Rhodes Travel Guide: Where to Stay, What to See and How to Get Around
This rhodes travel guide covers where to stay, the Old Town, Lindos acropolis, best beaches, buses, ferries and 2026 costs.
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In this guide
Rhodes rewards a four to seven day trip built around three anchors: the UNESCO-listed medieval Old Town in the north, Lindos and its acropolis on the east coast, and a run of sandy beaches in between. So fly into Diagoras airport (RHO), base yourself in Rhodes Town or Lindos, and use the island’s buses or a hire car for everything else. May, June and September give you warm sea without the full July crush. Prices and opening hours below were checked against official sources in October 2026, because both headline sites now sell timed entry and several older guides still describe walk-up rules that no longer hold on cruise days.
How many days do you need in Rhodes?
Four days is the practical minimum. Give day one to the Old Town: the Palace of the Grand Master, the Street of the Knights and a stretch of the walls. Day two belongs to Lindos, with the acropolis climb and St Paul’s Bay below it. Day three is a beach day, Tsambika or Anthony Quinn on the east coast. Day four covers Ancient Kamiros on the west coast, or a Symi ferry if you would rather leave the island for a day.
Seven days adds Prasonisi at the southern tip, a second beach day, and evenings in town without rushing dinner. Because the distances are short, the extra days go on depth rather than driving. So if Rhodes is one stop on a wider route, our Greek island hopping guide and seven days in Greece itinerary show how it sits alongside Santorini and Mykonos.
Three days still works if you pick one base. Stay in Rhodes Town for the Old Town and museums, or in Lindos for the acropolis and east-coast buses. Trying to do both in three days costs you most of two afternoons on the road, which is the single most common planning mistake we see on this island.
Original analysis: Rhodes against the other big Greek islands
We compared Rhodes with the four islands our readers search for most, using the same criteria every time: whether you need a car, how many days you need, and whether beaches or ruins lead. Rhodes scores best when you want both in one trip.
| Island | Car needed? | Minimum days | What leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhodes | Recommended, optional for the north | 4 | Medieval town plus east-coast beaches |
| Crete | Yes, almost always | 7 | Scale: mountains, ruins, long coast |
| Santorini | Optional | 3 | Caldera views, sunsets, wine |
| Mykonos | Optional | 3 | Beach clubs, nightlife, day trips |
| Naxos | Recommended | 4 | Long sand, villages, family pace |
Because Rhodes pairs a UNESCO-listed medieval city with a full run of beaches inside a 50km stretch, it beats Crete for a short trip and beats Santorini when swimming matters as much as views. Therefore pick Rhodes when you have four to seven days and want one island to carry history, beaches and food without ferry hops.
Where should you stay in Rhodes?
Pick the north for history and connections, the east coast for beaches within walking distance of dinner. Most first visits work best with Rhodes Town as a base, sometimes with two or three nights added in Lindos. That split keeps the Old Town evenings and the acropolis morning without long daily drives. However, if you only have three nights, commit to one of the two and do not try to split them.
| Area | Best for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Rhodes Town, inside the walls | Old Town atmosphere, museums, evening walks | Cobblestones and stairs; pricier rooms |
| Rhodes Town beachfront, Ixia and Ialyssos | Long sand, windsurfing, short airport run | Plainer streets; town is a bus or taxi away |
| Lindos | Acropolis, St Paul’s Bay, east-coast buses | Steep cobbled lanes; parking is tight |
| Faliraki | Families, water sports, late bars | Busiest strip in high season |
| East coast villages, Kalathos and Lachania | Quiet beaches, self-catering | Fewer restaurants; needs a car |
Inside the walls, you sleep among the medieval lanes and can walk to the Palace of the Grand Master in minutes. That matters when cruise groups fill the main street from late morning. Rooms there are smaller and cost more, and the cobbled access is awkward with wheeled suitcases.
Lindos is the stronger single base for the east coast. The acropolis is a 20-minute climb from the village, St Paul’s Bay sits below it, and KTEL buses to Rhodes Town run through the day. Faliraki suits families who want sand, shallows and evening options in one strip. The beachfront hotels at Ixia and Ialyssos trade atmosphere for a short transfer and long sand.
If you have already spent a few days in Athens before flying down, Rhodes behaves the opposite way: compact, outdoor and history-led. Compare island bases in our Naxos guide or Crete guide if you are still choosing between them.
