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Voykit pocket guide · Greece
Rhodes, city
Ρόδος
Base yourself in or beside the walled Old Town for 3 nights: one full day inside the walls, one for the Acropolis and New Town, one for a Lindos run.
Rhodes city is the island capital and its transport hub: a UNESCO-listed medieval walled town, a modern New Town behind it, and the ancient Acropolis ruins on the hill 2 km southwest. Most travellers sleep here for 3 nights, then move to Lindos or a beach resort, or day-trip out from here. It is a walking city first, with buses and taxis for everything else.
- Country
- Greece
- Local name
- Ρόδος
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and peak crowds), plus the busiest weeks around Easter and mid-August
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely accepted; card terminals are required in many businesses.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–75 excl. bed · Mid €75–140 excl. bed · High €140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Cosmote, Vodafone and Nova sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at the airport; a passport is needed to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Fire 199 · Tourist police 1571
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European round two-pin plugs.
- Tipping
- Café: Leave the coins, €0.50–1.; Taverna or restaurant: 5–10% in cash on the table; not expected at gyros shops.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night.; Boat crew or guide: €5–10 per person for a day trip.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in Athens, Thessaloniki and most of the mainland. On many islands it is desalinated or hard: ask locally and buy bottled if unsure.
- Toilets
- Use cafés (buy something), museums and sites. Paper goes in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (freddo espresso or cappuccino) | €2.50–4.50 |
| Gyros or souvlaki pita | €3.50–6 |
| Taverna main course | €9–18 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a mini-market | €4–6 / €1.50–2.50 |
| Taxi inside the city | €5–6 |
| Airport bus to the central bus station | €2.50–3.50 |
| Palace of the Grand Master entry | about €6, combined ticket about €10 |
| Archaeological Museum entry | about €3 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- RHO · Rhodes International Airport (Diagoras)
- About 14 km southwest of the city on the west coast; bus about once or twice an hour to the central bus station, 35 min, or taxi about 25–30 min. Recheck the timetable and fare before you travel (check).About 8.7 mi southwest of the city on the west coast; bus about once or twice an hour to the central bus station, 35 min, or taxi about 25–30 min. Recheck the timetable and fare before you travel (check).
Typical fares
- Airport (RHO) → central bus station, bus
- about €2.50–3.50, 35 min
- Airport (RHO) → city, taxi
- about €25–30, 25–30 min
- Taxi city centre → Faliraki
- about €20
Get around
In the Old Town you walk: cars cannot enter and the lanes are unsigned. For the New Town, the Acropolis and the beaches, use the local D.E.S. RODA city buses or taxis; the two island bus stations sit just outside the Old Town wall near the waterfront, one for the west coast (including the airport) and one for KTEL services. Confirm the fare with the driver before you set off.
See and do
Known for
- Rhodes Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights
- Street of the Knights and the medieval walls
- Acropolis of Rhodes
- Site of the Colossus of Rhodes
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lindos | KTEL bus from the KTEL station outside the Old Town wall, or a car down the east coast | About 1.5 h each way |
| Faliraki | Bus or taxi down the east coast | About 30–40 min (check) |
| Ialysos | West-coast bus from the D.E.S. RODA station | About 20–30 min |
| Archangelos | KTEL bus down the east coast | About 1 h |
| Afandou | Bus down the east coast | About 45 min |
| Theologos | West-coast bus | About 40–50 min |
Sleep
- Inside the Old Town walls
- Stone lanes, courtyards and rooftop terraces; 200-odd unnamed lanes, so expect to get lost on arrival. Best for atmosphere and walking to the sights; vehicle access is restricted, so confirm with your accommodation how to reach it with bags.
- New Town around the bus stations and Mandraki
- Modern hotels, the ferry and yacht harbour, Elli Beach and the commercial port within 10–15 min on foot. Best for transport, ferries and beach access.
- Acropolis / Rodini side
- Quieter, greener and cheaper, 2 km southwest of the walls; you will use buses or taxis to reach the Old Town.Quieter, greener and cheaper, 1.2 mi southwest of the walls; you will use buses or taxis to reach the Old Town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Γεια σαςYA sas |
| Thank you | Ευχαριστώef-kha-ri-STO |
| Please | Παρακαλώpa-ra-ka-LO |
| How much is it? | Πόσο κάνει;PO-so KA-ni |
| The bill, please | Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώton lo-gha-ria-SMO pa-ra-ka-LO |
| Where is the toilet? | Πού είναι η τουαλέτα;pu INE i tua-LE-ta |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'kaliméra' (morning) or 'kalispéra' (evening) on entering shops and tavernas; avoid: Launching straight into a question
- Hospitality: Accept offered coffee, sweets or raki; it is part of the welcome; avoid: Refusing flatly — take a little
- Churches: Covered shoulders and knees; quiet voices; a small candle donation; avoid: Turning your back on the altar for photos during a service
- Gestures: Wave with the palm turned towards yourself; avoid: The open palm pushed forward (moutza)
- Conversation: Family, food and football are easy topics; avoid: Lecturing on the debt crisis, Türkiye or the name of North Macedonia
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries or wine; arrive a little late; avoid: Leaving food on the plate if you have been served more
- Dress: Casual; long trousers or skirt for monasteries; avoid: Swimwear in town, shops and churches
Scams and watch-outs
- Old Town lanes are unsigned and slippery when wet: wear shoes with grip, not flip-flops.
- The Palace of the Grand Master is a 20th-century Italian reconstruction on medieval foundations, not an intact knights' castle; check current tickets and hours before you go.
- Wall walks and some monuments run limited hours and separate tickets: check the day's times on arrival.
- Summer heat peaks in Jul–Aug: sightsee before 11:00 and after 17:00, and carry water.
- Cruise-ship days flood the Old Town between roughly 10:00 and 16:00: go early or late.
Rhodes city is a safe, heavily touristed place; the real risks are heat in Jul–Aug, uneven stone lanes, pickpockets in the busiest lanes on cruise days, and scooter or quad rental without a licence or helmet.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Rhodes, city yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Rhodes Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights
- Street of the Knights and the medieval walls
- Acropolis of Rhodes
- Site of the Colossus of Rhodes
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Municipality of Rhodes (official): www.rhodes.gr/
- Rhodes International Airport (Diagoras): www.rho-airport.gr/en/
- D.E.S. RODA — Rhodes city and west-coast buses: desroda.gr
- KTEL Rodou — island bus network: ktelrodou.gr
- Wikivoyage: Rhodes (city), revision 5289050 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5289050
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Rhodes, cityΡόδος
Σε αυτή τη διεύθυνση, παρακαλώ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Rhodes city; most countries' embassies are in Athens, with consulates for some states. Check your own government's list before you travel.
Old Town lanes are unsigned: screenshot your guesthouse pin and the nearest gate before you arrive.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/rhodes-city). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.