Rhodes / The verdict
Is a Symi island day trip worth it?
Yes: the pastel harbour at Gialos is the payoff and the island works as a day trip. The catch is the boat: a slow excursion can leave about three hours ashore, while scheduled ferries can buy six to eight.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Rhodes story
Rhodes is the Dodecanese flagship and the most complete island in Greece for a first visit: a walled medieval old town that works as a living city rather than a museum set, the acropolis-crowned white village of Lindos, a serious beach strip along the east coast, and ferries that put Symi and even Turkey inside a day trip. The Knights Hospitaller left the island its spine, and the Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master and the circuit of walls add up to Europe's best-preserved crusader city.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Go
Yes: the pastel harbour at Gialos is the payoff and the island works as a day trip. The catch is the boat: a slow excursion can leave about three hours ashore, while scheduled ferries can buy six to eight.
Go if
- You want a second island from Rhodes without moving hotels
- A colorful harbour town, a stairway climb and a long lunch appeal more than big archaeological sites
- You can take ferries or a fast boat both ways for a longer stay ashore
- You might stay a night or two to see the harbour after the day boats leave
Skip if
- You are booked on a slow excursion with swim stops and want real time in town
- Strong midday heat is a problem: reports found Symi very hot in summer
- You want major historical or archaeological sites rather than a harbour town
- Long stone stairways are hard for you, though a local bus also climbs to Chorio
What it costs
- Ferry Rhodes to Symi, one way on Panagia Skiadeni: €24 (standard fare from the operator; an early-booking rate of EUR 18 applies when available). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Same-day return to Symi on Panagia Skiadeni (offer): €28 (day-trip offer price against an initial EUR 48; limited seats and dates). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Excursion boat day trip incl Symi, Panormitis and return: €50 (King Saron same-day return, departs 09:00; a 12:00 Symi-only sailing is EUR 44). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Excursion boat day trip on SYMI II: €40 (departs 09:00 with Saint George Bay and Panormitis stops; child EUR 20). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 12 traveler reports (Jun 2025 to Aug 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- Staying longer appeals: 8 of 12 reports stayed overnight or wished they had, and several describe the harbour calming once the day boats leave
- The harbour arrival at Gialos and its colorful houses lead most accounts (6 of 12 reports)
- Panormitis and a Saint George Bay swim make a fuller boat day for some (2 of 12 reports)
What people complain about
- Midday day-tripper crowds in Symi Town and at Panormitis (5 of 12 reports)
- Slow excursion boats cut island time to about two or three hours (3 of 12 reports)
- Summer heat on Symi, including on the Kali Strata climb (3 of 12 reports)
How to do it right
- Choose the boat by hours ashore rather than price: reports describe slow excursions of about two to three hours each way with about three hours on Symi, against a ferry back of under 90 minutes.
- Check the departure quay: one report notes organized tours leave from Mandraki rather than the main ferry port in Rhodes.
- Go independently if you can: one solo traveler suggests arriving around 10am and taking a ferry back around 5pm.
- Climb the Kali Strata to Chorio early or late; reports put it at roughly 358 to 500 steps, and a local bus also runs up to Chorio.
- Carry water and plan shade breaks in summer: three reports found Symi very hot in summer, two of them hotter than Rhodes.
- Stay for the evening if you can: reports say the harbour turns quiet once the day boats leave around 5pm.
The trap to avoid
Booking the cheapest slow excursion without checking how long it leaves you on Symi. One report describes about three hours each way and three hours ashore; skipping the return leg for a ferry turned it into six hours on the island.
Why this verdict
The harbour carries the case. Six of the twelve reports lead with the arrival into Gialos, the colorful houses stacked up the slopes, and a solo traveler who came by ferry found the walk in from the harbour breathtaking. None of the travelers regrets the trip itself; the complaints are about how it was booked and when the island was seen.
The boat decides the day. One traveler booked an excursion that took about three hours each way and left about three hours ashore, then dropped the return leg for a ferry of under 90 minutes and got six hours on the island instead. A solo traveler on a similar tour found the swim stops a waste of time on a very crowded boat, and another day-tripper on a two-hour cruise had just over a couple of hours in town. By contrast, a video diarist on the scheduled ferry crossed in about 1.5 hours and had about eight hours ashore. Excursions add Panormitis and a Saint George Bay swim, which some travelers value, but one notes the monastery’s small church fills when a whole boat lands at once.
Midday is the crowded window. A couple who stayed four nights found Symi Town very busy from about 11am to 3:30pm, and several overnight visitors describe the harbour turning quiet once the day boats leave around 5pm. That is why eight reports either stayed longer or wished they had. A day trip still clears the bar for the harbour, the stairway to Chorio and a long lunch; a night turns it into a different place.
Timing and tickets
The operator lists a standard one-way fare of EUR 24 on Panagia Skiadeni, with a same-day return offer at EUR 28 when seats are available, and excursion boats from Mandraki list day trips from EUR 40 to EUR 50. Check which quay your boat uses, since tours and ferries leave from different harbours in Rhodes Town.
Summer heat is the other variable: three reports found Symi very hot in summer, two of them hotter than Rhodes, so carry water and climb the Kali Strata early or late. Reports put it at roughly 358 to 500 steps, and a local bus also runs up to Chorio for anyone who would rather ride.
Book or check times
Dodekanisos Seaways: fares and day-trip offersSea Dreams: Symi excursion timetable and prices
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Questions
How do you get to Symi from Rhodes?
Only by boat: scheduled ferries and catamarans from the main port, or excursion boats from Mandraki. Reports put ferry crossings at about 1 hour 20 minutes to 1.5 hours, and slower excursions with swim stops at about two to three hours each way.
How much time do you get on Symi?
It depends on the boat. Reports describe about three hours ashore on organized excursions, about six hours for a traveler who swapped the excursion's return leg for a ferry, and about eight hours for a solo traveler on scheduled ferries both ways.
Is a day trip enough for Symi?
For the harbour, the stairway to Chorio and lunch, yes. Several travelers who stayed overnight say a day trip shows Symi at its busiest and recommend two nights or more.
Is Panormitis Monastery worth the stop?
Reports are positive about the frescoes and setting, but one notes that when a whole boat arrives at once the small church gets crowded. Excursion boats from Rhodes include it on some itineraries.
How hard is the climb to Chorio?
Reports put the Kali Strata at roughly 358 to 500 steps, and two travelers found it a tough or hot climb in summer heat. A local bus also runs up the hill to Chorio and on to Pedi.
When is Symi busiest?
Midday. One traveler who stayed four nights found Symi Town very busy from about 11am to 3:30pm, and another says the day-trippers have gone after 5pm.
Pack for it
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