Rhodes: Explore the New and Medieval City on a Segway

Rhodes Old Town is much easier to appreciate when you can glide from its medieval fortifications to the Aegean waterfront in one outing. This three-hour tour takes you through the Palace of the Grand Masters, Street of the Knights, Church of the Virgin of the Burgh, moat, windmills, and Mandraki Harbor without requiring a long day on foot.

I like the small six-person cap, which lets guides such as George and Nikos give careful instruction and keep the group together. I also like the choice between a two-wheel Segway and the four-wheel Mia, a useful option if you want extra stability. The main consideration is that riding still requires basic fitness, and the Old Town’s stone surfaces may feel tiring if you are new to Segways.

Key points at a glance

• Six-person maximum: The small group keeps instruction personal and makes it easier to stop in narrow streets.
• Two riding choices: Use a Segway I2 with two wheels or a four-wheel Mia Dynamic.
• Medieval and modern Rhodes: See the walled Old Town, then continue to Mandraki Harbor and the Aegean shore.
• Three hours on the move: You cover more ground than on foot, with planned breaks for photos and rest.
• First-timer friendly instruction: The tour begins with orientation, safety guidance, and practice before setting off.
• Photo help included: Your guide can take pictures and send them afterward at no extra charge.

Why a Segway works well in Rhodes

Rhodes Old Town is compact, but its sights are spread through a maze of lanes, squares, fortifications, and waterfront roads. On foot, you can easily spend hours wandering between them. A Segway gives you a practical middle ground: you move faster than a walking group, but you are still close enough to notice stonework, alleyways, and small corners that would blur past in a vehicle.

The route also connects two different sides of the city. The Old Town gives you heavy medieval walls, the Street of the Knights, and the Palace of the Grand Masters. The newer seaside area brings open views, windmills, harbor air, and the Lighthouse of Saint Nicholas. That change of setting is one of the tour’s best features.

You do not need previous Segway experience. The orientation and safety briefing come first, and the guides take time to make sure you are comfortable before the group leaves. George is praised for helping first-time riders feel at ease, while Nikos is noted for patient instruction and careful attention to safety.

The equipment choice matters. The standard Segway I2 has two wheels and offers the classic experience. The four-wheel Mia Dynamic is a sensible choice if you prefer a broader base or feel uncertain about balancing. One rider specifically found the four-wheel model the better option, so do not assume that the two-wheel machine is automatically the right fit.

Starting on Ippodamou Street

The tour begins at the Rhodes by Segway office at 37 Ippodamou Street. If that address is hard to locate, you can meet the escort at the Hamam Baths in Arionos Square. An escort on a Segway will then lead you a short distance to the office.

Allow a little time to find the meeting point, especially if you are arriving from a cruise ship or crossing the Old Town for the first time. The old streets can be confusing, and the backup meeting point is useful for that reason.

At the office, you receive a helmet and take part in the orientation session. This is not a rushed handout of equipment. The guides explain how to control the Segway and cover the basic safety rules before the ride begins. For a first-time rider, this practice is one of the most valuable parts of the experience.

Wear comfortable shoes and apply sunscreen before you arrive. High heels are not allowed, and backpacks are not permitted, so keep your belongings light and manageable.

The medieval Old Town and its narrow lanes

The first portion introduces you to Rhodes’ Old Town, a UNESCO-listed medieval center with thick walls and a layout built for defense. The tour is not simply a ride past the entrance. You stop for guided sightseeing, then pause again for photographs and a short break.

The Segway is especially useful here because it lets you reach several parts of the city without retracing every street on foot. You can move through narrower lanes and reach viewpoints around the fortifications while keeping the pace comfortable.

There is a practical limit to this advantage. The Old Town is not a private track. You must ride carefully around other people and adapt to the surface under your wheels. The guide’s role is important, since a small group is easier to manage than a large line of riders.

The route includes less obvious corners as well as the best-known monuments. That gives you a broader sense of the city than a quick visit to the main gate and Palace alone. The guide also adds local context, and the strongest feedback about the experience focuses on the mix of historical information, humor, and careful riding instruction.

Church of the Virgin of the Burgh

The Church of the Virgin of the Burgh is one of the Old Town stops. The tour allows time for guided sightseeing and a short ride around the area, rather than treating it as a quick photo backdrop.

This part of the route helps show the contrast between major Crusader-era monuments and quieter religious buildings tucked into the old city. You get a chance to slow down, listen, and take in the surroundings before moving on.

Because the schedule includes several stops, you should expect an overview rather than a long formal lecture at every site. That is a fair trade for the amount of ground covered. If you want detailed architectural study inside every church and monument, a walking history tour may suit you better.

The medieval moat and city defenses

The medieval moat is one of the more unusual parts of the ride. Instead of seeing the city walls only from the outside, you travel through the moat area and along the defensive works.

This gives you a better sense of the scale of Rhodes’ fortifications. From ground level, the walls feel less like a postcard background and more like a complete military system. The route also brings you into parts of the city that many short Old Town visits miss.

The moat is a strong reason to choose this tour over a simple modern-city Segway ride. You are not only using the vehicle for speed. You are using it to connect spaces that are awkward to cover in a short walk.

The route includes a photo stop and break in this general part of the tour. Your guide can take pictures of you if you do not have a camera ready, then send the photos later without an extra charge. That is a thoughtful touch, particularly for solo visitors or couples who want pictures together.

From the walls to Mandraki Harbor

After the medieval center, the ride continues toward Rhodes’ modern seaside area. The change is welcome. The Old Town route is enclosed and full of stone walls, while the waterfront opens out to the Aegean and gives you a chance to feel the sea breeze.

