Rhodes
Covers 18 European islands, from Crete and the Cyclades to Sicily, Sardinia, Mallorca, the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores, with euro prices converted to dollars on a dated rate.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices, schedules or seasonal facts checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book.
Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese, close to the Turkish coast, and it has two faces. Its capital holds a complete medieval walled city built by the Knights of St John, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Down the east coast are long sandy beaches, resort towns and the white village of Lindos under its acropolis. ELSTAT counted 3,063,443 arrivals in hotels and short-stay rentals in the Rhodes regional unit in 2025, and cruise passengers rose 19% to 547,549.
It is also good value for a big-name island. The cheapest 3-star room near the Old Town on Kayak was $96 for July 14, 2027 and $36 for January 13, 2027. If you want a smaller Greek island with a similar mix of history and beaches, compare Crete and Corfu.
At a glance
- Best for
- Families, teens and history lovers who want a big, easy island with beaches, resorts and a walled old town
- Skip it if
- You want small-island intimacy, or the Cycladic white-and-blue look
- Getting there
- Fly to Athens and on to Rhodes (RHO), or take an overnight ferry from Piraeus of 10 hours 40 minutes or more
- Hotel, mid-January
- $36 for a 3-star room near Rhodes Old Town on Kayak for January 13, 2027; $96 on July 14, 2027
- Island size
- About 541 square miles (1,400 km2); the east coast road links town, Faliraki and Lindos
In this guide
How Rhodes scores
Six factors, scored 0 to 10 the same way for all 64 islands. How we score
- WeatherData · 20%8.2
- Beaches & seaEditors · 25%7.0
- Things to doEditors · 25%8.5
- Getting there from the USData · 10%3.5
- ValueData · 10%9.6
- Room to breatheData · 10%4.7
Weather month by month
Best months by our weather score: June, August, September. Daytime highs, rain and sunshine are 2016–2025 averages at Rhodes International Airport "Diagoras" (Open-Meteo historical weather archive); sea temperatures are 2022–2025 averages for the nearest sea area (Open-Meteo marine archive).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 60 | 61 | 64 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 92 | 91 | 86 | 78 | 71 | 63 |
| Sea °F | 66 | 64 | 64 | 65 | 68 | 74 | 79 | 80 | 78 | 75 | 72 | 69 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 3.4 |
| Weather score | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 5.5 | 7.6 | 9.2 | 8.8 | 9.3 | 9.8 | 8.8 | 6.2 | 4.0 |
The numbers behind the score
- Gateway airport
- Rhodes International Airport "Diagoras" (RHO)
- US nonstops
- None. No US nonstop to RHO (Rhodes International Airport); connect via ATH (US nonstops to Athens: JFK, EWR, plus seasonal ATL, BOS, CLT, ORD, DFW, PHL, IAD; Delta DTW from June 8, 2027 and Alaska SEA from May 12, 2027)
- Distance
- 7,118 mi from Los Angeles, 5,173 mi from New York
- Passport
- Needed for US citizens
- Hotel, one night
- $36 on Jan 13, 2027 · $96 on Jul 14, 2027 (Rhodes Town)
- Visitors a year
- 3,063,443 overnight visitors (2025), plus 547,549 cruise passengers
- Bringing a dog
- Possible: EU pet rules: ISO microchip implanted before a rabies shot given at least 21 days before travel, plus a bilingual EU animal health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet, endorsed by APHIS and used within 10 days of arrival; no quarantine.
Hotel prices: Cheapest double in a hotel rated 3 stars or better within about 1 mile of the Rhodes Town center, 1 night, 2 adults, total with taxes and fees as Kayak showed it (public rates only; Greece's climate resilience fee may be added at checkout), Kayak, checked 2026-10-20. January: Stay Rhodes Hotel (3-star, via Agoda); July: Manousos City Hotel (3-star, via Super.com). 219 stays for January 13 vs 325 for July 14.. Visitor figures: ELSTAT, Arrivals in hotels, short-stay accommodation and campsites by regional unit, 2025 final data (Table 3); cruise: Hellenic Ports Association via INSETE.
