Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Greek Islands: Rhodes, Symi, Kos and Patmos
9 days in the Dodecanese by scheduled ferry: three nights in medieval Rhodes, a night in Symi's harbour, Kos with a boat day to the Nisyros volcano, and Patmos, then a flight to Athens.
9 days · Rhodes to Athens · up to 12 guests
The painted houses of Symi, climbing the hill above the harbour Photo: Jebulon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colorful_houses_Symi_2.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Rhodes to Athens
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 2.5 h on day 3No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy walking on cobbles, stone lanes and steps. Four days have more: Rhodes old town on day 2 (about 5 km on cobbles over the day), the climb to the Lindos acropolis on day 3 (about 15 to 20 minutes uphill on steps, 116 m above the sea, little shade), the Kali Strata on Symi (about 500 steps up to the old town, optional) and the walk down into the Stefanos crater on Nisyros (about 25 m down a loose path and back up, optional). On Patmos you can ride to Chora or walk the old stone path up from Skala, about 3 km and 200 m of climb. Each hard part has a ride or a rest instead.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 895 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to June, September to mid-October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Lindos acropolis at opening, before the heat and the coaches from Rhodes town
- The Street of the Knights and the walls of Rhodes, a medieval city still lived in
- A long lunch in a hill village above Lindos, away from the coast
- Sailing into Symi's harbour, its painted houses climbing both sides of the bay
- The plane tree of Hippocrates and the terraces of the Asklepion on Kos
- Walking down into the steaming Stefanos crater on Nisyros
- The Cave of the Apocalypse and the fortified Monastery of St John above Patmos
- Evenings in Chora on Patmos, a white town that empties when the day boats leave
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 895 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 2.5 h, on day 3.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Rhodes
Rhodes airport (RHO) to your hotel by the medieval city
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Rhodes
- Drive about 18 min
Fly into Rhodes airport (RHO), on the west coast about 14 km from the town, where a driver meets you in arrivals for the short drive to your hotel, inside or just outside the walls of the medieval city.
Evening
Most guests connect through Athens; to join the evening walk and dinner, plan to land by about 4 pm, and the exact meeting time comes with your final itinerary. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the week: how the ferries and luggage work, why Lindos starts at opening time, and what we do if the wind moves a sailing. Then we walk in through one of the gates into the old town as the stone turns gold, past the arches of the ruined Church of the Virgin of the Burgh, lit up at night, to a welcome dinner at a taverna in the lanes: mezze, grilled fish or meat, and a first glass of Rhodian wine.
Included
- Pick-up at Rhodes airport (RHO)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening walk into the medieval city
- Welcome dinner in the old town
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
The medieval city of Rhodes
Rhodes old town: the Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master, the walls and Mandraki harbour
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rhodes
Rhodes old town is the walled city the Knights of St John built after they took the island in 1309, and people still live and shop inside it; it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.
Morning
We start in the morning, before the cruise passengers come in, with a licensed local guide. We walk up the cobbled Street of the Knights, lined with the inns where knights from each language of the order lodged, to the Palace of the Grand Master, rebuilt by the Italians in the 1930s and full of mosaics brought from Kos.
Afternoon
Then down through the old Jewish quarter, past the Kahal Shalom synagogue, to a sit-down lunch on a quiet square. The afternoon is free for a rest, the Archaeological Museum in the old hospital of the knights, or a swim at Elli beach. Late in the day your guide walks the group along the outside of the walls and round to Mandraki harbour, where the deer statues stand on the columns at the harbour mouth, a likely site for the Colossus.
Included
- Guided walk of the medieval city with a licensed guide
- The Street of the Knights
- The Palace of the Grand Master, entry included
- The Jewish quarter and the Kahal Shalom synagogue (outside)
- Sit-down lunch in the old town
- Late-afternoon walk round the walls to Mandraki harbour
Easier option: Skip the late walk and meet the group at Mandraki by taxi.
