Rhodes 3 Day Itinerary by Car (Day 1 Cruise-Friendly Option)
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Rhodes is the largest Dodecanese island and one of the most popular stops in Greece.
The medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is only steps from the cruise port and packed with cobbled lanes, fortifications, and lively squares.
Outside the walls, you’ll find Mandraki Port, Elli Beach, and the modern part of the city.
During my 12-day stay in Rhodes, I was based in Rhodes Town, where the island’s main port is also located. From there, I rented a car for a few days to explore more of the island beyond the city.
Driving gave me the freedom to explore Lindos, hidden beaches, and mountain villages at my own pace.
This Rhodes 3 day itinerary is based on my own trip.
It’s designed for exploring the island by car, but if you’re arriving on a cruise, Day 1 works perfectly as a one-day route to the main highlights before heading back to the ship.
⚓ Planning Your Time in Rhodes?
- Rhodes Cruise Port Guide & Top 10 Things to Do in Rhodes Town – port info plus the best highlights near your ship.
- Best Beaches & Day Trips from Rhodes Town – ideas if you want to explore beyond the city.
- 7 Great Rhodes Restaurants I Recommend – my favorite spots for local food and drinks.
3 Day Rhodes Itinerary by Car: At a Glance
This itinerary starts in Rhodes Town and focuses on exploring the island by car. It doesn’t include Rhodes Old Town itself, as I’ve covered that in a separate guide.
If you’re visiting on a cruise, you can easily combine a short walk through the Old Town with Kallithea Springs and Lindos.
If your ship stays until evening, you’ll also have time to add Anthony Quinn Bay before heading back to port.
- Day 1 – Kallithea Springs, Antony Quinn Bay/Ladiko Bay & Lindos (Cruise-Friendly)
- Day 2 – Butterfly Valley, Archangelos & Tsambika
- Day 3 – Kamiros, Kritinia Castle, Monolithos & Prasonisi
💡 Car Rental Tip:
We rented our car on the spot in Rhodes Town, which was easy since we visited in September, outside of peak season.
In July and August, rental prices are much higher and cars often sell out, so it’s better to book in advance.
👉 recommend checking DiscoverCars to compare prices and secure your vehicle ahead of time.
Day 1 – Kallithea Springs, Anthony Quinn Bay & Lindos (Cruise-Friendly Option)
Itinerary: Rhodes Town → Kallithea Springs → Ladiko Bay / Anthony Quinn Bay → Lindos
Distances & Driving Times:
- Rhodes Town → Kallithea Springs: 11 km / 7 miles (20 minutes)
- Kallithea Springs → Anthony Quinn Bay: 9 km / 5.6 miles (15 minutes)
- Anthony Quinn Bay → Lindos: 35 km / 22 miles (40 minutes)
- Lindos → Rhodes Town: 49 km / 30 miles (1 hour)
🌿 Kallithea Springs
After leaving Rhodes Town, our first stop was Kallithea Springs, about a 20-minute drive along the well-marked coastal road.
The site is easy to find, with clear signs along the way and a large parking area right by the entrance.
Kallithea Springs is a historic thermal spa complex that has been beautifully restored.
Today, it’s a mix of shaded gardens, whitewashed buildings, a small beach, and a café with sea views.
Inside the domed pavilion, you’ll find a small exhibition, while the paths behind the main building lead to rocky viewpoints with amazing coastal scenery, a great spot for a quick break before continuing down the east coast.
🏖️ Anthony Quinn Beach & Ladiko Bay
From Kallithea Springs, it took us about 15 minutes to reach Anthony Quinn Beach, one of the most famous spots on Rhodes.
The cove is small and rocky, framed by pine trees, with some of the clearest emerald water on the island.
The turnoff is clearly marked, though the road narrows in places as you approach. There’s a parking area by the beach, but in summer it can get crowded.
On the way down, you’ll also pass Ladiko Bay, easily recognized by the bar-restaurant on the shore.
The two beaches are only a five-minute walk apart, so you can leave your car once and visit both.
That’s what we did, spending a couple of hours swimming in the emerald waters and enjoying the dramatic rocky backdrop that makes these bays so photogenic.
