Sometimes a great holiday is closer than you think and cheaper than you expect. A Chios island holiday was exactly that for me. Ever since we took the ferry from Çeşme and set foot on the famous Greek island of Chios just 15 minutes later, I have been dreaming of going back.
Without crowded buses, airport stress or long queues, and with just a little planning, this trip turned into a wonderful getaway.
In this post I share how to get to Chios and how we spent four peaceful days on the island. I also cover the best places to visit in Chios and answer common questions like “Do you need a visa for Chios?”
If you only have one day: Day Trip to Chios from Izmir
Short info: Chios is a Greek island just 15 minutes by ferry from Çeşme. We spent 4 days there in May, stayed at Sideratos Apartments by the sea and explored by rented motorbike. My highlights were Pyrgi and Mesta villages, the Mastic Museum and the beaches of Mavra Volia, Trachili and Vroulidia, and eating out was even cheaper than in Turkey.
2026 note: We visited Chios in May 2025. Ferry prices and schedules change with the season, and in winter there are fewer sailings, so check the latest times before you go.
How to Get to Chios: Ferry and Flight Options
The fastest and easiest way to get to Chios from Turkey is the Çeşme–Chios ferry. The crossing takes only about 15 minutes! A return ticket costs around €50 (Ertürk, 2026), but prices change with the season and the company. Ferry companies include Turyol and Ertürk, and you can find the latest schedules on their websites.
Chios also has an airport, with daily flights from Athens. If you are coming from elsewhere in Greece, flying is an easy option too.
Keep in mind that getting to Çeşme is easy if you are already in Izmir or nearby. If you are coming from further away, as we did, fuel and motorway tolls can cost more than the ferry ticket itself, so sharing the drive with friends makes the trip much cheaper.
Do You Need a Visa for Chios?
Here are the answers to two common questions.
Who can enter Chios without a visa?
Chios is part of Greece and the Schengen area.
- EU citizens,
- holders of passports that don’t need a Schengen visa,
- and travellers with a valid Schengen visa can enter directly.
Is there a visa on arrival for Chios?
Yes, for Turkish citizens, with one detail: you need to apply in advance through a travel agency. They prepare the paperwork, and once it is approved, a single-entry visa is stamped in your passport before you board the ferry in Çeşme. The process takes a few days, so don’t leave it to the last minute.
When you get off the ferry, travellers with a visa on arrival and other passengers use separate passport control queues. We went on a weekday in May and waited about 1 hour. It takes a while, but the process is well organised and eventually you are on the island.
Getting Around Chios: Renting a Motorbike
If you want to explore the island freely, the best way is definitely by motorbike, as long as you have a licence and riding experience. We rented one from CRC Rentals – Chios Rent a Car & Moto Rentals and were very happy. The bike was new and trouble-free, and the staff were very helpful. With it we rode from village to village, explored quiet streets and stopped wherever we liked along the coast.
We had booked online before arriving. After the ferry, we went to the rental office on the waterfront, picked up the bike and paid. Everything took half an hour, and then we headed to our accommodation.
A Lovely Place to Stay in Chios: Sideratos Apartments
This trip was actually my birthday present, so I had no idea where we would stay. I only found out when we arrived that we were staying at Sideratos Apartments, right by the sea. Our hosts Yanis and Cindy welcomed us warmly, we had coffee together and they offered us traditional mastic liqueur. (I loved it. I don’t usually like alcohol, but I have a weakness for sweet liqueurs, and I drank mastic liqueur all through our stay. Still, let’s not forget that alcohol isn’t good for us.)
It is a small, sweet family business right by the sea. The view I saw from the garden while we had our coffee gave me high hopes for our room, and when we went inside, it exceeded them.
I expected a nice room, but not such a spacious, bright apartment. It was spotless, beautifully decorated and had everything we needed. The kitchen was fully equipped, from a coffee machine to a microwave, and the view from the balcony was lovely. Having breakfast there in the morning and sipping mastic liqueur in the evening was a real pleasure.
After seeing the other beaches on the island, I can’t say the beach at Sideratos Apartments is the best for swimming. The water was a bit shallow, but still very beautiful, and people with homes there swam there every day. Above all, you step out of the door and you are at a crystal clear sea. What more could you want? You could happily spend your whole holiday without leaving.
