A Symi day trip from Rhodes crosses the sea to the Dodecanese island of Symi and brings you back to Rhodes on the same day. Look at the wider range of tours in Greece if you want to add other islands to the holiday.
This page covers what the day includes, the crossing time, the departure port, cruise or regular ferry, where Symi lies, the sponge divers and boat builders, Panormitis, Gialos harbour, the Kali Strata steps, free time in town, St George’s Bay, the nearby beaches, food, the weather and the questions travellers ask.
What does a Symi day trip from Rhodes include?
A Symi day trip from Rhodes means a boat ride out to Symi and a return within one day. Cruises add swim stops and a transfer, and the time you spend in Symi town changes from tour to tour.
The cruise on this page sails from Rhodes to Symi and stops at St George’s Bay. A hotel transfer is part of it. You board in Rhodes, step off in Symi and come back to the same spot.
Not every Symi day trip from Rhodes follows the same plan. The basic daytime cruise makes swim stops on the way over and on the way back. One travel blog also names these other kinds of trip:
- A fast boat trip with 4 hours in Symi.
- A sunset cruise to Symi with swim stops.
- An all-day trip with a barbecue on the boat.
- A full-day Symi and St George’s Bay cruise with lunch.
- A full-day trip with a stop at Panormitis Monastery.
A meal is part of the trips named with a barbecue or lunch. For any other Symi day trip from Rhodes, read the tour page to see whether food is listed. If it is not, you eat in Symi town.
The hours on the island are the other big difference. The fast boat trip lists 4 hours; others list other times. Read the hours on each tour page before you choose. Swim stops and extra visits share the day with your free time in town.
How long is the boat ride from Rhodes to Symi?
The boat ride from Rhodes to Symi takes about 1 hour 20 minutes on an average sailing. The fastest sailings take about 45 minutes. A Symi day trip from Rhodes covers about 25 nautical miles in each direction.
Symi has no airport, so the only way to get to the island is by boat. That makes the sea crossing the core of every Symi day trip from Rhodes.
A ferry route site gives the distance between Rhodes and Symi as about 28.8 miles, which is 46.3 kilometres. That equals the 25 nautical miles named above. The same site says the fastest sailings, at about 45 minutes, belong to Dodekanisos Seaways.
The site lists a typical time for each ferry company. They run from 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, so the boat sets your time. It names the operator, the type of vessel and the weather as reasons the times differ. It also notes that the schedules shift by season and around public holidays.
A travel wiki says ferries and fast catamarans serve the route every day. A travel blog describes the ferry crossing as less than two hours each way. So the sea part of a Symi day trip from Rhodes stays under two hours in each direction.
On a Symi day trip from Rhodes, a cruise boat adds its swim stops to the sailing time. The cruise on this page also stops at St George’s Bay. Read the day plan on the tour page. The stops, and not the sailing alone, set the hours you are away from Rhodes.
Where do the Symi boats leave from in Rhodes?
The organized boats for a Symi day trip from Rhodes sail from Mandraki Harbour, which lies in Rhodes Town. A regular ferry sails from the main ferry port instead, so the two meeting points are not the same.
Rhodes Town has three major ports, and each one has its own job. Kolona is the port for ferries that link the Dodecanese islands. Cruise ships and international sailings use the Central port. Akandia handles domestic and cargo traffic. Symi belongs to the Dodecanese chain, so ferry travellers deal with the island-hopping side of the town.
Mandraki is a different place. It is the municipal marina in downtown Rhodes Town. A travel blog says the organized tours depart from there rather than from the main ferry port. Check the meeting point named in your booking before you leave your hotel. A Symi day trip from Rhodes begins at the right quay or it does not begin.
One tour on the same blog’s list begins in Lindos. A bus takes you to Rhodes first, and you join the boat there. So even that version of the Symi day trip from Rhodes leaves from Rhodes Town. The bus ride is only the first leg of the day.
Whichever boat you choose, the ferry company tells travellers to arrive at the port with time to spare. A same-day trip has no spare hours, so an early arrival at the quay protects the whole plan.
Day cruise or regular ferry: which way suits a Symi day trip from Rhodes?