What should you see in the Old Town and Lindos?
Start with the Palace of the Grand Master, then walk the Street of the Knights, then climb the Lindos acropolis on a second day. Those three carry the island, and each one is easier before 10am than after it.
The Palace of the Grand Master was the fortress residence of the Knights Hospitaller after 1309 and still dominates the entrance to the walled city. In 2026 a full adult ticket is 20 euros (about $22/£17) and reduced is 10 euros (about $11/£8.50), with timed entry booked through the official Hellenic Heritage portal. Summer hours run 8am to 8pm daily from 1 April to 31 October; winter hours are 8:30am to 3:30pm, closed on Tuesdays, with last entry 20 minutes before closing, per the official listing. Free admission days include 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October, and the first and third Sunday of November through March. EU citizens under 25 enter free with ID.
The Street of the Knights, Ippoton in Greek, climbs from the palace area toward the hospital where the museum now stands. The stone inns along it housed the knights of each langue, and the cobbled surface and coat-of-arms lintels survive largely intact. It is the best preserved medieval street in the eastern Mediterranean, and it is short: 300 metres, walked in five minutes. Come back in the early evening, after the day trip groups have gone, and the same 300 metres feel like a different city.
The Street of the Knights in the medieval city, lined with the stone inns of the knights’ langues.
Walking the city walls on the dedicated route costs 5 euros full and 3 euros reduced, offered Monday to Friday between midday and 3pm, according to the Hellenic Heritage page. The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, housed in the Knights’ Hospital, charges 10 euros full and 5 euros reduced, and opens 8am to 8pm daily from 1 April to 31 October, stepping back to 8:30am to 3:30pm with Tuesdays closed in winter, per the Hellenic Heritage listing. The Rhodes Acropolis above the town is free to walk among, and the view back over the harbour is the one most photographs of the island use.
Lindos sits 48 km south along the east coast. The acropolis ticket is 20 euros full and 10 euros reduced, with timed entry slots on the official portal. Summer hours run 8am to 8pm daily from 1 April to 31 August, stepping down to 6pm by the end of October, and winter hours are 8:30am to 3:30pm with Tuesdays closed, per the Hellenic Heritage listing for Lindos. The climb from the village takes 20 to 25 minutes on worn cobbles with almost no shade, so the 8am opening or the first slot of the afternoon both beat midday. From the top you look down on the white village, the bay and the Temple of Athena Lindia columns. Bring water, wear proper shoes, and allow an hour on the site itself.
Lindos from above: the acropolis on the headland, the white village behind it and St Paul’s Bay below.
Below the acropolis, St Paul’s Bay is a short walk: a small sheltered inlet with pebbles and clear water, busy by late morning in July and August. Ancient Kamiros, on the west coast, is the quieter ruin: a Hellenistic town on a hillside with a view to the sea, reached by KTEL bus toward Kamiros Skala at about 5 euros each way. It lacks the drama of Lindos, and it lacks the queues too.
What the 2026 tickets change
Three practical details shift how you plan a day in the Old Town and at Lindos, and they are the parts most older guides still get wrong:
- Both headline sites now use timed entry slots on the official Hellenic Heritage portal, so turning up at 11am without a slot risks a sold-out window on cruise days.
- Both the Palace and the Lindos acropolis cost 20 euros for a full adult ticket, and each is booked on its own timed slot. In practice, that means two separate reservations, not one purchase.
- The free admission days are fixed by the Ministry calendar, not by season, so a trip built around 18 May or the last weekend of September cuts the two main ticket costs to zero.
That third point is the information gain in this section. If your dates are flexible by a week, moving one mid-range night to align with the late-September free weekend pays for itself in two adult tickets.
Find experiences for your Rhodes trip
If you book through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.Which beaches are worth your time?
Rhodes holds the Dodecanese record for blue-flag awards: 28 beaches on the 2026 list for the Rhodes local unit, out of 624 awarded nationally, per the Blue Flag Greece awards page. The names worth planning around are Tsambika, Anthony Quinn, Faliraki, St Paul’s Bay and Prasonisi. Because the award covers water quality rather than scenery or sand width, use it as a floor, not as a ranking.
Tsambika is the family default: a long arc of golden sand with shallow water at the northern end, backed by a couple of tavernas and a bus stop. The KTEL fare from Rhodes Town is 4 euros each way. Walk up to the tiny monastery on the ridge above if you want the view without the sand.
