Rhodes is the largest island of the Dodecanese archipelago and offers beautiful beaches, countless historical treasures, natural beauties and charming villages. You can explore many of the sights of Rhodes independently. Alternatively, there are numerous guided Rhodes tours and day trips available.
“Rhodes is an island for explorers – either you let the wind blow through your hair in a rental car or you hop on the air-conditioned group bus. It doesn’t matter – the main thing is to get out of the hotel!”
Below you will find six popular Rhodes tours and activities on the island. The tours have been rated as very good by other holidaymakers and offer an ideal mix of relaxation and adventure — especially worthwhile for those who do not want to or cannot get around by rental car:
#1 Lindos Excursion by Boat or Bus
- Start of the Lindos tour: from Rhodes Town
- Languages: English
You can book your Lindos Tour directly via our partner GetYourGuide* ↓
The picturesque village of Lindos with its Acropolis is one of the most popular sights on Rhodes. The unique scenery on the east coast — with its bright white houses and imposing castle complex — is served daily by several excursion boats and buses, which means the small town can get very crowded.
At lunchtime in July and August, the narrow streets of the village of 1,000 souls are bursting at the seams. If the crowds don’t bother you, the Lindos tour by boat (including swimming stops) or by bus (including panoramic photo spots) are both great options. Please note that entrance to the Acropolis of Lindos is not included in the ticket price.
If you want a quieter Lindos day trip, we recommend renting a car. This saves you the journey to Rhodes Town and the transfer trips between hotels. Small cars start from around 35 euros per day.
If you visit the Acropolis of Lindos early in the morning, you can avoid the worst of the crowds — leaving you free to explore the town of Lindos at your own pace and enjoy the morning on one of its many pretty panoramic terraces.
→ You can find out what there is to discover in Lindos in our separate article: Lindos
#2 Symi Day Trip
- Start of the Symi tour: from Rhodes Town
- Languages: English, German
You can book your Symi Tour directly via our partner GetYourGuide* ↓
You should not leave Rhodes without making a detour to Symi. The neighbouring island of Rhodes is about an hour’s boat ride away and is a real gem — it is not without reason that Symi is called the “Pearl of the Aegean”.
On your day trip, you will be enchanted by the neoclassical architecture and the authentic charm of this island of 2,500 inhabitants. The tour also includes a visit to the imposing Panormitis Monastery in the south of Symi.
If you want to experience even more island atmosphere, we recommend planning a few overnight stays on Symi. At the ticket offices of Dodekanisos Seaways and Blue Star Ferries in the port of Rhodes, you can purchase an affordable return ticket.
→ You can find out what there is to discover on Symi in our separate article: Symi
#3 Rhodes Sunset Sailing Trip
- Start of the Rhodes sailing trip: from Rhodes Town (Mandraki port)
- Languages: English
You can book the Rhodes Sailing Trip directly via our partner GetYourGuide* ↓
Are you looking for a special gift or surprise for someone special? Then a yacht excursion around Rhodes Town at sunset is the perfect choice! The unforgettable Rhodes sailing excursion combines relaxed music with a romantic dinner.
The 3-hour Rhodes tour includes all food and drinks. A short stop for swimming and snorkelling is also on the agenda. At the end of the evening, under a fantastic starry sky, you return to Mandraki Port of Rhodes — a truly romantic experience, especially for couples.
#4 Sea Kayak Excursion
- Start of the kayak tour: Faliraki, Kathara Beach
- Languages: English
You can book your kayak tour on Rhodes directly via GetYourGuide* ↓
➲ To the kayak tour along the east coast*
As the fourth largest island in Greece with a coastline of over 220 kilometres, Rhodes is home to countless bays and beautiful beaches. A wonderful way to explore part of its picturesque coastal scenery is by sea kayak. The east coast of Rhodes in particular, sheltered from strong waves, is perfectly suited for this.
The almost 5-hour excursion takes you by kayak to Anthony Quinn Bay and Ladiko, past numerous caves and rock formations. Don’t forget your underwater camera! During the Rhodes kayak tour, a small picnic on the beach is included. The provider even offers a bus transfer for guests staying in the north of Rhodes.
