A Lindos day trip from Rhodes takes you down the east coast to the white village of Lindos and the acropolis on the rock above it, then back to Rhodes town. It sits with the other Greece tours on this site.
Here we cover the ways to travel, the stops on the road, the climb to the acropolis, the free time in the village and the questions to settle before you book a Lindos day trip from Rhodes.
What does a Lindos day trip from Rhodes include?
A Lindos day trip from Rhodes includes the ride there and back plus free time in Lindos. The Manos Going coach tour adds a photo stop, a custom map and about 4 hours to explore.
Pickup and drop-off are part of the tour. The Manos Going page lists set points in Rhodes Town, Ixia, Ialyssos, Faliraki and Kallithea, plus the cruise ship port. On the way back, the coach stops for 5 minutes at a panoramic viewpoint.
The main part of a Lindos day trip from Rhodes is free time. Coach tours on the listings give between 4 and 5 hours in the village. The Manos Going page lists the choices: the Acropolis, the whitewashed streets, lunch, local shops or a sandy beach.
Other tours add extras. One coach tour pairs the ride with a led visit to the Acropolis of Lindos. Another adds real-time bus tracking and WhatsApp support.
Five items sit outside the tour. The Manos Going page lists them as optional extras. They are Acropolis admission, entry to the Church of the Assumption, the public toilet, the shuttle bus and sunbeds. A Lindos day trip from Rhodes leaves these items to you.
How long is the road from Rhodes town to Lindos?
A Lindos day trip from Rhodes follows a road of about 50 km that takes about 1 hour by car. Sources give 47 to 55 km, and the Manos Going coach tour lists about 1 hour each way.
The distance differs from source to source. A Rhodes travel site gives 47 km from Rhodes city. A route planner gives 48 km, a travel blog gives 50 km and a shore excursion page gives 55 km. Use 50 km as a round figure.
Drive times are close. A car-hire page says about 1 hour for 50 km. Andy and Jane, a travel blog, give 45 to 50 minutes, depending on traffic. The Rhodes travel site gives an average of 55 minutes from the city centre. Plan on about 1 hour each way for a Lindos day trip from Rhodes.
Two sources call the road good. One travel blog says it is in good condition and does not run next to the sea. The Rhodes travel site says it is well maintained. Once you leave Rhodes Town, you follow the signs.
The Manos Going coach tour lists an express drive of about 1 hour each way. That is about 2 hours of road in the day. A public bus stops for passengers, so a Lindos day trip from Rhodes by bus takes longer. One blog times the ride at 1 hour 30 minutes.
The road of a Lindos day trip from Rhodes ends outside the village. Cars park in one of three main parking areas. The coach stops at the main parking area, a 5-minute walk or a 2-minute shuttle ride from the village centre.
Can you go by coach, express boat or private car?
Yes, a Lindos day trip from Rhodes works by coach, express boat or private car. The coach collects you near your hotel. The boat sails from Mandraki harbour in Rhodes Town. The car leaves the timing to you.
A coach version of the Lindos day trip from Rhodes runs in an air-conditioned bus. Pickups are in Rhodes Town, Ixia, Ialyssos, Kallithea and Faliraki. One tour adds real-time bus tracking and an audio app for your phone.
The driver drops you at the main parking area in Lindos. From there it is a 5-minute walk, or a 2-minute shuttle ride, to the village centre. The driver announces the exact return time.
On the water, the Lindos day trip from Rhodes starts at Mandraki harbour. One express boat sails every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and reaches Lindos in about one hour. Hotel transfers run from Faliraki, Kallithea, Ixia, Ialyssos, Afandou and Kolymbia. Seating is individual and comfortable. The boat leaves Lindos on time and does not wait for latecomers.
A private car suits a Lindos day trip from Rhodes if you want your own pace. You park outside Lindos and walk down into the village. You will see car parks on the approach, and you can stay as long as you want.
Where do the tours stop on the east coast before Lindos?
On a Lindos day trip from Rhodes, the stops depend on the format. Cruises swim at Anthony Quinn Bay and Tsambika Beach. Express boats sail past them. One coach tour visits Kallithea Springs before Lindos.
