Want to do your very own Kos trip? You are in the right place!
Greece is a dream destination, there is no argument there.
The mix of good food, amazing weather and thought-provoking History makes this one of Europe’s most unique and loved destinations
With so many beautiful Islands, many travellers do not stay in one place for long.
We can only describe ourselves as intense, high pace Travelers. So We decided to rent a car for 1 day in Kos, Greece to see what the Island had to offer!
There is so much to do in Kos no matter how long your stay is or what time of year you visit.
Your plans within seconds can become full of amazing things to do on the Island!
To help you see the best sites across Kos with or without a car, this Kos Island itinerary and guide will walk you through everything you may need to know!
Want to sample the best of Greece?
Make sure you book this 5-star private cooking class during your trip!
✔️Rustic Greek Setting
✔️Local Guide
✔️Suitable for all
Want to see the best of Kos?
This 5-star diving tour is the best way to explore the Aegean Sea 😍
✔️Perfect for beginners
✔️Get to explore the near Island of Pserimos
✔️All equipment included
Planning A Trip To Greece? Use The Resources Below!
► Accommodation– I Recommend Booking.Com
► Local Tours– I Recommend Viator.Com
► Car Rental– I Always Use DiscoverCars.Com
🚨Warning: Before you start planning your trip to Kos, you should know that the Water in Kos and most of the other Islands is unsafe to drink!
✅ To guarantee you will not get sick when visiting Greece, you need a LIFE STRAW
I always take mine so I know unclean water will not ruin my holiday!
Island Hopping Around Kos And Other Greek Islands
There is no question that the Greek Islands are the ultimate Island Hopping destination.
If you fancy a day trip away from Kos or simply want to visit the amazing Island of Kos on your Island Hopping Adventure, I recommend using Ferryscanner.
You can check ferry times, compare ticket prices and the best Islands to explore all in one place.
How Many Days do you need in Kos?
To Explore the Island you don’t need to rent a car for 7 days.
It does depend on how many places you plan to visit but we managed to visit all the top attractions in 1 day.
This 1 day Road Trip did include lots of attractions and plenty of stops for food and a cheeky wine!
You can easily explore everything Kos has in 3 days, But the Ultimate Kos Road Trip can easily be done in 1 day. This is the best way to explore as there is currently no Uber available!
This Greek Island is blissful and full of beaches to relax. So you won’t struggle to eat and drink your way around the Island if you want to spend longer!
What area should you stay at on your trip to Kos?
There are many great places to stay around Kos, you will have no trouble finding somewhere great!
Here are some areas in Kos you should consider staying on your Kos road trip:
✅ Kos Town: Great for first-time visitors & Couples
✅ Marmari: The best area that is near the beach
✅ Tigaki: Perfect location for families visiting Kos
✅ Kardamena: The best place to stay for nightlife
✅ Kefalos: The best place to stay that is budget-friendly
✅ Zia: Where to stay for nature and sunset views
To help you find the best place for you, take a look at this guide full of the best places to stay in Kos for every type of traveller.
👉 (This is my all-time favourite hotel to stay at when visiting Kos)
How Long Does it Take to Drive Around Kos?
Kos is super easy to drive around (which is unusual for Greece) as there is just one main road connecting the entire Island.
To drive the length of this Island by car, it will take you around 1 hour.
How we did the Ultimate Kos Road Trip in 1 Day.
We turned up to the home of Hippocrates at night so couldn’t see much of what the Island had to offer. We flew to the Island which is the easiest way to get here.
So we checked in at the hotel and got to speak to the guy who was showing us our room. Within 5 minutes he had his phone out and was showing us Photos of the places we needed to visit in Kos.
The next morning we went to the hotel reception and rented a car so we could explore all these amazing places.
Booking the car rental was so easy and stress-free thanks to the wonderful people at the Hotel!
We recommend having someone who can speak Greek book this as it tends to go a lot smoother.
After the rental was booked, we asked for any suggestions they had as locals (Locals always point out the best places to go that are often off the beaten track)!
How to Rent a Car in Kos
There are a few ways to rent a car for a Kos Road Trip. Your options only really depend on when exactly you want your car.
🇬🇷 If you want your car straight from the Airport:
This is a great idea because it saves you on airport transfer costs and gets you to places like Kos Town in 30 ish minutes where the bus takes an hour.
I am a big fan of Discover Cars as they have a huge range of cars for every budget.
🇬🇷 If you decide you want a Car during your trip:
You can have a look online but our best tip is to ask the staff at your Hotel to arrange it for you.
They speak the language so can negotiate the best deal and help you if there are any issues.
Also, it’s pretty handy having the car dropped off and picked up at the Hotel!
