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Symi Island Full-Day Cruise from Rhodes: Aegean Beauty and Monastery Visit
4.6
185 Ratings
Evangelismos Church
Embark on a full-day cruise from Rhodes to Symi Island, one of the most beautiful islands in the Aegean. Explore the impressive monastery of St. Michael Panormitis and enjoy free time in the picturesque Symi village for sightseeing, swimming, shopping, and dining.
Embark on a full-day cruise from Rhodes to Symi Island, one of the most beautiful islands in the Aegean. Explore the impressive monastery of St. Michael Panormitis and enjoy free time in the picturesque Symi village for sightseeing, swimming, shopping, and dining.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Mandraki Marina & Port - Guests will be picked up from their accommodation and transported to the FERRY boat. Check-in and boarding cards will be prepared, and the journey begins! Additionally, a personalized take-away guide with fascinating information, a map of Symi town, and directions will be provided. Departure is from the historic Mandraki…
- Mandraki Marina & Port - Guests will be picked up from their accommodation and transported to the FERRY boat. Check-in and boarding cards will be prepared, and the journey begins! Additionally, a personalized take-away guide with fascinating information, a map of Symi town, and directions will be provided. Departure is from the historic Mandraki port, passing by the site of the ancient Colossus.
- Panormitis Monastery - The first stop is the charming bay, home to the Holy Monastery of Archangel Michael of PANORMITIS. As visitors approach the Monastery, they will hear Church bells ringing, warmly welcoming all pilgrims, explorers, holidaymakers, and curious travelers. The Holy Monastery is a treasure of Greek-Orthodox culture. The current church was constructed in 1783 and houses the miraculous all silver-plated icon of Archangel Michael. The main architectural highlight of the Monastery is its impressive bell tower, a blend of Baroque and Renaissance styles. The monastery also contains two museums with an extensive collection of ecclesiastical art, icons, ship model offerings, and significant objects of the island’s folk culture. Admire the 18th-century wall paintings, light a candle for good luck, and stroll around to enjoy the serene atmosphere of this sacred place.
- Agios Georgios Dysalona Beach - The ship will pass by the renowned St. George bay, allowing for beautiful photos of the small church at the base of the towering cliff. Every SATURDAY, there is a brief 20-minute swim stop (from mid-June to end-September).
- Symi Harbour - As the ship approaches Symi, guests will be captivated by its picturesque shoreline! Stunning mansions, authentic fishing boats, private yachts & sailboats, numerous restaurants, folk and art shops, stalls with sponges, and wooden carvings abound! Experience the genuine atmosphere, take a leisurely walk through the port, or hop on the FUN TRAIN for an enjoyable ride through Gialos. Go for a swim or savor a delightful meal in one of the many sea-front taverns! Although it is challenging to fully absorb the atmosphere and local culture in just a few hours, the little island and its generous people will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on any traveler’s experience.
What's Included
- 3.5 hours free time in Symi village
- Map & Information about Symi Island
- Boarding cards for the day trip
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
- Brief 1-hour visit to Panormitis Monastery
- 3.5 hours free time in Symi village
- Map & Information about Symi Island
- Boarding cards for the day trip
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
- Brief 1-hour visit to Panormitis Monastery
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Tour guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from other resorts than Ialyssos, Ixia
- Food and drinks
- Tour guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from other resorts than Ialyssos, Ixia
Additional Information
Embark on a full-day voyage to Symi, one of the Aegean’s most stunning islands, departing from Rhodes! You’ll be riding aboard the comfortable Nikolaos X passenger ferry. Take an hour to explore the breathtaking St. Michael Panormitis monastery independently, then journey to the scenic village of Symi for another 3.5 hours of sightseeing, swimming,…
Embark on a full-day voyage to Symi, one of the Aegean’s most stunning islands, departing from Rhodes! You’ll be riding aboard the comfortable Nikolaos X passenger ferry. Take an hour to explore the breathtaking St. Michael Panormitis monastery independently, then journey to the scenic village of Symi for another 3.5 hours of sightseeing, swimming, unwinding, shopping, and dining. Your excursion to Symi Island includes transportation to and from your hotel in the Ialyssos, Ixia, or Kallithea resorts.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Location
Evangelismos Church
A Manos Going staff member will wait for you at the Mandraki Port (Elefterias Avenue) in front of the FOUNTAIN outside the Church of the Annunciation. You can arrive at 8:30 AM. You will have to present your booking confirmation to receive your boarding cards and a map with information.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(185 Ratings)
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Tatianai566
Oct 26, 2025
Friendly Symi with the ManosGoing - Thank you all the team for an amazing experience! The day was full of new emotions! Everything was convenient and friendly! The real 5 star service!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fabienne430
Oct 19, 2025
Delicious homemade dishes at Taverna Maria - Small tavern run by couple.
