How to Spend 5 Days in Rhodes, Greece

September 21, 2025
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As far as Greek Islands go, Rhodes is often underrated as the most “affordable” island. And while it is just that, it is also so much more. Here is how to spend 5 dreamy days on Rhodes, basking in the sun and enjoying the crystal clear waters.

I visited Rhodes in August of this year as a last-minute sunny escape before starting a new job. To be honest, I chose this specific Greek Island based solely on flight prices.

While I didn’t know what to expect and was a little worried it would just be a party haven for young holidayers, it was so much more (though also that, if that’s your vibe). From pristine beaches to stunning blue water, beautiful white towns and delicious food, Rhodes has it all.

So, here is my 5-day guide to this Greek Island, including all the must-visit spots and some of my personal tips and tricks!

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Table of Contents

How to get to Rhodes?

You will likely arrive on Rhodes via plane and land at Rhodes airport (RHO). Check out my full guide on getting from the airport to Rhodes city centre by bus here.

If you are arriving by ferry, you will likely be arriving at Rhodes Town port, from which it is super easy to get a bus anywhere or even walk to the Old Town.

Where to stay in Rhodes?

Rhodes is one of the bigger Greek Islands, but is well connected to the main towns via bus. You could also rent a motorbike or quad to see more of the island.

I would recommend spending 1-2 nights in Rhodes Town to explore the Old Town and then heading to one of the coastal towns for beach time and exploring the Island further.

It’s best to stick to the East Coast as it is much more sheltered from winds.

Good towns to base yourself in are:
Faliraki – best for budget and young travellers with a good nightlife scene
Lindos – If you are looking for the typical white houses and Greek village feel, this is the place for you.
Kallithea – Best for those looking for slightly more luxury and resorts.
Pefki – close to Lindos, this is a great quieter alternative and great for families.
Charaki, Stegna and similar – the small towns between Faliraki and Lindos are great for those looking for a quieter and more local stay.

Check for best accommodation options in each town here.

Hostels in Rhodes Old Town:

Rhodes Youth Hostel
Stay Hostel Rhodes
Rhodes Backpackers

Best budget hotels on Rhodes:

Hotel Faliro, Faliraki – I stayed at this hotel and it has amazing budget-friendly rooms for solo travellers and even a pool. Just note that the Wi-Fi isn’t amazing in the rooms and the main street is a bit noisy at night due to the clubs.

Island Boutique Hotel – great budget-friendly hotel right by the beach in Rhodes Town.

Pefkos Beach Studios & Apartments – great location near Lindos and inredible beaches nearby

Sokrates Studios – really great, affordable apartments near Afantou beach

Best hotels/resorts on Rhodes:

Casita Casita Lindos – right by Lindos and only a short walk to the beach, this hotel has unbeatable views

Porolithos Boutique Hotel – an incredible hotel with exceptional reviews right in Rhodes Old Town

Mitsis Selection Alila – located near Kallithea Springs, this resort is pure luxury and all-inclusive

Haraki Bay Hotel & Apartments – incredible views, right by the beach and very fair prices

Gennadi Grand Resort – a beautiful resort near the South of the Island, perfect for exploring Rhodes with the option to add all-inclusive

How to get around Rhodes using public transport?

The bus network in Rhodes is pretty extensive and reliable. The best website to check for times and prices is this official bus one. Buses connect all major areas such as Rhodes Town to Faliraki or to Lindos.

There is also the office by the main bus station (ΜΑΝΔΡΑΚΙ), where I found the staff were happy to help.

If you are staying outside of the main towns, I would recommend renting a car/motorbike to have more flexibility when exploring the island.

Ultimate 5-Day Rhodes Itinerary

Day 1: Rhodes Old and New Town
Day 2-3: Beach days
Day 4: rent a scooter/buggy and explore the island
Day 5: last beach session, head back to Rhodes for Souvenir shopping/airport

Day 1: Rhodes Old and New Town

Explore the historic Rhodes Old Town

Start your trip to Rhodes by heading to Rhodes Old Town with its beautiful medieval streets and lively markets. You will likely enter through one of the main gates of the city’s walls, after which you get led through the maze of cobblestone roads that make up old town.