For emergency numbers, important information and more for your Kos trip, click below to get your free Guide ⬇️
Your Ready to Use Kos Road Trip Map
We have put the best places to visit and Park on the Map Above. This May not be the best order to see your stops so plan your route from your starting Point.
Our Top Kos Stops
- Kos Town
- Plane Tree of Hippocrates
- Asklepion Kos (Hippocrates Hospital)
- Traditional Windmill of Antimachia
- Ktima Akrani (Previously named Triantafyllopoulos Winery)
- Pyli
- Avli Restaurant
- Zia at Night
Where are the best hotels to stay in Kos?
Kos is full of amazing places to stay for all budgets and needs. No matter if you are looking for somewhere to just rest your head or 5-star luxury, there are so many options.
Here are some of the best places to stay in Kos that you should consider:
✨ The best place to stay in Kos for couples: Kos Aktis Art Hotel
👪 The best hotel for families: Astir Odysseus Kos Resort & Spa
🏨 The best place to stay in Kos on a budget: Royal Bay
🍹 The best place to stay for all-inclusive: Mitsis Blue Domes Resort & Spa
Kos Town
Is Kos Town Worth Visiting?
Absolutely! Kos town has something for everyone! It is not only perfect for Couples with its endless numbers of restaurants and bars but has everything for Families too!
We only stopped here for a few hours but you could easily spend days exploring its streets.
We absolutely loved wandering down the Marina and taking in the amazing views.
The town is the perfect combination of History, Culture, Good food and Amazing Wine.
If you are like one of us who hates driving into Cities, get ready to feel your stress levels go down.
The Parking was amazing and so were the roads in and out of the City!
This spot is a must on your Kos Island Adventure and if you are like us, you will not want to leave.
As you are already in Kos Town, why not go and see Spot Number 2? The Plane Tree of Hippocrates.
The Plane Tree Of Hippocrates
If you add Kos Town to your list of places to visit, you need to stop by here!
This Landmark is great because it is not only open 24 hours a day but isn’t busy at all.
You will find the Hippocrates tree on the Platia Plantanou in the centre of Kos Town.
This spot is where Hippocrates would sit and teach his pupils the art of Medicine (Pretty Cool Right?)
Asklepion Kos (Hippocrates Hospital)
As you are in the birthplace of Hippocrates, you should probably stop by the ruins of Asklepion.
Walking through these ruins you truly feel like you are stepping through the pages of Greek History.
The ruins are of the ancient healing temple and medical school where Hippocrates practised.
The ruins are just beautiful and offer some amazing views of Kos. Again, we didn’t find the site super busy so we got some amazing photos!
Around the site, there are some Cafes so the perfect place to have a quick Coffee before your next stop.
Quick Tip: There aren’t huge amounts of shade once you get to the ruin steps so make sure you suncream up!
The Traditional Windmill of Antimachia
If you can only visit one place, go here!
it was not only our top spot in Kos but one of our all-time favourite places we have been on any Greek road trip.
This is the one-stop you will need to make sure you visit on your Kos Road Trip!
Here you will explore the ‘Priests Mill’ which is over 250 years old and only 25 km away from Kos Town.
We parked across the road and were given a tour around the Windmill and shown how it worked.
The guides who work here are incredibly passionate which made the experience so much better.
As they showed us how the Mill worked and even let us have a go ourselves we just loved Kos even more. The people who work here just made our trip.
They took so many photos of us so we wouldn’t forget our trip. And the best bit? we were given a selection of the bread and biscuits they made to sample.
We bought literally everything to bring home because it was that good. So even if this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, we promise you, it will be!
For everything you need to know for a trip to the Traditional Windmill of Antimachia, take a look at our Free Guide.
Ktima Akrani (Previously named) Triantafyllopoulos Winery
For all the Wine Lovers out there, this is where you need to be. We stumbled upon this Vineyard and we are soooo glad we did.
We booked a tasting which was 14 Euros each and were told to explore until our tasting began.
Normally when you are told to explore you think they mean just go outside. But not here, you could literally wander anywhere. So we took a stroll through the Vines and then looked at the fermentation process.
If you are like us and are interested in wine this was just an amazing experience. Trying local wine is one thing but to be able to see the process was pretty spectacular.
So when it was time for our tasting we were led outside to the seating area and just wow. There were no words.
The tasting was set to a view over the vineyard with boats sailing in the distance. Just the perfect setting.
The tasting involved around 7 local wines including White, Red and Rose. And we may be biased as we love wine but they were all incredible!
The guide was so experienced and could tell what everyone’s pallet was like straight away, pretty impressive right? The tasting also included some of the best breadsticks ever so make sure you try some!
Our top tip here is to go directly to the Vineyard to book your tasting. We saw it advertised in our hotel with a holiday rep and the trip was around £60. So not only will it cost you more but you will be on a tasting with 30 + plus people. Whereas our tasting only had 4 people.