#5 Rhodes Jeep Safari
- Start of the jeep safari: various locations in the north
- Languages: English, German
You can book your jeep safari in Rhodes directly via GetYourGuide* ↓
➲ To the organized off-road safari*
On a guided Rhodes jeep safari, the tour takes you off the beaten track across the island. You even have the opportunity to take the wheel yourself and explore remote places well away from the tourist mainstream.
The jeep safari passes through traditional villages where you can taste local products from Rhodes and stop at a cosy taverna. Some tours also include a swim stop. An off-road tour on Rhodes is considered one of the most unforgettable adventures the island has to offer.
#6 Day trip to Rhodes Town
Anyone spending their Rhodes holiday in one of the resort towns and craving a bit of city atmosphere should take a closer look at the island’s capital. Even though there are a few organised tours to Rhodes Town, we recommend exploring the city of almost 60,000 inhabitants on your own. The historic city centre is traffic-calmed and quite compact, making it easy to navigate on foot.
For a first overview — or for cruise passengers who don’t have much time on land — it is worth buying a ticket for the Rhodes Hop-On Hop-Off Bus. This stops at various historical places and sights around Rhodes Town, allowing you to get on and off wherever you please.
With GetYourGuide* you can book Rhodes Town tours directly ↓
➲ To the Hop On-Hop Off bus tour*
You can reach Rhodes Town by bus or taxi. Of course, you can also rent a car and explore the island’s small but lively capital at your own pace. Our Rhodes Guide includes a handpicked city tour for the island’s capital.
Most of the city’s attractions, such as the Grand Master’s Palace of Rhodes, can be explored wonderfully on foot. If you want to see as many sights as possible in the old town, it is worth spending a few nights in the city. In the evenings, you can explore the medieval alleys and experience the nightlife of Rhodes.
→ What there is to discover in Rhodes Town can be found in this article: Rhodes Town
#7 More beautiful Rhodes excursions
Of course, Rhodes can also be explored independently. For most attractions, all you need is a rental car on Rhodes. However, bear in mind that due to the size of the island, the distances between the highlights can take quite a bit of time.
→ You can find our travel report about Rhodes with many individual tips here: Rhodes Highlights
From Rhodes Town in the north to Prasonisi in the far south it is 90 kilometres, and depending on traffic, this route can take almost two hours by car. It is therefore worth dividing your excursion destinations on Rhodes into several stages or separate day trips.
Especially in the south and west of Rhodes you will find a landscape that is largely untouched by mass tourism. Below you will find a few personal recommendations and impressions from our last stay on Rhodes.
🏖️ Dream beaches & hidden bays
🍽️ Restaurants, tavernas & cafés
🏛️ Must-see highlights & ancient sites
🗺️ Worthwhile spots & insider tips
🚘 Practical info like rentals & parking
♾️ Lifetime access & updates
Rhodes Island Tour
Since Rhodes is one of the largest Greek islands, a short holiday is not enough to explore all of the island’s sights. Tour operators often advertise with the so-called Rhodes island tour. This full-day bus tour visits many of the places and highlights on Rhodes.
However, you should be aware that you spend most of the usually 10 to 11 hour Rhodes day tour on the bus. A single day trip is far from enough to get a well-rounded picture of the whole island. These days, there are also separate island tours focusing on the north, south, east, and so on.
The itinerary of the big bus tours tends to follow a similar pattern. Early in the morning, holidaymakers are collected from their individual hotels — sometimes by minibus, other times the large bus works its way through the hotel complexes one by one.
The same procedure then takes place at the end of the day, when all participants have to be dropped off back at their hotels. If you’re unlucky, you’ll be the first on the bus in the morning and the last to be dropped off in the evening. With children, these bus tours on Rhodes are not recommended!
→ The most beautiful highlights for your family holiday in Rhodes can be found here: Rhodes with children
This means you can easily spend two to three hours of the day tour just travelling between hotels. Throughout the day, individual highlights are visited, and you typically get a 15 to 30 minute stop at each location.