More active option: Walk the top of the walls where the section is open, or swim at Elli beach in the free afternoon.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 5 km on foot over the day, on polished cobbles; wear shoes with grip.
Lindos at opening, lunch in the hills
Rhodes town to Lindos, then the hill village of Asklipieio, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rhodes
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
We leave Rhodes town after an early breakfast and drive about an hour down the east coast to Lindos, to be at the acropolis when it opens. The climb from the village is about 15 to 20 minutes on steps, and early morning is the only cool and quiet time up there: by late morning the coaches arrive and the rock has no shade. A licensed guide shows us the Temple of Athena Lindia, 116 m above the sea, the stoa, the knights' castle walls around it, and the ship carved in the rock at the foot of the stairs. Below are St Paul's Bay and the white village. We walk down through Lindos's lanes and its captains' houses, with time for a coffee, then drive about 15 minutes inland to Asklipieio, a village in the hills with a Byzantine church covered in painted frescoes and a ruined castle above.
Afternoon
Lunch is long and local, at a village taverna. We are back in Rhodes town by mid-afternoon, with the rest of the day free.
Included
- The Lindos acropolis at opening, with a licensed guide and entry included
- Walk through Lindos village
- Asklipieio village and its frescoed Byzantine church
- Lunch at a village taverna
Easier option: Stay in the village at the foot of the rock with a coffee while the group climbs; donkeys up the lower path are not something we book.
More active option: Walk down from the acropolis to St Paul's Bay for a swim before we leave Lindos.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: The acropolis climb is steep, polished steps with no shade; bring water and a hat.
Ferry to Symi
Rhodes to Symi by ferry, then Gialos harbour and the Kali Strata
- Breakfast
- Stay in Symi
- By ferry
Morning
A mid-morning ferry takes us north-west from Rhodes to Symi, about an hour to an hour and a half depending on the boat; we book the seats and handle the luggage. The arrival is the reason to come: the boat turns into a narrow bay ringed by tall neoclassical houses painted ochre, cream and rose, built when Symi was rich from sponge diving and boatbuilding in the 19th century.
Evening
We stay one night in Gialos, the harbour. Day boats from Rhodes fill the quay from late morning to mid-afternoon, so after lunch on your own we keep things easy, and your guide leads the walk in the late afternoon, when the light is warm and the visitors have sailed. The Kali Strata, a broad stone stairway of about 500 steps, climbs to Ano Symi, the old upper town, with its windmills and a view straight down into the harbour. The evening is free for dinner on the quay: Symi shrimp, small, fried and eaten whole, is the dish to try.
Included
- Ferry tickets from Rhodes to Symi, with luggage handled
- Guided late-afternoon walk up the Kali Strata to Ano Symi
- Sunset over the harbour
Easier option: Ride up to Ano Symi by taxi and walk only the way down, or stay on the harbour.
More active option: Walk on from Ano Symi to the windmills and the ruined castle above the town.
Free time: Early afternoon and evening free
Activity: The Kali Strata is about 500 steps; the harbour itself is flat.
Ferry to Kos and the Asklepion
Symi to Kos by ferry, then Kos town and the Asklepion
- Breakfast
- Stay in Kos
- Drive about 18 min
Morning
The morning on Symi is free and quiet before the day boats arrive: a swim off the rocks at Nos beach, a short walk from the harbour, or coffee on the quay.
Afternoon
Around midday we take the ferry north-west to Kos, about two to three hours, often calling at Tilos and Nisyros on the way; this route does not run every day, so our dates are set around it. We land in Kos town, our base for two nights, and walk past the plane tree of Hippocrates, the old tree where the father of medicine is said to have taught; Hippocrates was born on Kos around 460 BC. In the late afternoon, when it is cooler, we drive about ten minutes to the Asklepion, the sanctuary of the healing god Asklepios, laid out on three terraces on a hillside of pines. A licensed guide explains how patients came here to sleep, bathe and be treated, and from the top terrace you look across the strait to Turkey.
