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1 / 6Crowning the top of Rhodes Old Town, the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes is one of the Dodecanese's great set-piece monuments: a fortress-palace that has been a Byzantine citadel, a Crusader stronghold, and an Italian-era showpiece. It is a ticketed, state-run site, and it is genuinely worth planning around. Here is what to know before you go.
🎟️See Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes tickets on GetYourGuide →Where it is
The Palace sits inside Rhodes Old Town, the medieval walled city, at the top of the atmospheric Street of the Knights (Ippoton), on Plateia Kleovoulou near the northwest walls. The Old Town is pedestrian-only, so you approach on foot. It is roughly a 5-10 minute walk from Mandraki Harbour. Cars cannot enter the medieval town, but taxis and parking lots (for example along Filellinon Street) drop you within a short walk of the gates.
What to see
- A grand medieval palace of the Knights of St John, originally built on a Byzantine fortress.
- Extensively restored under the Italian occupation, after a 19th-century explosion had largely destroyed the earlier structure.
- Elaborate ancient mosaics and medieval furnishings spread across roughly 24 rooms.
- Its position at the head of the Street of the Knights (Ippoton), one of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe.
Skip-the-line vs guided tour
Because admission is ticketed, your main choice is how you buy and how much guidance you want.
Prebooked skip-the-queue entry. A self-guided entry ticket lets you walk the rooms at your own pace, and prebooking means you skip the ticket-queue when the Old Town is busy in peak season. Pros: cheapest way in, full flexibility, no waiting to buy. Cons: there is limited on-site interpretation, so some of the history behind the mosaics and rooms is easy to miss without a guide or your own reading.
Entry plus private guided tour. A guided option includes admission and adds an expert who can explain the Knights of St John, the Byzantine origins, and the Italian-era restoration. Pros: far more context, a person to answer questions. Cons: costs more and runs to a set time rather than your own schedule.
Both are legitimate ways in here (see the tips below), so the decision comes down to budget and how much history you want narrated versus discovered.
Book Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes tickets & tours
GetYourGuide has the widest choice for Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes — GetYourGuide has a dedicated destination page for the Palace and genuinely sells admission: products include a Palace entry ticket (self-guided, ticket prebooked) and an entry ticket + private guided tour. Entry is included, not just an external walking tour., most with free cancellation. Check live prices:
Prices and availability change. Some links are affiliate links — booking through them supports the site at no extra cost to you.
Insider tips
- This is a state-run Hellenic Heritage / Ministry of Culture site. Official tickets are sold at tickets.hh.gr, but unlike some big-city attractions, reputable third-party sellers (including GetYourGuide) are legitimate here and are honoured at the door.
- Ticket price varies by season and source, roughly from around EUR 8 in low season up to about EUR 20 at peak, so treat any single figure as indicative rather than fixed.
- EU citizens under 25 enter free with valid ID, so check your eligibility before paying.
- Come earlier in the day in summer: the Old Town's stone streets get hot and busy, and the Palace is the natural finale to a walk up the Street of the Knights.
Is it worth it?
Yes, for most visitors. This is a genuinely ticketed archaeological and historical attraction, not a viewpoint you could see for free, and the mosaics, furnished rooms and setting reward the entrance fee. The value of booking ahead is mainly about skipping the ticket queue in peak season rather than any guaranteed saving, since admission varies by season and is free for EU under-25s. If you want the stories behind the rooms, the entry-plus-guide option is the upgrade to consider.
FAQs
Do I need to book in advance? Not strictly, but prebooking a skip-the-queue entry ticket saves time when the Old Town is crowded in high season.
Are third-party tickets valid here? Yes. This is a state-run site where reputable third-party sellers, including GetYourGuide, are legitimate and honoured at the door, in addition to the official tickets.hh.gr.
How much does entry cost? It varies by season and source, roughly EUR 8 in low season up to around EUR 20 at peak, and EU citizens under 25 enter free with ID, so there is no single fixed price.
🎟️ Top things to do in Rhodes
Skip the queues with pre-booked tickets. Compare prices across GetYourGuide and Tiqets — both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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