For a Symi day trip from Rhodes, a day cruise gives you one boat there and back. The plan is set for you. A regular ferry gives you your own times, so you build the day yourself.
A travel blog calls the cruise the easy way to do a Symi day trip from Rhodes. You board in Rhodes, step off in Symi, and return to the same spot when it is time to leave. There is nothing to book twice and no timetable to read.
The cruise side of a Symi day trip from Rhodes comes in other forms too. There is a sunset cruise, a full day with a barbecue on the boat, and a fast boat trip.
The ferry side of a Symi day trip from Rhodes works differently. Ferries and fast catamarans run services between Rhodes and Symi every day. One ferry company runs two high-speed catamarans and one passenger and vehicle ferry on the route. The type of vessel matters, because the fast catamarans and the larger ferry are not the same boat.
The ferry company also gives one clear warning. Check the return trip first. If you only look at the outbound ferry, you do not know whether the day works. Choose the ferry only when the outbound and the return times both fit your plan.
The ferry also brings a detail that the cruise hides. The travel blog reports that its tour boat tied up on one side of Symi harbour. A larger ferry left from the opposite side. The writer missed the booked ferry after assuming one dock. Ask where your return boat leaves before you wander into town.
So the choice is simple. Pick the cruise if you want a ready-made day with one meeting point. Pick the ferry if you want to set your own hours on the island. Either way, plan the whole day, not only the morning boat.
Where is Symi, and what is the island like?
Symi lies in the Dodecanese island chain, about 24 kilometres north of Rhodes. A Symi day trip from Rhodes goes to a mountainous island of 58.1 square kilometres, close to the Turkish coast.
The closest land to Symi lies in Turkey, on the Bozburun and Datça peninsulas. The island has no airport, so you can get there only by boat. That is why every Symi day trip from Rhodes happens on the water.
The inside of the island is made of hills and small valleys. The coast changes from rocky cliffs to beaches and isolated coves. Walkers find a good landscape here, though the ground is tough in places.
The island’s main town lies on the northeast coast and carries the same name as the island. It is split into two parts. Gialos is the lower town around the harbour. Chorio is the upper town on the slopes of the hills. It goes by the name Ano Symi as well.
The island is bigger than the harbour town. Pedi and Nimborio are quiet beach villages. A bus runs once an hour from Gialos through Chorio to Pedi, in the daytime and the evening. A Symi day trip from Rhodes shows only a small part of this.
The season for tourists starts at Easter and ends on Panormitis Day in early November. In those months, a Symi day trip from Rhodes shares the island with other visitors and day-trippers.
What is the story of the Symi sponge divers and boat builders?
Symi grew rich on sponges and ships, and for a time its sponge fleet ranked as the world’s largest. A Symi day trip from Rhodes brings you to the island where that story happened.
The history of Symi before the 14th century is poorly known. Ruins of citadels show that people lived here without a break and that the island mattered. The Knights of St. John took Symi in the 14th century. Their interest in shipping and trade began a long period of prosperity.
Shipbuilding and sponges were the old base of the island’s economy. Symi lay in the middle of the Dodecanese, which made it a stop for trade. That role lasted until steam-powered ships arrived in the 19th century.
Symi fell to the Ottomans in the 16th century, along with Rhodes. They let it keep its privileges, so the wealth carried on almost without a break. A Symi day trip from Rhodes crosses to an island that has such a long record of trade.
Sponges brought the island much of its wealth. Boats sailed as far as the coast of North Africa. The sponge fishermen stayed away from home for months at a time. Symi was at its richest in the mid-19th century.
The island’s population hit a high of about 22,500 people in the 19th century. On a Symi day trip from Rhodes, you step ashore in a town once far busier than today.
The trade has faded. Sponges are still sold in local shops, but they are all imported now. Tourism is the main industry today, and a Symi day trip from Rhodes is part of it.
The sponge story also crossed the ocean. Tarpon Springs in Florida drew Greek sponge fishermen when sponge work boomed in the early 20th century. The town is now a sister city of Symi.
Why does a Symi day trip from Rhodes stop at Panormitis?
