Rhodes Shore Excursion

This Best of Rhodes tour visits the top sites found on the island of Rhodes, including the Acropolis of Lindos and the Grand Masters Palace, located in the historic old town. There is also free time for lunch and to see some local crafts.

You start your private excursion with a beautiful thirty-mile drive along the east coast of Rhodes. You'll pass small picturesque villages and enjoy dramatic views of the sea and the beautiful landscape of orange and lemon groves, vineyards and olive trees.

Lindos was an ancient Doric town and rose to power hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, when the population was twenty times larger than it is today. In medieval times it was the island's second most important center, after the town of Rhodes itself. It is no wonder that the ancient Greeks, the Byzantines and the Knights of St. John all made good use of the colossal Acropolis, which dominates the little town and the curving bay below.

You will walk up to the summit, or if you wish you may hire a donkey to take you most of the way, to discover the magnificent remains of past civilizations. Located at the summit you will find the 4th century B.C. Doric Temple of Athena Lindia, a double-winged portico, a Byzantine church and the fortifications of the Knights, including the remains of the Governor's quarters. Your licensed guide will explain these important sites during your visit.

The view is truly panoramic and at the very foot of the Acropolis is St. Paul's Bay, where the Apostle is said to have sought shelter during a storm.

Below the Acropolis are the clustered, old whitewashed houses and narrow streets of this delightful village. Many of these houses are now filled with tiny shops full of attractive souvenirs. You will enjoy a short amount of free time here to explore.

Next you have free time for lunch (meal not included), before visiting a typical Ceramic Factory to see locally made wares.

Next you travel back to the city where you enter the Old Town from d'Amboise Gate, which is the closest point to the rebuilt Grand Master's Palace. This palace was constructed as a reflection of the Papal Palace in Avignon, France. It was built to serve as a fortress in times of war, a peacetime residence for the Grand Master and a meeting place for senior knights.

After visiting the palace you walk the cobblestone street of the "Avenue of the Knights" where the famous knights once lived. To this day the street exudes a noble and forbidden aura with its lofty buildings which stretch the 1800 feet long unbroken wall of stone blocks. The flat facade is punctuated only by huge doorways and arched windows.

At the end of your walking tour you have free time before you are transferred back to the pier.

Mobility: NO wheelchairs