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Rhodes: when your ship stops here

The walled town of the Knights a few minutes from the ship: the palace, the Street of the Knights, the walls; Lindos is the long trip.

Facts checked Nov 3, 2026, each with its source. No prices on this page.

Rhodes Town, at the northern tip of the island of Rhodes, has one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe, built by the Knights Hospitaller and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. Cruise ships tie up at the central port in the town, and a cruise port guide puts the Old Town gates at less than a 10 minute walk from the quay.

Sources: Wikipedia: Rhodes (city); Adventour Begins (a cruise port guide site): Rhodes

Top 3 things to do

  1. 1. The medieval Old Town and its walls

    The Knights of St John held Rhodes from 1309 to 1523 and built the citadel that stands today, inside a wall 4 km long around 66 hectares of lanes. The top of the walls can be walked only at set times: in summer from Monday to Friday, 12 to 3, and not at all in winter.

    Tip: Turn right out of the port for the nearest gate. Walk the lanes first and leave the walls for the noon slot.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Medieval City of Rhodes; Hellenic Heritage: Palace of the Grand Master and the fortification walls of Rhodes; Adventour Begins (a cruise port guide site): Rhodes

  2. 2. The Palace of the Grand Master

    The seat of the Order of the Knights of St John, begun as a Byzantine citadel in the 7th century, taken by the Knights in 1309, wrecked by a gunpowder explosion in 1856 and rebuilt by the Italians in 1937 to 1940; one of the few Gothic buildings in Greece.

    Tip: Open daily 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening from April to October; in winter 8.30 to 3.30 and closed on Tuesdays. Last entry 20 minutes before closing.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes; Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Palace of the Grand Master

  3. 3. The Street of the Knights

    The straight stone street that climbs to the palace, lined with the inns where the Knights of St John lodged, is called one of the most intact medieval streets in Europe. It is an open street: no ticket, no hours.

    Tip: Walk it up to the palace in the morning before the tour groups, and come down through the lanes.

    Sources: Adventour Begins (a cruise port guide site): Rhodes; Wikipedia: Rhodes (city)

What to skip

  • Lindos on a short call

    The village under the acropolis, where a Doric temple of Athena from about 300 BC stands on the rock above the bay where St Paul is said to have landed, is about 40 km (25 miles) south of Rhodes Town, about an hour each way by road. A cruise guide to the port says the public buses are not practical for a short stop.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Lindos; Adventour Begins (a cruise port guide site): Rhodes

Before you go ashore

You do not have to book a tour: you are free to go ashore on your own. Royal Caribbean sets the all aboard time about 30 minutes before the ship sails, posts it near the gangway, and says the ship does not wait for guests touring on their own.

Source: Royal Caribbean FAQ: Do I need to book a shore excursion?

Back-to-backs that stop in Rhodes

Back-to-back cruises from these home ports have a stop in Rhodes, from the Royal Caribbean sailings we track:

Sources

Read on Nov 3, 2026. Opening days, hours and rules change: check with the place itself before you go. legtolegcruises.com is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Royal Caribbean International or any place named here.

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