Evening
The evening is free in Kos town.
Included
- Ferry tickets from Symi to Kos, with luggage handled
- The plane tree of Hippocrates and the ancient agora in Kos town
- The Asklepion with a licensed guide, entry included
Easier option: See the lower terraces of the Asklepion and rest in the shade while the group climbs to the top.
More active option: A morning swim at Nos beach on Symi before the ferry.
Free time: Morning on Symi and evening in Kos free
Activity: Lunch is your own today, on Symi or on board, because ferry times vary. The Asklepion terraces are linked by broad stone stairs.
Nisyros: into the volcano
Kos town to Kardamena, day boat to Nisyros, the Stefanos crater, Nikia and Mandraki
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kos
- Drive about 2 h
Today is a day boat to Nisyros, the round volcanic island on the horizon south of Kos.
Morning
We drive about 30 minutes to Kardamena on the south coast for a morning boat, about an hour across, landing at Mandraki.
Afternoon
A van takes us up into the old caldera, a flat green floor inside a ring of hills, to the Stefanos crater, which we aim to reach before midday, when it is cooler and before most of the day groups. A path leads down into the crater: the ground is warm, yellow with sulphur, and small vents hiss and smell of eggs. The volcano last erupted in the 19th century and is watched by scientists today. Then we drive up to Nikia, a village on the crater rim with a pebbled square and a view straight down into the caldera. Lunch is in Mandraki, at a taverna below the monastery in the castle cliff, before the boat back to Kos in the late afternoon.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Day boat from Kardamena to Nisyros and back
- The Stefanos crater with your guide, entry included
- Nikia, the village on the crater rim
- Lunch in Mandraki
Easier option: Look into the crater from the rim instead of walking down; the path is loose and the floor is hot.
More active option: Climb the steps in Mandraki to the monastery of Panagia Spiliani in the castle cliff before lunch.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Wear closed shoes with grip for the crater floor; sandals are a bad idea on hot, loose ground. The boat can be choppy if the wind is up.
Ferry to Patmos
Kos to Patmos by ferry via Kalymnos and Leros, then Skala
- Breakfast
- Stay in Patmos (Skala)
- Drive about 12 min
Morning
A free morning in Kos town: walk the harbour road under the walls of the castle of the knights, see the Roman excavations behind it, or have a last swim. Late in the morning we take the ferry north to Patmos, about two and a half to three hours, with stops at Kalymnos, the island of sponge divers, and Leros, so you watch the islands go by from the deck. We choose a sailing that does not need a pre-dawn pickup, and the time comes with your final itinerary. Patmos is small and quieter than Kos, and we stay two nights in Skala, its port.
Evening
After settling in, your guide walks the group round the harbour and up the short climb to the chapel on the hill above it for the view over the bay at sunset. On the skyline is Chora, the white town with the fortified Monastery of St John at its top, where we go tomorrow. Dinner is free: the port has good tavernas and fish.
Included
- Ferry tickets from Kos to Patmos, with luggage handled
- Transfer from the port in Skala
- Sunset walk above Skala harbour with your guide
Easier option: Stay on the harbour front for sunset instead of the climb.
Free time: Morning in Kos and evening on Patmos free
Activity: Lunch is your own, in Kos or on board.
Patmos: the cave and the monastery
Skala to the Cave of the Apocalypse, the Monastery of St John and Chora
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Patmos (Skala)
- Drive about 18 min
Patmos is where, by tradition, John wrote the Book of Revelation, and the cave and the monastery are working religious sites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Chora since 1999.
Morning
Both open in the morning and keep short hours, and cruise groups come up mid-morning on some days, so we go at opening. The van takes us up the hill to the Cave of the Apocalypse, a small grotto inside a chapel where the monks show the rock ledge said to have been John's pillow. Then on to Chora and the Monastery of St John, founded in 1088 and built like a castle, with battlements, frescoed chapels and a treasury of icons, vestments and old manuscripts.
