A Zia Kos sunset tour is a round trip to the mountain village of Zia for the sunset. You travel by bus or by safari vehicle from your hotel. This post covers the formats, the road, the village and the booking rules. The homepage lists more Greece Tours like this one.
Each tour card below opens a live GetYourGuide booking. Dates, pickup points and group sizes are shown on each card.
What is a Zia Kos sunset tour and who joins it?
A Zia Kos sunset tour is a round trip from a hotel or meeting point to Zia, a mountain village. The return comes after sunset. Formats run from a plain bus ride to a safari drive with dinner.
One format is a plain bus transfer. A bus collects passengers at hotels, drives up to Zia, and brings everyone back after the sunset. In Zia the evening is yours. The operator can help book a restaurant table on request. This Zia Kos sunset tour sells the ride and the free evening.
If you plan to cross into Turkey as well, the homepage also lists Turkey tours.
A coach format with hotel pickup is built the same way. The trip is mainly transport and free exploration, and it is not a highly guided tour. The village entrance serves as the sunset viewpoint. Time in the village is fixed at roughly an hour to an hour and a half. Meals are not included.
The sunset safari adds a drive and a meal. On this Zia Kos sunset tour, an escort-driver collects you from the hotel in an off-road vehicle. The group stops at a viewpoint on the mountain for sunset photos, then drives on to Zia. Dinner at a tavern follows, with a glass of wine.
The safari is semi-private, so a small group shares one off-road vehicle. Insurance and local taxes are part of the booking. Vegetarian meals and allergy-friendly alternatives can be arranged if you tell the operator when you book. Extra wine, beer and refreshments at the tavern are not included.
A day format adds an archaeological site. The island tour visits the Asklepieion and then Zia, led by a live guide in German. It starts with a hotel pickup and ends with a drop-off. Lunch is not part of the tour. Zia is one stop among others, so this outing differs from a Zia Kos sunset tour.
A private ride is the flexible format. A driver collects your party at the accommodation, and you choose the stops, the pace and the itinerary. The ride includes a viewpoint stop on the mountain, then time in Zia. The driver speaks English and tells stories on the way. Meals are not included.
Couples join a Zia Kos sunset tour for the setting. The minibus evening has a romantic mood, and the safari takes couples and single travellers alike. Families have the coach format, which is family-friendly. The bus transfer takes passengers of all ages, and the safari welcomes families with older children.
Groups of friends have options too. The bus transfer has no minimum or maximum group size. The safari welcomes youth groups and companies. The private ride suits travellers who want the island sights without driving themselves. None of these formats asks you to drive, since each starts with a pickup.
Parts of a Zia Kos sunset tour are fixed, and parts are yours. On the coach, the time in the village is fixed. On the safari, the plan runs from the viewpoint to the dinner. You pick the format and whether to eat at a tavern on the transfers. On the private ride, you set the stops.
Where does a Zia Kos sunset tour go and how long is the drive?
A Zia Kos sunset tour climbs from the coast of Kos to Zia, a village south-west of Kos Town. Zia stands on the slopes of Mount Dikeos. The drive length depends on the format. The bus transfer takes about 30 minutes, while the jeep safari adds two viewpoint stops on the way.
Zia stands on the slopes of Mount Dikeos, a mountain that is also spelled Dikaios. The village lies south-west of Kos Town. Its neighbour Asfendiou sits on the same mountainside, about 14 kilometres from the town in the same direction. A Zia Kos sunset tour therefore leaves the coast and climbs inland.
Zia is one of the Asfendiou mountain villages. The others are Asomatos, Evangelistria, Lagoudi and Aghios Dimitrios, and each one is built on the slopes of Dikeos. Zipari belongs to the same group but is not a mountain village. It sits on the main road to Kos airport.
The road to Zia is paved and climbs through the hills. From Kos Town, drivers pass the Asklepieion and then take a winding road through the woods. The road also passes the villages of Zipari and Asfendiou.
On the bus transfer, the Zia Kos sunset tour is a return trip by bus. The bus collects passengers at locations in Kardamena and drives them to Mount Zia. The transfer takes approximately 30 minutes. The local partner sends the pickup time before departure.
The jeep safari starts with hotel pickup. This Zia Kos sunset tour collects passengers in Kardamena, Mastichari, Marmari, Tigaki, Lambi, Kos Town, Paradisi, Psalidi and Agios Fokas. Passengers give their location when they book. The vehicle is an off-road 4×4 driven by an escort-driver.
The safari route breaks into short drives. First comes a drive of about 30 minutes off road to a viewpoint on Mount Dikeos. A photo stop of about 10 minutes follows. A second drive of about 20 minutes reaches another viewpoint. The last leg to Zia village takes about 20 minutes. The way back takes about 30 minutes.
The village sunset tour with hotel pickup uses an air-conditioned minivan. This Zia Kos sunset tour takes passengers from selected hotels only. The hotel has to be on the operator’s list. The minivan drives to the centre of Zia and brings passengers back to the hotel at the end.
A private Zia Kos sunset tour starts at the hotel or at a custom pickup point. The car is a comfortable sedan for a small party and a minivan for a larger one. The route stops at the Mount Dikeos viewpoint and then continues to Zia. The driver can adjust the stops and the pace.
