Last updated: September 2026
Rhodes Town holidays put you at the heart of one of the most extraordinary historic cities in the Mediterranean. The UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, encircled by massive medieval walls built by the Knights Hospitaller, contains one of the best-preserved fortified cities in Europe, while the modern New Town offers excellent shopping, beaches, and a lively harbour atmosphere. A Rhodes Town holiday combines culture, convenience, and genuine big-city energy in a way that no other resort on the island can match.
A Rhodes Town holiday suits travellers who want history and culture as much as beach time, along with the practical advantage of being just minutes from the island’s airport. The town has a genuinely cosmopolitan feel, busy with both tourists and local Rhodians going about daily life. Rhodes Town holiday deals cover a wide range of accommodation styles, from boutique Old Town hotels to modern beachfront properties.
The Old Town of Rhodes is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe and one of the finest examples of fortified Gothic architecture anywhere in the world. Built primarily by the Knights Hospitaller in the 14th and 15th centuries, the massive walls and moat that encircle the Old Town remain remarkably intact, and a Rhodes Town holiday gives you the chance to walk this extraordinary fortification system on foot.
The Street of the Knights, a steep cobbled lane lined with the medieval inns of the various Knights’ nationalities, is the most famous thoroughfare within the walls. Walking this street during a Rhodes Town holiday feels genuinely like stepping back into the medieval period, with stone facades and heraldic crests largely unchanged since the 15th century.
Beyond the Street of the Knights, the Old Town is a maze of narrow lanes mixing Gothic, Ottoman, and Byzantine influences, reflecting the successive empires that have controlled Rhodes over the centuries. Mosques converted from churches, Ottoman fountains, and small Byzantine chapels are scattered throughout, rewarding those who take time to wander beyond the main tourist thoroughfares during their Rhodes Town holiday.
The Palace of the Grand Master, at the top of the Street of the Knights, is the most important single building in the Old Town and an essential visit on any Rhodes Town holiday. Built in the 14th century as the residence and administrative centre of the Knights Hospitaller, the palace was substantially rebuilt by the Italians in the 1930s after an earlier explosion, incorporating an impressive collection of Roman and Hellenistic mosaics.
The palace’s interior includes vast halls, courtyards, and a small museum displaying artefacts from across the island’s long history. A Rhodes Town holiday visit here typically takes around an hour, and the palace’s elevated position offers good views back along the Street of the Knights towards the harbour below.
The Archaeological Museum, housed in the former Knights’ Hospital nearby, complements a Palace visit well, displaying significant finds from across Rhodes including the famous Aphrodite of Rhodes statue. Combining both sites into a single cultural morning is a popular and rewarding approach to a Rhodes Town holiday.
Beyond the medieval walls, the New Town of Rhodes offers a complete contrast — wide boulevards, extensive shopping, and a lively harbourfront lined with restaurants and bars. Mandraki Harbour, with its iconic (though now legendary rather than literally present) Colossus statue site marked by two bronze deer columns, is the focal point of the New Town during a Rhodes Town holiday.
The New Town’s shopping streets cater to every budget, from international fashion brands to small boutiques selling local crafts and produce. A Rhodes Town holiday shopping trip here offers a markedly different experience from the more tourist-oriented stalls within the Old Town walls, with a genuinely local commercial atmosphere.
The harbour itself bustles with activity throughout a Rhodes Town holiday, from fishing boats unloading their catch in the early morning to ferries departing for nearby islands and the Turkish coast. Evening walks along the harbourfront, with the illuminated walls of the Old Town visible in the background, are one of the simple pleasures of staying in Rhodes Town.
Rhodes Town has its own beaches within easy walking distance of both the Old and New Towns. Elli Beach, on the northern tip of the town, is a popular sandy and pebble beach with good facilities, while the beaches stretching south towards Ixia offer longer stretches of sand for those wanting more space during a Rhodes Town holiday.
The town beaches are generally busier than those at the dedicated resort areas further along the coast, reflecting the town’s role as both a major tourist destination and the island’s principal urban centre. A Rhodes Town holiday combining city sightseeing with beach time works well given the short distances involved — most beaches are within a 10 to 15-minute walk of the Old Town walls.
Accommodation on a Rhodes Town holiday ranges enormously, from atmospheric boutique hotels within the Old Town walls to larger modern hotels along the New Town beachfront. Staying within the Old Town puts you at the heart of the historic atmosphere, particularly magical in the evenings once the day-trip crowds have departed.
For those preferring beach access and modern facilities, the New Town and the beachfront stretching towards Ixia offer a wide range of hotels with pools and sea views. A Rhodes Town holiday in this area still allows easy access to the Old Town on foot or by short taxi ride for sightseeing and evening dining.
Rhodes Town offers the most diverse dining scene on the island, reflecting its role as the capital and largest urban centre. Within the Old Town, countless tavernas serve traditional Greek food in atmospheric courtyards and narrow lanes, while the New Town harbourfront has a livelier, more contemporary restaurant and bar scene during a Rhodes Town holiday.
