Kos family holidays and breaks

Though one of the most-visited of the Greek Dodecanese islands, Kos is still a wonderful destination for family holidays. The second-largest and greenest of the Dodecanese and birthplace of the father of medicine, it's packed with fascinating Hellinistic and Roman ruins that make it more than a fly-and-flop destination, though it can be that with ease.

The fact that it was one of the first islands to experience package tourism means Kos has an excellent tourist infrastructure, and though few people head here for independent travel, it's easy to leave the resorts and move from village to village or from golden beach to beach on special buses and ferries. All kinds of watersports are available, and there's plenty of family entertainment – both are often included in packages.  

15.00

Today

18°C
66°F

Flying Time	4.25 hours
Carbon Footprint	2.34 tonnes CO2
Timezone	GMT +2
Local Currency	Euro

What to do

Visit Kos Town, a mad mix of beach and party resort and ancient ruins, with beautiful street mosaics and elegant Roman columns interspersed with nightclubs such as Lunatic or Crazy Monster.

Discover Asklepion, birthplace of Hippocrates. Visit the ancient sanatorium, founded in 444BC, but beware that you'll have to fight off hordes of traders selling "magic water".

Head for one of the many child-friendly beaches, long and sandy with shallow water – try Lampi or the beaches of the southern coast with anglicised names such as Banana, Paradise or Sunny. But do your research first – many beaches are popular with Scandinavian nudists.

Where to stay

Kos has a great range of accommodation suited to family holidays, from budget holiday villages with activities galore to 5-star spa hotels on private estates, such as the Neptune Hotel and Spa. Some packages include entertainment and activities. A great choice for an active family resort - ideal for sailing, is Lakitira Hotel and Village, and for a bit of extra luxury, with the added advantage of using the Lakitira's facilities, why not try Helona - a perfect 5 star escape with the option of visiting the facilites next door.

Check great deals with Thomson and Expedia Holidays, or see the right-hand column of this page for more recommendations and offers.

When

Schedule family holidays on Kos any time from early May to mid October. The hottest and busiest Month is July, with temperatures in the mid-30°Cs; in April and May, temperatures are nudging the mid-20°Cs.

High humidity in late July and throughout August can cause storms, but they are normally short-lived.

How

Family holidays on Kos are made easy by the existence of flights from many UK airports, including London Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle. The flight time from London is about 3hrs. Not all flights are direct – you may have to change in, for example, Rome or Paris.

Check deals with Expedia flights and see also our car-hire page.

Eat

Family holidays on Kos are stress-free when it comes to food, with even the fussiest kids catered to in most resorts, where international favourites are readily available,

But do try out a local taverna, where you'll find dishes familiar to many kids amidst the mezedes (small appetiser dishes), incuding tzatziki, tarasamalata and dolmades. Also popular are moussaka, grilled fish, octopus and squid.

Cost

Family holidays on Kos start at around £250pppw for low- to mid-range packages, self
catering. Entertainment and activities are often included.

There are also some great all-inclusive options that work out pretty cost effective, such as Mark Warner's Lakitira Village (see also our feature).

Related features

• Family holidays
• Breaks & Days Out
• Special Offers
• Features
• Favourites
• Travel Tips
• Family forum