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Looking for a Kos itinerary? The Bumper Crew has it covered! We have visited Kos numerous times and even compiled a list of the best things to do in Kos. This isn’t that list, but what we got up to and when during our last visit.
Throughout this Kos itinerary, we talk about where we went and when we went there but don’t talk in detail about the places. So, head over to that post to learn more about each item on this Kos itinerary if you’d like to know more about them.
Read: Things to Do in Kos
Read: Things to Do in Kos Town
Kos Itinerary
Our intention in Kos was to slow down a little. We’re at 110% all of the time and don’t spend much time doing not very much. This Kos itinerary is a somewhat slower pace than usual for us but is still fairly jam-packed if you’re used to a relaxing beach holiday. But take from it what you would like to help plan your trip to Kos.
Day 1
Day one of our Kos itinerary was in Kardamena.
Kardamena
We stayed in Kardamena – a place we are both familiar with. We used day one to re-familiarise ourselves, check out the landscape, catch up with an old friend and see what’s changed—quite a few things, so it seems. We also took the opportunity on day one to scope out the travel places to book up the trips we wanted to go on, which we did.
Greek Night at Fantasia
We booked the Greek Night at Fantasia for night one. The transport picked us up from Kardamena and took us towards Zia, where Fantasia is located. It offers beautiful views, great food, endless wine (literally! It’s all you can drink and on tap), Greek dancers, music, delicious Greek food and one of the best sunsets on the island.
Day 2
Day two was taken up by a boat trip to Nisyros, a volcanic island about an hour away by boat. It’s a fairly leisurely day, which is good because Stace was a bit tender from all the wine the night before.
Boat Trip to Nisyros
We hopped on the boat from Kardamena harbour at midday. The boat takes about an hour to get to Nisyros. From there, we jumped on the bus, which took us up and over the mountain towards the volcano crater. You have to pay for entry to the volcano once you’re there. It’s just a few Euros, and then you’re free to enter, where you’ll have about 40 minutes inside the volcano crater. It’s plenty of time before getting back on the bus and heading to Mandraki. There, you’ll have about an hour to explore the small village and get some food, as we did. From there, it’s back on the boat and back to Kardamena for the evening.
Day 3
Kos Town
Day three was another day trip. We headed to Kos Town to see what the island’s capital had to offer. There’s quite a bit to do in Kos Town for a day, but we opted for an organised tour bus instead of the local buses to get us there and back.
We had around five and a half hours there, which was plenty to see everything we needed to and feed a few cats. Kos Town isn’t huge. However, if you wanted to spend more time there, you could catch the bus across the island. And if you’d like to know more about the town, we’ve put a post together about the best things to do in Kos Town.
Day 4
3-Island Boat Trip
Day four of our Kos itinerary was yet another excursion. This one was the 3-island boat trip and had a less-than-desirable early start. That’s because the boat leaves from Kos Town and we were staying in Kardamena, so we had to catch a coach from the resort. It was all a little too early and left us about an hour on the boat before it launched. But once you’re on, you can find a spot and then go and get coffee – there was plenty of time.
The 3-island boat trip takes you to three neighbouring islands on the north side of Kos, Pserimos, Kalymnos and Plati. Although you don’t stop on Plati, you do stop three times and get lunch on board, all included in the price.
Sunset at Mastihari
Once we returned from the boat trip, we went to collect our quad, which we had for 24 hours. We got a 300cc quad, which was plenty powerful enough for the two of us and blasted over the hill to Mastihari for the sunset on the recommendation of the quad hire place.
Although Mastihari isn’t a remarkable town, the sunset is. That’s because, if you pick the right restaurant, you can enjoy dinner on the beach and watch the sunset over the sea. It’s genuinely one of the best dinners and sunsets we’ve ever seen because it was such a wonderful experience.
Day 5
Day five of our Kos itinerary was our adventure day. We opted to hire a quad for one day instead of two. The idea was to enable us to have an extra day in Kardamena to relax. We have a super busy life in London and wanted to take more time in Greece to chill out a bit, which is what we did. However, day five was a blast and our favourite of the entire week because we are proper adventurers at heart!
Plaka Forest
We started the day early and headed straight to Plaka Forest. It’s where the peacocks hang out and is nicknamed Peacock Park. You’ll also find tortoises here, although we didn’t find any. There are also a few walks and a gorgeous pine forest to soak up that awesome smell of pine. We recommend arriving early. It gets busy from mid-morning.
The Beaches
Once we left Plaka Forest, we headed to a couple of beaches – Paradise Beach, where we had breakfast, followed by Agios Stefanos Beach. Paradise Beach is regarded as one of Kos’s best beaches and is famous for the bubbles which come up through the sand in the sea. A blue buoy marks it.
Agios Stefanos Beach was next and offered the single best view of any beach on Kos, in our opinion. That’s because it has one of the most famous landmarks on the island – the islet of Kastri, which you can get to buy swimming (or you can hire a pedalo).
Antimachia
After the beaches, we headed to Antimachia, home to the last working windmill on Kos and the traditional Greek house. The windmill was one of our favourite things on the island, plus we got to take some sweet treats home with us, which also doubled up as our entry fees. Don’t forget to read our post about Kos to learn more about the windmill and traditional Greek house.
Zia
Next up on adventure day was Zia. Zia sits up in the mountains, just about Fantasia, and is the best village on the island. It’s absolutely gorgeous. The views are great, and the shops are quirky. There’s a nature park, walks and plenty of tavernas to stop at for food, too.
Therma Beach
After Zia was the epic drive to Therma Beach via the winding road to Asklipieio Kos. Epic because it’s quite far away and because that road is the most fun to drive on the island, with plenty of twists, turns and epic views.
And after the drive, you’ll end up at one of the most unique locations on Kos – a thermal spa kicking out red hot water from the hillside straight into the sea. A dam has been built to create a small pool so you can bathe in the warm waters running from the hill. Despite the derelict building and less-than-desirable location, it’s worth visiting because it’s so unusual.
Wine Tasting
On our way back from Therma Beach to Kardamena, we stopped at one of the vineyards on the main road that leads straight through the centre of the island. We opted to stop at Weingut Hatzinikolaou. It’s a lovely vineyard that offers wine tasting for just a few Euros and a gorgeous setting to enjoy a glass or two after your tasting, should you want to indulge a little further.
Antimachia Castle
Our final stop with the quad on our Kos itinerary was Antimachia Castle because it was on the way back to Kardamena via a very short detour. The castle is free to enter and is in a fairly poor state. However, it’s pretty cool and offers some epic views over Kardamena and the gorge it sits above.
To save going back to the main road back to Kardamena, we went down the side of the castle on the track. However, the winter rains had caused some problems for the road and led to some pretty deep holes, which caused a bit of an issue getting down the hill. We made it safely, but we recommend returning to the main road.
Days 6 & 7
Kardamena
Days six and seven of our Kos itinerary were back in Kardamena. This time allowed us another opportunity to explore Kardamena a little more, say goodbye to our friends, have a BBQ at our accommodation and relax and unwind before heading home back to the Big Smoke.
FAQs
How many days should I spend in Kos?
Kos is a fairly large island with quite a lot to do. If you’re an adventurer, you will need at least a week to explore the island and see most of it, although you’d be hard-pressed to see all of it.
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