Typical time in port
Most cruise calls allow around 7–10 hours ashore, although passengers should always check their own ship schedule and confirm all-aboard time.
Rhodes Shore Excursion
Find the best version of your day in Rhodes
Designed for Cruise Passengers
Cruise-focused planning · Independent excursions · Secure booking · Local destination guidance
Walk through a medieval city, discover the whitewashed village of Lindos or explore Rhodes through beaches, scenery and island flavours.
Choose Your Rhodes
How Would You Like to Experience Rhodes?
From the medieval Old Town and Lindos' hilltop Acropolis to quiet coves, ancient sites and Rhodian food culture, choose the experience that best fits your interests and time ashore.
Medieval Rhodes
“The Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master and centuries of layered history inside the Old Town's walls.”
- A UNESCO-listed medieval city, usually a short walk from the port
- Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Master
- Suleiman Mosque and the Jewish Quarter
- Genuinely walkable — independent or guided
- The safest choice for shorter port calls
Lindos and its Acropolis
“A hilltop sanctuary above two turquoise bays — one of the most photographed views in the Aegean.”
- An ancient temple layered inside Knights-era fortifications
- Views over St Paul's Bay and the main Lindos beach
- A genuine half-day commitment with a real climb
- Best on a long enough call, with organised transport
- Our Editor's Choice for the island's defining view
Coast & Beaches
“Anthony Quinn Bay, Faliraki and Tsambika — Aegean colour without a full sightseeing itinerary.”
- Pine-backed coves and longer sandy stretches
- A relaxed half-day alternative to sightseeing
- No climb, unlike the Lindos Acropolis
- Good for families and mixed-mobility groups
Food & Culture
“Pitaroudia, melekouni and Rhodian wine, from Old Town tavernas to a village co-op in the foothills.”
- Rhodian cooking and traditional produce
- Village life away from the coach routes
- Easy timing close to the ship, or a small-group day trip
- A different angle on the island than temples or beaches
Ancient Rhodes
“Kamiros' Doric city grid and Filerimos Hill's layered ruins beyond the medieval core.”
- Kamiros ancient city on the west coast
- Filerimos Hill's temple, basilica and Byzantine church
- Quieter archaeology for repeat visitors
- Best combined with a private or guided route
Private Rhodes
“Your vehicle, your pace and one carefully chosen route through the Old Town, Lindos or the coast.”
- Flexible route and walking pace
- Useful for families and mixed mobility
- Photography and meal stops on request
- Cruise-first return planning
Featured excursions
Rhodes shore excursions worth considering
Independently written guides to live partner excursions — check availability and current pricing on the booking page.
Some excursion links are provided through our booking partners. We may receive a commission when you make a reservation, at no additional cost to you.
best near port
Old Town Rhodes and the Grand Master's Palace Interior
A compact city tour that gets you inside the Grand Master's Palace, not just past its walls.
3 Hours · Moderate · Small
best for first time
Rhodes and Lindos Island Highlights
One five-hour loop for both of Rhodes' headline names — Lindos and the medieval Old Town.
5 Hours · Moderate · Standard
relaxed day ashore
Rhodes Coast and Beach Escape
Three of Rhodes' best-loved bays by boat, with swimming time built into the day.
6 Hours 30 Minutes · Moderate · Standard
lindos focus
Lindos on Your Own Time
The transport and commentary to Lindos, then the rest of the day is yours to shape.
6 Hours 30 Minutes · Moderate · Standard
food culture
A Taste of Rhodes: Village Food and Coffee Culture
An intimate, minibus-sized look at rural Rhodes through its food, coffee and co-ops.
6 Hours · Easy · Small
rhodes essential
Private Ancient Lindos and Rhodes Full Day
Both of Rhodes' headline destinations, privately guided, in a single flexible full day.
8 Hours · Difficult · Private
Decision support
Which Rhodes experience is right for you?
Recommendations are based on genuine passenger fit — not commission rates.
First time in Rhodes
Lindos & its Acropolis
The island's single most memorable landmark — a hilltop sanctuary above two beautiful bays.
History and architecture focus
Medieval Rhodes Old Town
A UNESCO-listed walled city with the Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Master.
Short call or late arrival
Rhodes Old Town on foot
Usually a short walk from the port with no road transfer required, so it fits a reduced window.
Beach and relaxation seeker
Coast and beaches
Anthony Quinn Bay, Faliraki and Tsambika offer a gentler alternative to a full sightseeing day.
Food and culture lover
Island flavours and private tours
A tailored route to taste Rhodian food and culture at a pace a coach itinerary rarely allows.
Prefers independent exploring
Walk the Old Town yourself
Rhodes Old Town rewards independent walking; Lindos needs organised transport instead.
