How much time do you need in Rhodes Old Town?

A minimum of 2–3 hours for a first visit covering the Palace of Grand Master, the Street of Knights, and the main square. A full half-day allows a more relaxed exploration of the residential lanes, the Jewish Quarter, and the walls. The Old Town is free to walk — entry fees apply only to specific sites within it.

How do you get from Rhodes Town to Lindos?

Local buses run from the East Side Bus Station (KTEL) in Rhodes Town to Lindos approximately every 30–60 minutes in summer (journey about 1 hour, around €5 each way as of 2026). A taxi or hire car takes about 45 minutes. Book transport ahead in summer as buses fill quickly in both directions.

Is the Valley of Butterflies worth visiting?

In the right month, yes — the Jersey tiger moths (locally called butterflies) congregate in the valley from late June through August, covering every surface of the trees. Entry costs approximately €5 as of 2026. Outside this period, the valley is a pleasant forested walk but the moths are absent. Note that clapping or making noise to disturb the moths is now prohibited.

Can you do a day trip to Symi from Rhodes?

Yes — regular day trip boats run from Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes Town to Symi island (approximately €25–35 return as of 2026, journey 50 minutes to 1 hour by fast catamaran). The boats typically allow 4–5 hours on Symi. The coloured neoclassical houses rising from the harbour are the main sight; walking up to Chorio village and Panormitis Monastery adds context.

Things to Do in Rhodes | The Greece Guides

Rhodes has one of the best-preserved medieval old towns in Europe, a clifftop acropolis at Lindos, and a varied coastline spanning from windsurfing at the southern tip to sheltered bays near the town. It rewards more than a beach-focused week — hire a car in Rhodes to reach Lindos, Prasonisi, and the Valley of the Butterflies without relying on infrequent buses. Prices listed here are approximate as of 2026.

Walk Rhodes Old Town

The Old Town of Rhodes is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe — a 2.5km circuit of walls enclosing a labyrinth of cobbled streets, Ottoman mosques, Byzantine churches, Crusader palaces, and Jewish quarter lanes that have been continuously occupied since the 14th century. UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Old Town is free to walk at any time. The walls themselves are open for a perimeter walk (entry approximately €2–4 as of 2026, check current hours). Allow at least 2 to 3 hours for a first visit; half a day if you want to explore properly.

The tourist zone concentrates around Ippokratous Square and Socratous Street (the main shopping lane). The residential quarter behind it — particularly the Jewish Quarter (Ovriaki) around the Plateia ton Evreon Martyron — is quieter and more atmospheric.

Visit the Palace of the Grand Master

The Palace of the Grand Master is the most impressive building in the Old Town — a vast Hospitaller fortress-palace reconstructed by the Italians in the 1930s on the site of the original 14th-century palace. The interior rooms contain ancient Greek and Roman mosaics removed from Kos, Byzantine icons, and displays on the history of the Knights Hospitaller who controlled Rhodes from 1309 to 1522.

Entry costs approximately €8 as of 2026. Open Tuesday to Sunday, typically 8am to 8pm in summer. The Street of Knights (Ippoton), running from the palace toward the harbour, is the most complete medieval street surviving anywhere in Europe — lined with the hostels (auberges) of the eight language groups of the Knights.

Climb to Lindos Acropolis

Lindos is the most impressive ancient site on the island — a Doric acropolis of the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, built on a cliff rising 116m above the sea, with the remains of the Temple of Athena Lindia and the monumental Propylaia staircase. The views from the top — the village of Lindos below, the twin bays, the sea stretching toward Turkey — are outstanding.

Entry costs approximately €12 as of 2026. Reach the acropolis by climbing the stepped path (15–20 minutes, steep) from Lindos village below, or by donkey ride (approximately €5 up). The site is open Tuesday to Sunday; arrive early to avoid midday heat and crowds.

The village of Lindos itself is a beautifully preserved whitewashed Dodecanese village — worth exploring the lanes, the captain’s houses, and the Byzantine Church of the Panagia before or after the acropolis. Avoid driving into the village — park in the designated car park outside and walk in.

Walk the Street of Knights

Ippoton Street, running from the Palace of the Grand Master to the Lower Town gate, is the finest medieval street in Greece — a perfectly preserved Hospitaller thoroughfare flanked by the stone auberges (hostels) of the various language divisions of the Knights. The street is pedestrianised and paved with original cobblestones. It takes about 15 minutes to walk end to end; more if you read the carved coats of arms on each building.

Visit the Valley of Butterflies

The Valley of Butterflies (Petaloudes), approximately 25km from Rhodes Town, is a forested gorge where Jersey tiger moths (Panaxia quadripunctaria) congregate in their thousands from late June through August. The moths cover every tree trunk and rock surface in the valley, creating an extraordinary spectacle.

Entry costs approximately €5 as of 2026. The valley has a signposted walking trail (approximately 1.5km, easy). Important: making loud noises or clapping to make the moths fly is now prohibited and carries a fine — the disturbance drains their limited energy reserves. Visit in the morning for the most moths in active display.

Explore Ancient Kamiros

Ancient Kamiros, on the north-west coast, is one of three ancient city-states of Rhodes (alongside Lindos and Ialyssos). The site is less visited than Lindos but better preserved in its layout — a complete Hellenistic town with streets, cisterns, houses, and a temple on the hilltop above. Entry approximately €6 as of 2026.

No reconstruction has been done here; it is a more raw archaeological experience than Knossos or even Lindos. The coastal setting — clifftop views over the sea toward Turkey — adds to the appeal.

Windsurfing at Prasonisi

Prasonisi, at the very southern tip of Rhodes, is one of the best windsurfing and kitesurfing spots in the Mediterranean. The geography is unique: a sandy isthmus connecting the small rocky headland of Prasonisi to the main island, with the Aegean on one side (rougher, for intermediate and advanced) and the Mediterranean on the other (calmer, for beginners). The two sides create different wind and wave conditions simultaneously.

Equipment rental and instruction are available at the beach centres. A full day’s equipment hire costs approximately €40–60 as of 2026; lessons are additional.

Day Trip to Symi Island

Symi is a small island 50 minutes by fast boat from Rhodes Town, most famous for its steep hillsides covered with pastel-coloured neoclassical houses — a visual impact unlike anything else in the Dodecanese. Regular day-trip boats run from Mandraki Harbour (approximately €25–35 return as of 2026, typically allowing 4–5 hours on the island).

The harbour area (Gialos) has restaurants and shops; the upper town (Chorio) and the monastery of Taxiarchis Michalis Panormitis are the main sights beyond the view.

Mandraki Harbour and New Town

The New Town of Rhodes surrounds Mandraki Harbour, where the Colossus of Rhodes allegedly straddled the entrance in antiquity — two columns topped with bronze deer now mark the spot. The medieval tower of Agios Nikolaos and the three restored windmills at the harbour entrance make for a pleasant waterfront walk.

The Grand Aquarium of Rhodes at the northern tip of the island (entry approximately €5) has good displays on Aegean marine life and is worth an hour.

Comparing your options? See our Rhodes vs Crete comparison for help deciding between Greece’s two most popular holiday islands.

For the complete Rhodes island guide including where to stay and getting around, see our Rhodes travel guide. For beaches from Faliraki to Anthony Quinn Bay and Prasonisi, see best beaches in Rhodes. For restaurants in the Old Town and New Town, see best restaurants in Rhodes. Book guided Old Town walks, Lindos tours, and boat trips with our Rhodes tours guide.

Things to Do in Rhodes: Medieval Town, Lindos, and Beyond