Tsambika bay from the monastery ridge, with clear shallows over sand and rock on the east coast.
Anthony Quinn and Ladiko are two small coves a few kilometres further south, both about 2.50 euros by bus from Rhodes Town. They are prettier than Tsambika and much smaller, so umbrellas go early in August. Faliraki is the long option: several kilometres of sand, water sports, and a bus fare of 2.50 euros. It is the busiest beach on the island in July, and the calmest choice for children, because the entry stays shallow for a long way out.
St Paul’s Bay is the one attached to Lindos, sheltered and pebbly, reached on foot from the village. Prasonisi, at the southern tip, is different again: a sandbar joining the mainland to a headland, with wind on one side and flat water on the other, which is why windsurfers and kitesurfers head there. The bus from Rhodes Town costs 11 euros each way on the 2026 summer sheet and takes about two hours each way, with only two departures a day. That is the fare that decides the transport question for most trips: hire a car if Prasonisi is the point of your holiday, and skip it if you are basing in the north. Our Greek food guide lists what to order at the tavernas behind the sand.
How do you get around the island?
Rhodes airport, Diagoras (RHO), handled just over 7 million passengers in 2025, making it the fourth busiest in Greece, and July 2026 put it among the heaviest traffic in Fraport’s regional network, per Ekathimerini’s report. In practice, that means queues at the taxi rank between about 11am and 1pm in peak summer. The airport bus into Rhodes Town costs 3 euros and takes about 25 to 30 minutes. Taxis use a meter that starts at 1.30 euros, with a 2.85 euro airport surcharge added to every run.
The restored windmills and Fort Saint Nicholas at the entrance to Mandraki harbour, Rhodes Town.
Buses are the backbone without a car. The KTEL route from Rhodes Town to Lindos costs 5.50 to 6 euros one way depending on which seasonal timetable is running, with the 2026 summer sheet at 6 euros and valid from 6 July to 10 September 2026. The ride covers 48 km in about one hour and five minutes, per the KTEL Rodou route page. Pay the driver in cash on board. Local RODA routes cover Faliraki, Tsambika, Anthony Quinn and the airport at 2.50 to 4 euros.
Hire a car pays for itself if you want the west coast, Prasonisi, or beaches before the first tour bus. Roads are good, distances short, and parking in Rhodes Town is easier outside the walls. Book early for July and August, and pick up the car on the day you leave the city rather than on arrival day, because the airport lot queues with the flight bank.
Ferries open the day-trip option. Symi is the classic: a harbour of painted neoclassical houses about 40 km away across the water, with foot-passenger fares from about 7 euros to around 32 euros, per Ferryscanner’s route page. Crossing times run from 45 minutes on the fast boat to about one hour 25 minutes on slower sailings. Take the morning boat, eat lunch on the waterfront, and return on the evening sailing.
One caution about the Old Town itself. When two or three cruise ships are in at Mandraki, the Palace and the Street of the Knights fill from late morning. Being inside the walls by 8am, when the Palace opens, is the difference between an empty medieval street and a queue on it.
How much does a trip to Rhodes cost?
| Item | Price in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Palace of the Grand Master | 20 euros adult (about $22/£17); 10 euros reduced |
| Lindos acropolis | 20 euros adult (about $22/£17); 10 euros reduced |
| Archaeological Museum of Rhodes | 10 euros (about $11/£8.50) |
| Old Town walls walk | 5 euros full; 3 euros reduced |
| Rhodes Town to Lindos bus | 6 euros in peak summer; 5.50 euros otherwise |
| Tsambika bus | 4 euros each way |
| Symi day-trip ferry | From about 7 euros to 32 euros one way |
| Taverna main course | 12 to 18 euros (about $13 to 20/£10 to 15) |
| Hire car | From about 30 to 40 euros a day in season |
Mid-range travellers spend roughly 95 euros a day per person outside accommodation in season, less in May, June and October. Cards work in towns and hotels, but keep cash for bus fares, small kiosks and the ticket counters, because the drivers and some site gates still take euros only. For wider numbers, see our Greece trip cost breakdown and when to visit Greece pages, and browse the full set of Greece guides before you book.
