Rhodes: Discover the Medieval City on a Segway

Segways turn Rhodes Old Town into a sprint. In this 2-hour small-group ride, you learn to control an I2 Segway, then zip between the big medieval sights and quieter lanes. You’ll cover more ground than walking, without feeling like you missed the dramatic parts.

I love the way guides like Bill and George teach you fast and keep it calm, even if you’re a first-timer. I also love the photo approach, where you can pause for pictures and the guide can take them for you if you do not bring a camera.

One consideration: Rhodes Old Town can get crowded, so the ride may feel more stop-and-go than a smooth cruise, and the history moments at each pause can be brief.

Key Things That Make This Rhodes Segway Tour Worth Your Time

• Small group up to 8 riders, so you get real coaching instead of a rushed lineup
• Segway I2 with a safety-first orientation, plus helmets and a full briefing before you start moving
• Medieval Moat riding, including fortifications that you typically would not reach on foot without detours
• Street of the Knights plus Palace of the Grand Masters, the medieval Rhodes power centers in one loop
• Mandraki harbor views, windmills and the Lighthouse of Saint Nicholas at the harbor entrance
• Photo stops built in, and the guide can take photos/videos for you if needed

Rhodes Old Town on a Segway: Why It Works

Rhodes Old Town is gorgeous, but it is also a maze. Cobblestones, narrow streets, curves that seem designed to slow you down, and crowds when cruise ships dump people into the lanes. A Segway solves the main problem for most visitors: walking feels too slow and too tiring, but driving feels too fast and stressful.

This tour is built around moving at a human pace while still getting traction on real ground. In about two hours, you hit iconic medieval landmarks, ride sections around the fortifications, and then transition toward the seafront views in Mandraki harbor. You also get multiple photo stops, which matters because the best Rhodes shots often happen after you turn a corner you did not expect.

The other big win is the coaching. Rhodes is not a flat parking lot. You are learning outdoors, and you are learning in close proximity to old-stone walls and pedestrians. Guides are very hands-on, and you will notice it right away once you start training.

Before You Go: Meeting Point, What to Bring, and What Not To Wear

You meet at the local partner’s office at 37 Ippodamou Street. Plan to arrive a few minutes early so you are not rushed through helmets and the orientation.

Bring comfortable shoes and sunscreen. You will be on your feet and standing around during brief stops, and Rhodes sun can be sneaky even when you think you are cool.

A few practical “do not” items:

• No high-heeled shoes
• No luggage or large bags

Also, this is not for everyone. It is not suitable for pregnant women, people with mobility impairments, or anyone over 264 lbs (120 kg). If you have any doubts about your comfort with riding, tell the team ahead of time.

The Training Part: How Quickly You Get Rolling

The tour starts with an orientation session and a full safety briefing. You get a helmet and the basics of operating the Segway I2. From what you can see in the experience, training is not just a formality. It is the difference between feeling relaxed and feeling like you are white-knuckling your way down a medieval lane.

A repeating theme from past riders is that guides are patient and practical. People report getting confident in a short window, sometimes around ten minutes, which is important because Rhodes is not the kind of place where you want to spend half the tour parked learning.

You will also likely ride with equipment described as 2 or 4 wheels depending on the setup. That matters because it can change how stable the ride feels at low speeds and during turns.

Bottom line: if you can follow simple instructions and you are willing to move carefully, you should be fine. The tour is built around guiding you from safe practice into the real city streets without drama.

First Stops in the Old Town: Palace of the Grand Masters and the Street of the Knights

After training, you set off toward your first major medieval stop: the Palace of the Grand Masters. Even if you have seen plenty of historic buildings in Europe, this one grabs you because of its scale and presence. It is the kind of monument that makes Rhodes feel like more than a beach stop.

From there, you ride along the medieval Street of the Knights. This street is famous for a reason. It is one of the clearest “this is what power looked like” experiences in Rhodes Old Town. As you glide down it, you get a better sense of distance and structure than you would from standing still in a crowd.

Along the way, the guide leads you past other notable spots, including the Church of the Virgin of the Burgh. You will also have chances to pause for photos. Some rides include quick breaks where you can look around, not just watch.

One tip: if you care about photos, do not wait until the last moment to think about angles. Rhodes has a lot of vertical stone and framed doorways. If you can position yourself early during photo stops, you get cleaner shots instead of scrambling.

Riding the Medieval Moat: The Part Most Visitors Skip

The tour’s standout for many people is the time spent at the Medieval Town Moat. This is where Rhodes feels more like a fortification than a theme park.

Riding through this area gives you something you cannot get as easily on foot: a continuous look at the layout. You see how the walls and defenses relate to the surrounding city. The pace also helps. You are not huffing uphill or stepping over uneven ground while trying to read the defensive geometry.

There are about half an hour allocated here for guided movement and time in the area. Expect the guide to explain what you are looking at and why it mattered. Even if your personal interests skew toward architecture or military history, you will still get something useful, because you are physically traveling the space.

Possible drawback here: because the moat and fortifications sit inside an active pedestrian area, you might slow down when people cross or when the guide needs to regroup everyone. That is normal. The trade is you get to see parts of the defense zone with far less effort than a long detour by walking.

The Mid-Tour Photo Breaks: When to Stop and When to Keep Going

Rhodes works best in segments. This tour builds in short breaks and photo pauses, which is exactly what you want in a place with tight alleys and sudden scenic corners.

