Rhodes: your first hour after landing
You have just landed at Diagoras, about 14 km southwest of the walled town — the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe on one side of the harbour, a working Greek city on the other. This guide covers the ride in, where to sleep from a garden five-star to a hostel terrace, the climate fee, the first taverna inside the walls, and the Symi, Lindos and catamaran days that fill day two.
In this guide
You just landed in Rhodes. The airport sits about 14 km southwest of the walled town — the move is the €2.50 RODA bus or a €27 taxi to the gates, with an Airalo eSIM live for maps and ferry times, the climate fee ready at check-in, and the boat days that sell out first — Symi above all — worth booking ahead through GetYourGuide.
Quick facts
Airport
Getting in
Currency
Languages
Time zone
Emergency
Plugs
Tap water
Tourist tax
Best months
Map
Stays, sights, and landmarks in Rhodes — live hotel prices plus the key places from this guide.
Settle in
Touch down at Diagoras and treat the first hour as admin: the airport sits about 14 km southwest of Rhodes Town, the Old Town walls are your landmark, and the only real choice is bus, taxi or transfer for the ride in.
Set up data before you leave home — an Airalo eSIM loads in minutes, so maps and ferry timetables work from the arrivals hall. For a longer Greece trip, compare Saily and Yesim.
The arrival checklist, in order:
- Keep small euro notes ready: the airport bus takes cash from the driver, and the climate fee at check-in is often a cash or separate card line
- Ride the bus, a rank taxi or a pre-booked transfer in — Old Town stays are dropped at the nearest gate, because the medieval streets are pedestrian
- Note your gate: the Old Town has several, and your hotel directions will name one — Marine Gate and Kolona serve most first nights
If a delayed or cancelled flight wrecked the arrival, AirHelp checks whether the airline owes you compensation — worth five minutes.
Getting around
Times are airport to city centre.
RODA airport bus
Cash to the driver; the stop sits outside arrivals and the town terminus is by Mandraki harbour, a short walk from the Old Town gates; evening and winter services run thinner
Taxi
The rank sits outside arrivals; fares to Rhodes Town run about €27 by day — confirm the fare before you ride, and expect a drop at the nearest Old Town gate, not your door
Pre-booked transfer
A driver with a name board in arrivals and a fixed price agreed at booking; the reliable choice for late landings, heavy luggage and Old Town gates after dark
Walk from Kolona ferry port
For ferry arrivals at Kolona port: the quay sits beside the walls — Marine Gate and the harbour hotels are a flat ten-minute walk, no transfer needed with wheeled luggage
Rhodes Town is two towns in one footprint: the walled medieval Old Town, pedestrian and cobbled, and the New Town around Mandraki harbour, where the buses, taxis and ferry quays sit. Everything a first night needs is a walk. The rides in from RHO:
Choose the bus with light bags and a New Town or harbour-side hotel; choose a taxi or transfer with an Old Town stay, heavy luggage or a late landing, and let the driver name your drop gate. Buses thin out in the evening and the winter timetable is sparser — check the posted schedule at the stop before relying on the last one.
Prefer to be met? A Kiwitaxi transfer or a Welcome Pickups driver puts a name board in arrivals at a fixed price. Driving yourself, price the airport pickup on AutoEurope first — a car earns its keep for Lindos and the west coast, not inside Rhodes Town.
In town, RODA buses cover the island's north and east coast resorts, and KTEL runs the longer routes south. Inside the walls you walk: cobbles are uneven and slick when wet, so save the sandals for the beach.
In the city
Enter through Marine Gate and start at the Palace of the Grand Master, at the top of the Street of the Knights — one of Europe's best-preserved medieval streets, lined with the Knights' inns. The Archaeological Museum, in the Knights' hospital, faces it.
Walk down to Hippocrates Square, the Old Town's café heart, then out to Mandraki harbour: the two deer statues where the Colossus is said to have stood, the three windmills and the Fort of Saint Nicholas.
Cross to the New Town for Elli Beach and the aquarium at the island's tip. Give the Acropolis of Rhodes, on Monte Smith, a late afternoon — stadium, theatre ruins and the view over both harbours.
Do this on day one:
Climb to the palace first, while you are fresh.
The Grand Master's palace and the Street of the Knights are the island's essential hour, and they are calmest before the cruise groups arrive mid-morning.
Walk the full harbour loop.
Deer columns, windmills, fortress and the ferry quays in one flat circuit — it orients you for every boat day that follows.
Swim at Elli Beach before dinner.
The town beach sits ten minutes from the Old Town gates; a first-day swim resets any travel day.
Skip the horse-carriage lap of the walls and the touts' boat pitches on the quay — the same boats sell at the harbour kiosks and on GetYourGuide with reviews attached, and compare Klook when stacking tickets.
