A Kos quad tour takes you off the coast road onto dirt tracks, up to mountain villages and down to quiet southern bays. Find more ways to explore the islands on Greece Tours.
Read on for the rides you can book, where they go, the licence and safety rules, when to ride and what to pack.
What is a Kos quad tour?
A Kos quad tour is a guided ride on a quad bike across the Greek island of Kos. You sit astride a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle, steer with handlebars and follow a guide along coastal paths and off-road trails.
A quad bike is an all-terrain vehicle, or ATV, with four wheels. The American National Standards Institute defines an ATV as a vehicle on low-pressure tyres. The rider straddles the seat and steers with handlebars, like a motorcycle. The ATV is built for a wide variety of terrain. The extra wheels add stability at slower speeds.
Kos is a Greek island in the Dodecanese chain, in the southeastern Aegean Sea. It lies south of Kalymnos and Pserimos and north of Nisyros. It is the third largest Dodecanese island, after Rhodes and Karpathos. The island’s main town and port is also called Kos.
On a Kos quad tour, you ride behind a guide instead of planning a route alone.
Which Kos quad tour can you book?
Three GetYourGuide cards cover a Kos quad tour and two off-road variants. They last four, five and six hours. Two list pickup, and two carry a small-group label. One is quad only, one offers a Jeep or a quad, and one uses a 4×4.
- Kos: Half-Day Driving Adventure by Quad: 4 hours, pickup available. It is the one card that is a Kos quad tour from start to end.
- Kos: Guided Jeep or Quad Off-Road Tour with Drinks and Lunch: 5 hours, small group. You drive a Jeep 4×4 or a quad bike, and the card lists no pickup.
- Kos: VIP 4×4 Mountain Safari & Premium Outdoor BBQ: 6 hours, small group, pickup available. It is a 4×4 safari with an outdoor Greek BBQ, not a quad ride.
Viator lists three related titles. They are “Kos Land Rover Safari”, “Kos 4×4 Exploration: Views, Villages & Flavors” and “Golden Hour Safari in Kos”. None of the three names a quad in its title. Our Kos jeep safari page covers rides of that style.
Choose the Half-Day Driving Adventure for a Kos quad tour with no other vehicle in the mix. At four hours, it is also the shortest of the three cards.
Choose the Guided Jeep or Quad tour for a Kos quad tour with drinks and lunch in the booking. It runs for five hours in a small group.
Choose the VIP 4×4 safari for the longest outing, at six hours, with pickup and a small-group label. Pick it only if you want a 4×4 in place of a Kos quad tour.
What happens on a Kos quad tour step by step?
A Kos quad tour is a guided half-day ride. The Half-Day Driving Adventure by Quad follows coastal paths and off-road trails. The Guided Jeep or Quad Off-Road Tour lets you pick a Jeep or a quad and adds drinks and lunch.
Each step of a Kos quad tour below comes from the two tour listings. Where a listing says nothing, the step is left out.
- Vehicle: guests on the off-road tour choose a Jeep 4×4 or a quad bike.
- Coast: on the quad adventure, riders follow coastal paths with sea views.
- Trails: the same ride ventures through rugged off-road trails.
- Food: the off-road tour includes drinks and lunch.
- Finish: the quad adventure ends after 4 hours, and the off-road tour after 5 hours.
A Kos quad tour centres on driving. The quad adventure is sold as a driving adventure by quad. The guided off-road tour describes driving a Jeep 4×4 or a quad bike to discover the island of Kos. It also offers a Jeep passenger option.
How does a Kos quad tour compare with a jeep or 4×4 safari?
A Kos quad tour puts each rider on a machine with handlebars and a straddle seat. A 4×4 safari moves guests in a vehicle that can drive all four wheels at once. The quad rider sits in the open, while a 4×4 carries its guests inside.
On a quad, the rider steers by shifting body weight and has no rigid cab around them. A Kos quad tour uses this open machine, so you feel the wind, the dust and every bump of the track.
A 4×4 works in a different way. Its drivetrain can send torque to all four wheels at the same time. The drive can be full-time or on-demand. A transfer case splits the power between the front and rear axles. Off-road vehicles need high ground clearance and wheels that keep contact on uneven surfaces. The word jeep came to mean any light off-road vehicle.
One 4×4 option on Kos is the VIP 4×4 Mountain Safari and Premium Outdoor BBQ. The listing promises panoramic views and a professionally prepared outdoor Greek barbecue in nature.
A Kos quad tour suits a guest who wants to ride with handlebars in hand. The 4×4 safari suits a guest who wants a longer day in a small group. Guests who plan to drive their own car can compare Kos car rental options.
Which villages does a Kos quad tour pass?
A Kos quad tour into the hills passes the Asfendiou villages on the northern slopes of the Dikeos range. From east to west, they are Agios Dimitrios, Asfendiou with its Evangelistria and Asomatos quarters, and Lagoudi-Zia.