The island highlights tour is a bus tour with hotel pickup and drop-off. Passengers check the pickup details one day before the excursion.
The private tour from the cruise port works differently. Passengers meet the driver at the Port of Kos and ride in a private, air-conditioned car. The route runs through Kos Town and the Asklepieion before the climb to Zia, then returns to the port.
What do you see, taste and buy in Zia during a Zia Kos sunset tour?
A Zia Kos sunset tour shows you a green mountain village of cobbled alleys and white houses. The view runs over the sea and the nearby islands. In the village you can taste local dishes in a taverna and buy herbs, honey, spices and handmade goods.
Zia is a mountain village, and trees close in around it. Olive groves, pine trees, cypress trees and oaks circle the houses. Water springs run down from the mountain above. A Zia Kos sunset tour spends its evening in this green setting instead of on the coast.
From the village you look out over the coast of Kos and the open sea. The neighbouring islands of Kalymnos and Pserimos are in sight. The outlook reaches all the way to the Turkish coast. The village is also a good spot for seeing the whole island of Kos at once.
Sunset is the moment this village is known for, and a Zia Kos sunset tour is built around it. The sun dips into the Aegean Sea, and the sky turns pink and orange. Tavernas and cafes along the main street are good viewpoints, so you can watch the colours change from a table.
The village keeps its traditional look. The houses are small and white, with blue doors and blue windows, and the streets are painted blue in places. Cobbled alleys run between them. Traditional watermills also stand in Zia, and one has been restored to show local tools and objects.
Zia also has churches. The church of Saint John the Theologian, called Agios Ioannis Theologos in Greek, is built into the rocks. A small church of the Prophet Elias, called Profitis Ilias, stands at the top of a nearby low hill. At the summit of Mount Dikeos a church of Christ looks over the whole island.
Shops line the main street of Zia and sell traditional and handmade products. The alleys hold souvenir shops with handcrafted items. The shelves carry local herbs, spices and honey, and shops sell olive oil too. Visitors on a Zia Kos sunset tour who want a souvenir from Kos will find it here.
Sweet products have their own place on the shelves. Kanelada is a cinnamon syrup made by hand, and it is a speciality of the village. Shops also sell traditional desserts, a local cheese called krasotyri and artisanal liqueurs.
The village is full of tavernas, cafes and restaurants that serve local cooking. Anyone on a Zia Kos sunset tour who stays for dinner can try kleftiko. This dish is lamb marinated in olive oil, garlic and herbs and cooked in parchment paper. Saganaki and moussaka are served in the tavernas as well.
The sunset safari dinner is traditional Greek food, served in the village. Depending on the safari, the food arrives as mezedes or as a dinner platter.
When does a Zia Kos sunset tour run and which rules apply?
A Zia Kos sunset tour runs in the evening from late spring into autumn, and pickup follows the sunset. Tours last from 2.5 to 4 hours. Children join the safari from age 7, and a light jacket suits the cool evening.
The sunset safari starts in late spring, and its pickup timetable runs through September. The sun sets at different hours across those months. Late June brings the latest sunset of the year, at about 8:34 pm. On the first of August it sets at about 8:18 pm. By the last day of September it sets at about 6:56 pm.
The pickup time of a Zia Kos sunset tour changes with the month. On the sunset safari, the first pickup is at 5:45 pm from late spring to August. In September the first pickup is at 4:45 pm.
On one sunset tour with transport to and from Zia, pickup times shift with the sunset time. On the coach transfer, the local operator sends the exact pickup place and time the day before. On the roundtrip bus transfer, wait at your hotel entrance gate 15 minutes before the pickup time.
Length depends on the format. A Zia Kos sunset tour by roundtrip bus transfer lasts 3 hours, like the private ride. The village sunset tour with hotel pickup runs about 2.5 hours. The sunset safari takes 4 hours, from the first pickup to the drive back.
Group size also depends on the format. On the private ride, a sedan takes one to four guests and a minivan takes five to seven. The sunset safari needs at least four guests to run.
Age limits differ too. The sunset safari takes guests from age 7 and provides no baby seats. A Zia Kos sunset tour as a private ride has infant seats available. Guests under 18 cannot drink alcohol on the safari.
The sunset safari is not recommended for guests with car sickness, mobility problems or back problems, or for pregnant women. The same advice applies above 195 centimetres in height or 130 kilograms in weight.
Walking is part of the village visit. The village sunset tour with hotel pickup is not suitable for wheelchair users. In places, the walking paths are narrow or uneven. The coach transfer is not suitable for guests with walking difficulties. The private ride is suitable for all fitness levels.
Pack a layer for a Zia Kos sunset tour, because evenings can be cool. The lowest expected night temperature on Kos is 13 degrees Celsius in late spring, against 21 in July and August. Safari guests bring a jacket in spring and autumn, plus sun protection, sunglasses and a hat.
Book ahead on the live cards. The bus transfer, the private ride and the sunset safari are refunded in full when you cancel a day ahead. Bad weather that stops the safari brings a new date or a refund. Check the Zia Kos sunset tour policy on the card before you pay. Use this checklist before you go.
- Your hotel name, entered when you book
- A phone number the operator can reach
- A light jacket for the cool evening
- Comfortable shoes
- A camera