Rhodes: Discover the Medieval City on a Segway

Rhodes is easier to read on two wheels. I like the way this small-group Segway tour links the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Street of the Knights, the medieval moat, and Mandraki harbor in just two hours. I also like the patient instruction, especially for first-time riders, and the guide’s offer to take photos for you. The main drawback is that the Old Town can be crowded, making some sections slow and requiring careful riding.

The $76 price is fair if you want a lively overview rather than a long walking lecture. You cover far more ground than on foot, including narrow lanes and routes inside the fortifications, but the tour gives only short stops at several landmarks. If your main goal is detailed archaeology or extended time inside monuments, you will need a separate visit.

Key points to know before you book

• Small groups of up to eight: Guides can keep an eye on riders and adjust the pace more easily than on a large city tour.
• A patient introduction: The safety briefing and practice session make the Segways approachable for beginners, including older riders with a basic level of fitness.
• Moat and fortification access: You do more than cruise the obvious shopping streets, with time around the medieval moat, walls, and battlements.
• A full Old Town and harbor circuit: The route combines medieval sights with the modern seaside, windmills, and the Lighthouse of Saint Nicholas.
• Photos are part of the friendly service: If you leave your camera behind, the guide can take photos and send them to you at no extra charge.
• Plan for comfort: Wear flat, comfortable shoes, bring sunscreen, and leave luggage or large bags behind.

Why a Segway works well in Rhodes Old Town

Rhodes’ Medieval City is a place where walking can be slow. The streets are often narrow, the ground can be uneven, and the major sights are spread across a large fortified quarter. A Segway gives you a practical middle ground: you still travel at street level, but you can move between distant corners without tiring out your feet.

I especially like that this is not just a fast ride past the postcard sights. The route includes back streets, small alleys, the moat, and the outer fortifications. That gives you a better feel for the Old Town as a lived-in place, not only an open-air museum filled with souvenir shops.

The experience begins at the local partner’s office at 37 Ippodamou Street. You receive a helmet, an orientation session, and a full safety briefing before setting off. The equipment is described as new, with two-wheel and four-wheel options available, while the included Segway is listed as a Segway I2.

Do not worry if you have never used one. The instruction is a major strength of this tour. Guides such as George, Bill, Nikos, Nicos, and Vasilis have been praised for taking time with beginners and allowing riders to gain confidence before entering the streets. One couple in their sixties found they were comfortable after about ten minutes of practice.

You do need a basic level of fitness and enough balance to control the machine. The activity is not suitable for pregnant women, people with mobility impairments, or anyone over 264 pounds, or 120 kilograms. High heels are not allowed, and large bags or luggage are not permitted.

The first 20 minutes: getting comfortable in the Medieval City

Once the briefing is over, the opening part of the ride gives you time to learn how the Segway responds. You will begin in the Old Town, where the guide can watch how everyone handles turning, stopping, and moving through tighter spaces.

This practice matters. The Old Town is not a wide, empty plaza where you can simply point the machine forward. You may need to slow down near pedestrians, shops, and other riders. The guides’ calm teaching style helps, but you should still expect to pay attention rather than switch off and let the machine do all the work.

The first Old Town section lasts about 20 minutes and serves two purposes. It introduces you to the city’s layout, and it lets the guide set a safe pace for the group. A maximum of eight participants keeps the experience fairly personal, though the actual group can be smaller. Several bookings have had only two, three, or four riders.

That small size is valuable in the Old Town. A large group would clog narrow streets and make it harder to hear the guide. With fewer people, you can stop for photographs without creating quite as much of a traffic jam.

The medieval moat and walls: the tour’s most unusual section

The ride through the Medieval Town Moat is one of the strongest reasons to choose this experience. It takes about 30 minutes, making it the longest single riding section on the route.

From a Segway, the moat becomes more than a quick photo from above. You can follow the route beside the fortifications and see the scale of the defensive works from ground level. Guides point out walls, battlements, and features connected to the city’s invasions and occupations.

This section also helps explain why a Segway is useful here. On foot, you could certainly explore the moat, but the distance may make it less tempting after a morning of walking. On two wheels, you can cover the ground without using up all your energy before reaching the Street of the Knights and harbor.

There is a short break and photo stop during the route. The guide can take pictures of you and send them afterward at no extra charge. That is a thoughtful touch, since you will often want both hands free while riding and may not want to interrupt the group every few minutes for a selfie.

The moat is not a quiet private track. Other people may be present, and conditions can vary with the time of day. A 9 a.m. departure has the advantage of lighter crowds, while a later tour may feel warmer and more congested. One afternoon departure at 5 p.m. was appreciated because it avoided the worst midday heat.

The Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Masters

The Street of the Knights receives about 15 minutes of guided riding. This is one of the Medieval City’s best-known routes, lined with imposing stone buildings and closely tied to the Knights of Saint John.

A Segway lets you see the street as part of a moving route rather than as a single isolated stop. You can approach it from the Old Town, hear some context from the guide, and continue toward the palace without having to retrace your steps. Still, do not expect a long formal talk at every corner.

That point is worth stressing. The tour is designed to show you a lot of Rhodes in a short time, not to replace a specialist walking tour. Some riders wanted more historical detail, and one guide was described as friendly but less strong on factual explanation. Other guides, especially Nikos and Bill, were praised for sharing useful facts about the city and its past.

The stop at the Palace of the Grand Masters of the Knights of Rhodes lasts about ten minutes. You have time for a photo, some free exploration, and a close look at the imposing exterior. The schedule does not indicate an interior visit, so you should not book this tour expecting admission or a lengthy palace tour.

That short stop is enough for an overview and photographs, but not enough to study the palace in depth. If the building is a priority, return later on foot and allow separate time for the interior, if open during your visit.