Of the Asfendiou villages, Asfendiou itself sits among olives, cypresses and pines, 14 km south-west of Kos Town. About 100 permanent residents live there, working mainly in vines and olives. Greece lists Asfendiou among its traditional settlements. A Kos quad tour in Asfendiou passes its tower houses, built like small forts.
- Agios Dimitrios: a largely abandoned village named after its church of Saint Demetrios.
- Evangelistria: a quarter of Asfendiou, also called Pera Geitonia.
- Asomatos: the other quarter, whose church of the Asomatoi Taxiarches dates from the 11th century.
- Lagoudi: half of the double settlement of Lagoudi-Zia, ringed by cypress and pine woods.
- Zia: the other half, whose main street sells spices and traditional sweets.
Agios Dimitrios was called Chaichoutes until the mid-20th century. In the 19th century, the hamlet had 30 houses grouped around a well. It was declared a historic site in the 21st century as an example of Dodecanese rural building. Today a kafenio and a small museum stand among its restored houses.
Around Lagoudi-Zia, a Kos quad tour passes the church of Agios Ioannis Theologos, built into the rocks. Two watermills are protected historic monuments: one stands in Zia, the other beside the road up to it.
Can a Kos quad tour climb Mount Dikeos?
Route descriptions of Mount Dikeos name no vehicle track to its summit. They describe a marked footpath from Zia to the 846-metre peak, a walk of about 1.5 to 2 hours. On a Kos quad tour, the summit is a hike, not a ride.
Mount Dikeos, also spelled Dikaios, is the highest mountain on Kos at 846 metres. In ancient times it was known as Oromedon, Orion or Dikaion. The range runs roughly east to west, and the peak stands in its western third. A Kos quad tour in the Asfendiou hills rides beneath this peak.
The southern face drops steeply, reaching the sea within 2 kilometres of the ridge. On the north side, the coast lies 6 to 7 kilometres away. The Asfendiou villages sit on these northern foothills.
The peak lies 1.3 kilometres from Zia as the crow flies, and the easiest ascent starts in the village. Blue arrows mark the lower path, and red arrows, dots and crosses on the rocks mark the upper part. Riders on a Kos quad tour who want the summit continue on foot from here.
Zia sits on the slope just below the peak. From the village, the whole island, Kalymnos and the coast of Asia Minor are visible. In summer, hundreds of visitors dine on restaurant terraces to watch the sun go down. Zia is the sunset viewpoint below Mount Dikeos on a Kos quad tour of these slopes.
Which beaches can a Kos quad tour reach?
A Kos quad tour can reach the beach villages of Tigaki and Mastichari. It can also reach Kardamena, mid-way along the south coast. Beaches are the main attraction of Kos. The island’s coastline runs 112 kilometres from west to east.
Four coastal stops sit on a Kos quad tour route:
- Tigaki: the sea lies about 150 metres from the village centre.
- Mastichari: the village port has boats leaving regularly for the island of Kalymnos.
- Kardamena: once a small fishing village, it is now a summer resort with bars, restaurants and watersports.
- Paradise Beach: a stop on the bus route from Kamari Bay to Kos Town.
Kos Town is about 10 km east of Tigaki. It changed from a farming village and fishing port into a holiday resort. Tigaki Beach and Lambi Beach are both popular sandy beaches. The islands of Pserimos and Platy lie about 3.5 kilometres to the north.
Kardamena lies 7 kilometres from the island’s airport. It is built on the site of the ancient settlement of Alasarna. Excavations there uncovered a temple of Apollo and four early Christian basilicas. A Kos quad tour can pair this seaside village with a look at its ruins.
Our page on Kos beaches covers the island’s shoreline in more detail. Riders planning a Kos quad tour can also read our page on Camel Beach.
What does a Kos quad tour see on the Kefalos peninsula?
A Kos quad tour on the peninsula reaches Kefalos, the westernmost town on the island. Below it lies the Bay of Kamari. At Kamari stand the ruins of the early Christian basilica of Agios Stefanos. In the bay sits Kastri, a small volcanic island.
Kefalos lies 43 kilometres from Kos Town. It stands on a peninsula, also called Kefalos, at the south-west side of the island. The windmill of Papavasilis dominates the town, which is built on a stone height. A Kos quad tour climbs a steep road from the harbour to the west end of the village.
Kamari, Kampos and Onia line the bay in one curve about 2 kilometres long. A deep-water harbour lies at the western end of the bay. Steep cliffs of a volcanic dome called Mount Zini overlook it. Kamari Bay counts as a quieter resort than Kardamena or the area around Kos Town.
Along the bay and the peninsula, a Kos quad tour can take in these sites:
- Agios Stefanos: the church ruins keep mosaic floors inside the remains of their walls and columns.
