Kos Glass-Bottom Boat: What You Actually See and Who It Suits
Updated October 20, 2026 · 4 min read
Three glass-bottom boat trips are listed on Kos. The Glass-Bottom Boat Cruise with Swimming Stops from Kos Town is the most-reviewed: €20, 2.5 hours, 4.3 stars from 403 reviews. It is a short, cheap outing for people who like looking at the sea. It is not a coral reef.
What the glass shows
You see what is under the boat. In the Aegean that means rock, sand, seagrass and the fish that live around them. How much you see depends on the depth, the light and how clear the water is on the day. Bring modest expectations: the point is a different way to look at the sea, and the swim stops are what many people remember.
The three trips
| Trip | Price per person | Duration | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass-Bottom Boat Cruise with Swimming Stops, from Kos Town | €20 | 2.5 hours | 4.3 | 403 |
| Glass-Bottom Boat Cruise with Mermaid Show | €27 | 1.5 hours | 4.5 | 106 |
| Glass-Bottom Speedboat Adventure to Pserimos | €25 | 2.5 hours | 4.1 | 29 |
The Kos Town cruise uses “Dorry the Glass-Bottom Speedboat”. You look at the sea life through the glass, then get into the water for a swim. Check the exact meeting point on the booking page.
The mermaid-show cruise is a 90-minute trip with a mermaid show, a snorkelling stop and a swim stop. The description calls it “perfect for families and short trips”. It is the shortest and the dearest per hour: €18 an hour against €8 for the Kos Town cruise.
The Pserimos speedboat is also a glass-bottom boat called Dory, and its description speaks of Kos and Pserimos islands. It has only 29 reviews, so treat its 4.1 as a first impression. The listing is based at Pserimos, so check where you board.
Is it better than a big cruise?
Not better, different. The full-day 3-island cruise from the port of Kos costs €30 for 7.5 hours, which works out at about €4 an hour. A glass-bottom boat costs more per hour and gives you far less time, so book it for the hours, not the price. It makes sense when you want a short outing between beach days, or when a full day on a boat is too long, for example with young children. If you want the whole day, the boat trips page lists the bigger cruises.
Who it suits, and who should skip it
It suits families with younger children, older travellers who do not want seven hours at sea, and anyone who wants a quick swim and a look at the water.
Skip it if you hope to snorkel properly or see big marine life. A swim stop is a swim stop. For real snorkelling, the half-day Pserimos dive-boat trip at €55 is built for it.
Think twice if the sea is rough. Two of the three are speedboats, and the Aegean can be windy in summer. Read the cancellation and weather terms for your date.
Verdict
Choose the Kos Town cruise as the default: lowest price, most reviews, and a full 2.5 hours. Take the mermaid-show cruise only if a 90-minute family outing is exactly what you want. For small children specifically, see Kos with kids, and for a bigger day with a children’s theme, the pirate boat with kids.