The Church of the Virgin of the Burgh is another Old Town sight included along the way. It appears within a broader route of landmarks and less obvious corners rather than as a long standalone visit. This is typical of the experience: you collect a wide set of impressions, then decide which places deserve a slower second look.

Narrow alleys, local life, and the parts you might miss

The route’s quieter character comes from the lanes that sit away from the main tourist flow. You ride through narrow streets and see parts of the Old Town where local residents gather and go about daily life.

That can be a more useful introduction to Rhodes than a nonstop parade of famous buildings. One particularly nice observation was seeing older local residents sitting together in the shade and socializing. It is a small detail, but it shows the city as a neighborhood as well as a historic center.

You will not get the same freedom to wander as you would on foot. The guide has to keep the group together, and the Segways need room to pass. Still, the alternative route back to the starting point helps you see more of the city instead of simply reversing the outward journey.

The main compromise is stop-start movement. In crowded areas, you may ride only a short distance before slowing or stopping again. One experienced Segway rider found the Old Town route less satisfying than tours with longer open stretches along the coast. If you want speed, this is not the right kind of Segway tour. If you want access to many corners without a long walk, the slower rhythm makes more sense.

From medieval walls to Mandraki harbor

The route continues from the Old Town toward Rhodes’ modern seaside area. This change of scene is welcome. After stone lanes and fortifications, you get open air, the Aegean breeze, and a broader view of the city.

You ride past the famous windmills and continue toward the Lighthouse of Saint Nicholas at the entrance to Mandraki harbor. This gives the tour a useful final chapter: medieval Rhodes gives way to the waterfront that many people associate with the modern city.

The harbor section also helps you understand the city’s position as a port. It is not simply a historic enclosure. The waterfront connects the old fortified center with the wider island and the sea beyond it.

The supplied route details do not promise a long ride all the way around the marina or to every harbor landmark. One rider specifically wished for more time along the coast and at the windmills. So treat this part as a scenic extension, not a dedicated harbor tour.

There are photo opportunities along the way, and the guide can help with pictures. This is another reason the small group works well. You can pause for a view without waiting behind a large crowd.

How the guide shapes the experience

The machine is only half the tour. The guide determines whether the ride feels rushed and mechanical or relaxed and useful.

The strongest reports focus on patience, safety, and personal attention. Bill has been praised for a friendly manner, clear instruction, humor, and thoughtful stops. George is often described as calm and helpful, particularly with first-time riders. Nikos and Nicos have also been singled out for safety, local facts, and a willingness to take photographs.

Guides speak English and Greek. English communication has been described as excellent in some cases, but the amount of historical detail can vary by guide. That is a fair limitation for a small operator with different staff members, and it means you should think of this as a sightseeing ride with commentary, not a formal academic tour.

The guide may also offer practical advice beyond the route, such as a dinner recommendation. That kind of local help can be useful when you have only a short stay in Rhodes.

Is $76 good value for two hours?

At $76 per person, this is not the cheapest way to see Rhodes Old Town. You can walk through many of the same streets for free, and a self-guided visit gives you unlimited time at each landmark.

The value comes from what the price saves you: effort, navigation, and time. In two hours, you cover the Old Town, moat, fortifications, Street of the Knights, palace area, and part of the harbor. You also receive the Segway, helmet, instruction, safety briefing, and a guide for a group capped at eight.

For a first afternoon in Rhodes, that is a useful orientation. You can identify places to revisit later, and you avoid spending the entire day climbing and crossing the Old Town on foot. Families with teenagers have found it especially helpful because the ride adds fun to a sightseeing plan that might otherwise feel like another walking tour.

The value is weaker if you want long explanations or plenty of time inside individual sights. There is no hotel pickup or drop-off, and the short stops are mainly for viewing, guiding, and photographs. You will need to make your own way to 37 Ippodamou Street.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour and the option to reserve now and pay later make the booking less rigid. Check the available start times, and consider an early morning or later afternoon departure in the hot season.

Who should book this Rhodes Segway tour?

I would choose this tour for you if:

• You want a quick first look at Rhodes Medieval City.
• You are comfortable trying a new riding device.
• You want to see the moat and fortifications without walking every step.
• You are traveling with teenagers or older family members who may tire on cobbled streets.
• You enjoy photographs and a relaxed guide-led outing.
• You have limited time before a ferry, cruise departure, or another activity.

I would think twice if you dislike crowds, want a quiet ride, or prefer detailed history at every stop. People with mobility impairments, pregnant women, and anyone over the stated weight limit should not book it.

Wear comfortable shoes, apply sunscreen, and avoid bringing anything bulky. A small group, a cooler time of day, and a little patience around pedestrians will make a noticeable difference.

Should you book it?

Yes, if your priority is seeing a lot of Rhodes Old Town in a short, entertaining way. The moat, back lanes, walls, and harbor make the route more interesting than a simple ride between the best-known monuments.

I would not book it as your only historical experience in Rhodes. Use it as a lively orientation, then return on foot to the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Street of the Knights, or any church and alley that catches your eye. At $76, the tour earns its price through coverage, small-group care, and patient instruction, not through long visits or exhaustive commentary.

FAQ

Where does the Rhodes Segway tour start?

It starts at the local partner’s office at 37 Ippodamou Street.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts two hours. Starting times vary, so you should check availability when booking.

What languages are available?

The live tour guide service is available in English and Greek.

How many people can join the group?

The group is limited to a maximum of eight participants to keep the experience personal.

Is the tour suitable for people who have never used a Segway?

Yes. The experience includes an orientation session and full safety briefing, and the guides provide practice before setting off. You still need a basic level of fitness.

What should I bring, and what is not allowed?

Bring comfortable shoes and sunscreen. High-heeled shoes, luggage, and large bags are not allowed.