🏛️ Lindos
After a swim at Anthony Quinn and Ladiko Bay, we drove about 40 minutes south to Lindos, our last stop of the day.
The approach alone is worth it; from the road, you get amazing views of the whitewashed village and its Acropolis, so it’s worth pulling over for a photo stop.
We arrived in the afternoon, which I’d recommend since mornings here can be unbearably hot.
The climb to the Acropolis takes around 10 minutes and rewards you with sweeping views over the village and St. Paul’s Bay.
Donkey rides are offered, but I don’t recommend them; the animals looked tired, and I generally don’t support using animals this way.
Afterward, we strolled the narrow lanes, did a bit of shopping, and grabbed pancakes with gelato before heading back to Rhodes Town.
Lindos is also known for its beautiful beaches, including the famous St. Paul’s Bay, but we didn’t have time to visit them on this trip.
The return drive took about an hour, and by the time we got back, we found parking near Mandraki Port.
🚢 Cruise Tip:
If you’re visiting Rhodes on a cruise, you can easily adapt this route. With a full day ashore, it’s possible to see the Old Town, Kallithea Springs, Anthony Quinn Bay, and Lindos — we managed it all in one day.
If your time is shorter, focus on the essentials: combine the Old Town with Lindos, or do Anthony Quinn Bay and Lindos before heading back to the ship.
Day 2 – Butterfly Valley, Archangelos & Tsambika
Itinerary: Rhodes Town → Butterfly Valley → Archangelos → Tsambika Beach → Tsambika Monastery
Distances & Driving Times:
- Rhodes Town → Butterfly Valley: 25 km / 15.5 miles (40 minutes)
- Butterfly Valley → Archangelos: 26 km / 16 miles (35 minutes)
- Archangelos → Tsambika Beach: 6 km / 3.7 miles (10 minutes)
- Tsambika Beach → Tsambika Monastery: 2.5 km / 1.5 miles (5 minutes drive + hike)
- Tsambika Monastery → Rhodes Town (Mandraki Marina): 26 km / 16 miles (35 minutes)
🦋 Butterfly Valley
On the second day, we drove about 40 minutes from Rhodes Town to Butterfly Valley, a lush nature reserve on the west side of the island.
Signs along the way make it easy to find, and there are several parking areas near the entrance.
The valley is famous as a breeding ground for the Jersey tiger moth, which gathers here in the summer months.
A path of about 1.5 km leads through shaded greenery, with small bridges, ponds, and waterfalls creating a peaceful setting.
At the top, you’ll find the Monastery of Kalopetra, but keep in mind you’ll need to walk the same way back to your car.
Our visit lasted over two hours, and since we came in early September, we didn’t see many butterflies — the peak season is July and August.
It’s a pleasant stop if you enjoy nature walks, but if your time in Rhodes is limited, I’d only recommend it to real nature lovers.
👉 If you prefer visiting with a guide, check out the top-rated Butterfly Valley tours on Viator.
🏘️ Archangelos Village
On the way to Tsambika Beach, we made a short stop in Archangelos, the largest village on Rhodes with about 6,000 residents.
It’s a traditional place with narrow streets, whitewashed houses, and the Church of the Archangel Michael, easily recognized by its 19th-century bell tower.
We visited around midday, when the village was quiet.
The church was closed, so we wandered the peaceful lanes, grabbed a coffee and ice cream at a café on the main street, and stocked up on refreshments from a local supermarket.
Prices here were noticeably lower than in the more touristy parts of the island.
If you have extra time, it’s worth climbing up to the Castle of Saint John above the village. Built by the Knights of Saint John, it takes about 15 minutes to reach and offers panoramic views of the area.
🏖️ Tsambika Beach
Just a 10-minute drive from Archangelos, Tsambika Beach is one of the most beautiful and popular beaches on Rhodes.
It’s easy to find thanks to clear road signs, and there’s a large parking area right by the sand.
The beach stretches wide with soft golden sand and shallow, crystal-clear water, perfect for families.
At the same time, younger crowds come for the beach clubs, cafés, and water sports.
Overlooking it all is the tiny white chapel of Tsambika Monastery perched high on the hill, a landmark that dominates the view.
We spent about four hours here, swimming and relaxing. You can bring your own towels or rent sunbeds and umbrellas on the spot.