At Fort St. Nicholas, you stop for guided sightseeing and photographs. The fort sits at the entrance to Mandraki Harbor and helps frame the transition from the fortified medieval city to the maritime side of Rhodes.

The harbor stop includes free time and another photo break. You can take in the water and the harbor views without being hurried through the site. Since the tour is three hours long, these short pauses help keep the experience enjoyable rather than turning it into a nonstop ride.

The windmills and Lighthouse of Saint Nicholas

The windmills of Mandraki are among the tour’s most recognizable photo stops. They give the waterfront a distinctive character and make a pleasant contrast with the stone streets of the Old Town.

The Lighthouse of Saint Nicholas, at the harbor entrance, is another key viewpoint. The stop is less about entering a building and more about seeing the harbor from an important point along the shore. You get open views and a chance to take photographs with the sea behind you.

This seaside section is also where the Segway feels most useful. You can move between the harbor sights without spending much of the remaining time walking along the waterfront. The route provides a good balance of monuments, scenery, and riding.

Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Masters

The tour later returns to two of Rhodes’ essential medieval sights: the Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Masters.

The Street of the Knights is a long, atmospheric stone thoroughfare lined with medieval buildings. It is one of the places where Rhodes’ past is easiest to picture. A guide can help you understand why the street matters instead of leaving you with only a quick photograph.

The Palace of the Grand Masters is the major architectural finish to the Old Town section. Its scale and fortified appearance make it one of the city’s most impressive landmarks. The tour includes guided sightseeing here, but the supplied details do not indicate an interior visit, so you should expect to view and discuss the monument as part of the route rather than assume admission inside.

The order of the stops gives the tour a useful rhythm. You see the city’s defenses, religious architecture, harbor, and central medieval monuments, then follow an alternate route back to the office. That return route helps avoid seeing the same streets twice and lets you cover more of the city.

What three hours and $100 really buy you

At $100 per person, this is not the cheapest way to look around Rhodes. You are paying for the equipment, helmet, instruction, live guide, small group, photo assistance, and a route that joins the Old Town with the harbor.

I consider the price reasonable if you want an active introduction to Rhodes and would otherwise pay for a separate walking tour or spend much of the day covering the same ground on foot. The tour also offers value to cruise visitors or anyone with limited time, since it brings together the city’s major medieval and waterfront sights in one three-hour outing.

The value drops if you already know Rhodes Old Town well, dislike motorized sightseeing, or want long periods at each monument. This is a moving overview with short stops, not a full archaeological study. You will see more than you would on foot in the same period, but you will not linger everywhere.

The small group improves the calculation. The experience is capped at six participants, despite some general information describing a limit of eight. For a beginner, that smaller number means more individual attention during training and less waiting while others learn.

Who should book, and who should skip it

I would recommend this tour to first-time visitors who want to understand Rhodes quickly without spending the whole morning walking on stone streets. It also suits couples, families with older children, and active adults who enjoy a little novelty with their sightseeing.

It is particularly useful if you have never used a Segway. George and Nikos are both named as guides who focus on clear instruction, comfort, and safety. The strong score of 4.7 from 46 ratings also fits the main strengths of the experience: friendly guiding, good equipment, frequent photo opportunities, and a route that covers both old and new Rhodes.

You should skip it if you are pregnant, have a mobility impairment, weigh more than 264 pounds or 120 kilograms, or do not have a basic level of fitness. Backpacks and high-heeled shoes are not allowed. Even with the four-wheel Mia, you still need to mount, control, and ride the machine for much of the three hours.

Bring sunscreen and wear shoes suitable for standing and riding. Ask for the four-wheel Mia if you want additional stability. If you are nervous, tell the guide before the practice session rather than trying to hide it. The opening instruction is designed to make sure you are ready before the tour moves into the city.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the activity, and you can reserve now while paying later. Hotel pickup and drop-off can be arranged on request, but it is not included in the listed price.

My verdict on Rhodes by Segway

Book this if you want a fun, efficient first look at Rhodes and like the idea of mixing medieval streets with sea views. The route is broad enough to feel worthwhile, while the six-person limit and careful instruction keep it personal.

I would not choose it as a replacement for a full museum visit or an unhurried historical walk. I would choose it as a smart first activity, especially on a short stay. It helps you get oriented, see the major landmarks, and decide which parts of Rhodes you want to explore more slowly later.

FAQ

How long is the Rhodes Segway tour?

The activity lasts three hours, including the orientation, safety briefing, guided sightseeing, riding time, breaks, and photo stops.

Where does the tour meet?

The meeting point is the Rhodes by Segway office at 37 Ippodamou Street. If you have trouble finding it, meet the escort at the Hamam Baths in Arionos Square, where an escort on a Segway will lead you to the office nearby.

Which languages are available?

The live tour is offered in Greek and English.

How many people can join the group?

The activity is capped at a maximum of six participants to keep the experience personal. Some general details describe a limit of eight, but the specific operating cap is six.

Can beginners ride a Segway?

Yes. The tour includes an orientation session and full safety briefing before departure. The guides provide instruction and make sure you are comfortable before the group begins riding.

Can I choose a four-wheel vehicle?

Yes. You can use either a two-wheel Segway I2 or a four-wheel Mia Dynamic. The four-wheel option may suit you if you want extra stability.

Is the tour suitable for everyone?

No. It is not suitable for pregnant women, people with mobility impairments, people over 264 pounds or 120 kilograms, or anyone without a basic level of fitness. Comfortable shoes are required, and high heels and backpacks are not allowed.