Seafood is a particular highlight, with the freshest catches brought directly from Mandraki Harbour to nearby restaurants each morning. A Rhodes Town holiday dinner in one of the Old Town’s hidden courtyard tavernas, often discovered by following the sound of bouzouki music down an unmarked side street, is one of the most memorable dining experiences on the island.
Rhodes Town holidays are served by Rhodes International Airport, just 14 kilometres away, with a transfer of around 15 to 20 minutes. The Old Town is best explored entirely on foot, as the medieval streets are narrow and largely unsuitable for vehicles. The New Town and beachfront areas are well connected by local buses and taxis throughout the day during a Rhodes Town holiday.
Practical facilities are excellent given the town’s role as the island’s capital, with extensive banking, medical, and shopping facilities in both the Old and New Town areas. A Rhodes Town holiday visitor needing anything beyond the basics will find it readily available within the town itself.
Visiting the Palace of the Grand Master and the Street of the Knights early in the morning during a Rhodes Town holiday avoids both the heat and the largest cruise ship crowds, which typically build through the late morning and peak around midday.
The Old Town is particularly atmospheric in the evening once the day-trip visitors have largely departed. A Rhodes Town holiday evening walk through the floodlit streets, perhaps finishing with dinner in one of the quieter courtyard tavernas, captures the Old Town at its most magical.
Rhodes Town’s strategic position at the crossroads of the eastern Mediterranean has made it a prize for successive powers throughout its long history. The ancient city, founded in 408 BCE, was home to the legendary Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, though its exact location and the statue itself have long since vanished. A Rhodes Town holiday visitor walking around Mandraki Harbour today stands close to where this extraordinary monument is believed to have stood.
The Knights Hospitaller, who ruled Rhodes from 1309 to 1522, left the most visible mark on the city in the form of the massive fortifications and Gothic architecture that still define the Old Town. Their eventual surrender to Ottoman forces after a prolonged siege brought four centuries of Ottoman rule, followed by Italian administration from 1912 to 1947, each period adding further layers to the city’s remarkable architectural palimpsest that a Rhodes Town holiday allows you to explore in a single, walkable area.
Beyond its own considerable attractions, a Rhodes Town holiday serves as an excellent springboard for exploring the rest of the island, with organised excursions to Lindos, the Valley of the Butterflies, and the Seven Springs all readily available. The town’s transport links, including ferry connections to nearby islands and the Turkish coast, add further options for those wanting to extend their trip beyond Rhodes itself.
Few Greek island capitals combine so much living history with genuine modern amenity, making a Rhodes Town holiday a consistently rewarding choice for first-time and repeat visitors alike.
Repeat visitors often discover new details on each Rhodes Town holiday, with the Old Town’s layered history rewarding multiple visits over the years rather than ever feeling fully explored after just one stay.
For first-time visitors to Greece as much as seasoned island-hoppers, a Rhodes Town holiday consistently ranks among the most rewarding city-based breaks available anywhere in the Aegean.
Many visitors combine a stay in Rhodes Town with a trip to Trianda and Tholos, all easily reached within the island.
| Resort type | Historic capital city with UNESCO Old Town |
|---|---|
| Best for | Culture lovers, couples, shoppers |
| Nearest airport | Rhodes (15 min) |
| Beach type | Town beaches; longer beaches towards Ixia |
| Water sports | Moderate — available at town beaches |
| Nightlife | Lively — harbourfront bars and restaurants |
| Family friendly | Yes — excellent sights, varied dining |
| Typical season | April to November |
Rhodes Town holidays are served by Rhodes International Airport, just 14 kilometres south, with a transfer of around 15 to 20 minutes — one of the shortest and most convenient airport connections on the island. Rhodes Town holiday deals span the full range of budgets, from simple Old Town guesthouses to luxury beachfront hotels.
The season for a Rhodes Town holiday runs longer than at the beach-focused resorts, with the Old Town’s sights and restaurants worth visiting from April through November. June and September offer the best balance of warm weather and manageable crowds, while July and August bring the busiest cruise ship and day-trip traffic to the Old Town.
Search4Sun works with leading UK tour operators to find the best value Rhodes Town holidays for UK travellers. Browse departures from local airports across the UK. For peace of mind when booking, always check your holiday is ABTA protected.
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The Old Town is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe, built primarily by the Knights Hospitaller in the 14th and 15th centuries. A Rhodes Town holiday gives you direct access to this UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Master.
Yes — Rhodes Town has its own beaches within easy walking distance, including Elli Beach. For longer stretches of sand, the coast towards Ixia offers more space during a Rhodes Town holiday, just a short taxi or bus ride away.
Rhodes Town is approximately 14 kilometres from Rhodes International Airport, around 15 to 20 minutes by car or coach transfer. This makes a Rhodes Town holiday one of the most convenient options for those who want to minimise transfer time.
Yes — Rhodes Town receives significant numbers of cruise ship and day-trip visitors, particularly around the Old Town’s main attractions. A Rhodes Town holiday based in the town allows you to enjoy the quieter early mornings and evenings once the day-trip crowds have departed.
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