Afternoon
We walk down through Chora's lanes of white mansions built by ship-owning families, to lunch on a terrace with the view over the islands. The afternoon is free: your guide can point you to Grikos or Kambos for a swim.
Evening
Tonight is the farewell dinner in Chora.
Included
- The Cave of the Apocalypse
- The Monastery of St John and its treasury, entry included
- Walk through Chora
- Lunch in Chora
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Ride both ways between Skala, the cave and Chora.
More active option: Walk up to Chora from Skala on the old stone path, about 3 km and 200 m of climb, meeting the group at the cave.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: Shoulders and knees covered at the cave and the monastery; photography is not allowed inside the cave. The cave has steps down into it.
Leros and the flight to Athens
Patmos to Leros by fast boat, then Leros airport (LRS) to Athens (ATH)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 18 min
Morning
After breakfast we take a fast boat south to Leros, about 45 minutes, with a last look back at Chora on its hill. Patmos has no airport, and the ferry straight to Piraeus is seven hours or more, so we fly instead.
Afternoon
A van meets us at the port for the short drive to Leros airport, where a flight of about an hour, included with a checked bag, lands at Athens International Airport (ATH) in the early afternoon. The plane is small, so keep to about 15 kg in the hold; your guide checks the group in and stays until everyone is through. If the Leros flight does not fit the day, we use the fast boat to Kos instead and fly from there, which ends an hour or two later.
Evening
Plan a flight home that leaves Athens after about 6 pm, or tell us and we add a night in Athens or more time on Patmos. Your final itinerary has the boat and flight times, set when we confirm the group.
Included
- Fast boat from Patmos to Leros, with luggage handled
- Transfer to Leros airport (LRS)
- Flight from Leros to Athens (ATH) with a checked bag
Activity: Book a flight home leaving Athens after about 6 pm.
- Rhodes3 nights
- Symi1 night
- Kos2 nights
- Patmos (Skala)2 nights
- Athensend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May, June, September and early October are warm and the best months to walk; the sea is warm enough to swim from June to October. We leave out July and August: the old towns and Lindos are very hot, the crowds peak, and the meltemi wind blows hardest, which makes crossings rough. Even in shoulder season a windy day can move a ferry.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Greek islands on land, sleeping ashore, rather than on a cruise ship
- History lovers: the knights of Rhodes, Hippocrates on Kos and the monastery on Patmos
- Solo travellers who want one steady group and a guide on every island
- Repeat visitors to Greece who have done Santorini and Mykonos
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: old towns, Lindos, the Kali Strata and the monastery are steps and cobbles
- A beach holiday: there is free time to swim, but most days are full
- Travellers who need fixed times to the minute: ferries move with the weather
- Summer heat: the trip runs in spring and autumn only
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Rhodes3 nights
- Symi1 night
- Kos2 nights
- Patmos (Skala)2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard: 3 in Rhodes by the medieval city, 1 on Symi harbour, 2 in Kos town, 2 in Skala on Patmos
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Rhodes airport (RHO)
- Scheduled ferries from Rhodes to Symi, Symi to Kos, Kos to Patmos and Patmos to Leros, with luggage handled
- A day boat from Kos to Nisyros and back
- Flight from Leros (LRS) to Athens (ATH) on the last day, with a checked bag
- Our own van and driver for every transfer and touring day on Rhodes, Kos, Nisyros and Patmos
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, on every ferry and every island
- Licensed local guides at the Palace of the Grand Master, Lindos and the Asklepion
Activities
- Rhodes: the medieval city, the Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master (entry included), the walls and Mandraki; the Lindos acropolis at opening (entry included) and Asklipieio village
- Symi: the Kali Strata and Ano Symi
- Kos: the plane tree of Hippocrates, the ancient agora and the Asklepion (entry included)
- Nisyros: the Stefanos crater (entry included), Nikia and Mandraki
- Patmos: the Cave of the Apocalypse, the Monastery of St John and its treasury (entry included) and Chora
Meals
- Breakfast daily (8)