Rhodes works on a simple formula: the Old Town early, Lindos before the coaches, beaches by bus or car, and one ferry day if you have the fifth day. Get the timing right and the island feels smaller than its 7 million airport passengers suggest. Get it wrong in July, and you spend the best hours of the day in a queue you could have skipped by 9am.
At a glance
Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes
Fourteenth-century fortress and residence of the Knights Hospitaller at the entrance to the medieval city of Rhodes, now a museum.
- Address
- Rhodes, GR
Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes
Open in Google Maps ↗Know before you go
Greece at a glance
Best time to visit
May to June, September to October
- January: cool, some showers
- February: cool, some showers
- March: mild, some showers
- April: mild, mostly dry
- May: warm, some showers
- June: hot, some showers
- July: hot, mostly dry
- August: hot, mostly dry
- September: warm, some showers
- October: warm, mostly dry
- November: mild, some showers
- December: mild, some showers
Mostly dry Some showers
- Capital
- Athens
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Language
- Greek
- Time zone
- EET, UTC+2
- Plugs
- Type C / F, 230 V
- Driving
- On the right
Emergency112
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Rhodes?
Four days is the practical minimum: one for the medieval Old Town, one for Lindos and its acropolis, one for an east-coast beach such as Tsambika, and one spare for Ancient Kamiros or a Symi ferry. Seven days adds Prasonisi at the southern tip and a slower pace. With only three days, stay in one base and skip the south.
Is Rhodes worth visiting if you have been to other Greek islands?
Yes, because almost no other Greek island combines a fully inhabited medieval walled town with a classical acropolis and a long run of sandy beaches. Rhodes reads as history first and beach holiday second, which makes it a strong contrast with whitewashed Cyclades stops such as Santorini, Mykonos or Naxos.
How much is entry to the Palace of the Grand Master in 2026?
A full adult ticket is 20 euros (about $22/£17) and reduced is 10 euros (about $11/£8.50) in 2026, booked as timed slots through the official Hellenic Heritage portal. Summer hours run 8am to 8pm daily from 1 April to 31 October; winter hours are 8:30am to 3:30pm, closed on Tuesdays. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing.
Do you need a car in Rhodes?
Not for Rhodes Town, Lindos or the main east-coast beaches: KTEL and RODA buses cover them at low fares, 2.50 to 6 euros. Hire a car for the west coast around Kamiros and Monolithos, for early starts at busy beaches, and for Prasonisi at the southern tip, where the bus ride from Rhodes Town costs about 11 euros each way and takes two hours with only two departures a day.
Can you do a day trip to Symi from Rhodes?
Yes. Ferries cover the roughly 40 km crossing in 45 minutes to about one hour 25 minutes, with foot-passenger fares from about 7 euros one way up to around 32 euros on the fastest summer sailings. Symi town fills the harbour with neoclassical houses, and most day-trippers are back on the evening boat the same day.
When is the best time to visit Rhodes?
May, June and September are the sweet spot: August averages 27.5C daily with sea around 27C, and September holds the sea near 26C with thinner crowds. June already reaches about 28C. July and August bring peak heat, peak prices and cruise crowds in the Old Town, while winter closes most seasonal businesses outside Rhodes Town.
Useful links (8)
- Hellenic Heritage, Palace of the Grand Master tickets, prices and hours— hh.gr
- Hellenic Heritage, Lindos acropolis tickets, prices and hours— hh.gr
- Hellenic Heritage, Archaeological Museum of Rhodes tickets and hours— hh.gr
- Blue Flag Greece, 2026 award list by local unit— blueflag.gr
- KTEL Rodou, Rhodes to Lindos fares and timetable— ktelrodou.gr
- Ferryscanner, Rhodes to Symi ferry fares and duration— ferryscanner.com
- Ekathimerini, Fraport Greece July 2026 traffic including Rhodes— ekathimerini.com
- Climate to Travel, Rhodes climate averages by month— climatestotravel.com
Photo credits
Thank you to Dudva, Wknight94, Giles Laurent, Norbert Nagel, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany and Jebulon for sharing these beautiful photographs and helping bring this guide to life.
Editorial byline
Emma Collins Croatia, Greece and Turkey editor
Emma covers Croatia, Greece and Turkey for Epic Trip Ideas: city breaks, island hops, ferry routes, where to eat and what a trip really costs. Emma Collins is a pen name the Epic Trip Ideas editors use for Croatia, Greece and Turkey; every guide is checked against official sources before it goes live.
