Rhodes cruise port

Step off the ship and straight through the walls of a Crusader city.

Rhodes is the Greek Isles stop where the ship docks closest to the sights: the commercial port sits right against the walls of the medieval Old Town, a UNESCO fortress city built by the Knights of St. John, so you are inside the gates within 10 minutes of walking off the gangway. Most cruisers spend the morning on the Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Master, then either swim at Elli Beach or take the coach an hour south to the white village and clifftop acropolis of Lindos. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Rhodes from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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Dockedbeside the Old Town walls, no tenders
EuroOld Town is a 5 to 10 minute walk, no taxi needed
May to Jun, Sep to Octwarm, dry and under 85 degrees
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
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Three ways to do Rhodes

The medieval city on foot, Lindos by coach, or the beach and Mandraki harbor: pick the day you want and the button filters the list of sailings below.

Medieval Old Town

The Street of the Knights, the Palace and the walls, all on foot

  • Out of the port gates and across the road into the Old Town in 5 to 10 minutes; no shuttle or taxi needed
  • Palace of the Grand Master about 10 to 12 euros as of 2026, 60 to 90 minutes; go at 8:30 opening or after 2:30 when the coach groups are at Lindos
  • The Street of the Knights, the Archaeological Museum in the Knights’ hospital and the Socratous bazaar street are free to walk

Best for: first-timers, history buffs, anyone with a short call

Lindos

The whitewashed village and the acropolis above a horseshoe bay

  • About 55 km south, an hour each way by coach; ship tours run 5 to 6 hours and about $70 to $110
  • Independent: KTEL bus from the Rhodes Town station about 5.50 euros each way (90 minutes), or a taxi about 75 to 90 euros each way per car
  • The acropolis climb is 15 to 20 minutes on steps; entry about 20 euros as of 2026 with timed slots in season, then swim at St. Paul’s Bay

Best for: repeat visitors, photographers, long port days

Beach and harbor

Mandraki, the windmills and a swim at Elli Beach

  • Mandraki harbor with its deer statues (where the Colossus supposedly stood) and three windmills is a 10 to 15 minute walk north of the port
  • Elli Beach, the town beach with sunbeds and a diving platform, is 15 minutes along the waterfront
  • Anthony Quinn Bay and Kallithea Springs are 15 to 20 minutes south by taxi (about 25 to 30 euros) for clearer water

Best for: families, sun seekers, hot August days

Live from the cruise lines

Rhodes cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Rhodes from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Rhodes

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

In port

Things to do in Rhodes

The Old Town is at the pier and Lindos is an hour away, so a seven to nine hour call lets you do one properly and the other quickly.

The medieval Old TownEurope’s best-preserved walled medieval city, 2.5 miles of walls built by the Knights of St. John around cobbled lanes, Ottoman mosques, a synagogue and the Socratous Street bazaar. Free to wander, two to three hours, and the gates are across the road from the port exit.
Palace of the Grand Master and the Street of the KnightsThe Knights’ castle at the top of the Street of the Knights, rebuilt by the Italians in the 1930s with Roman mosaics from Kos. About 10 to 12 euros as of 2026 (combo tickets with the museum about 18 euros), 60 to 90 minutes, closed some Tuesdays in winter; the street itself is free and best photographed before 9 AM.
Lindos and its acropolisA sugar-cube village under a Knights’ castle wrapped around a temple of Athena, an hour south of the port. About 20 euros for the acropolis as of 2026 with timed entry in season, 5 to 6 hours door to door by coach or taxi; the bay below is the swim of the day.
Mandraki harbor and the windmillsThe ancient harbor where the Colossus is said to have stood, now marked by a deer and doe on columns, with three medieval windmills on the mole and the fort of St. Nicholas at the end. Free, a 10 to 15 minute walk north of the port; the fish-market tavernas behind it are good for lunch.
Elli BeachThe town beach at the northern tip, pebbly but clean, with sunbeds, a diving platform and the Aquarium at the point. 15 minutes on foot along the waterfront from the port; sunbeds about 10 to 15 euros for two.
Anthony Quinn Bay and Kallithea SpringsTwo of the island’s clearest swims, 15 to 20 minutes south by taxi (about 25 to 30 euros each way). Kallithea is the 1920s Italian spa with ladders into the water and a cafe; Anthony Quinn is the rocky cove from The Guns of Navarone.
Archaeological MuseumInside the 15th century Hospital of the Knights on the Street of the Knights, with the marble Aphrodite of Rhodes and a courtyard garden. About 10 euros, an hour, and the coolest place in the Old Town at midday.
Lunch in the Old TownPitaroudia (chickpea fritters), grilled octopus and a cold Mythos in a courtyard off Sokratous Street. Lunch for two runs about 40 to 60 euros; the squares near Hippocrates fountain are busiest, the lanes toward the Jewish quarter calmer.
Pick your style

Which lines call at Rhodes?

Rhodes handled about 250 cruise calls in 2026; these are the lines whose schedules we confirmed.

