What to do in Rhodes in October

What to do in Rhodes in October

Why visit Rhodes in October?

Avoid the crowds

October is still a busy month for our island, with around 250,000 visitors - but that’s only just over half of the visitor levels in August (our peak tourism season), and 40% down on
September’s arrivals.

In peak season, the most popular areas of the island like Rhodes Old Town and Lindos can get especially crowded, with thousands of tourists weaving their way through the narrow
streets - so if you want to avoid the crowds, October is a great time to visit.

It also means there’s more parking spaces available and less traffic! Plus, you’ll encountermuch smaller queues for the island's key attractions which is another bonus - and less
competition for sunbeds on the beaches or at your hotel, and for tables at our best restaurants!

Tip: To make the most of seeing Rhodes’ biggest attractions with smaller crowds, check out
our guides to driving to Lindos and Rhodes Old Town and finding parking.

It’s still warm - but not as intense

While it drops from September’s average of 26 degrees, Rhodes’ average temperature in October is still a lovely 22 degrees - about twice what it is in England! The intense heat that lasts from morning until mid-afternoon during summer can make active sightseeing, such as climbing the steps to the Lindos Acropolis or walking the perimeter of St George’s Bastion, very tiring - so sightseeing in October is an altogether more pleasant experience.

Best things to do in Rhodes in October

Festivals & parades

October may well be the best month for cultural events in Rhodes, which makes visiting at this time of year an especially enriching and authentic experience. There are loads of festivals happening this month - here are the biggest ones:

European Polyphony Festival: 1-11 October 2025

When walking around Rhodes’ ancient streets, buildings and coastlines, it’s easy to imagine the island as it looked in Medieval or ancient times. This festival, however, aims to transform Rhodes into something else: “an active music workshop”!

Held on our island for the seventh consecutive year, the European Polyphony Festival spans a massive range of events including classical music concerts, photo, art and sculpture exhibitions, cinema screenings, and workshops for adults and children.

Attracting artists from the rest of Greece and all over Europe, many of the events are free entry but you may need to book in advance for the more intimate ones. Some of them will be hard to miss, though - one of the events is a musical parade featuring more than 1,000 Rhodian schoolchildren and promises to transform Rhodes city centre into a “grand celebration of sound, colour and movement” - so you’ll probably hear it before you see it!

Check out the full programme of events here.

Medieval Festival of Rhodes: 10-12th October 2025

If you prefer history to the arts, you’ll want to check out the Medieval Rose Festival, which is celebrating its 20th year this year. It promises to let you travel back in time to when the Knights of the Order of St John ruled the island in the 14th-16th centuries, with reenactments, jousting, dances, banquets, fire eaters and parades.

There are also workshops and lectures, and the organisers often have spare Medieval costumes for visitors who want to get involved in the activities!

Even the festival’s website design is faithfully Medieval-themed - see here for more details or check their Facebook page.

Ochi Day
A Greek national holiday, Ochi (or Ohi) Day celebrates the defiance of Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas in refusing Benito Mussolini’s ultimatum to let Italy occupy our country during WW2 (“Ochi” is Greek for ‘no’).

In Rhodes, the holiday is marked by military and community parades at Mandraki Harbour (you can see photos of last year’s parade here). While schools and businesses will be closed, cafes and restaurants will be packed out with locals celebrating Greek bravery and resistance.

Besides the main parade in Rhodes city, there may also be smaller parades and folk dancesin villages and towns across the island.

Rhodes activities and sightseeing in October

But it’s not all parades and festivals. Here are some more traditional touristy things to do which are still an option in October:

● Lindos Acropolis: an ancient archaeological site from 400BC with a dramatic setting overlooking the beautiful village of Lindos. After October the opening hours shorten significantly.

● Rhodes Old Town: the cobbled streets are filled with charm and a wide range of shops, cafes and restaurants, plus plenty of historic attractions (see below).

● Boat trips: Yes, even in October! Ferry services to the nearby island of Symi and even to Marmaris in Turkey will still be running, although it’s dependent on how rough the seas are. You’ll still find smaller boats offering trips to different parts of Rhodes, too, although availability will decrease towards the end of October as the tourist season winds down.

● Hit the beaches: as we’ve established, it’s still definitely warm enough to relax on a sunbed. Why not use a car hire to take in several of the beautiful beaches our island has to offer, such as St Paul’s Bay or Anthony Quinn Bay? For a great scenic road trip as well as a stunning beach, we recommend Prasonisi on the southern tip of Rhodes.

And just in case the weather turns...

As we’ve explored, the weather here in October is still great. But if you do get a less sunny day, try one of these activities:

● Thrones of Helios 9D cinema - a family-friendly experience in Rhodes city which transports you back in time - and the first 9D cinema in Europe! Open until 31st October.

● Rhodes Aquarium - found on the very northern tip of the island in an Art Deco building from the Italian era, the Aquarium boasts a wide range of sea life and also cares for injured turtles and seals.

● Archaeological Museum of Rhodes - based in the former hospital of the Knights of Saint John, it’s rated as one of the best museums in Greece. It boasts famous artefacts including the Head of Helios (Greek sun God and God of Rhodes).

● Palace of the Grand Master of Rhodes - the gem at the heart of Rhodes Old Town, the Kastello dates to the 7th century and was used variously by the Byzantines, the Knights of St John and the Ottomans as the island changed hands over the centuries.

Of course, with so much to see and do, you’ll want to make the most of your time in Rhodes. That’s where we come in: at AutoRhodes we offer convenient and affordable car and scooter hire, with pickup points at the airport and across the island. See our fleet and check availability for your dates here.