Rhodes Old Town: A Visitor’s Guide to the Medieval City

Rhodes Old Town is a walled medieval city where people still live, shop and hang their laundry. For many visitors it is reason enough to come to Rhodes. Build your first day around the Palace of the Grand Master and the famous knights' avenue, then let the lanes of the lower town fill the hours in between.

What is Rhodes Old Town?

Picture a town wrapped in about 2.5 miles (4 km) of stone walls, with a dry moat outside and eleven gates leading in. Inside, narrow lanes run under arches, past towers, fountains and old churches, and cats doze on the doorsteps. The whole ensemble is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its stone walls, gates and medieval lanes make it feel like stepping back in time.

The Knights of St John held the island from 1309 to 1523 and turned the city into a fortress built to withstand sieges. In places the walls are up to 40 feet (12 m) thick. Rhodes surrendered in 1522 after Suleyman II besieged it for six months, and the island passed into Ottoman hands. Italy took the island from Turkey in 1912, and its occupation lasted 31 years. Each era left buildings behind, which is why Gothic inns, mosques and Byzantine churches share the same streets.

The town has two halves. The northern part, the Collachium, was the knights' quarter, home to the palace and the inns. Today it holds the shops, the cafés and the quieter backstreets.

What are the top sights in Rhodes Old Town?

The Palace of the Grand Master

This is the star. The castle was the residence of the head of the Knights Hospitaller and the Order's political and military headquarters. Badly damaged in the 1800s, it was rebuilt by the Italians in the early 20th century, which is why the interior feels grand and a little cinematic, with mosaics, polished marble floors and vast rooms. Climb the towers for views over the rooftops to the sea. Allow one to two hours, and know that there are plenty of stairs and uneven floors if mobility is a concern. Queues grow through the morning, especially on cruise days, so arrive at opening.

2026 prices: full admission to the palace is €20. A special ticket package costs the same €20 at full price and covers the palace, the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, the Decorative Arts Collection, the church of Panayia tou Kastrou and the Medieval Town of Rhodes, so it is the better buy if you plan to see anything beyond the palace. The gardens and the exhibition From the Knights of St. John to the Knights of Malta are open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the other exhibitions open on set days of the week, and the lower level of Rhodes 2400 Years is closed for maintenance. The palace is closed on New Year's Day, March 25, May 1, Easter Sunday and both days of Christmas. Admission is free on March 6, April 18, May 18, the last weekend of September and national holidays.

The Street of the Knights

Known locally as Odos Ippoton, this stone-paved lane runs just over a third of a mile (600 m) and is one of the best-preserved medieval streets anywhere. The inns of the knights' national groups, Italy, France, Spain and Provence among them, line both sides, with coats of arms carved above their arched doors. Some now serve as art studios or offices, and if one is open, step inside. The street climbs from the old Hospital of the Knights to the palace, so it fits into any route without a special trip.

The Archaeological Museum

At the bottom of the street, the museum fills the 15th-century Hospital of the Knights, and the building is nearly as interesting as the collections. Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Italian layers all show up here, giving a fuller picture of Rhodes than the palace alone. Full admission is €10, or it is covered by the special ticket package. The same free days apply as at the palace, apart from national holidays.

The Mosque of Suleiman and the Ottoman layer

With its pink walls and striking minaret, the Mosque of Suleiman was the first mosque in Rhodes town, built to mark Suleyman's conquest. It isn't open for tours, so admire it from the outside at the top of Sokratous Street. For a hands-on taste of Ottoman Rhodes, the restored Great Hammam in Arionos Square, built in 1558, offers traditional Turkish baths, scrubs and massages.

The Clock Tower and the walls

The Roloi Clock Tower stands in the heart of the Old Town and is its highest point. Climb it for panoramic views over the rooftops, the harbor and the sea beyond. Your ticket includes a free drink at the terrace café below, along with its clean restrooms and Wi-Fi. Outside the walls, the dry moat now serves as a path for walkers and runners.