Check out the Palace of the Grand Master of Knights, which gives a fascinating insight into Rhodes’ history. Tickets are around 25€ and can be bought here.

If you don’t feel like going inside, there are many other places to explore in Old Town. The Street of Knights is just around the corner and feels like stepping back in time – after all, it is one of the most intact medieval streets in the world.

Check out the Jewish Quarter and the Kahal Shalom Synagogue, which is the oldest Synagogue in Greece dating back to 1577.

Hippocrates Square seems to sit at the centre of Old Town and has served as the centre of commerce of centuries.

I personally just spent hours wandering around Old Town, marvelling at the historic buildings and untouched ruins you can find in back alleys. If you are interested in learning more about the history of this area, a guided tour is always a great way:

Go for a shopping spree in the Old Town Market

As soon as you enter Old Town, you are surrounded by local shops and markets. So, once you are done sightseeing, it’s time to shop.

While a lot of the stalls are very touristy, you can still snag some beautiful locally crafted things here. Some of my favourite shops were Iakovos (handmade sandals), Zaart Creations (ceramics) and all of the gorgeous jewellery stores.

A little tip: the further away from the main shopping streets you head to the back streets, the more local and affordable shops you will find.

If you are looking for a great lunch place, I loved the Neon Bistrot Cafe‘s sandwiches (+ they were less than 5€!) and went there several times throughout my time in Rhodes.

Wander Mandraki harbour and find the shell boat

If you are on social media and look up Rhodes, chances are the Shell Boat is one of the first things you see. And for good reason – the boats parked just outside Old Town (exit through the Sea Gate and head left) by Mandraki harbour are beautiful, covered in shells and selling anything shell related you can think of.

I personally found getting on a little claustrophobic as there are SO MANY things and it does move quite a bit, but they have some beautiful stuff for really affordable prices.

If you keep walking along Mandraki Harbour towards the main town, you will see another few of these boats. The walk itself is beautiful too and leads you along many of the sunset tours and Symi Island boats. I would probably still book online or at least get an idea of prices online before booking at the harbour to avoid getting scammed.

See the previous site of the Colossus of Rhodes

One of the coolest things about Rhodes is that it used to be home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus of Rhodes. The 30+m tall statue of the God Helioswas built between 292 to 280 BC at the entrance of Rhodes port as a means of defence. While many say the statue was “straddling” the harbour, it is much more likely that his feet were together for stability reasons. Nevertheless, the Colossus was later destroyed in an earthquake.

Nowadays, the entrance of the harbour is flanked by two elegant deer named Elefos and Elafina. Looking at the harbour now and imagining the huge statue that once stood there is a weird feeling, one that reminds you of just how small we are in this big world 🙂

Head into Rhodes New Town

If you keep walking along the water, you will reach Rhodes New Town. You could explore the streets, though you will mostly find commercial shops (Bershka here was great) and restaurants, as well as Elli beach which is great for a swim if you have the time.

If you need to stock up on water and snacks, New Town has some of the cheaper supermarkets like the Easy City Market and Supermarket Lindos.

Enjoy a delicious Greek dinner and sunset

It’s time to end the day with an incredible Greek dinner. Both Rhodes New and Old Town have great restaurants, so I would base this on where you are staying.

If you are headed to Old Town, avoid the touristy restaurants that are right in the squares (I have heard of several people who got scammed in these) and head to some of the back streets for a more authentic experience such as Hamam Cafe or La Varka.

If you are like me and want to eat Gyros on the beach while watching the sunset, I liked MR. G’s in New Town and they had some lovely veggie options too.

Day 2-3: Beach Days

Relax on the beach and swim in the turquoise sea water

Rhodes to me is first and foremost and amazing beach destination and you should plan at least 2 days to just relax on the beach, eat delicious food and get a tan.