In May the weather was mild. Mornings were pleasantly warm and evenings were cool, but the sun was strong. Bring a hat, a long-sleeved shirt and other sun protection, and don’t forget your sunscreen.
I also tried a new SPF 50 sunscreen on this trip and used it on my face and over my tattoos. When I applied it 5-10 minutes before going out, it left no white cast at all, and it even stayed on my tattoos after swimming.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Chios?
We went in May and the weather was perfect, neither scorching hot nor windy and cold. The best time to visit is usually from late April to early October. If you want to avoid crowds, May and September are ideal. On the weekdays we were there, the island was almost empty, and many places felt like they were just for us.
Places to Visit in Chios
For 4 days we rode from village to village and beach to beach by motorbike. Four days were enough for all the places below. We didn’t go much to the north of the island, because people told us it is very mountainous and there isn’t much to see.
The main places we visited were the Chios Mastic Museum, the villages of Pyrgi and Mesta, and the beaches, especially the popular Mavra Volia.
Chios Mastic Museum
Since I saw the museums in the Netherlands, my expectations of museums have been quite high. The Mastic Museum wasn’t perfect in that sense, but it was good enough. We paid €8 to get in. It felt a bit small for the price, but it showed us how mastic is collected from start to finish and how it has shaped local culture. We watched documentaries about the women who have harvested and cleaned mastic for generations. If I had to rate it, I’d give it 7/10.
At the entrance there is information about mastic trees and the harvested mastic. There are also documentaries and areas where you can read about the mastic trade from the past to today.
In the history section, something caught my attention. There is an event known as the Chios massacre, and it is mentioned in the film, but nowhere in the museum does it say who carried it out. I had to look it up myself and found out that it was the Ottoman Empire. I don’t know whether they left this out because they love their neighbours and don’t want to offend them, or simply to stay on topic. It just caught my eye, and I’d love to hear what you think.
The museum also has an outdoor area with a short walk where you can see mastic trees up close. If you look carefully, you can also spot lots of different spiders and flowers.
Overall, the Chios Mastic Museum felt like a small experience space. Mastic trees, production, scents… you can interact with all of them. After your visit there is a café and shop where you can buy mastic products and have a coffee. We had a Greek coffee with mastic. I don’t like comparing what I eat and drink abroad with my own country, but it tasted just like Turkish coffee. (So Turkish coffee is also just like Greek coffee.) Because the mastic is natural, we couldn’t really taste it; it was like drinking plain coffee.
We also bought mastic chewing gum from the shop, which cost €2.80 there. Similar gum is sold in clear bags for €1 in the souvenir shops in town, but I preferred buying here for two reasons. First, Mastiha Shop is an official brand and its income supports mastic production (at least that’s what locals told us). For the same reason, this labelled product felt safer than gum sold in plain bags.
Pyrgi Village
If you want a cultural trip on the island, I recommend visiting Pyrgi and Mesta. Pyrgi, with its traditional architecture and grey and white patterns, was really impressive. Mesta has narrow stone streets and a fascinating atmosphere.
My three favourite beaches: Mavra Volia, Trachili and Vroulidia
I think these three beaches are among the most beautiful places on the island. The black pebble beach at Mavra Volia is truly impressive. It is a volcanic beach, which is why the stones are black. When we went, the season hadn’t started yet, so there was nobody there. The sea was very rough, so we couldn’t swim.
Trachili was wilder and quieter. You can drive part of the way, but then you have to leave your vehicle and walk. We left our motorbike halfway and walked down to the beach. When we arrived there was only a group of 4 friends, who left soon after. Then a few small groups came, but for a long time we swam alone on this huge beach. It was wonderful.
Vroulidia Beach was recommended by our dear friend Tuğçe, and we loved it. When we went there was only one person sunbathing. The cove has a small car park and a little restaurant. After parking you walk down to the beach on a concrete path. The restaurant opens in summer, and apparently if you want something to eat, you can call and order, and they send your food down to you in a lift. Interesting and clever!
Citrus Museum
Another museum you can visit is the Citrus Museum. Today the island lives mainly from tourism and mastic, but in the past it also traded oranges. Our host recommended this museum. On our last day we had no plans, so we rode around the island on the motorbike and stopped here for a coffee. Riding through walled orange groves to get to the Citrus Museum was lovely.
I don’t think it’s a must-see. If you have better things to do, I wouldn’t recommend going. But if you have no better plan, it’s a nice way to learn something new and support the local economy. Entry is €3 and there is a café in the garden where you can have a coffee.