Where Rhodes ranks
Who Rhodes suits, and who should skip it
Rhodes suits families who want resort pools and sandy, shallow water; teens who want water sports, kitesurfing at Prasonisi and a walled town to explore; and history lovers. Big all-inclusive hotels line the coast at Faliraki, Kolymbia and Ixia, which keeps logistics simple. Compare it in our family ranking.
Skip it if you want a small island where you know the taverna owner by day three. Parts of the coast are package-holiday resorts, and Lindos is crowded at midday in summer.
Where to stay: Rhodes Town, Faliraki or Lindos
- Rhodes Town, in or near the Old Town, is the best base without a car: the bus station, the ferry port and Elli beach are all on foot. On Kayak, the cheapest room rated 3 stars or better within about a mile of the center was $36 for January 13, 2027 and $96 for July 14, 2027, taxes and fees in.
- Faliraki and Kolymbia on the east coast are resort strips with long sandy beaches and family hotels.
- Lindos is the most beautiful village, but it is small, steep and car-free in its lanes, with prices to match.
- Ixia and Ialysos on the windy west coast suit windsurfers.
Rhodes is big enough that the base matters. Buses run from Rhodes Town down both coasts, with the east coast line serving Faliraki, Kolymbia, Archangelos and Lindos, so a car-free stay works if you stick to that side. For Prasonisi, Kamiros, the mountain villages around Embonas and the quieter south, rent a car for a few days; the roads are good and the distances manageable.
Rhodes Town stays open all year: Kayak listed 219 stays for January 13 and 325 for July 14.
Beaches: sheltered east, windy west
- Tsambika: a broad sandy bay with shallow water, good for children, under a hilltop monastery.
- Anthony Quinn Bay: a small rocky cove with very clear water for snorkeling; it fills early.
- St Paul's Bay and Lindos Beach: sheltered water below the acropolis.
- Faliraki: a long sandy resort beach with water sports.
- Kallithea Springs: a restored spa with a swimming cove.
- Prasonisi, at the southern tip: a sand spit between two seas, with flat water on one side and waves on the other; a major kitesurf and windsurf spot.
The west coast, from Ixia toward Kamiros, is pebbly and takes the wind. Our score is 7 out of 10: good sandy bays on the east coast, but many beaches are resort-busy, and the best ones need a drive.
Things to do
- The Medieval City of Rhodes: walk the Street of the Knights, the walls and the moat, and visit the Palace of the Grand Master.
- Lindos Acropolis: a temple of Athena and a knights' castle on a cliff above the bay. Go early; the climb is hot by late morning.
- Ancient Kamiros: the ruins of a Doric city on the west coast.
- Petaloudes, the Valley of the Butterflies: a wooded gorge where tiger moths gather in summer.
- Filerimos: a hilltop monastery with views over the west coast.
- Symi: a day trip by boat to a small island with a harbor of colored houses.
Our things-to-do score is 8.5 out of 10: a week of varied days, from the knights' town to day trips.
When to go, and the fire risk
May, June, September and October are the sweet spot. July and August are hot and crowded, with the summer north wind on the west coast. The sea stays warm into October, which makes it a good month for swimming without the crowds. The monthly table below shows the pattern; see our October ranking.
Summer brings wildfire risk. In July 2023, fires on Rhodes forced the largest evacuation in Greek history. Follow official alerts from Greece's 112 emergency service if you travel in high summer.
Getting there from the US, and what you need
There is no US nonstop to Rhodes (RHO). Fly to Athens, which has nonstops from New York JFK and Newark and seasonal flights from Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia and Washington Dulles, with Detroit and Seattle added in summer 2027, then connect. Many European hubs fly direct to Rhodes in summer.
The ferry from Piraeus is long: Blue Star Ferries sails 6 to 7 days a week and takes about 10 hours 40 minutes to 15 hours 10 minutes, from $51 (€45.50), per Ferryhopper. Book a cabin. Rhodes also has ferries to Symi and the other Dodecanese, and to Turkey.