The full-day cruise on a Lindos day trip from Rhodes stops first at Anthony Quinn Bay for a 30-minute swim. Lindos follows, just under 2 hours after departure. On the way back, a final 30-minute swim stop is at Tsambika Beach, the Blue Lagoon.
Anthony Quinn Bay lies between Faliraki and Ladiko Beach. Locals renamed it after the actor when the film The Guns of Navarone was shot there. A cruise from Faliraki uses the same two bays. Its operator says weather and sea conditions can change the swimming stops. The waters at Anthony Quinn Bay are ideal for swimming.
The high-speed boat on a Lindos day trip from Rhodes is a different case. It passes Kallithea, Faliraki, Anthony Quinn and Tsambika on its way to Lindos. No swim stop is listed on that route.
One coach tour turns the Lindos day trip from Rhodes into a springs tour. It stops at Kallithea Springs for one hour before Lindos. The spa has a Moorish-style design and small coves with thermal water. The express coach drives straight along the east coast. It makes a 5-minute photo stop at a Lindos viewpoint on the way back.
How do you climb up to the Acropolis of Lindos?
A Lindos day trip from Rhodes reaches the acropolis on foot. One cruise-line tour counts a 20-minute walk through the village lanes, then about 250 steps. The cliff is 116 metres high, so the climb is steep.
The village itself is pedestrian-only. On a Lindos day trip from Rhodes, the walk starts at the main car park by the village entrance. One coach tour drops guests there, a five-minute walk or a two-minute shuttle ride from the village centre. Then the route climbs through the white streets by steps and terraces.
Just before the steps up to the castle, a warship is carved into the cliff. This relief of a Rhodian trireme marks the foot of the stairs. The path is steep and uneven, and reviewers note that it has no handrails. Slippery patches make non-skid shoes a good choice on a Lindos day trip from Rhodes.
A Hellenistic staircase from the 2nd century BC leads up to the main archaeological area of the acropolis. Visitors climb it to reach the temple and the other ruins.
On a Lindos day trip from Rhodes, donkeys wait at a station at the village entrance. One operator says a donkey can take you much of the way up, subject to availability. Travellers with walking difficulties can ride a public shuttle bus to the main square of Lindos.
What stands inside the acropolis walls?
On a Lindos day trip from Rhodes, the hilltop holds the Doric Temple of Athena Lindia and a Hellenistic stoa. A Byzantine church stands there too. The Knights of St John built the castle walls around them.
The Knights raised the castle in the 14th century on older Byzantine foundations. Inside is a large courtyard with three cisterns. A monumental staircase leads up to the Propylaea, a wall with five door openings. The staircase has been nicknamed the stairway to Paradise. It is the grand entrance to the sanctuary on a Lindos day trip from Rhodes.
The Hellenistic stoa was 87 metres long and had 42 columns. The Temple of Athena Lindia is the heart of the acropolis that a Lindos day trip from Rhodes reaches. It dates from about 300 BC and stands on the site of an earlier temple. Inside are the table of offerings and the base of the cult statue.
The Church of St John dates from the 13th or 14th century. It stands on the ruins of an older church. Remains of a Roman temple from about 300 AD also survive on the acropolis. The Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Knights of St John and Ottomans fortified the hill in turn.
From the top, you look over the harbours and the coast of Lindos. Scenes of the film The Guns of Navarone were shot here. A Lindos day trip from Rhodes visits a film location too.
What can you do in Lindos village and at St Paul’s Bay?
On a Lindos day trip from Rhodes, you can walk whitewashed lanes, see two village churches and browse craft shops. You can also swim at Lindos Beach or St Paul’s Bay, a 20-minute walk south of the village.
Start with the village itself. Narrow cobblestone lanes wind between whitewashed houses, tavernas and small boutiques. Traditional Lindian homes and captain’s mansions line the way. The Church of the Holy Virgin stands in the centre. Spot it by its tall stone bell tower. Look for the Chapel of Saint George Pahimahiotis too.
The shops sell handmade trinkets, jewellery, artwork and local souvenirs. Cafes and tavernas give you a place to sit between walks. Because the village is small, a Lindos day trip from Rhodes leaves room for browsing, lunch and a swim.
