The meeting point sits just to the right of the I Kos sign. Hotel pickup is not part of this tour, so guests travel to the harbour on their own.
Meeting points are specific. On the half-day boat trip with lunch, guests meet at the boat in the port of Kos. They arrive 15 minutes before departure. The boat returns to the same port. One full-day three-island cruise asks guests to check in by half past nine in the morning.
People who get seasick are advised against the half-day boat trip with lunch. Seasickness comes from repeated movement, such as going up and down on a boat. Dizziness, nausea, headache, pale skin and sweating are the signs. Pharmacies sell remedies that help prevent it. Keeping the head still and focusing on the horizon also helps.
Kalymnos has its own link to Pserimos, a daily ferry from Pothia. That ferry starts on Kalymnos, so it sits outside a Pserimos day trip from Kos. Sea conditions also shape the day. The itinerary of a three-island cruise can change with them.
What is Pserimos like on a Pserimos day trip from Kos?
A Pserimos day trip from Kos lands you on a small, dry island of the Dodecanese, between Kos and Kalymnos. It has one village, Avlakia, a sandy bay, hills of thyme and scrub, and ancient stones in a church courtyard.
Pserimos is a small island in the Dodecanese chain. It lies between Kalymnos and Kos, near the coast of Turkey, and belongs to the municipality of Kalymnos. A Pserimos day trip from Kos therefore ends on an island that Kalymnos administers. The boat itself sets out from Kos.
The ground is dry and stony. Hills rise from the shore, and thyme, wild oregano, caper and low scrub cover them instead of forest. Anyone on a Pserimos day trip from Kos who walks inland crosses a barren landscape that smells of herbs.
Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos, and it is also the port. It lies on the west coast, at the head of a narrow inlet behind a sandy beach. Arid hills ring a fertile triangle of land there and feed it with seasonal water.
The church of the Panaghia is the main visible landmark of Avlakia. The building dates from the nineteenth century and stands 30 metres back from the shore. It sits at the east end of the bay. Inside are a carved wooden throne with a swan’s-neck design and icons of the same age. A dense olive grove extends behind it.
The courtyard holds stones from far older times. A large marble panel with a cross-and-rosette pattern once flanked the steps up to a raised platform, an ambo. Stacked to one side lie a fluted column, a pagan altar and a pilaster fragment in fine alabaster.
Pserimos appears in ancient texts. Homer mentions the islands of Kalydnas, a group that includes Pserimos and the islets around it. Pliny calls the island Pserema. A third-century inscription writes the island’s name beside a list of Kos officials. It shows that Pserimos depended on Kos.
The later story follows the rest of the Dodecanese. The island submitted to the Ottoman Empire at the start of the sixteenth century. It fell to the Italians in nineteen twelve. The island joined the Greek state in nineteen forty-eight.
Archaeologists have never explored Pserimos thoroughly. Even so, traces of four Early Christian churches have been identified. Parts of early basilicas survive in the island’s present churches. The island’s only festival honours the Panagia. It takes place on 15 August in the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.
Land and sea gave islanders their work. Residents raise animals and grow olives, and the island sends out capers and fish. The native caper grows thickly and has been known here since ancient times. Tourism is the main industry. A Pserimos day trip from Kos is one of the boat routes that serve it.
Evenings are calm. The island is very isolated, and no services exist away from the port. Taverns on the island include ones that let rooms. The excursion fleet turns for home in the late afternoon. A crew arriving by its own boat then has the beach, the tavernas and the bay to itself.
Where do you swim, snorkel and eat on a Pserimos day trip from Kos?
Clear water makes a Pserimos day trip from Kos a swim or snorkel stop. Lunch on the half-day cruise and on the catamaran is served on board. Cafes and tavernas stand at the port of Avlakia for anyone who prefers to eat ashore.
The swim stop is the core of a Pserimos day trip from Kos. The half-day trip with lunch leaves time to swim, snorkel or rest on the beach. The length of that stop varies. One other half-day cruise gives one hour in the Aegean water before the boat moves on.
On the half-day trip with lunch, the meal is served on deck, with a view of the island. It is pork souvlaki, a Greek salad and a slice of bread. Vegetarian and vegan versions are available on request. The boat serves lunch after the Pserimos stop, not on the island itself.
Another half-day cruise changes that order. This Pserimos day trip from Kos gives one hour at the island first, and a barbecue lunch on board follows. The day ends with a swim stop of 45 minutes at the Blue Lagoon. The boat then heads back to Kos Harbour.