Celebrity CruisesThe most frequent big-ship caller: Celebrity Infinity, Eclipse, Xcel and Ascent on 7 to 11 night Greece and Turkey itineraries from Athens and Rome.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Royal CaribbeanBrilliance of the Seas calls on 7 to 9 night Greek Isles cruises from Athens in 2026.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Sky on 7 to 10 night Greek Isles itineraries from Athens that pair Rhodes with Santorini and Mykonos.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Princess CruisesEnchanted Princess and Island Princess on 7 to 14 night Mediterranean cruises that call here in late summer and fall.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit MSC CruisesMSC Lirica and MSC Armonia on 7 night Eastern Mediterranean loops from Piraeus, with calls continuing through the winter.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Holland America LineOosterdam and Volendam on 12 to 22 day Mediterranean voyages in the fall.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Celestyal CruisesCelestyal Discovery calls every Wednesday on 7 night Idyllic Aegean cruises from Athens, with Celestyal Journey on 3 and 4 night samplers.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit SilverseaSilver Nova and Silver Spirit on 7 to 10 night Greek Isles voyages from Athens and Istanbul.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit VikingViking Sky, Star, Neptune, Saturn, Vela, Vesta and Libra all call on Greek Odyssey and Empires of the Mediterranean itineraries, most of them overnight.Live prices
Timing

When to go

Rhodes is one of the sunniest islands in Europe, with hot, dry summers and mild, showery winters; July and August are the hottest and busiest months and the shoulder months are the sweet spot.

April to JuneHighs from the low 70s in April to the mid 80s in June, the sea warming to 70 by June, almost no rain from May and far fewer coaches on the Lindos road than high summer.
July to AugustHighs around 90, lows near 75 and essentially no rain; the Old Town lanes stay shady but the Lindos acropolis has none. Three or four ships on busy days; the 5 euro per person Greek cruise fee applies June through September.
September to OctoberMid 80s in September easing to the upper 70s in October, the sea at its warmest (around 77) and the first light showers in late October. The best balance of warmth and crowds; the cruise fee drops to 3 euros in October.
November to MarchMild, 55 to 65 degrees, with December and January the wettest months (about 5 inches each). Beach clubs close and the Lindos boats stop, but the Old Town and Palace stay open and MSC, Celestyal and Viking keep calling; the cruise fee is 1 euro.
Good to know

Rhodes questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Rhodes, and how far is the Old Town?

Ships dock at the commercial port (the Akandia and central quays) on the east side of Rhodes Town, directly beside the medieval walls; there is no tendering. From the terminal gate it is a 5 to 10 minute walk across the road to the nearest Old Town gates, 10 to 15 minutes to Mandraki harbor and about 15 minutes to Elli Beach. No shuttle or taxi is needed for the town, and taxis and tour buses wait at the port for Lindos and the beaches.

How do I get to Lindos, and what does it cost?

Lindos is about 55 km (34 miles) south, an hour each way. The ship’s coach tours run 5 to 6 hours for about $70 to $110 per person; a shared coach from the port is about $50 to $60; KTEL public buses leave the East Side station (15 minutes on foot from the port) roughly every hour for about 5.50 euros each way and take about 90 minutes; and a taxi is about 75 to 90 euros each way per car, so a group of four can hire one for the half day for roughly 180 to 200 euros. Whichever you pick, be back on the road by 2 PM for a 5 PM sailing.

What currency, language and time zone will I find?

Greece uses the euro; cards work in almost every shop and taverna but keep small cash for buses, sunbeds and village kiosks. English is spoken everywhere tourists go. Rhodes is 7 hours ahead of US Eastern time. US phones work on EU roaming plans and carrier day passes. Since July 2025 Greece charges cruise passengers a per-visit fee that the line bills to your onboard account: at Rhodes it is 5 euros per person June through September, 3 euros in April, May and October and 1 euro in winter (the 20 euro summer fee applies only at Mykonos and Santorini). You pay nothing at the pier.

Is Rhodes safe for cruise passengers?

Yes. The U.S. State Department rates Greece at its lowest advisory level and Rhodes is a relaxed resort island. The real risks are polished cobbles in the Old Town (wear shoes with grip), the sun on the Lindos steps, pickpockets on a packed Sokratous Street when four ships are in, and the donkeys at Lindos, which we suggest skipping. Agree taxi fares before you get in; the port rank uses fixed tariffs for common runs.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

Lindos is the one worth leaving town for: the village, the acropolis and the bay are a different island from Rhodes Town. Book it through the ship if your call is under 8 hours or you want a guide and a guaranteed return; do it by taxi or coach on your own if you have a long call and a group to split the fare. The Old Town itself needs no tour, though the Palace of the Grand Master now uses timed e-tickets in season, so buy yours online the night before. On a short call, skip Lindos entirely and give the Old Town the whole day.

Do I need a passport for a Greek Isles cruise?

Yes. Every Mediterranean cruise starts and ends outside the United States, so a passport valid for at least six months beyond your trip is required (the closed-loop birth-certificate rule applies only to round trips from a US port). Greece is in the Schengen area; US citizens get 90 days visa free, and the EU’s ETIAS travel authorization is expected to begin in late 2026, so check the requirement before you fly.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on SmartCruiser includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra, and the Greek per-port cruise fee is billed by the line to your onboard account.

Talk to a Rhodes cruise specialist

Tell us your dates and we will pull every sailing that calls at Rhodes, note which ones give you a long enough day for Lindos, and put the SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit sailings first. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560