You could choose any town in Rhodes for this, though as previously mentioned I’d recommend sticking to the East Coast to avoid winds. I personally stayed in Faliraki, as it was easily accessible by bus and had affordable accommodation options (last-minute for me), though other great options are Lindos, Pefki, Charaki, Stegna and more. Head back up to the accommodation section for details on which to choose.

Faliraki had a beautiful sand beach right by the town. While you could rent umbrellas and sunbeds, I personally got a free one from my hotel (or they are like 10€ in a shop) and there is a big section if you head left from the main road where there are no paid umbrellas. The water was gorgeous too.

The umbrella thing works wherever you are (if your hotel doesn’t have them included) and will save you a ton of money. In Greece, contrary to e.g. Italy, it is illegal to privately claim a beach so you can technically lie in front of the paid sunbeds too.

Wander the streets of your chosen town

If you’ve had enough of the beach, I’d recommend going for a wander around your chosen town. They are all beautiful with tons of souvenir and local shops and delicious cafes/restaurants.

Enjoy sunset on the beach and delicious Greek food

After a long, hard day at the beach, it’s time to fuel up for another one just like it tomorrow. I’d recommend looking for authentic restaurants slightly off the main roads of your town for the best experience. Good examples are Stama Restaurant and Manolis Taverna in Faliraki.

Make sure to head to the beach for sunset, either to a bar or just to enjoy the sun paint everything golden while sitting on the beach.

Day 4: rent a scooter/buggy and explore the island

Start the day at Anthony Quinn Bay

Renting a scooter or buggy is one of the best ways to explore more of the island, its beaches and towns. I have written a full guide on how to do it, where and FAQs: Full Guide to Renting a Motorbike in Rhodes, Greece

If you are staying elsewhere on the island, you may need to adapt the order of this day, but if you are coming from the Faliraki or Rhodes Town area, start your day at the famous Anthony Quinn Bay. There is a big parking space right by the bay, but it does get busy quickly, so the earlier you come the better.

Anthony Quinn Bay is popular thanks to its picture-perfect turquoise water, ragged cliffs and raw beauty. It is some of the clearest water I have seen on Rhodes. I personally didn’t love the beach as it is overfilled and stony, but you have to jump in for a quick dip and get some photos of the lagoon when in Rhodes.

There are two other beaches on the other side of the lagoon which are also really pretty, as well as a stunning hiking path.

Hike to the Holy Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Tsambika

The next stop is the old monastery of Tsambika, just a 20 minute drive along the coast. The road heads about halfway up the hill, from where you need to walk the rest (around 300 steps).

It is worth it as at the top, you will get probably the best views of the coast and Rhodes.

Wander the white streets of Lindos and explore the Acropolis

Next, I would head to Lindos to try and avoid the hottest part of the day. Make sure to stop at the viewpoint before heading into the town for the postcard view of the white houses and Acropolis.

Most parking here is paid, but I found a free car park by accident here. It is right next to a paid car park and looks like a dirt lot, but I asked several people and all said you could stay there for free. If you walk to the end of the dirt road, there is a set of stairs that goes straight to Lindos town centre (they look worse than they are).

Lindos itself is gorgeous with the white houses, cobblestone streets and flowers everywhere. The town centre is full of local shops, restaurants and cafes, so it’s a great place to grab some food too.

There is an Acropolis here, which is well worth a visit if you have the time. Tickets cost around 20€ and you get some breath-taking views from the top.

Lindos beach is overrated in my opinion. You’ll be able to access much quieter and cleaner beaches with your motorbike so I’d skip the beach here. If you are into snorkelling though, if you head to Pallas beach and walk past all the umbrellas, you will find the Sea Caves which are perfect for underwater exploring.

Visit the beautiful St Paul's Bay

Right next to Lindos is St. Paul’s Bay which is a peaceful lagoon surrounded by cliffs and has crystal-clear water. Sunbeds start at 50€ here, so I wouldn’t recommend it for swimming, but definitely stop to take some photos and enjoy the view.

