View of a coastal town with white buildings and a ferry docked in the port taking a day trip from Paros to Naxos, under a cloudy sky. The town is built on a hillside with a mix of modern and traditional architecture.

How to Plan an Epic Day Trip from Paros to Naxos!

ByCaleb + Sarah

If you’re staying for an extended period in Paros, one of the most common questions we hear is from people wondering if they can take a day trip from Paros to Naxos.

And this makes total sense!

The islands are just 10 nautical miles apart, so it’s clear that it’s possible, but actually planning the day trip isn’t as simple as you’d expect. That’s because no tour agencies make consistent day trips to Naxos. The only option is to take the public ferry and plan all the logistics yourself.

This isn’t hard, but it does take more effort than a typical guided tour.

So, we’re here to explain everything you need to know about getting to Naxos and how to make the most of your time there!

a view of the main street in Naxos Chora, Greece

Can you take a Day Trip to Naxos?

Yes, you can take a day trip from Paros to Naxos, and it’s not that complicated.

There are quite a few ferries leaving Paros each morning and a few returning to the island every evening. The ferry takes about 10-30 minutes, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore the island once you arrive in Naxos.

Unfortunately, we’ve never found a day tour that takes care of all the transportation and itinerary for you (please let us know if you find one).

We’ve seen curated day trips from Naxos to Paros, but I guess the reverse trip is less popular.

The only other option is to rent a speedboat in Piso Livadi and sail to Naxos yourself—which, to be fair, is an AMAZING experience. Athenian Tachts is a charter service with smaller boats you can rent out for the day!

Sailboat named Annamaria docked in a marina, with a larger red and white ferry in the background under a clear sky.

How to Plan a Day Trip to Naxos

Since there are so few guided tours, you’ll likely have to plan your own transportation and itinerary.

For some people, like ourselves, this is perfect. We love having the flexibility and freedom to create our own itinerary. Sarah and I hate being confined to a schedule and almost always prefer to do excursions at our own pace.

It does take extra effort, but it’s almost always worth it!

If we could only give you one piece of advice, it would be to book the high-speed ferry and then, once you get to Naxos, reserve a rental car ahead of time so you can start exploring Naxos right away.

How to Book Tickets

You don’t have to book tickets online, but we recommend purchasing them in advance during the summer. Tickets occasionally sell out during high season, and there’s no financial incentive to book in person.

Whether you book in person or online, SeaJets and Blue Star Ferries are the two ferry companies.

SeaJets Express has all the fast ferries, and their seats are €15.70 to €82 (depending on class). The cheaper but slower option is Blue Star Ferries, which offers seats from €15.70 to €21.50. They also allow vehicles if you bring your rental car or scooter.

There are a few aggregators you can use for online bookings, but we like FerryScanner because it has slightly lower prices and offers free cancellation up to 48 hours before your departure.

Large ferry docked at a port with a yellow funnel emitting smoke, under a partly cloudy sky with hills visible in the background.

Morning Timetable (Paros to Naxos)

During the summer months (May to September), there are 6-10 ferry crossings each way between the islands.

These routes dwindle to just a few crossings each winter but never stop completely.

The type of ferry you take can make a huge difference, too. Fast Ferries make the journey in just 10-30 minutes. However, the slower cargo ferries can take up to 1 hour and 45 minutes!

  • SUPERJET: 08:15 – 08:45 (30 Minutes)
  • SUPERJET 2: 10:00 – 11:45 (105 Minutes)
  • CHAMPION JET 3: 10:55 – 11:20 (25 Minutes)
  • Blue Star Delos: 11:45 – 12:30 (45 minutes)
  • Hellenic Seaways Highspeed 4: 12:30 – 13:10 (40 minutes) *Occasionally departs at 15:50*
  • CHAMPIONS LEAGUE/WORLD CHAMPION: 13:10 – 13:35 (25 Minutes) *Occasionally departs at 13:35*

Evening Timetable (Naxos to Paros)

  • SUPERJET: 15:35 – 16:05 (30 minutes)
  • Hellenic Seaways Highspeed 4: 17:10 – 17:50 (40 minutes) *Occasionally departs at 15:50*
  • Blue Star Delos: 18:00 – 18:45 (45 minutes)
Large ferry with passengers on the decks, docked at a port while a truck is driving out from the ferry's cargo hold, under a partly cloudy sky.

Want Tickets with Free Cancellation?