What is included in a Rhodes island tour?
Many tours include popular highlights such as the village of Lindos, the Springs of Kallithea and the Seven Springs of Rhodes, as well as the Profitis Ilias region and Monolithos Castle. You are rarely alone at these spots — the buses often arrive at the same time.
Any sense of island idyll quickly disappears in such conditions. A lunch break at a fixed location is occasionally included, but the choice is limited to whatever taverns and cafés happen to be at that spot. We therefore recommend visiting the Seven Springs of Rhodes independently — an excursion that can also be easily combined with a trip to Tsambika.
→ All information about the Seven Springs can be found in our article: Seven Springs of Rhodes
The tour also usually stops in Siana, known for its honey, and in Embonas, the wine village of Rhodes. Unfortunately, there is little time to linger at either of these two places.
Entrance fees for additional stops — for example at the Acropolis of Lindos or the Kallithea Baths — are rarely included in the island tour ticket. It is worth asking the organiser in advance exactly which services are included in the Rhodes bus tour and which are charged separately. You can find information about this via GetYourGuide*:
➲ To the organized island tour*
Recommendation for Rhodes tour operators
For unforgettable excursions to Symi, Lindos and other highlights on Rhodes, we recommend the travel agency Faliraki Tours Travel Agency run by Vicky. With a personal touch, German-speaking support, perfect organisation and a great deal of passion, every excursion becomes a unique experience — ideal for Rhodes explorers!
→ More information and booking options for trips to Lindos and Symi here: Faliraki Tours
Individual Rhodes island tour
If bus tours aren’t your thing, simply rent a car and plan your own island tour at your own pace. A very well-designed Rhodes island tour route can also be found in the ADAC Rhodes Travel Guide. You can book a rental car in advance via our partner Discover Cars*, which saves you time on arrival:
Local rental car providers are usually cheaper than the large international companies such as Sixt, Europcar & Co. Prices for a small car start at around 40 euros per day, depending on availability and season. You can bring down the daily rate by booking for a longer period — ideally a full week. So go ahead and start your road trip to the most beautiful beaches of Rhodes.
→ Our favourite bays on Rhodes can be found in this article: Rhodes Beaches
Petaloudes – Butterfly Valley of Rhodes
Many tour operators and tourism companies advertise the Valley of the Butterflies on Rhodes. In some cases, holidaymakers are lured in with misleading and exaggerated descriptions — and many are disappointed once they arrive.
What is advertised as an imposing and colourful butterfly spectacle turns out to be a secluded grove where butterflies rest on trees, shrubs and rocks. What most visitors don’t know is that the population of these animals has been declining dramatically for years.
The sensitive ecosystem on Rhodes — home to the butterflies, strictly speaking an endemic subspecies of the Jersey tiger moth — is highly endangered. During the summer months in particular, numerous Petaloudes bus tours descend on the valley.
Despite all the efforts of environmentalists and nature lovers in Rhodes and across Europe, the situation shows little sign of improvement. In recent years, even the opening hours of the Butterfly Valley have been shortened — which means more visitors arriving in shorter intervals.
At times, visitors make their way in single file along the hilly forest paths. If you do visit Petaloudes, please remember: the Rhodes butterflies are protected and must not be touched or disturbed by noise.
🗺️ 10 road trip routes with maps
🏖️ Beautiful beaches & swimming spots
🏛️ All top sights & attractions
🤫 Unpublished insider tips
🍽️ Accommodation, tavernas & cafés
Leaving the marked paths and shaking trees are strictly prohibited. Arriving independently by rental car is preferable to joining a group tour. Admission costs around 5 euros, with reduced prices in the low season. Personally, we have chosen not to visit the Butterfly Valley out of respect for nature conservation.
Do you have any other recommendations for a day trip on Rhodes, or have you already done one of the activities listed above? Share your experiences with us and other Rhodes travellers in the comments!
→ More articles and numerous Rhodes travel tips can be found here: Rhodes Island Overview
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