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Voykit pocket guide · Greece
Symi
Σύμη
Symi is a day-trip from Rhodes or a 2-night stop: see the harbour, walk the old town and visit Panormitis Monastery. One night is enough for the essentials.
Symi is a small Dodecanese island with a neo-classical harbour, quiet beaches and a hillside old town. Most visitors come as a day-trip from Rhodes, but an overnight stay lets you walk the empty streets after the day-trippers leave and take a boat to Panormitis Monastery.
- Country
- Greece
- Local name
- Σύμη
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowded and hot)
- Stay
- 1–2 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 €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ 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
- Police 100 · Fire and ambulance 112 · 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 | €3–5 |
| Lunch (souvlaki or gyros) | €8–12 |
| Dinner with wine | €20–35 |
| Beer (bottle) | €4–6 |
| Taxi from harbour to Chorio | €5–8 |
| Bus from Yialos to Pedi | €2 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- RHO · Rhodes International Airport
- Then a taxi or bus to Rhodes harbour (about 20 min) and a ferry to Symi (about 1 h).
Typical fares
- Ferry Rhodes → Symi
- about €20–40 one way, about 1 h (check)
- Taxi harbour → Chorio
- €5–8
- Boat to Panormitis Monastery
- about €15–30 return (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A bus runs hourly from Yialos through Chorio to Pedi. Taxis and water taxis are available. Walking is the main way to explore the harbour and old town.
See and do
Known for
- Yialos harbour with neo-classical mansions
- Panormitis Monastery
- Sponge-diving history
- Walking trails and stairways
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rhodes | Ferry from Symi harbour, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Panormitis Monastery | Boat from Yialos harbour, about 30 min | About 1 h |
| Kastellorizo | Ferry via Rhodes, about 3 h total | About 4 h |
Sleep
- Yialos (lower town)
- Harbour-side rooms and hotels; easy access to ferries and restaurants.
- Chorio (upper town)
- Restored houses and villas; quieter but requires climbing many steps.
- Pedi and Nimborio
- Small beach villages with accommodation; quieter than the main town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Goodbye | Γειά σου / ΑντίοYia sou / Adio |
| Thank you | ΕυχαριστώEfharisto |
| Please | ΠαρακαλώParakalo |
| How much? | Πόσο κάνει;Poso kani? |
| Where is the ferry? | Πού είναι το πλοίο;Pou ine to plio? |
| The bill, please | Το λογαριασμό, παρακαλώTo logariasmo, parakalo |
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
- The stairways between Yialos and Chorio are steep; pack light if staying in the upper town.
- Ferry schedules change seasonally; check the day before.
- Harbour restaurants are pricier than those in the old town.
- Book accommodation in advance in July and August.
Symi is very safe. The main risks are steep steps, sunburn and dehydration in summer. Watch your step on the stairways.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Symi yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yialos harbour with neo-classical mansions
- Panormitis Monastery
- Sponge-diving history
- Walking trails and stairways
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Symi, revision 5120673 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5120673
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/symi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.