A full-day Symi day trip from Rhodes can take in Panormitis, where the Monastery of the Archangel Michael stands. The monastery sits on the opposite side of the island from the town, so a visit needs extra time.
Panormitis is a village to the southwest of the main town. It holds the main monastery of the island. The monastery lies by the gulf of Panormos, next to olive trees, firs and cypresses. Visitors arrive by boat, car, taxi or water taxi. A bus also runs three times a day from the south side of the harbour.
Tour operators list a full-day option that has the monastery in its name. When you choose a Symi day trip from Rhodes, read the stops listed for your tour before you book. Day ferries also bring visitors to Panormitis every day.
The monastery was built in honour of Archangel Michael. Manuscripts say it has existed since the 15th century, and the current church was built in the late 18th century. People from all over the world visit it. Each year Greeks show their respect to St Michael of Panormitis. The monastery celebrates on 8 November and on Pentecost.
Stop at the stairs and the bell tower of the early 20th century rises high above you. Inside, the icon of Archangel Michael is covered in silver and gold and is considered miraculous. Two museums stand near the church. The first holds silver icons and church vessels, and there are carved wooden icons that are gifts from pilgrims.
The tourist season on Symi begins at Easter and closes on Panormitis Day in early November. A full-day Symi day trip from Rhodes with the monastery stop falls inside these months. Panormitis Day is the last date of the season.
What do you see when the boat sails into Gialos harbour?
On a Symi day trip from Rhodes, the first sight is postcard-like mansions. They appear as the boat nears the port. The hill above the harbour is packed with colourful houses.
Gialos is the lower town around the harbour. The houses stand close to the sea and climb the hill behind it. Mansions of the mid-19th century spread over the hillsides close to the main town. Seen from the water on a Symi day trip from Rhodes, their colours stand out against the hillside.
The harbour is a protected site. Its buildings are mainly neoclassical in design and date from the 19th century. Because of tourism, a great number of homes have been restored. By law, the work has to follow rules set by the culture ministry’s Archaeological Service. A Symi day trip from Rhodes lets you see the result for yourself.
A stone bridge joins the two sides of the port. The Customs Office and the fish market stand beside it. Gialos is also a popular marina for sailors, so sailboats and fishing boats lie along the waterfront. Ferries from other Dodecanese islands also call at the port, and the port is a scenic sight.
In the season the town is crowded with day trippers and with visitors who stay longer. Your Symi day trip from Rhodes lands in this busy harbour. The quay is full when the boat ties up, so take your time stepping ashore.
How do you climb the Kali Strata steps to Chorio?
The Kali Strata is a stairway of 500 stone steps from Gialos harbour up to Chorio, the upper town. It is the one real climb on a Symi day trip from Rhodes.
Symi town has two parts. Gialos, also called Yialos, is the lower town around the harbour. Chorio, the upper town on the hillside, is also named Ano Symi. The Kali Strata joins the two, so a Symi day trip from Rhodes can reach the upper town on foot.
Start the climb early in your time ashore. Go in short stretches, and stop to look back at the harbour. The boats below grow smaller with every flight, and the pauses make the climb easier.
Chorio rewards the effort. A travel site on the island shows Gialos harbour as seen from Chorio. The view down to the water is the real prize of the climb. Colourful neoclassical mansions spread over the hillsides close to the main town. A great number date from the mid-19th century.
Up in Chorio you also find an archaeological museum and the Kastro, the Knights of St John’s castle. For a Symi day trip from Rhodes, these are quiet stops, away from the busy waterfront.
The climb is optional on a short visit. A travel blog calls it nice but not essential, because the harbour holds nearly as much to see. If the steps do not suit you, a small bus runs once an hour from Yialos through Chorio to Pedi. It runs in the daytime and evening.
What fills the free hours in Symi town?
Free time in Symi town is well spent on foot. Walk the Gialos waterfront, browse the boutiques and sponge shops, and sit at a harbour bar before your boat leaves.
Start at the water. Gialos is a working harbour, with fishing boats and sailboats tied along the quay. A stroll along the waterfront needs no plan and no ticket. It is the simplest part of any Symi day trip from Rhodes, and it keeps you close to your boat.
