Daily Chios Tours from Turkey
The island of mastic, less than an hour from Çeşme: the Byzantine monastery of Nea Moni, the black-and-white painted houses of Pyrgi, the fortified village of Mesta and the old mansions of Kampos. Send us your dates and we will plan your day on Chios.
Tours on Chios
Send us your dates and the number of guests, and we will plan your day on Chios with the ferry from Çeşme. Our shared and private Chios day tours from Çeşme are listed below.
Chios in pictures
Nea Moni, the mastic villages of Pyrgi and Mesta, the castle of Chios Town and Kampos.
Photo credits
Wikimedia Commons: Mariolovre (CC BY-SA 4.0), FLIOUKAS (CC BY-SA 4.0), Eva-tzi (CC BY-SA 4.0), KONSTANTINOS ZANNARAS (CC BY-SA 4.0), Katsiaryna Naliuka (CC BY-SA 3.0), FLIOUKAS (CC BY-SA 4.0), Meltedrainbow (CC BY-SA 4.0), FLIOUKAS (CC BY-SA 4.0), We-are-the-problem (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Ferry from Turkey to Chios
Çeşme → Chios
Ferries to Chios leave from Çeşme and arrive in Chios Town after a crossing of under an hour. Sailing days and times change by season, so tell us your dates and we will confirm the crossing for your trip.
Why visit Chios?
Chios, also known in Turkish as Sakız Adası, is one of the largest islands of the Aegean, only a few kilometres from Çeşme. Its Turkish name comes from mastic, sakız, the fragrant resin of the mastic tree, which grows in this quantity only in the south of Chios. The know-how of mastic cultivation on Chios is on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
The island has a long and rich history: Genoese merchants ruled it for two centuries, the Ottomans for almost four, and wealthy shipowning families built mansions in the orchards of Kampos. The monastery of Nea Moni, with its 11th-century mosaics, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What to see in Chios
Chios Town and Kampos are close to the port. Nea Moni is about 15 km inland, and the mastic villages of Pyrgi and Mesta are in the south, 25 to 35 km away, so a tour or a car is the best way to see them in a day.
Chios Town and the Castle
The island capital and port. Inside the walls of the castle, built by the Byzantines and the Genoese, is an old quarter with narrow lanes, restored Ottoman baths and old houses.
Nea Moni
An 11th-century monastery in the mountains, founded by the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomachos. Its church has some of the finest gold-ground mosaics of the period and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Pyrgi
The “painted village”, where the house fronts are covered in black-and-white geometric patterns scratched into the plaster, a technique called xysta.
Mesta
A medieval fortified village, built as a maze of stone lanes and arches with houses joined together to form a wall. In its centre stands the large church of the Archangels.
The mastic villages
Around twenty villages in the south of the island, the Mastichochoria, grow mastic trees. The Chios Mastic Museum near Pyrgi explains how the resin is collected and used.
Kampos
A plain south of town with walled orchards of mandarins and oranges and the stone mansions of old Genoese and Chiot families.
Anavatos
An abandoned village of grey stone houses on top of a steep rock, near Nea Moni. It was deserted after the events of 1822 and is now a memorial.
Daskalopetra
A rock carved like a seat near Vrontados, north of Chios Town, known as the Stone of Homer. Tradition says the poet taught his students here.
Mavra Volia
A beach of black volcanic pebbles at Emporios in the south, with clear deep water.
Arriving on Chios by ferry from Turkey
Ferries from Çeşme arrive in Chios Town after a crossing of under an hour. The port is next to the town centre and a short walk from the castle. Sailing days and times change with the season, and in winter there are fewer boats.
Bring your passport. Greece is in the Schengen area, so check whether you need a visa before you travel. Tell us your dates and we will confirm the ferry, or choose one of our Chios day tours from Çeşme below.
Where to stay in Chios
Choose your area by the holiday you want. Here are some well-known hotels in each area. Prices are on request: send us your dates and we will check availability.
Chios Town
Close to the ferry from Çeşme, the castle, the museums and the restaurants of the harbour.
- Chandris Hotel Chios · price on request
- Kyma Hotel · price on request
- Grecian Castle Hotel · price on request
Kampos
Restored stone mansions in the citrus orchards just south of town, quiet and full of character.
- Mavrokordatiko · price on request
Karfas
A sandy beach area about 7 km south of Chios Town, with resort hotels.
- Golden Sand Hotel · price on request
Mesta and Pyrgi
Traditional guesthouses inside the medieval mastic villages of the south.
Where is Chios?
Chios is a large Greek island in the eastern Aegean, opposite the Çeşme peninsula of Turkey.
Chios questions and answers
How do I get to Chios from Turkey?
Ferries to Chios leave from Çeşme and arrive in Chios Town after a crossing of under an hour. Sailing times change by season.
Can I visit Chios on a day trip from Çeşme?
Yes. With a morning ferry and an evening return you can see Chios Town and one or two areas of the island, such as Nea Moni or the mastic villages. Our Chios day tours from Çeşme are planned around the ferry times.
Do I need a visa to visit Chios?
Greece is in the Schengen area. Depending on your nationality you may need a Schengen visa. Bring your passport for the border check.
Do you offer tours on Chios?
Yes. We run shared and private Chios day tours from Çeşme, and we can plan a tour on the island for your own dates.
What is the Turkish name of Chios?
In Turkish, Chios is known as Sakız Adası, the island of mastic.
Plan your Chios trip
Send us your dates and the number of guests. We will check the ferries and reply with your full plan.