Old Town
AtmosphereInside the walls: cobbled lanes, courtyards and bougainvillea. Car-free and full of history.
Rhodes Town city guide
Things To Do In Rhodes Town
A walled medieval city built by the Knights of St John, still lived in, with beaches on both sides of it and Turkey on the horizon. Two centuries of crusader stone and five centuries of everything since.
7
Hostels in the city
8.7
Average, from 3,357 reviews
1309
The knights arrive
4 km
Of medieval walls
1948
Rhodes joins Greece
The best-preserved medieval town in Europe, still inhabited
Rhodes Town sits at the northern tip of the island, and its old town is one of the great medieval cities of Europe. The Knights Hospitaller held Rhodes from 1309 until Suleiman the Magnificent took it in 1522, and the walls, gates and inns they built are still standing, with people living inside them.
The Ottomans added mosques, fountains and baths; the Italians, who ruled the Dodecanese from 1912, rebuilt the Palace of the Grand Master and laid out the new town beyond the walls. The islands joined Greece in 1948.
Outside the walls is a modern resort city with beaches on both coasts. Two or three days covers the town and Lindos, and the island rewards a week with a car.
Where to stay
Stay inside the walls for atmosphere, or in the new town for beaches and nightlife. They are ten minutes apart.
Knights' Quarter
First-timersThe northern part of the old town, around the Street of the Knights and the palace. The busiest part.
New Town
Beaches and nightlifeNorth of the walls, around Mandraki and Elli beach. Bars, shops and the bus stations.
Mandraki
Being centralThe harbour just outside the walls, with the deer statues, the market and the boats.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 7 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Rhodes Town
Start inside the walls. The Street of the Knights, cobbled and almost unchanged, runs uphill from the hospital — now the Archaeological Museum — to the Palace of the Grand Master, which was bombed out and rebuilt by the Italians in the 1930s. Both are worth the ticket.
Then get lost in the rest of the old town, which is much larger than the knights' quarter. Sokratous Street is the busy bazaar; the lanes south of it are quiet and residential. The Jewish quarter, La Juderia, has the Kahal Shalom synagogue, the oldest in Greece, and a museum of the community deported in 1944.
Walk the dry moat that circles the walls, which is free, green and nearly empty, and gives the best idea of the scale of the fortifications.
Outside the walls, Mandraki harbour has the two bronze deer on columns where legend puts the Colossus, and the ancient acropolis on Monte Smith, above the town, has a Temple of Apollo, a stadium and a sunset view.
Free things
Free things to do in Rhodes Town
The old town itself is free to walk, and it is the main event. So is the dry moat around the walls, which is quiet, shaded in places and one of the best walks in town.
The acropolis on Monte Smith, with its Temple of Apollo, restored stadium and small theatre, is open and free, and has the best sunset view over the sea to the west.
Mandraki harbour, with the deer statues and the three medieval windmills on the breakwater, costs nothing. Elli beach, at the northern tip of the town, is free and a short walk from the walls.
State museums and sites are free on the first Sunday of the month from November to March.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Rhodes Town
The restaurants on the main old-town squares are the tourist ones, and they are priced accordingly. The rule is the same as everywhere in Greece: walk a few lanes away and prices drop by half.
The new town, particularly around the market, has cheaper tavernas and good souvlaki for under €5. Fish is expensive everywhere and priced by the kilo, so ask before ordering.
Look for the island dishes: pitaroudia, chickpea fritters; lakani, goat slow-cooked in a clay pot; and melekouni, a sesame-and-honey bar traditionally made for weddings. The island also makes its own wine and souma, a grape spirit.
Nightlife
Going out in Rhodes Town
Rhodes Town has two nightlife scenes. Inside the walls, the bars around the old town squares are atmospheric and quieter, some in medieval courtyards.
In the new town, Orfanidou Street and the streets near Elli beach are the bar strip, with clubs and cocktails open late through the summer.
Faliraki, fifteen kilometres down the east coast, is the island's party resort. It is calmer than its reputation from the early 2000s, but still loud in July and August.
A beer is €4 to €6 in town, more in the old town squares.
Getting around
Getting around Rhodes Town
The old town is car-free and entirely walkable, and the new town is flat. You will not need transport within the town.
The airport is about fourteen kilometres south-west of town. Buses run to the centre for a few euros, and taxis take about twenty-five minutes.
Buses leave from two stations beside the New Market in Mandraki: one for the east coast, including Faliraki and Lindos, and one for the west coast and the airport.