- Kastri: the islet holds the small church of Agios Nikolaos.
- Kefalos castle: the ruins of a medieval castle date back to the thirteenth century.
- Aspri Petra: a cave listed among the attractions of Kefalos.
- Mikro Limanaki: a beach at the north of the Kefalos peninsula.
In 366 BC, the island’s capital moved from Astypalaea, near modern Kefalos, to the newly built town of Kos. The volcanic island of Nisyros lies south of the bay. Boat trips run from the harbour to Nisyros. A Kos quad tour can start in the bay, where rental firms hire out quads, scooters, cars and bicycles.
Which ancient sites lie near a Kos quad tour route?
A Kos quad tour can reach three historic sites on the island. The Asklepieion lies about 3.4 kilometres south-west of Kos town. The Knights’ castle stands near Antimachia, and the old castle of Pyli crowns a hill in the island’s centre.
The Asklepieion of Kos was a healing temple dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine. Its ruins sit on a low, green hill facing the sea and the coast of Asia Minor. Herodicus taught Hippocrates medicine at this sanctuary. On a Kos quad tour, this stop tells the story of Hippocrates, known as the father of medicine.
- Asklepieion: the ruins date from after the 4th century BC and rise on three levels.
- Antimachia castle: historians see five building phases by the Knights, from the 14th to the early 16th century.
- Old castle of Pyli: the hilltop fort has seven towers and dates from the late 11th to the mid-15th century.
The castle near Antimachia ranked second in importance on Kos, after the Neratzia castle at the harbour. It stands on the raised end of a long plateau above the Kardamena plain. From there, it controlled the sea route between Kos and Rhodes. Riders on a Kos quad tour find its walls in good condition, with two old churches inside.
Pyli grew around a Byzantine castle. The Knights of St John later rebuilt it to strengthen the island’s defence. The ruin crowns a 300-metre hill south-east of the modern village. A Kos quad tour that passes Pyli puts this hilltop ruin within reach.
Which nature stops fit a Kos quad tour?
Two nature stops suit a Kos quad tour. The Alyki salt lake between Tigaki and Marmari shelters migratory birds, including pink flamingos. The Plaka pine forest lies off the road west of Antimachia, and peacocks roam freely among its trees.
The Alyki salt lake is a protected area within the Natura network. It lies about 400 metres from Tigaki village. The lake worked as sea salt pans until the late 20th century, and the abandoned buildings remain. In summer, it dries out and leaves a white surface of salt.
Pink flamingos and ruddy shelducks visit during the spring and autumn migrations. Pelicans and herons live in the area too, along with water turtles and water snakes. The lake is easy to reach by car or motorbike, so a Kos quad tour can pause on its shore.
A 2.5-kilometre paved road leads to the Plaka forest from the road west of Antimachia. Tall pine trees keep its shady paths cool, and benches stand along them. A Kos quad tour can stop here for a rest under the pines.
Peacocks roam freely through the forest and seem used to people. Riders on a Kos quad tour can look for the single all-white peacock among them. A walk south through the woods leads to the chapel of Agios Ioannis Prodromos.
Do you need a driving licence for a Kos quad tour?
Neither GetYourGuide card for a Kos quad tour states a licence rule for quad drivers. EU licence rules place light quadricycles under category AM and heavy quadricycles under category B1. Read the card and ask the operator which licence your quad needs.
The quad driving adventure card lists participants aged 6 to 99 for its Kos quad tour. It states that ages 5 and younger are not permitted. It says nothing about a driving licence.
The Jeep or quad off-road card lists participants aged 99 and younger and gives no minimum age. Its Jeep passenger option lets guests join without needing a licence. The card states no licence rule for anyone who drives a quad on this Kos quad tour.
Greece is an EU member, so EU licence rules apply. The EU groups small four-wheeled motor vehicles as quadricycles, defined by weight, engine power and speed. A light quadricycle (L6e) has a top design speed of 45 km/h. A heavy quadricycle (L7e) has up to 15 kW of net power and a top design speed of 90 km/h.
Licence category AM covers quadricycles up to 45 km/h and 50 cc. Its base minimum age is 16, with national exceptions from 14 to 18. Category B1 covers heavy quadricycles from age 16, but not every country issues it. On a Kos quad tour, the quad’s speed, power and engine size decide which class applies.
How do you ride safely on a Kos quad tour?
On a Kos quad tour, wear a fastened helmet and ride alone on a single-rider quad. Keep your speed low and follow the guide in front. A rollover is the classic cause of a fatal quad accident.
Four-wheel quads tend to roll over, and a rollover can injure or kill the rider. Death and injury scores rate ATVs as dangerous as motorcycles. Five habits keep the ride under control:
- Fasten the helmet’s chin strap snugly before the engine starts.
- Wear protective eyewear, gloves and riding boots.