On the half-day trip with lunch, the boat also sails to the Blue Lagoon after the meal. Passengers take a dip, look at the clear water below or simply stay on board. The length of this stop varies as well. The boat then cruises back to the port of Kos.
The snorkelling cruise by diving boat swims in a private blue lagoon, away from the crowds. This Pserimos day trip from Kos hands out the equipment once the boat reaches the clear water off the island. Instructors supervise the swimmers indirectly, so each person explores the lagoon freely.
Learning comes with that cruise. A basic snorkelling briefing with certified instructors lasts 20 to 30 minutes. Passengers hear about the local fish and marine life. The diving boat offers a deck in the shade and a large sun deck for resting between swims. Food and drinks are not included on this cruise.
The catamaran on a Pserimos day trip from Kos anchors in two different bays of the island. Both are secluded, and the water is crystal clear and suits both swimming and snorkelling. The crew supplies free masks, fins and goggles. A Greek lunch, prepared on board, follows the swim.
Morning coffee and snacks start the catamaran day, served while the boat sails along the coast of Kos. Drinks on the catamaran are free throughout the cruise: beer, white wine, soft drinks and bottled water. On the half-day trip with lunch, drinks are sold at the bar on board instead.
Eating ashore on a Pserimos day trip from Kos means the port of Avlakia. The majority of the island’s restaurants and tavernas stand there, and the tavernas serve local recipes. The village also has cafes and mini markets.
Trees and umbrellas give shade at the easiest beach to reach, which lies at the port of Avlakia. Relaxing by the sea is the main activity on the island. More beaches with sand and pebbles, or sand and small rocks, lie beyond the port. Walkers reach them, and a number of them are completely isolated.
When does a Pserimos day trip from Kos run and which booking rules apply?
A Pserimos day trip from Kos has its peak season from late spring to September. The diving-boat snorkelling cruise leaves in the morning, wind permitting. The half-day boat trip and the catamaran return your money for a cancellation made 24 hours ahead.
Kos has a peak season for island trips, and it runs from late spring to September. Outside those months, trips are less crowded and the swim stops are more peaceful. The booking cards on this page show open dates for each sailing.
The meltemi is the strong north wind of the Aegean. It arrives in periods between late spring and about the middle of September. In its strongest spells, the bigger share of inter-island ferries cannot sail. A Pserimos day trip from Kos crosses the same Aegean waters, so wind matters to the day.
The snorkelling cruise by diving boat departs every morning, wind permitting. It returns to Kos around half past two in the afternoon. That makes this Pserimos day trip from Kos a morning-to-afternoon outing. The same sailing can be cancelled because of weather.
Other formats answer a weather cancellation with a clear choice. The half-day boat trip gives a full refund or a place on another date. A three-island cruise offers the same: an alternative date or the money back.
Cancelling by choice has its own window. The half-day boat trip, the catamaran cruise and a three-island cruise each refund in full. The cancellation must come 24 hours or more before the sailing starts. On one three-island cruise, a later cancellation earns no refund. Book a Pserimos day trip from Kos with that cut-off in mind.
The snorkelling cruise by diving boat and one three-island cruise each require a minimum number of travellers. When bookings fall below that minimum, the three-island cruise moves you to another date or returns the money. A Pserimos day trip from Kos on those boats therefore depends on enough bookings for the sailing.
Age rules change with the boat. The half-day boat trip sets no age restriction and welcomes toddlers. The catamaran cruise runs as a small group and does not take children under twelve. On a three-island cruise, children board only with an adult. A Pserimos day trip from Kos starts with matching the boat to the youngest traveller.
Health and swimming limits differ too. The snorkelling cruise by diving boat does not suit non-swimmers or travellers with poor cardiovascular health. The half-day boat trip does not suit people prone to seasickness, wheelchair users or pregnant women. The catamaran cruise supplies free snorkelling gear that suits beginners.
Take a hat, swimwear, a towel and sunscreen on the half-day trip, the catamaran and a three-island cruise. The half-day boat trip adds sunglasses, cash, a card and the booking confirmation. The catamaran cruise adds a passport or ID, and it does not provide towels.
Plan the start of the morning. Reach the meeting point of the half-day boat trip 15 minutes before departure. One three-island cruise accepts bookings until one day before the sailing, while seats remain. The booking cards here show live availability, so choose a sailing and book it ahead.