The Jewish Quarter

On the eastern side, La Juderia is a quiet knot of arched lanes, a short walk from the cruise pier. At its center is the Square of the Jewish Martyrs, where you will find a Holocaust memorial and a little fountain decorated with three seahorses. Kahal Shalom is the oldest synagogue still in use in Greece, and it holds the Jewish Museum of Rhodes, which follows the community's story, including the nearly 1,700 people sent from the island to Auschwitz. It is a moving, unhurried stop.

How much time do you need in Rhodes Old Town?

Two or three days let you see the main sights at an easy pace and still get pleasantly lost in the smaller lanes.

Ships tie up next to the medieval walls, so for a few hours around midday the Old Town can fill with several thousand extra visitors. The pattern is predictable: crowds build from mid to late morning, thin out by late afternoon and are nearly gone by evening. Save the afternoon for wandering the Burgo's alleys, and return in the evening, when the crowds have mostly thinned out. Staying inside the walls lets you enjoy both the quiet mornings and the quiet nights.

When is the best time to visit Rhodes Old Town?

June through August is hot, bright and busy, with a buzzing atmosphere. The shoulder months still bring plenty of sunshine, with fewer cruise crowds, a more relaxed pace and better hotel deals. The wettest months fall in winter. Festival fans can time a trip for the three-day Medieval Festival of Rhodes in September or the Carnival in March.

What should you wear and bring?

Sturdy, flat shoes matter most: the cobbles are worn smooth, and the palace and the walls involve plenty of stairs. Carry a water bottle in summer. Keep an eye on your bag and camera, especially if you set up a tripod in the parks just outside the walls.

Where should you shop and eat in Rhodes Old Town?

Sokratous Street, the main shopping street of the Burgo, is touristy but fun, with jewelry, leather, souvenirs, local sweets and spices. It is especially pleasant to wander in the evening. Prices run high, so compare before you buy.

Gyros are the classic Old Town meal. Mama Sofia on Orfeos Street, family-run since 1967, serves enormous portions and takes gluten intolerance seriously. For a local favorite, Ta Petaladika on Menekleous Street is a meze taverna with tables under a big tree strung with fairy lights; order the seafood, such as the sea bass carpaccio, scallops or cuttlefish orzo. Other good tavernas hide on the quieter streets. Anywhere you eat, ask whether fish is priced by the kilo, and wave away bread or water you don't want, since both can end up on the bill.

How do you get to Rhodes Old Town?

Rhodes International Airport Diagoras sits at Paradisi on the west side of the island, about 9 miles (14 to 9.3 miles (15 km)) from Rhodes Town. The drive takes about 25 to 30 minutes. Municipal public buses run between the airport and town throughout the day, taking about 40 minutes depending on traffic. The airport stop is between the old and new terminals, and the town stop is the west-side bus terminal on Averof Street. The airport bus doesn't serve the east-coast resorts, so change in Rhodes Town for KTEL buses to Faliraki, Lindos and beyond.

By sea, the main ferry port lies just east of the Old Town, within walking distance of the walls, and cruise passengers can reach the nearest gate in five to ten minutes. Overnight ferries from Piraeus take roughly 15 to 18 hours, and shorter crossings link Rhodes with Kos and with Symi, a little over an hour away. Ferries run daily, with exact departure times shown at booking.

Inside the walls you'll go everywhere on foot, so if your hotel sits on a pedestrian lane, allow extra time to haul luggage from the nearest drop-off.

What can you pair with the Old Town nearby?

Mandraki Harbor, a short stroll outside the walls, is the believed site of the Colossus of Rhodes and the base for boat excursions to nearby islands. About a 1.2-mile (2 km) walk from the Mosque of Suleiman, the Acropolis of Rhodes on Monte Smith holds Hellenistic ruins, the Temple of Pythian Apollo, an ancient stadium and a restored odeon. It is free, and the sunsets are superb. Lindos, a village on the east coast about an hour away by car or KTEL bus, makes a fine day trip; its acropolis is reached from the village on foot or by mule and has no access for visitors with disabilities. In summer the last buses back from Lindos can leave in the early evening, so check the return timetable before you set out.