You will have a break and photo stop early in Old Town, then another short break after the moat segment. Later, you get more time around the major landmark areas.

In practical terms, this is how you use the breaks:

• Take your main photos at the stop, not while rolling.
• Use the time to check your bearings, especially if you are prone to losing track of turns.
• If you did not bring a camera, this is when you should lean on the guide’s photo help. The tour includes a no-extra-charge option for the guide to take photos and send them after the tour.

Also, keep an eye on the group. Segway rides can feel silly if you are trying to manage too much at once. The more you treat photo moments as “pause, then go,” the smoother everything feels.

Palace Time and Free Space: Make It Your Rhythm

At the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, you get a longer pause with free time. That is your chance to walk a little on foot, look up close, and absorb details you would miss from a moving vantage point.

This stop is short enough to keep the tour moving, but long enough to do something besides stand behind your Segway. If you like to take in architecture, you can focus on entrances, stonework, and the general massing of the building. If you prefer views, you can shift your attention toward angles that show how the palace sits inside the Old Town.

One more practical point: if you want extra photos, use this as your best moment. By the time you reach the harbor later, the light can change and the space gets busier.

Mandraki Harbor, Windmills, and the Lighthouse of Saint Nicholas

After the medieval core, you transition toward Rhodes’ modern seaside area. This is where the mood lifts. You get Aegean Sea breeze, the feeling of open space, and a different view rhythm than the stone lanes.

You ride past the famous windmills and finish with a view at the Lighthouse of Saint Nicholas at the entrance of Mandraki harbor. It is a nice payoff because it connects Rhodes’ medieval walls to its seafront identity.

This part of the tour is also good for travelers who get tired of only medieval streets. Even if your favorite stop was the moat, the harbor segment helps you come out of the tour with a wider picture of Rhodes.

Then the group takes an alternative route back to the starting point. That matters because it reduces the feeling that you are repeating the same lanes in reverse.

Price and Value: Is $76 for Two Hours Fair?

At $76 per person for about 2 hours, the price is not “impulse cheap.” But it can be good value if you want three things at once:

1. Time efficiency in a compact but hilly medieval area
2. A guided route that reduces guesswork and gets you to key sites without over-walking
3. A ride experience that is genuinely fun, not just transportation

For a walking-only approach, you would still need to navigate crowds and decide where to go next. This tour gives you a structured loop, plus the effort level stays reasonable because the Segway carries you.

Small-group size also affects value. With a cap of 8 participants, you are not just part of a crowd on a novelty vehicle. Many riders emphasize how much attention they get while learning, and that coaching is a real component of the price.

If you hate guided tours and you want to wander freely, you may feel the constraints. If you want to see Rhodes Old Town with less physical strain and more coverage, this sits in a sweet spot.

Who This Tour Fits Best (And Who Should Skip It)

This is a great fit if:

• You want to see major medieval landmarks plus quieter defensive areas
• Your group includes first-time Segway riders
• You prefer short photo pauses over long museum-style stops
• You want a plan that works even when the streets are crowded

It may not be ideal if:

• You are sensitive to stop-and-go movement in busy lanes
• You expect long, deep explanations at every site
• You need accessibility accommodations, or you are unable to meet the basic fitness expectations

If you are traveling with teens who do not love walking tours, this is often a lifesaver because it feels like an activity, not a lecture. And if you are in your 50s or 60s, the coaching approach reported by past riders suggests you can do it comfortably, as long as you are steady on your feet and follow instructions.

Practical Tips for the Best Ride

A few simple moves will make your tour feel smoother:

• Wear closed-toe comfortable shoes. It is the biggest comfort factor.
• Keep your hands relaxed and follow the “slow down at turns” mindset. Your brain learns faster when you are not fighting the machine.
• Use the photo stops intentionally. If you want the classic Street of the Knights shot, do it when the group pauses.
• If you do not have a camera, tell the guide early. The tour includes photo taking with sharing afterward at no extra charge.
• Plan sunscreen even if the day looks mild. Rhodes sun does not care about your schedule.

Also, based on rider reports, bottled water may be provided at the start and midway. So bring a light mindset, hydrate, and enjoy the pace.

Should You Book the Rhodes Old Town Segway Tour?

I would book this if you want a fast, guided way to experience Rhodes Old Town without spending your day fighting uphill walks, crowds, and uneven ground. The combination of the Palace area, the Street of the Knights, a real fortification segment around the moat, and then the Mandraki harbor views makes it feel like a full Rhodes snapshot in just two hours.

I would hesitate if you are expecting a long history seminar or if you hate any stop-and-go pace in crowded streets. Also, be honest about your ability to ride safely. This tour is fun, but it still asks you to cooperate with a safety-first flow.

If you fit the basics and want value through time saved and sights covered, this is one of the more enjoyable ways to do Rhodes Old Town.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

You meet at the partner office at 37 Ippodamou Street in Rhodes.

How long is the Rhodes medieval city Segway tour?

The experience runs for 2 hours.

What is included in the price?

Included are the Segway I2, a helmet, an orientation session, and a full safety briefing.

Do I need to bring my own camera?

If you do not have a camera, the guide can take photos and send them after the tour with no extra charge.

How big is the group?

The group is limited to a maximum of 8 participants.

Is the tour suitable for everyone?

It is not suitable for pregnant women, people with mobility impairments, or people over 264 lbs (120 kg). Comfortable shoes are required, and high heels or large bags are not allowed.