- Ride alone unless the quad is a tandem model built for two.
- Keep your speed low to keep the quad stable.
- Follow the guide in front for the whole Kos quad tour.
ATVs are built for a single operator, though tandem models seat a driver and one passenger. A passenger makes it hard or impossible for the driver to shift their weight. Ask for a tandem quad if two people want to share one on a Kos quad tour.
Wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of death by 42% and the risk of non-fatal head injury by 64%. Its protection is greatly reduced, or lost, when the chin strap is not fastened snugly. ATV makers recommend at least a helmet, protective eyewear, gloves and riding boots for all riding conditions.
Who suits a Kos quad tour?
A Kos quad tour suits first-timers behind a guide, couples, groups of friends and families with older teens. Ticket ages differ from card to card, so read each listing for its age notes before you book.
New riders join a guided Kos quad tour, such as the jeep or quad off-road card. Couples and groups of friends buy the same adult ticket there.
Families with older teens check the age notes on each card first. The 4×4 safari card lists a child ticket for ages 17 and younger. Our Kos with kids page covers family plans beyond the ride.
None of the booking cards on this page states a fitness level or riding skill. They list no health limits either. If a rider is new or nervous, ask the operator about these points before a Kos quad tour.
When does a Kos quad tour run?
A Kos quad tour runs on the dates each card calendar shows. Kos has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate with dry summers. The meltemi, a strong north wind of the Aegean, blows through the summer months.
August is the warmest month at a weather station on Kos. Its average high is 31 °C and its average low is 24 °C. January is the coolest, with a high of 14.3 °C and a low of 9 °C. July and August average no rain, so expect dust on a Kos quad tour in high summer.
The meltemi is a strong, dry north wind of the Aegean Sea. It blows periodically through the summer until about mid-September. It is strongest in the afternoon and weaker at night. The wind tempers the summer heat, and its weather is ordinarily fine and clear.
Each card shows its open dates on its own calendar, so check your date before you plan the day. Match your Kos quad tour to the rest of the trip with our best time to visit Kos page.
What do you bring on a Kos quad tour?
A Kos quad tour calls for kit that handles sun and dust. Bring closed shoes, sunglasses, sun cream, a scarf or buff, water, ID and your driving licence. Add a light layer to cover your arms.
The booking cards on this page list no items to bring. They show ticket types, ratings and open dates only. Read the full listing on GetYourGuide for any extra items the operator asks for before your Kos quad tour.
- Closed shoes: trainers or boots guard your feet on gravel and dirt tracks.
- Sunglasses: wraparound frames keep dust and glare out of your eyes.
- Sun cream: a high-factor cream protects the skin an open quad leaves bare.
- Scarf or buff: pull it over your nose and mouth when dust rises.
- Water: the jeep or quad card names drinks in its title, but carry your own bottle too.
- ID and driving licence: keep both in a zipped pocket for the day.
- Light layer: a thin long-sleeved top shields your arms from sun and dust.
Pack these items in a small backpack. A Kos quad tour raises fine dust, so seal phones and cameras in a zip bag.
How do you book a Kos quad tour?
You book a Kos quad tour online through its booking card. Pick the tour, the date and the number of riders. All three booking cards ask you to book at least 10 hours ahead and list free cancellation.
- Pick a card: the quad driving adventure, the guided jeep or quad off-road tour, or the VIP 4×4 safari.
- Choose the date and select the number of participants, then press Check availability.
- Book at least 10 hours before the start, as each card states this cut-off.
- Read the free cancellation terms on the card before you pay.
- Save your confirmation and note the meeting point or pickup details it lists.
- Check the weather forecast the day before your Kos quad tour.
The cut-off is the same on all three cards: book at least 10 hours in advance. Each Kos quad tour card also shows a free cancellation label. None of the three cards states the exact cancellation window. Read the full terms on the booking page before you confirm.
With your Kos quad tour date fixed, plan the rest of your stay. Fill the other days with our things to do in Kos page.
What do travellers ask about a Kos quad tour?
Which languages do Kos quad tour guides speak?
Each Kos quad tour card lists its own languages. The quad driving adventure lists English only. The guided jeep or quad off-road tour lists English, Dutch and Greek. The VIP 4×4 safari lists English, German and Russian. English appears on all three cards, so check the card for your language before you book.
Can you cancel a Kos quad tour?
Yes. All three Kos quad tour cards show a free cancellation label. The cards do not state when the free window closes. Open the card on the booking page to read the exact terms. If anything is unclear, ask the operator through that page. Save your confirmation so the booking details stay at hand.
What happens to a Kos quad tour in bad weather?
None of the three cards states a weather policy. The cards do not say whether the operator moves or cancels a ride in rain or strong wind. Read the full terms on the card, or ask the operator through the booking page. Look at the local forecast on the evening before your ride, and plan around it.