Continue to Gennadi for the signature white houses

If you don’t want to stop in Lindos or looking for a more quiet and local version, Gennadi is worth a stop. It’s just a 20 minute drive from Lindos.

The houses here are the signature white colour and there is a very peaceful beach that is covered in beautiful coloured pebbles and offers the same crystal-clear water as many of the tourist hotspots.

Go for a dip at one of the beaches along the coast

It’s time to head back up the coast and I would highly recommend going for a dip now as there will be more shaded areas to protect you from the sun.

Great beaches to stop at are Afandou Beach, Tsambika Beach or Stegna Beach. I saw some of the clearest water of my whole trip at the far end of Kolimpia beach, which was fully by accident as I missed the road to Tsambika.

Ride your bike back to Rhodes

Make sure to head back to your town, whether that is Faliraki, Rhodes or elsewhere well in time before the sun sets. I wouldn’t recommend driving larger distances on these small scooters in the dark.

I took the path all the way back to Rhodes Town via the coast and it was beautiful. There were vantage points along the road by Kallithea with gorgeous views over the coastline, so it is worth stopping every now and then.

If you decide to keep the scooter overnight, check out my rental guide for advice on free parking in Rhodes.

Day 5: last beach session and Rhodes Town

Head to Elli Beach for a final dip and tan

I would recommend spending your last night in Rhodes and waking up before checkout for one last beach session. Elli beach is close to most hotels and a beautiful beach with gorgeous water – just be careful as the west side gets pretty windy. I went to Kato Petres Beach as it was closer to my accommodation and while it was gorgeous, the waves were a little crazy because of the wind.

Then, shower off and check out.

Final souvenir shopping in Rhodes

I think the last day is one of the best for souvenir shopping as you don’t have to drag it around the whole holiday and know which prices are the best. So, I would head back into Old Town and get some must-have souvenirs such as ceramics, Baklava, Olive Oil, jewellery, handmade items and whatever else your heart desires.

Remember that the most affordable pieces are in the back alleys away from the main shopping streets.

And sadly, it is time to head back to the airport. If you are planning on getting the bus, check out my guide with timetables: How to Get from Rhodes Airport to Rhodes Town by Bus

If you have more time:

Here are some optional additional sights/activities you can build into your itinerary or swap with one of the other stops on the list.

Daytrip to Symi Island

Symi Island is a popular daytrip from Rhodes and for good reason. The small island is beautiful, with colourful houses, peaceful streets, stunningly clear water and friendly locals. There are many different tours heading there every day, so it is worth adding to the itinerary if you have some extra time.

Rhodes Acropolis

While not as imposing as other Acropolis across Greece, there is so much history to this site and it is only a short walk from Old Town. Well worth a visit if you have spare time.

Valley of the Butterflies

A beautiful nature reserve in the centre of Rhodes where thousands of butterflies gather in the summer months of June/July.

Kallithea Springs

A beautiful location with a small entry fee (3€). It used to be a thermal spa but has since been rebuilt, yet the etheral architecture remains. Here you will find crystal clear waters and an air of serenity.

How many days in Rhodes is enough?

I think 5 days is ideal to see a lot of Rhodes while also having time to just relax on the beach. If you add a few more days you could have more beach time and explore further on the island, especially the West Coast which is not really featured in this guide.

Are beaches on Rhodes sandy or rocky?

I’d say it’s about 70% rocky beaches and 30% sandy from my experience. The beaches by Rhodes Town were all rocky, but the main beach in Faliraki where I stayed a while was sandy. On my drive along the coast I came across mostly rocky beaches with a few rare sandy ones.

I’d say water shoes are helpful but not necessary, you’ll just be doing the funny walk out of the sea 😉

Is Rhodes a nice part of Greece?

Rhodes isn’t one of the Greek Islands that is famous for its beauty, at least not compared to e.g. Santorini, but I think it is a little underrated and marketed off as a destination for young travellers and party-goers.

While this is certainly the case in some areas of Rhodes, I found the rest super beautiful with stunning nature, pristine beaches and THE kindest locals! It is also one of the more budget-friendly islands, which is of course great.