After you land in Rhodes: Bookable experiences
Where to stay your first nights
Rodos Park Suites & Spa.
Best for the quiet five-star splurge — gardens, pool and spa just outside the medieval wallsSleep just outside the medieval walls — a small five-star hotel in gardens, with an outdoor pool and a full spa. Book it for the calmest town base: the gates are a short stroll, the harbour closer still.
Ibis Styles Rhodes City Center.
Best for a reliable New Town base — Mandraki and the Marine Gate both walkableStay in the New Town grid, a few streets back from Mandraki — bright, compact rooms, a breakfast room and a rooftop bar, with the bus terminus and Marine Gate both walkable. Book it for a reliable base that keeps the town on foot.
STAY Hostel Rhodes.
Best for social budget beds — dorms and privates around terraces, minutes from the harbourBed down in the New Town, minutes from the harbour — a purpose-run hostel with dorms and private rooms around social terraces, a bar and regular events. Book it for the social version of budget Rhodes, with the Old Town gates an easy walk home.
Base in or beside the Old Town on a first visit — inside the walls for atmosphere, or the New Town edge around Mandraki for easier taxi access and a short walk to the gates. Resort strips suit a beach-first trip, not a first night in town.
Book ahead for July and August and for Greek holiday weekends. Expect the climate resilience fee on top of the quoted rate — €15 a night at a five-star in season, €5 at a three-star, less at hostels and rooms — and ask for it as a separate line at check-in.
Where to eat first
Eat inside the walls on night one. Rhodes cooking is Dodecanese Greek: pitaroudia (chickpea fritters) to start, slow stews, fresh fish along the harbour, and soumada, the island's almond drink. Three first stops:
Hippocrates Square, Old Town.
Graze the café square at the centre of the medieval town — not the finest kitchens on the island, but the right first-evening room: people, lanterns and the fountain, with lanes of tavernas running off every side.
Sokratous Street, Old Town.
Eat along the Old Town's main lane, where grill houses sit between the shops — order pitaroudia, a Greek salad and whatever fish is chalked up.
Mandraki harbour front, New Town.
Dine facing the deer columns and the evening boats — the New Town waterfront strip runs from coffee to full fish tavernas, and it is the easiest table to find on a late arrival.
For food walks and cooking classes, browse the Rhodes listings on GetYourGuide and book a slot for your first free evening.
Day trips and more
Three escapes cover the classic Rhodes triangle: the postcard island, the acropolis village down the east coast, and a slow sail back up it. Carry swim kit — every one ends in the water.
Symi by speedboat
Seven hours from Kolona harbour: a fast crossing past the Old Town walls, then over three hours free in Symi Town, where pastel houses climb from one of Greece's prettiest harbours. Rated 4.5, from about £25. Check availability →
Lindos by bus
Seven hours down the east coast with hotel pickup: free time to climb to the Acropolis, swim in the main bay or Saint Paul's Bay, and ride back tracked. Rated 4.6, from about £14. Check availability →
East coast catamaran
Six hours from Mandraki, maximum 24 guests: swim and snorkel stops at Ladiko Bay, Anthony Quinn Bay and Kallithea Springs, with a buffet lunch and drinks included. Rated 4.8, from about £51. Check availability →
Leave a spare day for Kallithea Springs by local bus, or the west coast castles at Kritinia and Monolithos by rental car.
When to go and what it costs
May and June bring warm sea and manageable crowds; September and early October match them, with the water warmest. July and August are the peak — the meltemi can rough up boat days and the lanes fill by mid-morning. Be honest about late October: the season winds down fast — charters end, some resort businesses close and boat trips thin out, though Rhodes Town, a working city, stays alive. Winter is mild and quiet.
A backpacker in a hostel dorm, on buses and bakery lunches: €40 to €60 a day. Mid-range — a three or four-star room, taverna dinners, one paid boat day: €110 to €170 a day. A splurge day with the five-star base and the catamaran passes €300. Add the climate fee per night, and remember August can double the room line.
What to pack
Tap items to check them off — your list is saved on this device.
Pack for strong Aegean sun, cobbles and swim days — the Old Town's stone lanes are the dress code setter. This is the full list:
- Comfortable walking shoes Shop walking shoes on Amazon →
- Sunscreen Shop sunscreen on Amazon →
- Reusable water bottle Shop water bottle on Amazon →
- Phone charger and power bank Shop power bank on Amazon →
- Daypack Shop daypack on Amazon →
- Sunglasses Shop sunglasses on Amazon →
- Light rain jacket Shop rain jacket on Amazon →
Add the Rhodes extras: grippy soles for the cobbles and the Lindos climb, a dry bag for boat days, and a light layer for late-October evenings, when dinner is in the dark.
