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Symi Island Tours from Rhodes Day Trips & Excursions

Symi island tours 4 - Island Tour Rhodes By GoTixy
Neoclassical harbor and colorful hillside houses featured in Symi island tours.

Symi Island Tours

Forty-five kilometres northwest of Rhodes, Symi is one of the most distinctive islands in the Dodecanese and Symi island tours from Rhodes offer one of the few ways to reach it without an overnight stay. 

The island is small enough to feel intimate and varied enough to reward more than one visit: a tiered neoclassical harbour that functions as one of the most photographed in the Aegean, a network of coves accessible only from the sea, and an atmosphere that shifts markedly once the day boats have left.

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The Harbour and the Hill Town

The port of Gialos is the first thing most visitors see, and it makes an immediate impression. The harbour is lined with ochre, terracotta and cream neoclassical mansions built in the 19th century, when Symi’s sponge-diving and shipbuilding industries made it one of the wealthiest islands in the region. 

Behind the waterfront, the older settlement of Chorio climbs the hillside above, reached by the Kali Strata, a broad staircase of 500 steps that connects the two levels of the town. The view from the top takes in the full sweep of the harbour and the surrounding hills. 

The monastery of Taxiarchis Michail Panormitis, in a sheltered bay on the southern tip of the island, is a functioning religious site and a landmark of Byzantine and post-Byzantine architecture that many itineraries include on the return leg.

Pastel-colored hillside houses and traditional architecture featured in Symi island tours.

Hidden Bays on a Symi Island Tour

What distinguishes a sea-based Symi island tour from a conventional ferry crossing is access to the coastline between the port and the southern monastery. Symi’s interior is too steep and largely roadless, which means that several of its coves have no land access at all. 

These bays, clear, sheltered and uncrowded even in high season, are reachable only by boat, and they make up a significant part of what the island has to offer beyond the harbour. Swimming stops in these inlets are a regular feature of full-day departures from Rhodes.

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Symi After Dark

The island changes once the day-trippers leave. The evening light on the neoclassical facades is different in quality from anything visible at midday, the harbour restaurants fill with locals and overnight guests, and the noise level drops considerably. 

An evening departure from Rhodes, timed to arrive as the port quiets down, offers a version of Symi that most visitors to the island never see. The return crossing after dark, with the lights of the harbour receding, is a different experience from the outward journey.

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Getting There and When to Go

Most Symi island tours depart by sea from Rhodes Town, with crossing times varying between 50 minutes and just over an hour depending on the vessel and the route. 

The island is at its busiest between July and August, when day boats from Rhodes and cruise ships can make the harbour crowded by late morning. Departures timed for early arrival, before 10am, make a significant difference. 

The shoulder months of May, June and September offer a quieter version of the same destination, with reliable sea conditions and considerably fewer visitors.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long is the boat trip from Rhodes to Symi?

The crossing takes between 50 minutes and just over an hour depending on the vessel and the departure point. Most tours depart from Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes Town.

Symi is a Greek island within the EU, so no passport is required for EU citizens. A valid ID card is sufficient. Non-EU visitors should carry their travel documents as standard.

Most full-day tours include the sea crossing, time in Gialos harbour, a swimming stop at one or more bays, and a visit to the Monastery of Panormitis. Meals and entrance fees are typically not included, check individual tour details.

The harbour waterfront is largely accessible, but Chorio (the upper town) involves a steep staircase of 500 steps. Sea-based tours that focus on the harbour and the bays can be enjoyed without any significant climbing.

The Old Town streets are largely cobblestoned and uneven, with significant changes in level throughout. The Street of the Knights and the main squares are more manageable than the narrower lanes of the residential quarters. The Grand Master’s Palace has partial accessibility — the ground floor is reachable without stairs.

The evening departure is timed to arrive in Gialos as the day crowds thin out, allowing visitors to experience the harbour in the quieter evening hours. The return crossing takes place after dark.

Public ferry services operate between Rhodes and Symi, but a guided tour or organised boat departure typically includes the hidden bay stops and swimming time that are not part of the ferry route.

Swimwear, sun protection and comfortable footwear for the harbour and steps are the essentials. If you plan to visit the Monastery of Panormitis, shoulders and knees should be covered, wraps are usually available at the entrance.