→ We use Ferry Scanner to keep our itinerary flexible ←

How to Get Around Naxos

All of the ferries from Paros to Naxos will dock in Chora. This is the capital city of the island and a very interesting place to explore, so even if you stayed here all day, it would be worth the trip!

But if you really want to see more of the island, you’ll need to find another way to get around! Luckily, this part of traveling within Naxos is pretty straightforward.

Renting a Car

We like to rent a car whenever we go to Paros or Naxos (even for only a day).

It’s just so much more convenient than navigating the bus system, and if you plan on visiting a couple of different places, the math ends up being cheaper than taking a guided tour of the island or hiring a taxi all day.

Car rentals typically cost €35-€60 per day, but expect it to be €10-20 higher for an 8-10 hour rental.

It’s also relatively easy to drive to all the main attractions since they’re mostly on the west coast of Naxos (the east coast, on the other hand, is a slightly different story).

You could also rent a car in Paros and take it on the ferry to Naxos, but these ferries are much slower, and not all rental agencies allow you to take their rental car to other islands.

Caleb getting ready to drive our car rental in Naxos off the lot - he is excited to go driving in Naxos
READ OUR TIPS FOR RENTING A CAR IN NAXOS

Public Buses

The public bus system in Naxos is surprisingly efficient and very budget-friendly. Tickets cost €1.80 to €6.20 (depending on the distance).

These buses connect almost all of the major towns within the island and some of the best beaches, like Agios Prokopios or Plaka Beach.

You can check local timetables and all the available bus routes here.

Local Taxis

Taxis are easy to find in Naxos Chora. You’ll see them lined up along the promenade near Naxos and Port.

We don’t always encourage people to take taxis in Naxos because they can get very expensive very quickly. Even a short trip from Naxos Chora to Agios Prokopios costs €15-25. The prices also skyrocket during the summer.

So, if you’re traveling with a group and can split the fare, taxis can be a good option, but we rarely use taxis in Naxos or Paros.

Guided Tours

If managing the ferry tickets already feels stressful and you don’t want to think about any more logistics once you arrive in Naxos, you could opt for a day tour of the island.

There are genuinely so many cool options available, and we’ve seen something for every kind of traveler, whether you’re into hiking, culture, history, or spending time near the water.

Also, they aren’t that expensive when you consider the average cost of transportation around Naxos.

Here are a few of the highest-rated tours to check out!

Where to Go in Naxos

We love spending time in Naxos and could easily fill our itinerary with a week’s worth of activities and places to see—from impressive historical monuments to beautiful beaches, hiking trails, and charming mountain villages!

Naxos Chora + Temple of Apollo

Naxos Chora is the capital. It’s a lively town with a mix of modern and historical sites. The main promenade has small Greek tavernas with a view of the harbor, local shops, bakeries, and small villas.

But there’s also Naxos Castle, which is right at the center of town, and the iconic Temple of Apollo (Portara) is just a short walk away!

Portara or Temple of Apollo in Naxos, Greece. You can see Naxos Port and the ocean in the background

Pristine Beaches

Naxos also has some stunning beaches. We would argue that they’re even better than the ones in Paros since they tend to be much more spacious and sandy.

Each beach offers something unique, but here are a few favorites!

All of these beaches from Naxos Chora can be reached in less than 30 minutes. Some are more built-up than others, meaning you can find excellent places to eat in Naxos, beachfront villas, and other facilities, but others are way more remote.

Chalki Village

Chalki is one of the small villages in the heart of Naxos. It is surrounded by mountains and full of neoclassical architecture, small cafes, and olive groves.

The most popular things to do in town are visiting the Church of St. George (which dates back to the 11th century) and tasting Naxos’ famous citron liqueur at the Vallindras Distillery.

Temple of Demeter

Our 2nd favorite historical site in Naxos is the Temple of Demeter, which is close to the village of Sangri and easy to visit on your way to/from Chalki.

This ancient sanctuary, dedicated to Demeter (the goddess of harvest), dates back to the 6th century BC. This makes it one of the oldest sites in Naxos, and we were shocked at how well it’s been preserved and restored over the millenium.

Is a Day Trip Worth It?

Yes, we would say that if you have more than a couple of days to spend in Paros, then taking one day to plan a trip to Naxos is definitely worth your time and effort.

The islands have much in common but are also very different. Plus, Naxos has some of the best historical landmarks in all of Greece!

Make sure that you plan ahead with enough time to snag tickets on the ferry and nail down your transportation in Paros, whether you’ll be relying on public transportation, joining a guided tour around the island, or renting your own car!

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