Language, visa and entry
✓ Visa-free entry
Greek runs the island, in an alphabet that rewards ten minutes of learning — town signs are transliterated, menus bilingual, and English is the working language of tourism. Greetings open doors everywhere.
Four phrases do most of the work:
Sort your entry paperwork before you book anything non-refundable. Greece is Schengen: US, Canadian, British, Australian and New Zealand passport holders enter visa-free for 90 days in any 180. ETIAS is not yet operating — nobody should be charging you for one in October 2026. The Entry/Exit System is live, so a first entry means fingerprints and a photo, which can add time after a busy flight.
Ferry arrivals from Turkey dock at Kolona's tourist port with full passport control — a day trip to Marmaris is an exit and re-entry, so carry your passport, not a photo of it.
Safety and health
Give the Old Town cobbles respect
The medieval lanes are uneven, polished by centuries and slippery when wet or dusty; most Rhodes injuries are falls, not crime. Wear the grippy shoes, watch the steps down from the walls, and take a taxi back rather than crossing town on tired legs.
Guard your kit in the cruise-hour crowds
The Old Town is safe and lived-in, but pickpockets work the packed lanes around Hippocrates Square and the harbour quays at boat time. Keep the phone in a zipped pocket between photos and the passport in the hotel safe.
Treat the meltemi and the midday sun as the real hazards
The summer north wind cancels smaller boats and roughs up swims on the west coast — swim on the sheltered east side on windy days, between flags where they fly. The sun at this latitude burns fast: cover up for the Lindos climb and refill the bottle at every café.
Know the water and the numbers
Town tap water is treated and drinkable, though hard — sensitive stomachs often switch to bottled. Pharmacies are plentiful and marked by a green cross. For anything serious, dial 112; the island's general hospital sits just south of Rhodes Town.
Related destinations
If you liked Rhodes, try these next:
Frequently asked questions
The arrival, the base and the climate fee, in short.
Transfers checked against Fraport Greece and 2026 Rhodes airport transfer reporting, October 2026; entry rules against Schengen guidance as of October 2026; the climate fee against the Greek bands in force from 2025.
The RODA bus is the budget anchor: €2.50 a person, cash to the driver, about 40 minutes to the terminus by Mandraki harbour. A rank taxi takes about 25 minutes for about €27; transfers quote a fixed price around €30. Old Town stays are dropped at the nearest gate.
Inside or beside the walls for a first visit. Old Town stays give you the medieval lanes at dawn and dusk; the New Town edge around Mandraki and Elli Beach gives easier taxi access and sea views, five to ten minutes on foot from the gates.
No visa for US, Canadian, British, Australian and New Zealand passport holders: Greece is Schengen, so 90 days in any 180 visa-free. ETIAS is not yet operating in October 2026, and the Entry/Exit System is live, so a first entry includes fingerprints and a photo.
The Climate Crisis Resilience Fee, per room per night, paid at the property. From April to October: €2 at 1 and 2-star hotels, €5 at 3-star, €10 at 4-star and €15 at 5-star; from November it falls to €0.50, €1.50, €3 and €4. It is rarely inside the quoted rate.
May to June and September to October: warm sea, the season running and thinner crowds. July and August are hottest and busiest. By late October the charter season winds down and some resort businesses close, though Rhodes Town stays alive year-round.
Yes, with normal city care. Rhodes Town is lived-in and walked late; the real risks are pickpockets in the cruise-hour Old Town crowds, falls on polished cobbles, and sun and wind on boat days. Swim the sheltered east coast when the meltemi blows.
Fares change — the posted stop timetable, the rank board and your hotel always win.
Rhodes, in your pocket
Landing soon? Get the printable PDF — ticket links, the airport transport cheat sheet, our 3 restaurant picks with maps, and the packing checklist. Everything above, formatted for your phone.
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Sources and last verified
Airport and transfers against Fraport Greece and 2026 transfer reporting: bus €2.50, taxi about €27, 25 to 40 minutes. Ferries against Blue Star listings: Piraeus crossings about 15 to 18 hours into Kolona port. Entry against Schengen rules, October 2026: 90 in 180 visa-free for US passports, ETIAS not operating, Entry/Exit System live. Tourist tax against the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee bands in force from 2025: April to October €2, €5, €10 and €15 per room per night by star band, paid at the property. Tap water against Gadouras dam supply reporting: treated and EU-standard, hard in taste. GetYourGuide products opened and read: the Symi speedboat, the Lindos bus tour and the catamaran cruise. Expedia returned rate limits during this build, so hotel URLs are empty pending the confirmation pass. Photo credits as in the guide data. Last verified October 2026.
Affiliate disclosure: hotel names, transfers, experiences, and products linked in this guide may earn After You Land a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and times were checked in Oct 2026 and change often — confirm before you book.