📷 Photo by Andrew Vvedenskij on UnsplashDodecanese: Rhodes, Lindos, Symi, Kos, Nisyros, Karpathos and Patmos
A seven-day island-hopping route from the medieval Old Town of Rhodes and Lindos to Symi, Kos, Nisyros, Karpathos and Patmos.
- Distance
- 595 km (370 mi)
- Driving
- 8 h 13 min
- Suggested days
- 7
- Stops
- 8
- Countries
- Greece
- Updated
- May 12, 2026
At a glance: 7-day road trip of about 595 km (370 mi) with 8 stops, from Medieval Old Town of Rhodes to Patmos: Chora and the Cave of the Apocalypse. About 8 h 13 min of driving in total.
More road trips in Greece
Route description
Begin on Rhodes with the Medieval Old Town, built by the Knights Hospitaller between about 1309 and 1523, with the Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Master. The walls run for 4 km, so explore the lanes on foot. Every other island on this route needs ferries or flights; check the current timetable, services are thinner outside summer.
Next, drive south to the Acropolis of Lindos, a 116-metre outcrop crowned by the Temple of Athena Lindia from about 300 BC, a monumental staircase, a Hellenistic stoa and a Knights’ castle. Allow time and energy for the climb. Back towards Rhodes Town, the Valley of the Butterflies has a pebbly path and wooden bridges; moths are reported in late summer, so keep quiet.
From Rhodes, ferries take about 1.5 hours to Symi, where colourful neoclassical mansions climb the slopes around the harbour of Gialos like an amphitheatre, a legacy of sponge fishing and shipbuilding. The Kali Strata stepped path leads up to the upper settlement. Then continue to Kos and its Asklepieion, about 3.4 km south-west of Kos town, a healing sanctuary linked to Hippocrates on three cypress-covered terraces.
Nisyros, reached by boat from Kos, is a volcanic island. Stefanos Crater is a hydrothermal explosion crater inside a caldera 3 to 4 km wide, and visitors can walk into it. Fumaroles are active and the ground steams, so keep to the paths.
Karpathos lies far to the south. Olympos, a remote mountain village in the north of the island, has dozens of windmills, bakeries and small churches along narrow lanes, and villagers have kept their dialect and traditional dress; buses run from Pigadia or Diafani. Last comes Patmos, with the hilltop Chora around the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, founded in 1088, and the Cave of the Apocalypse. If you bring a vehicle, check ferry rules and booking in advance.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Medieval Old Town of Rhodes
HistoryRhodes, GreeceA walled medieval town built by the Knights Hospitaller between about 1309 and 1523, with the Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Master. The walls run for 4 km, so allow time to explore the lanes on foot.
- 252 km
Acropolis of Lindos
HistoryLindos, GreeceA rocky hilltop above Lindos crowned by the Temple of Athena Lindia (about 300 BC), a monumental staircase, a Hellenistic stoa and a Knights' castle. The outcrop is 116 m high and reached by stairs, so allow time and energy for the climb.
- 336 km
Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes), Rhodes
NatureRhodes, GreeceA wooded valley on Rhodes where a Rhodes subspecies of the Jersey tiger moth gathers, with a pebbly path, wooden bridges and a small stream. Moths are reported in late summer; keep quiet, as disturbed moths waste energy, and numbers are said to have fallen.
- 4125 km
Olympos Village, Karpathos
HistoryOlympos, GreeceA remote mountain village in northern Karpathos, said to date from the 7th to 9th centuries, with dozens of windmills, bakeries and small churches among narrow lanes. Villagers have kept their dialect and traditional dress; buses run from Pigadia or Diafani.
- 5143 km
Symi Harbour (Gialos)
ViewsSymi, GreeceThe harbour of Symi, where colourful neoclassical mansions climb the slopes like an amphitheatre, a legacy of the island's sponge-fishing and shipbuilding past. Ferries from Rhodes take about 1.5 hours; the Kali Strata stepped path leads up to the upper settlement.
- 674 km
Asklepieion of Kos
HistoryKos, GreeceAn ancient healing sanctuary linked to Hippocrates, laid out on three terraces of a cypress-covered hillside with temples of Asklepios and Apollo. It lies about 3.4 km southwest of Kos town and can be reached by car, motorbike or bicycle, with free parking.