Wants help deciding
Use the cruise planner
Tell us your port hours, party and interests for a tailored Rhodes plan.
Cruise passenger snapshot
Rhodes at a glance
A quick orientation before you choose between the Old Town, Lindos and the coast.
- Cruise destination
- Rhodes Town
- Best known for
- Medieval Old Town and Lindos
- Best for
- History, scenery, beaches and island touring
- Old Town access
- Usually a short walk from the cruise port (exact berth can vary)
- Flagship excursion
- Lindos and the Acropolis
- Independent option
- Rhodes Old Town and Mandraki Harbour
- Planning priority
- Allow sufficient transport and visiting time for Lindos
- Currency
- Euro
Cruise-day planning
Your Day Ashore
The essential things cruise passengers should know before exploring Rhodes.
Ideal excursion length
Lindos and its Acropolis usually need 4–6 hours including the road; Rhodes Old Town can be explored well in 2–4 hours on foot from the port.
Walking level
Moderate. The Old Town's cobbled lanes are broadly walkable, while the path up to the Lindos Acropolis is stepped and can be busy and hot by midday.
Best early stop
Start at Lindos or the Palace of the Grand Master earlier in the day, before the heat builds and coach groups fill the same narrow spaces.
Do not miss
The view from the Lindos Acropolis across the twin bays, and a slow walk along the Street of the Knights in the Old Town.
Local flavour
Make time for a Rhodian lunch, a taste of local wine or melekouni before returning to the ship — the Old Town has options within easy reach of the port.
Honest advice
Do You Need a Shore Excursion in Rhodes?
The honest answer: you can enjoy the Old Town independently. An excursion becomes worthwhile when you want to reach Lindos and the wider island properly.
You can explore the Old Town independently — and many passengers do
Rhodes' medieval Old Town is compact and usually close to the port, making an independent day realistic for most passengers:
- ✓ Street of the Knights and Palace exterior
- ✓ Jewish Quarter and Suleiman Mosque
- ✓ Socratous Street market lanes
- ✓ Mandraki harbour and the New Town waterfront
Set a 60–90 minute return buffer and confirm your all-aboard time. The ship will not wait.
Lindos and the wider island need more planning
Rhodes' other great sights are too far from the terminal for casual exploration. Organised transport and disciplined timing matter for:
- →Lindos and the Acropolis — a 50–60 minute road journey and a sustained climb
- →Anthony Quinn Bay and the coast — no walking option, transfer required
- →Kamiros and the interior — best reached with a private driver or excursion
- →Symi and island-hopping — depends on a scheduled sea crossing
The island revealed
Spirit of Rhodes
Rhodes blends a medieval Knights' city, an ancient hilltop sanctuary, Aegean coastline and one of Greece's most layered food cultures — Byzantine, Ottoman and Italian history all visible within the same walk.
A cruise day could mean walking the cobbled Street of the Knights, standing above St Paul's Bay at the Lindos Acropolis, swimming at Anthony Quinn Bay or tasting pitaroudia and melekouni in the Old Town.
Every route reveals another side of the island.
Medieval Old Town
Lindos & the Acropolis
Aegean coastline
Cruise port overview
Rhodes is unusually walkable — Lindos is not
Rhodes is one of the Mediterranean's easiest ports for independent Old Town exploration, but the island's most famous excursion destination, Lindos, requires a much more deliberate plan. Start with the port guide, then decide whether your call favours walking the medieval city or booking organised transport south.
Ship schedules
Check your Rhodes cruise schedule
Use published call windows to judge whether Lindos fits — then confirm times with your cruise line before you book.
View Rhodes cruise scheduleEditor's Collection
The best excursion for your kind of traveller
Not every passenger wants the same Rhodes. Our editorial team recommends the strongest option for each traveller type — honest picks, not catalogue listings.
Editor's Choice
Medieval Rhodes Old Town Walking Tour — the Street of the Knights and Palace of the Grand Master on a carefully timed, low-risk excursion.
View our top pick →Best First-Time Tour
Lindos & the Acropolis for first-time visitors with a long enough port call for the road journey and the climb.
Discover Lindos →Best Coastal Half-Day
Rhodes Beaches & Coast — Anthony Quinn Bay, Faliraki or Tsambika for a gentler day of Aegean colour.
See the coast →Best Food & Wine
A Taste of Rhodes — a small-group visit to a foothill village co-op, a traditional kafeneio and a home-style lunch away from the coach routes.
Taste Rhodes →Best Private Tour
Private Rhodes Shore Excursion — a route built around your party's pace, mobility and priorities for the day.
View private tour →Best Photography
Lindos — the Acropolis above St Paul's Bay provides the single most photographed view in the Aegean.
