The stone facade and twin round towers of the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes rising above the medieval Old Town

Enter the castle of the Knights that crowns the medieval city of Rhodes

Palace of the Grand Master skip-the-line timed entry — the fortified Kastello of the Knights of St John at the head of the Street of the Knights, its grand halls laid with ancient mosaics from Kos and two exhibitions on ancient and medieval Rhodes. We reserve your dated hourly slot so you walk past the ticket-office queue straight to the gate.

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  • UNESCO Medieval City of Rhodes, 1988
  • 14th C. Castle of the Knights of St John
  • 150+ Rooms and grand halls
  • 2 Exhibitions on ancient & medieval Rhodes

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  • Book in your languageYour currency, final price.
  • Pro tips includedBest slots, the halls and mosaics most visitors rush past.
  • Ready before you flyMobile ticket, ready in your inbox.
  • 24/7 human supportReal people, instant answers — any hour, any time zone.
4.8 from 141 verified travellers
Sophie R.
Manchester, England
“We showed our phones at the gate and walked straight in while a cruise group queued at the ticket office. Walking up the Street of the Knights and into the great halls with those ancient mosaic floors was extraordinary. The short audio history beforehand made the Knights and the mosaics from Kos make sense.”
May 2026
David M.
Sydney, Australia
“Booking and picking our hourly slot was so easy. We took an early slot before the ships came in and had the courtyard and the mosaic halls almost to ourselves. The exhibition on ancient Rhodes was a lovely surprise — included and well worth the extra half hour.”
April 2026
Anna L.
Hamburg, Germany
“The cobbled climb up through the Old Town is sun-baked, so good shoes and a hat matter, but the palace inside is beautifully cool. Reserving our slot ahead meant no queuing in the heat. The mosaic floors were my favourite — go early and you'll love it.”
June 2026

5-minute audio guide

Your 5-minute Palace of the Grand Master pre-visit briefing

A short, calm narrative — the castle of the Knights of St John at the head of the Street of the Knights, the fortified Kastello and its grand halls, the ancient mosaics brought from Kos, and what to look for as you walk the palace and its two exhibitions. Listen on the walk up through the Old Town or as you reach the gate.

Included with your booking — your full guide arrives with your ticket.Get your guide
  • 14th century — the Knights Hospitaller rebuild an earlier Byzantine citadel as the fortified seat of their Grand Master
  • The Street of the Knights (Ippoton) — one of Europe's best-preserved medieval streets, climbing to the palace gate
  • Twin round towers and massive walls guarding more than 150 rooms and grand vaulted halls
  • Ancient mosaic floors brought from the island of Kos and laid in the halls during the 1930s reconstruction
  • Two permanent exhibitions — ancient Rhodes across its Greek and Roman history, and medieval and early-Christian Rhodes
  • Best timing: take the first or last hourly slot to beat the cruise groups arriving from the harbour

Recorded for Grand Master Palace Tickets concierge. Free to download.

About Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes

The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes — known to locals simply as the Kastello — is the great medieval castle-palace that crowns the fortified Old Town of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese islands of the southeastern Aegean. It was the seat of power of the Knights Hospitaller, the Order of the Knights of St John, who ruled Rhodes from the early 14th century and rebuilt an earlier Byzantine citadel into the fortified residence of their Grand Master. Standing at the head of the famous Street of the Knights, it is the centrepiece of the Medieval City of Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 and one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe.

Behind its massive walls and twin round entrance towers the palace holds more than 150 rooms and a sequence of grand vaulted halls arranged around a broad inner courtyard. Much of what you walk through today is a careful reconstruction carried out in the 1930s, when the halls were laid with spectacular ancient mosaic floors brought over from the neighbouring island of Kos, and furnished with sculpture and antiquities. The palace also houses two important permanent exhibitions of the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes — one on ancient Rhodes across its long Greek and Roman history, the other on medieval and early-Christian Rhodes — so a single visit spans the classical island, the Knights and the centuries in between.