For more incredible Wine spots around Europe, Check out our Blog ‘Need to UnWINEd? Try these unique European wine countries
Pyli
The Kos Locals Describe Pyli as a Fairy tale and they were not wrong!
The town is full of tavernas and cafes catering to locals, it really is the most charming Greek town.
But the highlight of this place is the medieval ruins and the sweeping views it offers of Kos. The Kos Byzantine castle of Pyli is definitely worth the walk.
The views are incredible but make sure you wear suitable shoes as there is a lot of climbing and unsteady paths.
If you walk in the opposite direction to the castle you will find the most lovely taverna. Oria Taverna is a rustic Greek Taverna with the most amazing views. If you want a taste of Greece, make sure you stop here on your Kos Road Trip.
Not many tourists know that Oria Taverna is here and instead visit the Taverna in Pyli itself. However, the Oria Taverna is definitely one of the ultimate off-the-beaten-track experiences you can do in Kos.
Make sure you take a camera because the views are honestly incredible! Also, the homemade lemonade here is seriousllyyyyyy good so make sure you order that too!
Avli Restaurant
If you want to have a taste of Greece in the most beautiful and authentic place, visit here. Avli is based in Kardamena and offers in our opinion, the best food in Kos!
The food is amazing, the staff wonderful and the wine is just incredible. What made this place a must-visit for us was how unique it is.
You will truly feel like you are stepping back in time here.
The dishes are served in traditional clay plates and the building dates back to 1902. So if you want a taste of true Greece, this is the place for you!
Our Top Tip for Avli Restaurant: You need to try the freshly cooked bread, it’s life-changing! Also, it can get pretty busy here so try and book before you go!
Want more tips on how to be the Ultimate foodie and eat your way around Europe for Less? Check out our blog ‘Foodies Guide to Europe on a shoe string’
Zia at Night
For all sunset lovers, Zia at night is a wonderful way to finish your day of exploring on a Kos Road Trip.
The town of Zia is very laid back and oozes that Greek feel.
However when the sun is about to set you will not be able to find a spot around the viewing point as it is that busy.
We thought we would try and view the sun setting from a Restaurant but they were all full at this time too.
So if this is something you want to do, plan well ahead!
There are plenty of companies that offer private sunset trips to Zia.
This is a great way not to worry about parking and make sure you get here before it gets too crowded.
But if you want to drive to Zia from anywhere in Kos, it is pretty easy! The road is a bit more rural into the town of Zia but we did it in our small rental with no issues.
The most popular route for driving from Kos Town to Zia takes around 25 min (14.5 km).
If you’re looking for the quickest route to Zia, take the main road to Zipari and look out for the signpost.
The drive from Zipari to Zia is pretty straightforward, though it does get a bit winding and steep at the end.
An alternative option is taking the road through Askelpelion, Asfendiou and arrive in Zia via the Dikos mountain range.
Though this route is even more winding, it’s a great way to take in the stunning landscape.
But just like driving anywhere in Greece, be aware of oncoming traffic while you drive!
As pretty as the Sun set view was, it wasn’t as great as it was hyped up to be. Maybe this is because we are lucky to live in a place with amazing sunsets. However, I highly recommend visiting Zia on any trip to Kos.
We are unlike most guides as we would say go to Zia to stroll through its cobbled streets, explore the local produce and have a glass of wine. Zia has so much more beauty than just a Sunset.
🇬🇷Kos Road Trip Sign off:
Kos Island is an amazing place to explore even if it’s just for one day.
Use this guide to plan the most magical Kos Road trip that will make you fall head over heels with Greece.
You will also be happy to know that it’s super easy to rent a car with your license here and is worth doing!
And if you are still struggling to pick a car rental for your trip, use Discover Cars!
More Helpful Greece Information
We hope you enjoyed this post! To make your trip to Kos even better, here are some more articles we think you may find useful:
✔️Can You Drink The Water In Greece?
✔️The Traditional Windmill Of Antimachia Visitors Guide
✔️The Ultimate Guide To Driving Around Greece
✔️Local’s Favourite Locations In Kos, Greece
✔️The Ultimate Corfu Road Trip Guide
✔️How To Get The Ferry to Corfu: The Complete Guide
🐙If you are planning a trip to Kos and want more information Drop us a line at Hello@manyotherroads.co.uk or Many_other_roads. Our advice and itineraries are completely Free & we love hearing from you!
Lowri Thomas is the founder of Many Other Roads. She lives and travels in Europe and has explored more than 40 countries. She is joined on her travels with her dog Scout and they explore Europe mostly by road. Born in Wales, she also shares the best things to do in Wales, UK and beyond. She helps over 50,000 people per month plan epic Europe adventures and road trips.