- 4 lunches: Rhodes old town, the hill village of Asklipieio, Nisyros and Chora on Patmos
- Welcome dinner on Rhodes and farewell dinner on Patmos
Not included
- International flights to Rhodes and home from Athens
- Travel insurance
- The ETIAS travel authorisation fee, if it applies to you
- Meals not listed, including dinners on days 2 to 7 and lunch on ferry days
- Drinks, except at the welcome and farewell dinners
- Sunbeds and umbrellas on the beaches
- Tips
- Optional activities you add yourself, such as the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes or a beach boat on Patmos
- Extra baggage on the Leros flight
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 895 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Eight nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, four lunches, welcome and farewell dinners, four scheduled ferries with luggage handled, the Nisyros boat day, the flight from Leros to Athens, the Rhodes airport pick-up, your See Sight Tours guide throughout and every entry in the day plan, including Lindos, the Palace of the Grand Master, the Asklepion and the Monastery of St John.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, the same people from Rhodes to Patmos. That keeps the ferries and transfers quick, means everyone hears the guide at Lindos and in the monastery, and fits the group around one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip, and does the guide come to every island?
Yes. A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for the whole trip, on every ferry and every island day, and handles tickets, luggage and changes. Greek law requires licensed guides inside archaeological sites, so licensed local guides join us at the Palace of the Grand Master, Lindos and the Asklepion.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. The hardest parts are the climb to the Lindos acropolis, about 15 to 20 minutes on steep steps, the 500 steps of the Kali Strata on Symi and the path into the Nisyros crater. Each has an easier option. Old towns are cobbles and steps, so good shoes matter more than fitness.
I'm travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Rooms are priced for two sharing. A room of your own is from CAD 895 extra, because single rooms on the small islands, Symi most of all, are few and cost almost as much as doubles. Solo guests are part of the group on every activity and at every group meal.
Is this a cruise or a yacht trip?
Neither. We sleep in hotels ashore and travel between islands on the scheduled ferries and fast boats that islanders use, plus one day boat to Nisyros. That means evenings on Symi and Patmos after the day visitors leave, and no cabin. The trade-off is that ferry times are set by the operators, not by us.
What happens if a ferry is cancelled or the timetable changes?
Your guide handles it. Island timetables are published late and strong wind or a strike can stop a sailing. We set dates around the routes that run, watch the forecast, move you to the next boat or a route via Rhodes or Kos, and rearrange the island days. Any extra cost of a change we make is ours.
When is the best time to visit the Dodecanese?
May, June, September and early October. It is warm enough to swim from June, cool enough to walk the old towns and climb to Lindos, and the ferries run their full timetables. We do not run in July and August, when the heat, the crowds and the meltemi wind are at their strongest.
Can I visit the Monastery of St John and the cave if I am not religious?
Yes. Both welcome visitors of any faith, and most people who come are not pilgrims. They are working religious sites, so shoulders and knees must be covered, voices kept low, and photos are not allowed inside the cave. Hours are short and change with services, which is why we go at morning opening.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 5,395 per person sharing, taxes included; the private trip starts from CAD 9,710 per person.
Can I travel on my own dates?
Yes. The private trip runs on a date you choose, for your party only, with your own guide. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, ferries, Nisyros boat and flight without a guide.
Do I need a visa for Greece?
Canadian and US passport holders do not need a visa for up to 90 days in the Schengen area, which includes Greece. Your passport needs at least three months of validity after you leave. ETIAS, the EU's travel authorisation, has been announced but its start date keeps moving; we tell you at booking whether it applies.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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