CRUISE ARRIVALTourist Port / Kolona
Akandia possible depending on assignment
Cruise port · Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an exceptionally convenient cruise call when the ship uses the Tourist Port / Kolona area beside the Medieval City. Municipal 2026 transport material also serves the Tourist Port and Kolona on City Line 3, while Akandia has a free municipal shuttle toward the city centre during the tourist season.
⚓ Tourist Port / Kolona🚶 Medieval City beside berth🚌 Free Akandia shuttle
At a glance
Essentials
LANGUAGEGreek
English very widely used
CURRENCYEuro · EUR
Cards widely accepted
TIME ZONEEastern European Time
EET · EEST in summer
LIVE WEATHERRhodes
Before you explore
Cruise Port Overview
Rhodes can be one of the easiest Greek-island port days: the UNESCO Medieval City is directly beside the central cruise berths.
Cruise Terminal
Ships dock directly at the piers in Rhodes Town, typically at the Tourist Port (Akandia Harbor) or the commercial cruise quays situated on the eastern side of the town. There is no tendering required.
Getting into town
Can you walk? Yes, exceptionally easily. Depending on your exact berth, it is a flat, straightforward 10 to 15-minute walk (roughly 0.5 to 1 mile) along the coastal path directly to the medieval Old Town walls and St. Catherine’s Gate (Porta Marina). Shuttle Bus: Because the medieval town sits right next to the port gates, mandatory internal port shuttle buses are neither required nor operated for local town access. Official taxis and excursion vehicles wait directly outside the terminal exit.
History of Rhodes
Inhabited since prehistoric times, Rhodes rose to immense maritime and commercial power in antiquity. It famously housed the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a giant bronze statue erected near the harbor entrance in 280 BC before being toppled by an earthquake. During the Middle Ages, the island served as the sovereign stronghold of the Knights Hospitaller (Knights of St. John), who fortified the city with formidable stone walls, towers, and grand Gothic administrative palaces before it fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1522.
What to visit
The Medieval Old Town of Rhodes: A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Europe's largest continuously inhabited medieval walled cities. Street of the Knights (Odos Ippoton): A remarkably preserved, authentic 15th-century cobblestone medieval street lined with the historic "inns" representing the different nations of the Hospitaller Knights. The Palace of the Grand Master: A massive 14th-century fortress-palace crowning the highest point of the old town, featuring imposing defensive towers and expansive mosaic-tiled historical chambers. Mandraki Harbour: The picturesque adjacent harbor guarded by two bronze deer statues standing where the ancient Colossus is legendarily believed to have straddled, flanked by three historic stone windmills.
Further afield
The Acropolis of Lindos: Located about 50 minutes south by road, this breathtaking ancient clifftop citadel overlooks turquoise bays and features a classical Temple of Athena Lindia. The Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes): A lush, shaded valley canyon roughly 30 minutes inland that serves as a seasonal sanctuary for thousands of colorful tiger moths during the summer months. Tsambika Beach: One of the island's finest golden sand beaches, located on the eastern coast beneath a striking mountaintop monastery.
From Tourist Port / Kolona this is immediate.
Use the current tourist-season service toward the city centre.
Serves Tourist Port, Kolona and Mandraki.
Treat it as the main excursion rather than a late add-on.
Check the berth name before you step ashore
Tourist Port / Kolona and Akandia are different experiences. Central berths are walk-off; Akandia is better handled with the free city shuttle.
The essential journey
Your ship → Rhodes. Step-by-Step Guide
Central berth → Medieval City on foot; Akandia → free shuttle → centre. Then explore Old Town or commit to Lindos.
✓ Port information checked
🚢Your shipTourist Port / Akandia
→
🚶Walk / shuttleBerth dependent
→
🏰Medieval CityUNESCO core
→
⚔Knights’ RhodesPalace · museum
→
🏛ChooseOld Town or Lindos
What will I actually see?
Follow the journey visually
Tap through the walk-off route from the central port into the Medieval City, with Akandia handled as the shuttle exception.
STEP 1 · CRUISE ARRIVAL
Tourist Port / Kolona or Akandia
Central berths are beside the Medieval City; Akandia is the shuttle exception.