Very tasty Greek dishes including the best moussaka ever eaten in Greece.
The cuisine of Mary is top!
Every night we ate deliciously with good Greek music and after the meal we got an ouzo on the house.
If you want to be sure of a table, book in advance!
Correct follow-up of the reservations by the friendly owner.
Small prices for super tasty dishes and wine.
Fabienne
Review provided by Tripadvisor
586neile
Oct 9, 2025
Beautiful Island great service. - This trip or service is exactly as it is described, an efficient method of reaching Symi both the monastery and town.
The service ran to time, gave sufficient time at both stops to explore, the boat had both toilet facilities and a great bar for teas, coffees, beers etc.
There were three levels of seating top level were all open to the elements, and lower floors had a mixture of cabins and open areas, the stairs up to higher level were steep and not suitable for this with mobility issues.
If you wish to go to Symi island I would recommend this company, great service and very fair price.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
503marym
Sep 5, 2025
Excellent company - Went an excursion with this company, from the moment we walked into the office, till the time we came back our trip, it was nothing but 1st class service all the way, when we were booking it the staff were friendly, polite. The bus arrived on time took us to the harbour to go on our ferry to Symi, guide was there to direct us to ferry, although this wasn't a guided tour, Symi is easy to get around, on arriving back at Rhodes, guide was there again to make sure we got on the correct buses, certainly a company I would use again and recommend .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alan_r
Aug 14, 2025
Symi Island - Never 1 to forget from getting on the boat lovely breeze as soon as we set sail which made which made it bearable was very warm Symi Island is stunning no other words.
Review provided by Viator
Gordon_m
Jul 15, 2025
Excellent Symi trip - Very well organised day out to Symi. Collected from our hotel on time, correspondence beforehand was excellent, driver was friendly and polite.
Arrived at Rhodes and was met by a guide who explained where to meet our boat and times, again friendly and efficient. Boat was busy but trip was good, were able to sit on deck in the sun and enjoy the views. Firstly stopped at the monastery in Panormitis which was really lovely, had plenty time to wander round and enjoy the place before heading to the town of Symi on the boat. Docked in Symi and the place is breathtaking, wandered around and saw the majority of highlights. The small shops are lovely and it was really nice to visit some of them, we had pizza in a small place just off the Main Street and it was really good. After a few hours it was time to head back to the boat and make our return to Rhodes. It was easy to find your way around Symi, we never felt lost, but we never travelled out of the town itself as it was a particularly hot day. But to be honest, we didn’t feel we needed to as we were having such a nice time in the town.
Return boat trip was equally as good and enjoyable, and our transport was waiting for us exactly where he said he would be, driver was again very welcoming and escorted us back to our hotel.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable day, and we would do it all again in a flash. What a lovely experience, we would really recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Christophepm748hx
Jul 13, 2025
Reliable organizer of excursions in Rhodes - Very reliable organizer of excursions in Rhodes. You can book both online and in their office in Ixia. The office staff is very knowledgeable and super friendly and helpful. The bus transport runs smoothly, on time, comfortable buses and again super friendly drivers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kurtis_s
Sep 8, 2025
Great Transport, some awkward timing. - Can’t fault the pick up and drop off from Ialysos. The minibus was comfortable and efficient. Symi was very very pretty; just be prepared that first and foremost it is a tourist destination. Everything you’re buying at Symi has a premium. 3 1/2 hours is also a funny length of time, realistically it’s 3 hours as if you’re getting on the ferry just before departing you’re not going to get a seat. There were things like the museum but it was up a steep hill and, after eating lunch, we didn’t feel like we had enough time. That meant we just sat with an ice cream and enjoyed the view which was nice, but it did drag a little.
The swimming stop on Saturdays is also at a very weird spot and 20 minutes isn’t long enough.
If you want to go to Symi, this is a great choice. Just be aware that once you’re there, it can be a little awkward!
Review provided by Viator
Bargain1
Aug 3, 2025
Misleading time schedule - Worth going for a swim off the boat. The description of the time schedule is misleading, you won't get 2.5 hits at the island in the town and get about 1.5 hours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kat_p
Aug 3, 2025
Communication was poor.... - Communication was poor. You are paying for the bus transit to the harbor and the boat. Other groups (with guides) are on the boat. We were not told anything about departure times from the monastery or Symi. All other passengers who didn’t use this tour were, so I’m thankful for them. From reading other reviews it didn’t seem like that was the case so it may have been an off day when I went. Symi is beautiful but hot and there is little shade. Would recommend bringing a bathing suit to cool off at the beach. I actually think the day could have been cut a little shorter since there wasn’t a swim stop (which was noted since I went on a weekday). Symi is beautiful, definitely recommend going! Having the opportunity to do this self guided was very appreciated as a solo traveler but there were definitely missing organizational points throughout the day that would have been appreciated.
Review provided by Viator
