Is Kos safe?
Safe with normal care. Kardamena and Kos Town nightlife brings drinking trouble; roads and scooter crashes injure the most visitors.
Key facts
- SoloSquare safety rating: 4/5, safe with normal care.
- US travel advisory: Level 1: Exercise normal precautions, updated 2025-10-22.
- Homicide rate in Greece: 0.8 per 100,000 people (2023, UNODC via World Bank).
- Road deaths in Greece: 8.3 per 100,000 people a year (2019, WHO).
- Emergency numbers: Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Fire 199 · Tourist police 1571 · All emergencies 112.
Safety in Kos at a glance
| What to expect | |
|---|---|
| Overall | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Crime | Pickpocketing and drink-related fights in bar streets in summer; occasional theft from rental scooters and beach bags. |
| At night | Kos Town and Kardamena stay busy until dawn in season. Taxis are the safer way home than walking dark beach roads. |
| Solo women | Generally fine for solo women. Expect attention in party areas; watch drinks and keep taxi numbers handy. |
| Other risks | Summer wildfires and extreme heat; Scooter and ATV crashes; Earthquakes (a 2017 quake damaged Kos Town) |
Scams, areas and local laws
Common scams
- Bar promoters selling inflated cocktail buckets or shot deals
- Scooter shops billing for old damage without photos
Take care
- Kardamena and Bar Street late at night: drink spiking and fights
- Scooter and ATV riding: frequent crashes and no helmet culture
Calmer areas to stay
Laws visitors break by accident
- Taking stones, fragments or artefacts from archaeological sites is a criminal offence.
- Flying drones over archaeological sites needs a permit.
- Drug laws are strict; even small amounts of cannabis can lead to arrest.
How Kos compares in Greece
| Place | Safety |
|---|---|
| Naxos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Paros | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Chania | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Milos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Kefalonia | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Meteora | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Halkidiki | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Lefkada | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Nafplio | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Skiathos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Hydra | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Thassos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Athens | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Santorini | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Mykonos | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Crete | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Rhodes | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Corfu | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Thessaloniki | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Zakynthos | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Kos | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Ios | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Peloponnese | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
Quick answers
Is Kos safe for solo female travelers?
Generally fine for solo women. Expect attention in party areas; watch drinks and keep taxi numbers handy.
Is Kos safe at night?
Kos Town and Kardamena stay busy until dawn in season. Taxis are the safer way home than walking dark beach roads.
What is the crime rate in Kos?
Pickpocketing and drink-related fights in bar streets in summer; occasional theft from rental scooters and beach bags. Nationally, Greece records 0.8 homicides per 100,000 people a year (2023).
What number do I call in an emergency in Kos?
Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Fire 199 · Tourist police 1571 · All emergencies 112.
More about Kos
Going to Kos solo?
SoloSquare is where travelers, nomads and locals in Kos meet up for small plans: coffee, dinners, walks and day trips. Join one, or start your own in a minute.
Sources
- US State Department travel advisory
- Kos Island International Airport
- Municipality of Kos
- Visit Greece
- World Bank: intentional homicides (UNODC)
- World Bank: road traffic deaths (WHO)
Safety ratings are SoloSquare's editorial judgment from official advisories, crime data and local reporting. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.