The shops come next. Symi has boutiques that sell linen clothing, handmade jewellery, soaps and ceramics. Sponges are still sold in local shops. They recall the trade that brought the island wealth in the 19th century. Today the sponges on sale are all imported.
The town gets very crowded in season with day trippers and overnight guests. On your Symi day trip from Rhodes, leave the busy centre of the harbour and walk the quieter lanes. Shops are easier to browse a little way inland, away from the dock.
Bars on the harbour are relaxed and easy going, and the upper town has bars too. Order a drink, sit down and watch the boats come and go. A Symi day trip from Rhodes has space for a slow hour like this.
The Historical Museum of Symi is a calm choice for a hot hour on a Symi day trip from Rhodes. It reopened after a renovation, and its collections include artefacts found by the local antiquarians Michael and Niketas Chaviaras.
Before you wander far, check where your own boat leaves from. A travel blog warns that the boats do not all use the same dock around the harbour. Ask the crew, and watch the clock through your Symi day trip from Rhodes.
What is St George’s Bay, the swim stop on the cruise?
St George’s Bay is a pebble cove under a vertical cliff of 350 metres. The cruise on a Symi day trip from Rhodes stops there for a swim. The bay can be reached only by boat.
Your eyes go to the cliff first on a Symi day trip from Rhodes. The Greek national tourism site lists the bay under its Greek name, Agios Georgios Dysalonas. It calls the beach impressive and gives the height of the rock wall as 350 metres.
The shore is made of pebbles, not sand. The same site says Symi’s shores are mostly pebbly, and this bay follows that pattern. The water near the beach is transparent and gets deeper gradually. A swim on a Symi day trip from Rhodes begins with a step onto stones and then clear water.
The bay is secluded and offers little in the way of facilities. The only building listed there is the Agios Georgios monastery. So the stop is about the water and the rock face above the boat. Pack what you need for the swim before you leave the port in Rhodes.
A travel blogger put the bay on her list of things to add when you have more time on Symi. The cruise offered on this page does that for you, because it pairs the island visit with this swim stop. For a Symi day trip from Rhodes, the bay gives you sea and stone in place of shops and cafes.
Which beaches lie close to Gialos harbour?
Nos Beach is the nearest beach to the settlement, and it is an easy walk from Gialos harbour. It is the simplest swim on a Symi day trip from Rhodes. It suits a cruise with no beach stop.
The Greek national tourism site calls Nos the ideal choice for anyone who wants direct access. A travel blogger found the water there clear and calm. It makes a quick swim in town. You need no taxi or bus to reach it, which suits a short Symi day trip from Rhodes.
Nimborio is the next name to know. It is one of the townships on Symi, listed with Pedi and Panormitis. The tourism site lists it with sandy beaches and shallow water, reached on foot or by boat. It calls the spot ideal for families. A travel wiki adds that you can catch a boat to one of the beaches.
Pedi lies farther out. The tourism site gives the distance from the port as 4 km, a ride of 10 minutes by bus. The travel wiki says a bus runs once an hour in the daytime and evening. It goes from Gialos through Chorio to Pedi. A longer Symi day trip from Rhodes gives you time for it.
Two more beaches suit other tastes. The tourism site says Marathounta has crystal clear waters and tavernas. It fits anyone who wants a beach with facilities. Nanou is a bay with large pebbles and trees that give natural shade.
Pebbles are the rule on Symi, so the sandy shore at Nimborio stands out. Choose the beach that fits the time between the boat’s arrival and its departure. Keep a little time to walk back to the quay. A short stay on a Symi day trip from Rhodes favours Nos.
What food do you try on a Symi day trip from Rhodes?
On a Symi day trip from Rhodes, try the Symi shrimp, the island’s own specialty. The locals eat the tiny shrimp barely cooked, with a little olive oil and lemon.
In Greek the dish is called Symiako garidaki, and the island treats it as its own. A travel blog adds that the shrimps arrive whole, so you simply pop them in your mouth. A squeeze of fresh lemon is all they need.
The island has more than shrimp. Small, fragrant cheese pies called tourtes come with a soft dough and a cheese filling. Symi also bakes koulouria, one kind made with butter and another dusted with sugar.