Photograph Lindos →Best for Families
Rhodes Old Town or a coastal half-day keeps road time sensible and allows mixed-age families to set an easier pace.
Compare family days →Best Independent Day
Independent Rhodes Old Town — the Palace of the Grand Master, Street of the Knights and harbour with a generous ship buffer.
Use the DIY guide →Rhodes Signature Experience
Rhodes Signature: Lindos, Old Town and Aegean Views — a future small-group day, currently in preparation and not bookable.
In preparation⭐ Signature Experience — In preparation
⭐ Signature Experience — In preparation
Flagship product
Rhodes Signature: Lindos, Old Town and Aegean Views
“A future small-group day linking Lindos, the medieval Old Town and the island's finest coastal viewpoints — built around your ship, not a generic coach circuit.”
Our flagship Signature Experience is in development — a curated small-group day that will become the primary recommendation on this site. The homepage is designed so this slot becomes your first choice without a redesign.
Future Rhodes exclusives
The Wow Collection
“A future collection of distinctive, small-group Rhodes experiences designed from scratch for cruise passengers, not adapted from generic island day tours.”
The collection is still in preparation. Proposed experiences include an Exclusive Lindos day, an Old Town After Hours walk and a private Rhodes and Symi route. None should be treated as currently bookable until partners, access and sailing-specific logistics are confirmed.
Future Exclusive Lindos concept
Future Old Town After Hours concept
Future Private Rhodes & Symi concept
Cruise-first timing and return buffers
Featured experience types
Browse Rhodes by the day you want
Medieval Rhodes, Lindos and its Acropolis, the coast and beaches, and island flavours with private touring — with the practical detail a cruise day requires.
Medieval Rhodes
Walk the Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master and the old-town lanes inside the walls — usually a short distance from the port.
Explore Rhodes Old Town →Lindos and its Acropolis
A hilltop sanctuary above two turquoise bays, and one of the most photographed views in the Aegean — reached by organised transport, not on foot.
Discover Lindos →Coast and Beaches
Anthony Quinn Bay, Faliraki and Tsambika — a gentler day of Aegean colour for passengers who want sea and shade over sightseeing.
See Scenic Rhodes →Island Flavours & Private Tours
Rhodian food, wine and culture at your own pace, with a private vehicle shaped around your party rather than a fixed coach itinerary.
Find Your Experience →Keep planning
Your Rhodes planning hub
Use these guides and comparisons to shape a port day that matches your ship hours, energy and curiosity — whether you stay in the Old Town or travel to Lindos.
Old Town or Lindos?
Compare Rhodes' two great days ashore — a walkable medieval city versus Lindos' road time and Acropolis climb.
Can you walk from the cruise port?
Honest guidance on what's realistically walkable near the terminal, and where you need transport instead.
Independent Rhodes guide
Walk the Old Town, Street of the Knights and Palace exterior with a realistic return-to-ship plan.
Compare Rhodes excursions
Choose between the Old Town, Lindos, the coast and private touring with candid trade-offs.
Private or coach touring
Compare private vs coach pacing and short-call realism before you book a Rhodes day.
Rhodes cruise schedules
Check your published port hours before committing to Lindos or a longer coastal excursion.
Rhodes cruise FAQs
Can I walk from Rhodes cruise port to the Old Town?▼
Often yes. Depending on your berth, the medieval Old Town's Marine Gate area is typically a walk of around 15–20 minutes from the port. Confirm your exact berth and any port shuttle on arrival, as Rhodes' cruise operations can vary by call and by season.
How far is Lindos from the Rhodes cruise port?▼
Lindos is roughly 47–50 km south of Rhodes Town, on the island's east coast. The road journey usually takes about 50–60 minutes each way by coach or taxi, longer in heavy summer traffic. It is not a walking distance and needs organised transport.
Is Rhodes Old Town enough for a short cruise call?▼
Yes for many passengers. The Old Town's Street of the Knights, Palace of the Grand Master and surrounding lanes sit close to the port and can fill a satisfying two-to-four-hour visit without the road time that Lindos requires.
Should first-time visitors choose Lindos or the Old Town?▼
If you only have time or energy for one, choose Lindos for the single most photographed view in the Aegean on a long call, or the Old Town for a lower-risk, walkable day when your call is shorter or you would rather explore independently.
How early should I return to the ship in Rhodes?▼
Aim to reach the terminal 60–90 minutes before all-aboard for an Old Town day. Allow more margin when returning from Lindos or the coast, since the coastal road can be busy and Rhodes frequently receives several ships in port on the same day.
Ready to plan your day in Rhodes?
Compare Lindos, Old Town and coastal options — then check live availability with our excursion partner.