Ferries from Piraeus take around fifteen hours, and most people fly. Boats to Symi and the other Dodecanese leave from Mandraki and the commercial harbour, and boats to Marmaris in Turkey run in summer. For the south of the island, hire a car.
Costs
What Rhodes Town costs
Rhodes Town is moderate for Greece. Dorms are typically €18 to €35, with the lower end outside summer, taverna meals €15 to €22, and a bus to Lindos a few euros.
A careful day is €45 to €60. The costs to watch are the restaurants on the old-town squares, sunbeds on the beaches, and boat trips, which add up quickly.
The walls, the moat and the acropolis are free, and the old town is the attraction. Eat in the new town or the back lanes and you will spend far less.
Safety
Staying safe in Rhodes Town
Rhodes Town is safe, with ordinary caution needed for pickpockets in the summer crowds on Sokratous Street and around the harbour when cruise ships are in.
The old town's polished cobbles are slippery, especially in the lanes that run downhill. Wear proper shoes.
In Faliraki, drinks are strong and cheap and the night is long. Look after each other.
Wildfires are a real summer risk on the island, and in 2023 thousands of people were evacuated from the south. Heed the 112 SMS alerts. Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Rhodes Town
The island is sixty kilometres long. Lindos and Symi are the two that most people do.
Lindos
A white village under a clifftop acropolis, with St Paul's Bay below it. Go early; it is packed by midday.
Symi
A harbour of pastel neoclassical houses climbing the hillside, and one of the prettiest islands in the Dodecanese.
Kallithea Springs
A restored 1920s Italian spa in pale domes and palms, with a small swimming cove.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Easter and the August festivals are the ones to catch.
Staff pick
9 May – 31 Oct
Sound and Light Show
The Sound and Light Show in Rhodes offers a unique way to experience the island’s rich history, combining music, lighting, and architecture to bring…
Staff pick
21–26 October
Rhodes & South Aegean International Jazz Festival
The Rhodes & South Aegean International Jazz Festival brings together emerging and renowned jazz artists from across Europe, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean for…
Staff pick
28 Sep – 10 Oct
European Polyphony Festival
The European Polyphony Festival in Rhodes, Greece, is a dynamic celebration of musical and artistic diversity, founded in 2019 through a partnership between Arts…
Hostels
Where to stay in Rhodes Town
Rhodes has a small number of hostels, several inside the old town walls. These are the top-rated on the island right now, live from Hostelworld.
Rhodes Youth Hostel
Dorms from €29 a night
See dates and book
STAY Hostel & Bar Rhodes
Dorms from €17 a night
See dates and book
Rhodes Backpackers
See dates and book
Mango Rooms
See dates and book
Tribes Upscale Hostel
Dorms from €29 a night
See dates and book
Europa Hotel
See dates and book
Anastasia Studios
See dates and bookWhen to go
Rhodes has one of the longest seasons in Greece. April to June and September to October are ideal.
Jan
Mild and quiet. Many hotels closed
Feb
Cool and cheap
Mar
Spring. Union Day on the 7th
Apr
Easter usually falls here or in May
May
Excellent. Warm and not yet busy
Jun
Hot, busy, sea warm
Jul
Peak season. Book ahead
Aug
Peak heat and village festivals
Sep
Superb. Warmest sea of the year
Oct
Excellent and quieter
Nov
Mild. The season winds down
Dec
Quiet and cheap
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Rhodes is among the sunniest islands in Greece, and the season runs well into October.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Transport assumes KTEL buses. A day trip to Lindos adds a few euros in fares, plus site entry.
—
- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Rhodes Town travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
How many days do you need in Rhodes Town?
Two or three for the old town, the moat and a day trip to Lindos. A week lets you see the south of the island and Symi.
Is Rhodes Old Town worth it?
Yes. It is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, and unlike most, people still live in it. The lanes away from the main streets are the best part.
Where should I stay in Rhodes?
Inside the old town for atmosphere, or in the new town near Elli beach for nightlife and beaches. They are a ten-minute walk apart.
How do I get to Lindos?
KTEL buses from the east coast station by the New Market take about an hour. Go early, before the tour coaches arrive.
Can I go to Turkey from Rhodes?
Yes. Boats to Marmaris run in summer. Check the visa and passport rules for your nationality before you go.
Is Faliraki still a party resort?
It is calmer than its reputation from the early 2000s, but still the island's main party spot in July and August.
When is the best time to visit Rhodes?
April to June and September to October. July and August are hot and crowded, and the season runs longer than on most islands.
Say yes to hostels, meet the world
Compare Rhodes Town hostels — live prices, real reviews and free cancellation on most bookings. Then meet the people already there in the app.
Get the App.