Acropolis of Lindos

Tickets and tours: all the options

The basic option is the standard entry ticket, which covers the whole rock: the castle, the colonnade, the temple and the viewpoints. It is sold at the booth at the top of the path and as an e-ticket online, with lower prices in winter and free entry for children and for EU citizens under 25. A version sold online bundles the ticket with an augmented-reality audiovisual guide on your phone, which reconstructs the buildings and suits independent visitors who want more than the short panels.

Guided options start mainly in Rhodes town and the resorts. Day trips by coach or minibus combine Lindos with a swim at St Paul's Bay below the rock, and private tours with a driver add the medieval Old Town of Rhodes. Both include transport and a guide but often not the entry ticket, and guides usually explain the site at the foot of the rock before you go in. In summer, excursion boats run from Mandraki harbour in Rhodes town to Lindos, and sea kayak outings combine a paddle along the coast with the climb and lunch. Donkey rides up the lanes are still offered in the village, but many visitors now prefer to walk.

For most people the plain ticket, bought for opening time, and the bus from Rhodes town are enough. Choose a private tour if you have no car and want the Old Town on the same day.

A short history

Lindos was one of three ancient cities of Rhodes, with Ialysos and Kamiros, and remained an important sanctuary after the three founded the city of Rhodes in 408 BC. A temple to Athena stood on the rock by the 6th century BC, associated with the local ruler Kleoboulos, one of the Seven Sages. After a fire in 392 BC the temple was rebuilt, and in the Hellenistic period the stairway, gateway and stoa gave the summit its present plan. The Byzantines and then the Knights of St John turned it into a fortress. Danish archaeologists excavated the site from 1902 to 1905, and Italian restorations followed in the 1930s, some of which are now being reversed.

Getting there

Lindos lies about 50 km south of Rhodes town on the east coast. KTEL buses leave from the bus station near the New Market in Rhodes town roughly every hour in summer and take about 1 hour 15 minutes; services are fewer in winter. Rhodes airport is on the west coast, about an hour away by taxi or hire car. Cars cannot enter the village: use the car parks on the road above it, which fill by mid-morning in summer, or the shuttle from lower parking areas. From the main square, follow the signs up through the lanes; the walk to the ticket booth takes about 15 minutes, with steps for the final stretch. In summer, boats from Mandraki harbour also reach Lindos.

Rules and what to bring

Do not climb on walls or ancient stones, and keep to the marked routes, which change with the restoration work. Drones need a permit from the Greek authorities. The marble and polished steps are slippery, so wear shoes with grip, and bring a hat, sunscreen and water: there is no shade on the summit and nothing is sold inside. Toilets, cafes and shops are in the village below. Large bags are awkward on the narrow stairs.

When to go

Coach tours from Rhodes town and the resorts, plus cruise passengers, reach Lindos between about 9.30 am and 1 pm, and the narrow stairs then queue. Be at the gate at opening or come in the last two hours before closing, when the light warms the stone and many groups have left. In July and August the rock is exposed and temperatures often pass 35 degrees, while the summer wind can be strong at the summit.

April, May, September and October are the best months: warm enough for a swim afterwards, without the heaviest crowds. Winter is quiet but hours are shorter and some days are wet. Greek state sites are usually free on the first Sunday of each month from November to March, and those days are busier. Allow about an hour and a half on the rock, plus time for the climb and a coffee in the village.