For something sweet, look for akoumia, which remind people of loukoumades. Another local sweet is misokofti, made from boiled prickly pears and flour. A cheese pie and one sweet make a good second course after the shrimp.
Fresh seafood is part of why travellers choose a Symi day trip from Rhodes, says one blog. It calls the island a place for wandering the harbour town, eating seafood and swimming in clear water.
One travel site says you can eat anywhere in the old town. Another blog lists casual tavernas, waterfront restaurants and cosy coffee shops around the harbour. Order the shrimp first, then add a pie, and your Symi day trip from Rhodes has a proper lunch.
When is the sea calm, and what do you pack for the day?
Check the wind before a Symi day trip from Rhodes. The meltemi is a dry wind from the north. It blows hard over the Aegean Sea between late spring and about mid-September. Ferries between the islands cannot always sail in it.
Its direction swings from north-east to north-west, depending on the local land. The winds blow periodically, not every day. The same northerly wind also softens the fierce summer heat across the region.
The weather also changes the feel of the day. Rhodes has hot summers and a Mediterranean climate. One travel blog gives mild weather from April to June, between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius. It lists July and August as hot, between 30 and 35 degrees.
The same blog gives 25 to 30 degrees for September and October, and 10 to 15 degrees in winter. Symi’s tourist season starts at Easter and ends on Panormitis Day in early November.
A travel site adds that walking is pleasant in spring or late summer, when it is not too hot. Those seasons suit a Symi day trip from Rhodes if you plan to walk the hills.
Your bag for a Symi day trip from Rhodes can stay light. A ferry operator’s checklist names water, ID, medication and the basics for a full day out. The same list says to know whether you travel on foot or with a vehicle.
Add sun protection for the hot months, and a swimsuit, since the cruise stops at St George’s Bay. The island is mountainous, and the terrain is tough in places. Wear shoes with a firm grip.
The operator’s list also says to leave for the port with buffer time. Look at the forecast the evening before, and read any message from the operator. Then you know what the sea and the wind have planned for your Symi day trip from Rhodes.
What else do travellers ask about a Symi day trip from Rhodes?
What is the population of Symi?
Symi has 2,603 permanent residents, according to the census figure on its Wikipedia page. In the tourist season, tourists and day-trippers lift the number of people on the island to as much as 6,000. Every boat from Rhodes adds to that crowd.
About 120 residents are not Greek, and the British make up about 50 of them. So a Symi day trip from Rhodes ends in a small community, not a big town.
Which island group does Symi belong to?
Symi belongs to the Dodecanese, a name that means “twelve islands”. The group has 15 larger islands, plus 150 smaller ones, spread over the southeastern Aegean. Of all these islands, 26 have people living on them.
Turkey lies to the east. Crete is to the southwest, and the Cyclades are to the west. Rhodes has been the dominant island since ancient times. A Symi day trip from Rhodes crosses from the leader of the group to one of its 15 larger islands.
Which wartime surrender took place on Symi?
German forces in the region surrendered to the British, and the surrender took place on Symi. As a result, Britain occupied the island for three years.
That gives the island a spot in the closing chapter of the war. Ask the crew about it during a Symi day trip from Rhodes for more detail.
What helps if I get seasick on the crossing?
Before a Symi day trip from Rhodes, note the advice of a medical reference on seasickness. It says to keep the head still and focus on the horizon. It names hiding below decks, away from the view of the sea, as a major contributor to the problem.
So choose a seat where you can see the water and the coast during a Symi day trip from Rhodes. Then your eyes and your body agree about the motion.
Does Symi appear in ancient stories?
Yes. In Homer’s Iliad, Symi is the domain of King Nireus. He fought in the Trojan War on the side of the Greeks. The poem describes him as the handsomest man in the Greek forces after Achilles.
Thucydides also describes a Battle of Syme, fought near the island. In that fight, during the Peloponnesian War, Spartan ships defeated a squadron of Athenian vessels. The island went by the name Sombeki under the Ottomans. A Symi day trip from Rhodes takes you to an island with a long written history.