The palace sits at the top of the walled Old Town, an easy walk up the cobbled Street of the Knights from the medieval city and the cruise harbour, which makes it a natural highlight for cruise passengers and anyone staying on the island. The floors are stone and the halls are cool, but the approach through the Old Town is sun-exposed, so early-morning or late-afternoon hourly slots are the kindest. Because entry is timed by the hour, we handle the ticketing in your own language and reserve the slot you want, so you can give your energy to the mosaics and the halls instead of the queue. Many visitors pair the palace with a day out to the acropolis of Lindos elsewhere on the island.

Practical information

Opening hours
Open daily in season; hours are shorter in winter and the site can close on some winter days. Summer (roughly April–October) approx. 08:00–20:00; winter (November–March) shorter daytime hours, often around 08:30–15:30. Entry is timed by the hour and last entry is about 30 minutes before closing. Hours are set by the operator and change seasonally and on public holidays — confirm on the day of your visit.
Address
Palace of the Grand Master, Ippoton (Street of the Knights), Medieval City, Rhodes 851 00, Dodecanese, Greece.
Getting there
The palace stands at the top of the walled Old Town of Rhodes, at the head of the Street of the Knights (Ippoton). From the cruise and ferry harbour of Mandraki and the new town it is a short walk in through the medieval gates and up the cobbled street; the whole Old Town is pedestrianised. Rhodes is reached by air to Rhodes International Airport (Diagoras) or by ferry to Rhodes Town from Athens (Piraeus) and other Aegean islands. The acropolis of Lindos, a popular pairing, is about 50 km down the island's east coast.
Accessibility
A medieval castle-palace on the high ground of the Old Town, reached over cobbled streets and with stone floors, thresholds, staircases and uneven surfaces inside. The approach up the Street of the Knights is on rough cobbles and is sun-exposed. Sturdy shoes are strongly recommended; visitors with limited mobility can see the courtyard and ground-floor halls but should note that the upper floor and some areas are reached by stairs and access is limited.
Bag policy
Large bags and backpacks may need to be checked at the entrance. There is no large-luggage storage at the palace, so leave suitcases at your accommodation or with your ship.
Photography
Personal photography is welcome across the palace and its exhibitions. Tripods, professional equipment and drones may require permission, and some display areas post their own signs; flash may be restricted near the mosaics and antiquities.

About our service

Grand Master Palace Tickets is an independent concierge service that helps international visitors reserve and receive their timed-entry tickets in English. We are not the palace or the archaeological service and we are not an official vendor — we purchase genuine entry tickets on your behalf from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture's official ticketing service, and our service fee is included in the price you see. If you prefer to buy directly, the operator's own ticket site is tickets.hh.gr.

Frequently asked

Is this a skip-the-line ticket?

Your hourly slot is reserved before you arrive, so you walk straight to the palace gate instead of queuing at the ticket office. On busy days that queue can take a while as tour groups and cruise coaches arrive from the harbour, so coming with your ticket already in hand saves the wait in the sun.

How does the timed entry work?

You choose the date and an hourly time slot, and your ticket is valid for a single entry during that hour on that day. Just arrive within your slot window and show your mobile ticket at the gate; last entry is about 30 minutes before closing.

What's included in the ticket?

Full daytime admission to the Palace of the Grand Master — the fortified Kastello of the Knights, its grand vaulted halls and inner courtyard, the ancient mosaic floors brought from the island of Kos, and the two permanent exhibitions on ancient Rhodes and on medieval and early-Christian Rhodes. It is entry to the palace itself; the walk up the Street of the Knights through the Old Town is free to all.

Are the exhibitions on ancient and medieval Rhodes included?

Yes. Both permanent exhibitions housed inside the palace — one on ancient Rhodes across its Greek and Roman history, the other on medieval and early-Christian Rhodes — are part of the palace and covered by your entry ticket. Together they turn the visit into a tour of the whole island's history, not just the castle.