- 743 km
Stefanos Crater, Nisyros
NatureNikia, GreeceA hydrothermal explosion crater inside Nisyros's 3 to 4 km wide caldera, some 260 to 330 m across and about 27 m deep, which visitors can walk into. Fumaroles are active and the yellow ground steams, so tread carefully and keep to the paths.
- 8123 km
Patmos: Chora and the Cave of the Apocalypse
HistoryPatmos, GreeceA hilltop settlement built around the fortified Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, founded in 1088, near the cave tradition links to the Book of Revelation. The UNESCO-listed Chora has merchants' houses and small churches from the 13th to 18th centuries, so allow time to wander.
Suggested stages and overnight stops
7 days, split by driving time. Campsites from OpenStreetMap: check opening dates before you go.
- Day 1: Medieval Old Town of Rhodes → Acropolis of Lindos · 52 km · 0 h 43 minOvernight nearby, for example: Place for tents near the church (6 km); Wild camp around the lake (12 km).
- Day 2: Acropolis of Lindos → Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes), Rhodes · 36 km · 0 h 30 minOvernight nearby, for example: Parking (8 km); Big area for camp (9 km).
- Day 3: Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes), Rhodes → Olympos Village, Karpathos · 125 km · 1 h 44 minOvernight nearby, for example: Place for tents (10 km).
- Day 4: Olympos Village, Karpathos → Symi Harbour (Gialos) · 143 km · 1 h 58 min
- Day 5: Symi Harbour (Gialos) → Asklepieion of Kos · 74 km · 1 h 01 min
- Day 6: Asklepieion of Kos → Stefanos Crater, Nisyros · 43 km · 0 h 35 minOvernight nearby, for example: Free Camping Plaka (17 km).
- Day 7: Stefanos Crater, Nisyros → Patmos: Chora and the Cave of the Apocalypse · 123 km · 1 h 42 min
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually April–May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in March, June, August and November–December. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early.
Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons
Practical notes for the road
- Greece: Motorway tolls. Motorway limit for cars: 130 km/h.
- Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes), Rhodes → Olympos Village, Karpathos. Ferry crossing needed
- Olympos Village, Karpathos → Symi Harbour (Gialos). Ferry crossing needed
- Symi Harbour (Gialos) → Asklepieion of Kos. Ferry crossing needed
- Asklepieion of Kos → Stefanos Crater, Nisyros. Ferry crossing needed
- Stefanos Crater, Nisyros → Patmos: Chora and the Cave of the Apocalypse. Ferry crossing needed
Road rules and fees change. Check official sources before you travel.
FAQs
How long is Dodecanese: Rhodes, Lindos, Symi, Kos, Nisyros, Karpathos and Patmos?
7-day road trip of about 595 km (370 mi) with 8 stops, from Medieval Old Town of Rhodes to Patmos: Chora and the Cave of the Apocalypse. About 8 h 13 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Dodecanese: Rhodes, Lindos, Symi, Kos, Nisyros, Karpathos and Patmos?
We suggest 7 days: about 8 h 13 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Dodecanese: Rhodes, Lindos, Symi, Kos, Nisyros, Karpathos and Patmos start and end?
It starts in Medieval Old Town of Rhodes and ends in Patmos: Chora and the Cave of the Apocalypse.
Which countries does Dodecanese: Rhodes, Lindos, Symi, Kos, Nisyros, Karpathos and Patmos pass through?
Greece.
Where can you camp along Dodecanese: Rhodes, Lindos, Symi, Kos, Nisyros, Karpathos and Patmos?
OpenStreetMap lists 13 campsites and motorhome stopovers within 20 km of the stops on this route. For example: Parking, Place for tents and Place for tents near the church.
When is the best time for Dodecanese: Rhodes, Lindos, Symi, Kos, Nisyros, Karpathos and Patmos?
The most pleasant months are usually April–May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in March, June, August and November–December. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
More like this
Santorini in three days: Akrotiri, Ancient Thera and the caldera to Oia
Photo by Dimitris Kiriakakis on UnsplashCentral Cyclades: Mykonos, Delos, Paros, Naxos and Amorgos
© Olaf Tausch · CC BY 3.0