Look for
Berth name and Old Town walls.
⚓ Tourist Port📍 Kolona🚌 Akandia shuttle🏰 Old Town
Next
Walk from central port or use free Akandia shuttle.
ONWARDS FROM THE MEDIEVAL CITY
You’re inside Rhodes Old Town. Where next?
The palace, museum and Street of the Knights are all close together; Lindos is the major full-island excursion.
📍 YOU ARE HEREMedieval City of RhodesStreet of the Knights / Old Town
🏰UNESCO OLD TOWN
Medieval City & Street of the Knights
🚶 WalkFortified lanes, gates and the Street of the Knights; public streets are free.
👑KNIGHTS’ PALACE
Palace of the Grand Master
🚶 WalkCurrent full admission €20; summer 08:00–20:00.
🏛KNIGHTS’ HOSPITAL
Archaeological Museum of Rhodes
🚶 WalkHoused in the medieval hospital; current admission €10.
🏛ISLAND ICON
Lindos Acropolis
🚌 / taxi / tourAbout 1 hour by road from Rhodes city; current admission €20.
⚓NEW TOWN WALK
Mandraki Harbour
🚶 WalkHarbour promenade, deer statues and New Town waterfront.
🏛LOCAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Acropolis of Rhodes
🚌 / taxiMonte Smith hilltop ruins and panorama west of the Old Town.
Independent exploration
What can you realistically do yourself?
Rhodes Old Town is extremely easy independently. Palace and museum need no transport. Lindos is also feasible independently using KTEL, but it becomes the main day and needs a firm return plan.
Suggested Port Day
How long do you have ashore?
Local Rhodes has very low transfer risk. Lindos requires a much larger road buffer.
What kind of day?
Leave ship
→Start return
→All aboard
If you dock at Akandia, add the city-shuttle leg to your final return margin.
Build a Rhodes port-day plan with the return protected.
Return-to-ship safety
Can I make it back comfortably?
Select where you expect to be later in the day.
● Comfortable● Watch the time● Large buffer
🟢
Leave attraction by
→Back near port by
→All aboard
Central berth advantage
Old Town can be walked back to the ship.
Akandia shuttle
If assigned Akandia, include the free shuttle in your return.
Lindos is a full excursion
Do not leave Lindos return until late afternoon.
↩
And getting back?
Central berth return: Medieval City → Tourist Port / Kolona → ship. Akandia passengers use the municipal shuttle back.
Back to the ship
Take me back to Rhodes cruise port
The generic target is Rhodes Tourist Port; check whether your ship is instead at Akandia.
Confirm berthTourist Port / Kolona or Akandia.
Return to the correct port areaWalk centrally or use Akandia shuttle.
Pass port securityBoard before all aboard.
Important: If your ship is at Akandia, do not navigate only to the Old Town waterfront.
Organised tours
Rather have a tour?
A tour is unnecessary for the Medieval City. Guided value is strongest for Knights’ history, Lindos, island panoramas and beach / archaeology combinations.
Recommended tours & tickets
Good choices from Rhodes
Affiliate-ready placeholders only — no invented partner links.
🏰 Cruise-day optionTour slot
Rhodes Medieval City walk
⏱ 2–3 hrs📍 Rhodes Old Town
Port Day Med advice: Easy from central berth.
👑 Cruise-day optionTour slot
Palace & Knights tour
⏱ 2–3 hrs📍 Old Town
Port Day Med advice: Strong historical context.
🏛 Cruise-day optionTour slot
Lindos shore excursion
⏱ Half / full day📍 Lindos
Port Day Med advice: Classic island choice.
🏖 Cruise-day optionTour slot
Rhodes beaches & bays
⏱ Half day📍 East coast
Port Day Med advice: Road-based option.
🌿 Cruise-day optionTour slot
Butterfly Valley
⏱ Half day📍 West Rhodes
Port Day Med advice: Seasonal nature excursion.
🚐 Cruise-day optionTour slot
Private Rhodes island day
⏱ Full day📍 Rhodes
Port Day Med advice: Flexible small-group option.
Affiliate disclosure: Some tour links may later be affiliate links. If you book through them, Port Day Med may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.