Lindos Beach lies below the town, about a 10-minute walk down. It is a golden-sand cove under a cliff, so the water is calm and shallow. That suits swimming and children. The smaller Pallas Beach sits next to it. You can hire a kayak or a paddle board at the beach.
At St Paul’s Bay the water is clear and turquoise. A small chapel stands on the right side of the bay. Reports say the apostle landed here during a storm. You can snorkel, rent a sunbed or sit at the beach bar. A Lindos day trip from Rhodes can end with a long swim here.
What times does a Lindos day trip from Rhodes leave and return?
A morning Lindos day trip from Rhodes reaches the village at about 10:45 and gives you four hours there. The coach is back at the Rhodes cruise port at about 16:00. The express boat sails at 11:00 and returns at 17:00.
A coach Lindos day trip from Rhodes keeps a simple clock. Your pickup time depends on where you stay. The driver announces the exact return time on the day. The tour lasts about 6.5 hours, plus the pickups. Longer coach tours run to 7.5 hours and give five hours of free time in Lindos.
The express boat on a Lindos day trip from Rhodes has a fixed routine. Be at Mandraki Harbour by 10:30, and it leaves at 11:00. It reaches Lindos at 12:00, and your free time runs until 16:00. It is back in Rhodes Town at 17:00. It sails on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. It does not wait for latecomers.
Other tours shift the clock. An evening tour reaches Lindos at about 4:30 in the afternoon, gives four hours there and lasts 6.5 hours. A full-day cruise with two swim stops lasts 8 to 8.5 hours and gives three hours in Lindos. Read the departure time on the tour page before you book your Lindos day trip from Rhodes.
How do you avoid the heat and the crowds in Lindos?
Climb the acropolis first thing. A Rhodes visitor site advises arriving at opening time to beat the scorching heat and the crowds. In summer that is 8 in the morning. Plan your Lindos day trip from Rhodes around that start.
Lindos is the warmest area of Greece over the year, with an average of 22 degrees Celsius, says Wikipedia. Summers are hot and dry. The south-east of Rhodes, near Lindos, has the highest mean annual sunshine in Greece, over 3,100 hours.
Shade is scarce. The Discover Greece site says there is very little shade around the archaeological site. It calls the walk up to the temple quite steep. It lists a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a water bottle and comfortable footwear. Pack all of it before your Lindos day trip from Rhodes begins.
One travel blog says Lindos can be very crowded in summer. The Discover Greece site advises avoiding the busiest months, July and August, if you can. It names late spring, June, September and October as good months to visit Rhodes.
Early arrival helps on any Lindos day trip from Rhodes. A travel blog says getting to Lindos early means fewer people and less heat. The queue at the entrance gets hot too, it adds. Tickets bought in advance skip that queue.
What else do travellers ask about a Lindos day trip from Rhodes?
Is a Lindos day trip from Rhodes suitable for visitors with walking difficulties?
The Discover Greece site says the acropolis is not suitable for visitors with mobility difficulties. The reason is the hill. A coach operator adds that Lindos village has inclines, narrow walkways and cobbled streets.
Who needs an acropolis ticket on a Lindos day trip from Rhodes?
A Rhodes visitor site says visitors over 25 need an entrance ticket. Children, teenagers and students enter free. So do EU citizens under 25 and non-EU citizens under 18 with proof of identity. Carry your ID.
What happens to the boat option if the weather turns?
A Rhodes express boat operator says its boat trips need suitable weather. The captain and the Harbour Police decide that. If it cancels a trip, guests are offered another date or a full refund. The captain can also change the route or the swim stops.
How do you see sunset on a Lindos day trip from Rhodes?
The Discover Greece site suggests staying till sunset and eating on a rooftop terrace in town. A Lindos boat operator runs a 90-minute sunset cruise. It says you watch the sun set behind the Acropolis of Lindos. Check your own tour’s return time first.
What is a Lindos day trip from Rhodes like in winter?
Wikipedia describes mild winters in Lindos, with rain falling mainly in winter. One travel blog visited in winter and reports day temperatures near 16 degrees Celsius and nights near 6. It says a jacket was all it needed, and advises proper shoes and an umbrella for rain.