US citizens need a passport valid three months beyond departure from the Schengen area; no visa for 90 days. The EU Entry/Exit System records fingerprints and a photo, including when you return from a Turkey day trip. ETIAS is not yet operating. See our passport guide.
What a trip costs
Rhodes is good value for its size: Kayak's floor near the Old Town was $36 in January and $96 in July. Hotels add Greece's climate resilience fee at checkout: $5.60 (€5) per room per night at a 3-star, $11.20 (€10) at a 4-star and $16.80 (€15) at a 5-star from April to October, and $1.70 (€1.50) to $4.50 (€4) from November to March. Cruise passengers pay $5.60 (€5) per port call from June to September.
Tickets and tours you can book
Rhodes: High-Speed Boat to Symi Island & Saint George's Bay
The boat and free time are included; there is no guide on Symi, and hotel transfer is an extra option. Rhodes Sea Lines runs the boat.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Rhodes: Easy Morning Transfer to Lindos with 4 Hrs Free Time
It is a transfer, not a tour: the Lindos Acropolis ticket and any guide are not included. The public KTEL bus is cheaper if you are staying near the bus station.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Makarounas Fishing Boat Trip with swimming stop and BBQ on board
Lunch and unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks are included; maximum 12 people. Run by the Makarounas family boat.
Rating as shown on Viator
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rhodes worth visiting?
Yes, for the medieval Old Town, Lindos and the sandy east coast, especially in May, June, September or October. It is less suited to travelers who want a small, quiet island.
Where is the best place to stay in Rhodes?
Rhodes Town if you will not rent a car, Faliraki or Kolymbia for a beach resort, and Lindos for the prettiest village. The east coast is calmer than the west.
Which Rhodes beaches are best for kids?
Tsambika and Faliraki have shallow, sandy water; Lindos Beach is sheltered. The west coast is pebbly and windy.
How long is the ferry from Athens to Rhodes?
About 10 hours 40 minutes to 15 hours 10 minutes from Piraeus with Blue Star Ferries, from $51 (€45.50). Most visitors fly from Athens instead.
Is Lindos worth a day trip?
Yes. Climb to the acropolis early, before the heat and the tour buses, then swim at St Paul's Bay below. Staying overnight lets you see the lanes after the day visitors leave.
Is Rhodes open in winter?
Rhodes Town is. Kayak showed 219 stays for mid-January, with 3-star rooms from $36. The beach resorts mostly close from November to March.
Further reading
Official sources
- ELSTAT, Arrivals in hotels, short-stay accommodation and campsites by regional unit, 2025 (final data, Table 3) – Rhodes regional unit (including Symi, Tilos, Chalki and Kastellorizo) 2025: 2,702,019 hotel + 361,424 short-stay arrivals; checked October 20, 2026
- INSETE Intelligence, 2025 annual review (Hellenic Ports Association and HCAA data) – 547,549 cruise passengers at Rhodes in 2025 (+19%); 3,055,051 international air arrivals; checked October 20, 2026
- Kayak hotel search, Rhodes Town – Cheapest 3-star-or-better within about a mile: $36 (January 13, 2027) and $96 (July 14, 2027); 219 vs 325 stays; checked October 20, 2026
- Ferryhopper, Piraeus to Rhodes – Blue Star Ferries 6-7 days a week, 10 h 40 min to 15 h 10 min, from $51 (€45.50); checked October 20, 2026
- Wikipedia, Rhodes – Medieval Old Town a World Heritage Site; 2023 wildfires forced the largest evacuation in Greek history; Petaloudes tiger moths
- Wikipedia, Rhodes International Airport and Athens International Airport airline tables – No US routes to RHO; US nonstops to Athens; checked October 20, 2026
- Greek Laws 5177/2025 (Art. 44) and 5162/2024 (Art. 27), via Taxheaven – Climate resilience fee by class and season; cruise fee $5.60 (€5) June-September; checked October 20, 2026
- US Department of State, Greece travel information; European Commission ETIAS and EES pages – Passport validity, 90-day stay; ETIAS not operating; EES fully operational April 10, 2026; checked October 20, 2026
- European Central Bank reference rate – One euro = $1.1225 on October 19, 2026