Is this the standard daytime ticket?

Yes. This is the standard full daytime admission to the palace, valid during opening hours for the date and hourly slot you choose. It is the everyday visit to the halls, mosaics and exhibitions — the essential Palace of the Grand Master experience.

How and when do I get my ticket?

We send your ticket to your email as a mobile ticket once your booking is confirmed — there's nothing to print, just show it on your phone at the gate. You'll also receive a short 5-minute audio history to listen to before you go.

How do I get to the Palace of the Grand Master?

The palace stands at the top of the walled Old Town of Rhodes, at the head of the Street of the Knights. From the cruise and ferry harbour and the new town it is a short walk in through the medieval gates and up the cobbled street; the whole Old Town is pedestrianised, so you arrive on foot.

What is the Street of the Knights?

The Street of the Knights (Ippoton) is the famous cobbled medieval street that climbs from the heart of the Old Town up to the palace. Lined with the inns (auberges) of the Order's national 'Tongues', it is one of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe and the natural approach to the palace, and it is open to all — the ticket is for the palace at its head.

When is the best time to visit?

Book the first hourly slot after opening, or one of the last slots before closing, and travel outside the July–August peak if you can. The stone halls stay cool, but the walk up through the Old Town is sun-exposed and busiest from mid-morning as the cruise groups arrive. An early or late slot gives a calmer walk and thinner crowds in the halls.

How long should I allow for the visit?

Most visitors spend about 1 to 1.5 hours inside the palace, taking in the courtyard, the grand halls with their Kos mosaics and the two exhibitions. Add more time to wander the Street of the Knights and the wider medieval Old Town around it, which are free to explore and easily fill a half-day.

Do I need to bring my passport or any ID?

No. The standard entry ticket is not personalised and needs no passport or name — just show your mobile ticket at the gate. (Reduced and free-entry categories set by the operator may require ID at the gate; our ticket is standard full admission.)

Is the palace wheelchair accessible?

Partly. The palace is a medieval castle reached over cobbled streets, with stone floors, thresholds and staircases inside. The courtyard and ground-floor halls can be seen with care, but the upper floor and some areas are reached by stairs and access is limited. Visitors with limited mobility should allow extra time and expect uneven, historic surfaces.

Is the palace open all year?

The palace is open daily in season, with shorter daily hours in winter and occasional winter closures. Summer hours run roughly 08:00–20:00 and winter hours are shorter, often around 08:30–15:30, with timed entry by the hour and last entry about 30 minutes before closing. Hours can change on public holidays, so confirm on the day.

Can I change my slot after booking?

Changes are allowed up to 2 hours before your visit, with a maximum of 2 changes per ticket, provided your preferred new slot is still open. If your plans shift, contact our team and we'll help where the operator's rules allow. See our terms for the full policy.

Can I get a refund?

All bookings are final once confirmed; we only issue a refund in the rare event the operator cannot honour a validly issued ticket. Timed-entry tickets are non-refundable, but you can change your slot up to 2 hours before your visit within the operator's rules. See our terms for details.

Are you the official Palace of the Grand Master ticket office?

No. We're an independent concierge service for international visitors. We buy genuine tickets on your behalf from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture's official ticketing service and handle the booking in your own language, and our service fee is included in the price shown. You can always buy directly from the operator if you prefer.

What currency am I charged in?

The price you see is the price you pay — we show it in your local currency where we can and charge exactly that amount, with no surprise fees at checkout. Payment is by card on a secure page.

Why book with you instead of buying at the gate?

Two reasons: you skip the on-the-day queue by reserving your hourly slot in advance, which matters most when the cruise groups arrive from the harbour, and you get it all handled with 24/7 human support and a pre-visit audio history. Our service fee is included in the price — there are no extras at checkout.