Food and Drink in Chios: Delicious, Surprising and Affordable
One of the most surprising things about Chios: prices were even lower than in Turkey. Four of us had a table full of meze with 1–2 bottles of wine and paid only about €60–70, even at places with a sea view or in the centre.
Almost everywhere we went, the service was excellent and the food was delicious. Nobody is in a hurry and the food takes a while, but it’s definitely worth the wait. Here are my two favourite restaurants:
- To Asteri – Greek Restaurant: An amazing view. We had a wonderful dinner with ouzo here.
- Vradipus: The meze, wine and atmosphere were excellent.
Vradipus
Delicious meze, a great atmosphere and good drinks. It is in the town centre and very easy to reach. You definitely need to book. Service was very slow, but we didn’t mind. They also mixed up our dessert with the next table’s, but the wrong dessert was so tasty that it wasn’t a problem.
We paid about €70 for 6 meze dishes, a small bottle of ouzo, two bottles of wine (like the one in the photo below), four shots of mastic liqueur and a dessert. And when I say 6 meze dishes, don’t imagine tiny plates. The portions were generous and we all left completely full.
Asteri
We went here on my birthday on our host’s recommendation. It is a bit further north and not very central. I don’t think you have to come here, as there are many great places to eat in town, but if you have a vehicle and want somewhere special, consider it.
The view was stunning and the food was wonderful. We had a main course, a salad and a side dish, with bread. We drank a small bottle of ouzo, and they offered us dessert after the meal. I don’t remember exactly how much we paid, but it must have been around €40-50. The main course was lamb, and the salad was huge.
Here is one more food memory. While riding between the villages we got hungry and stopped at the restaurant below, under a huge tree. You have probably heard that some Greek dishes have names similar to Turkish ones: dolma and dolmades, köfte and keftedes, cacık and tzatziki. When the names are so similar you expect them to taste the same, but they don’t.
When we sat down, an elderly lady came to take our order. When she said “I have very good dolmades” (or at least that’s how we understood it), I first thought “why eat something I already know?”, but then it hit me. That’s exactly what I should eat! How else would I find out how it differs from ours? So I had the dolmades. They were delicious, but quite different from ours. There were no currants or the spices we use in the rice filling. Maybe the lady just didn’t add them; I didn’t try them anywhere else. (Here is my second comparison right after saying I don’t like comparing things with my own country. So much for determination.)
By the way, my birthday falls on the night of Hıdrellez, a spring festival celebrated in Turkey and the Balkans. Since I was a child I have always drawn my wishes somewhere on Hıdrellez night: under a rose bush, on paper or on the ground. That evening we kept the tradition, went down to the beach and drew our wishes in the sand. It was a lovely moment.
Conclusion: Chios Is Close, Peaceful and Affordable
The beauty of the Greek islands is famous, but Chios won my heart with how easy it is to reach, its prices and its simplicity. (I should add that I haven’t been to the other islands yet. I wonder if I’ll change my mind when I do.) It makes me a little sad to say it, but with the right timing and a simple plan, a holiday here can be even cheaper than in Turkey.
Sea, nature, history, food, hospitality and great service… all together, just a 15-minute ferry ride from Çeşme.
Short on time? Read my guide to a day trip to Chios from Izmir.
Chios Holiday FAQ
How many days do you need in Chios?
Four days were enough for us to see the main villages, the Mastic Museum and the best beaches by motorbike. If you only want to see the town and one or two beaches, a day trip is also possible.
How do you get to Chios from Turkey?
Take the ferry from Çeşme, near Izmir. The crossing takes about 15 minutes and a return ticket cost around €50 in 2026.
When is the best time to visit Chios?
From late April to early October. May and September are ideal if you want warm weather without the crowds.
What are the best beaches in Chios?
My favourites were Mavra Volia with its black volcanic pebbles, the quiet Trachili beach and Vroulidia, a small cove with very clear water.
Is Chios expensive?
No. Four of us paid about €60–70 for a full meze dinner with wine, which was even cheaper than in Turkey.
How do you get around Chios?
The easiest way is to rent a motorbike or a car. We rented a motorbike near the port and used it to visit villages and beaches all over the island.
Have you ever been to Chios?
Tell me in the comments, and feel free to ask anything. Maybe your next holiday will be on this island, who knows?