⛪ Tsambika Monastery
After a few hours on the beach, we headed up to Tsambika Monastery.
From the main road, it’s just a couple of minutes’ drive uphill to the parking areas. We left our car at the first lot because the road looked steep, though you can drive closer if you’re confident.
From there, it’s a climb of 298 steps to reach the monastery.
Tradition says the walk should be done barefoot, especially by women praying for the Virgin Mary’s help to conceive.
The chapel itself is small and simple, but the atmosphere is powerful and the views over Tsambika Beach and the coastline are unforgettable.
After the visit to the monastery, we drove back to Rhodes town for about 30 minutes and parked our car at Mandraki port, in front of the Governor’s palace.
Day 3 – Kamiros, Kritinia Castle, Monolithos & Prasonisi
Itinerary: Rhodes Town → Kamiros Archaeological Site → Kritinia Castle → Monolithos Castle → Prasonisi Beach
Distances & Driving Times:
- Rhodes Town → Kamiros Archaeological Site: 34 km / 21 miles (50 minutes)
- Kamiros → Kritinia Castle: 23.5 km / 14.5 miles (30 minutes)
- Kritinia Castle → Monolithos Castle: 28 km / 17.5 miles (40 minutes)
- Monolithos Castle → Prasonisi Beach: 39 km / 25 miles (40 minutes)
- Prasonisi Beach → Rhodes Town: 89 km / 55 miles (1 hour 30 minutes)
🏛️ Archaeological Site of Kamiros
On our third day, we explored the west coast of Rhodes, which doesn’t have the sandy beaches of the east but is dotted with castles and ancient ruins overlooking the sea.
Our first stop was the Archaeological Site of Kamiros, about a 45-minute drive from Rhodes Town along the scenic coastal road.
Kamiros was one of the three great Doric cities of Rhodes, together with Lindos and Ialysos.
Walking through the site, you can see the remains of houses, baths, temples, and public squares spread across the hillside with views toward the Turkish coast.
The visit takes about 45 minutes to an hour, and there are signs throughout the ruins explaining what you’re seeing.
There’s a parking area and a small café at the entrance, so it’s an easy and rewarding stop before continuing further south to Kritinia Castle.
🏰 Kritinia Castle
A short drive south brought us to Kritinia, a village dominated by its 16th-century Venetian castle built by the Knights of Saint John to guard the west coast.
We parked in the lot below and walked up to the entrance. The climb isn’t long, but the path is uneven and not ideal for anyone with mobility issues.
There’s no fee to enter, and inside you’ll find a small ruin with sweeping views of the Aegean.
From the walls, you can see the nearby islands of Chalki, Alimia, Makri, and several smaller islets scattered across the sea.
We spent about 20 minutes here before continuing further south to Monolithos Castle.
🏰 Monolithos Castle
From Kritinia, we drove inland past Mount Attavyros, through pine forests and winding mountain roads, before reaching Monolithos about 45 minutes later.
The 15th-century castle sits on top of a 100-meter rock (“Monolithos” means “lonely rock”) and, although mostly in ruins, it offers some of the most spectacular views on the island.
There’s a small chapel of Agios Panteleimon inside the walls, and the climb up from the parking area takes about 5–10 minutes.
The steps can be slippery, so good shoes are recommended.
Entry is free, and we spent around 40 minutes enjoying the views before continuing south to Prasonisi.
🌊 Prasonisi Beach
Leaving the mountains behind, we drove through Apolakkia and followed the coast to Prasonisi, the southernmost tip of Rhodes.
The peninsula is linked to the island by a sandy strip that creates two beaches: the windy west side, perfect for windsurfing, and the calmer east side, where people swim and kiteboard.
Final Thoughts on My Rhodes 3 Day Itinerary
As you can see, Rhodes is the perfect size for a short road trip.
In just three days, you can cover the island’s highlights, from ancient ruins and hilltop castles to golden beaches and the southern tip at Prasonisi.
If you’re visiting Rhodes on a cruise, you can easily adapt it into a one-day plan by combining Rhodes Old Town with Lindos and either Kallithea Springs or Anthony Quinn Bay, depending on how much time you have ashore.
For more details, check out my other guides:
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