Rhodes: Travel guide

Tried and tested travel advice for Rhodes

Greek islands are always a summer favourite, especially for a Mamma Mia getaway (although most of the scenes are in Croatia…), but in 2025 a Greek island getaway has surged in popularity.

(Look up Rhodes increase as a holiday destination), perhaps since it’s rated in the (cheapest Greek islands) to visit.

At least that’s why I went to Greece this summer, and I’ve accumulated everything I did and saw into the ultimate guide for first-time travellers in Rhodes this summer.

Everything is further than it seems

On TikTok all I was seeing was “and it’s only 20 minutes from X” but when I was in Rhodes it was never that, so pick your accommodation location as close as you can to what you want to explore.

Where to stay?

If you want to visit all over the northern side then Faliraki is a good choice, it’s got a few beach clubs and beaches but it’s heavily built on tourism and nightlife. Faliraki has some hills and like any holiday would involve a lot of walking (don’t make my mistake and stay on a hill). If you’re after a Pinterest Greek summer it might not be the place for you.

If the historic culture is what you want to immerse yourself in then Rhodes Town(Rhodes Old Town) is perfect. With endless markets, water activities and shopping squares – I visited the Old Town three times throughout my holiday, initially thinking it would be a one-day trip.

Apart from Lindos, I found the only other vegan food restaurant I could find in Rhodes (something to note if you have dietary restrictions).

Kallithea is stunning too, I was debating between the two and when I got there I realised this is the one place that is closer than you think. Kallithea is a little calmer than Faliraki with a few less hills.

Lindos was a beautiful maze. Full of character and restaurants but very cramped and chaotic. It’s definitely worth a day trip.

Public transport

Online I read the public transport was reliable so it didn’t matter if you stayed far from where you want to visit. I had the opposite experience and since doing more digging I found I’m not the only one. Taxis and coach services saved the holiday and were our most reliable transportation so make sure you bring extra euros. If you aren’t near a taxi rank then your best point of call is your hotel reception and they should call you a taxi. We used a service called Prestige Travel & Transfer that do round trips for a set price and in most cases are cheaper than the taxis!

Read reviews, lots!

I thought I had read every review I could find on the hotel online. I don’t know about you but I like to use TikTok as a Google and when it comes to travelling, please use TripAdvisor. We have it for a reason and I neglected it once I arrived at my hotel. I then saw all the TripAdvisor reviews having the same stories as I had, and I wish that I’d read them. So please check your reviews before finding somewhere to stay and my top tip is to start with the lowest rated and work your way up, because something that you really don’t want with your hotel or Airbnb might be a factor that isn’t mentioned in the five-star reviews but would be mentioned in the two and three star reviews.

Where to visit

Of course there is the famous Acropolis in Lindos which was absolutely stunning but a long steep walk, and when I was in Lindos and on my way to Lindos I got a gorgeous view of it and I didn’t actually end up going up to the Acropolis. In hindsight I wish that I did, but if you’re not particularly bothered about being stood in the centre of it, you can get amazing views without the hike.

I didn’t see one post or TikTok about Rhodes that didn’t include Kallithea Springs and I was expecting a little bit more. It’s gorgeous, the architecture is amazing, the views are great, it’s a lovely beach, however the restaurant didn’t have many allergy friendly options, and most of the public beaches are equally stunning and have daybeds that you can rent instead of having to take a special taxi trip out to Kallithea Springs. It wasn’t dissimilar to St Paul’s Bay, which was my favourite beach of the trip. My advice is to go to whichever beach you are close to unless you’re comfortable spending a whole day potentially sandy and wet, because almost all of the beaches are stunning and will have almost everything you need.

If there was any place that was non-negotiable to visit on your trip to Rhodes, I would say Old Town. I had something in my head telling me not to bother staying in Old Town. I was so wrong; staying in Old Town would’ve been a dream and not only that, all the activities on the water there are so fun. I did the Yellow Submarine and it was worth every euro. You get a guided tour on the water and then you get a snorkel show in the submarine portion and you get to see all the gorgeous fish. They even offered to take your photo and put you onto a magnet. There are day trips to surrounding islands and so many more water activities. There are boat trips around Rhodes from Faliraki and from Old Town. Be sure to check out the markets too!

That is my guide to travelling around Rhodes, and remember to always check reviews!