Symi Island Full-Day Cruise from Rhodes: Aegean Beauty and Monastery Visit

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 - We will come to pick you up from your accommodation and drive you to the FERRY boat. Your check-in and boarding cards will be arranged, and off you go! Also, receive a customized take-away guide with interesting information, a map of Symi town and directions. Departure is from the historic port Mandraki, passing by the sight of the ancient Colossus.
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
What's Not Included
  • 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,…

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.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(182 Ratings)
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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
Marleen1962
Jun 18, 2025
Pittoresk - Long boat trip but definitely worth it!! Good guide Corina told about the history and the population. The monastery and church were also beautiful to see.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rob_e
Jun 11, 2025
Symi - We had a fantastic day, the boat got away all on time and took us to the first stop of the day the “monastery” the setting was beautiful. From there we continued our journey onto Symi where the day just got better, its a great trip and we were very impressed with the day we had.
Review provided by Viator
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
Curiosity27556683376
Jul 11, 2025
Breathtaking Views and Memorable Moments Afloat - We had some amazing places to visit, but the only thing that could have been better was the amount of free time we had. There wasn’t much to do, and having 3.5 hours of free time felt like an eternity. Next time, I’ll definitely do some research beforehand to figure out what to do there. The boat trip was long, but sitting at the edge made it much more bearable due to the wind. Otherwise, it was just way too hot!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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
From $59
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).