Rhodes with Kids: Submarine Rides, Glass-Bottom Boats and Short Trips That Work
Updated October 8, 2026 · 6 min read
The short answer: with children, book short boats with something to look at, and keep the all-day trips for later. The trips that work best for families on Rhodes are the ones that last 45 minutes to two hours and give children a window, a swim or a fishing rod. The long ones, 6 to 9 hours to Symi or 8 hours to Turkey, are listed with no age advice at all, and they are a lot to ask of a small child on a boat.
The 45-minute submarine from Mandraki
Two operators run almost the same trip from Rhodes Town, and both cost €15 per person. The Poseidon submarine cruise with underwater views and diver show has 4.5 stars from 1,473 reviews. The Yellow Submarine cruise has 4.3 stars from 938 reviews. Both listings are marked wheelchair accessible and both let you skip the ticket line.
The itinerary is the same: about 10 minutes around Mandraki Harbour, 10 minutes past the Palace of the Grand Master, 5 minutes along the Old Town, then around 20 minutes with the marine life and a diver who feeds the fish. The Poseidon boat describes an air-conditioned observation room below sea level with 360° windows and an audio guide in English and German. The Yellow Submarine counts 22 windows, has commentary in English and an upper deck for the views. Neither is a real submarine: the Poseidon page says it stays above sea level at all times.
Reviewers with young children are the useful source here. One parent says their toddler was amazed by the fish and that the trip is not too long for children with a short attention span. A family with two young children and another with a ten-year-old both liked it. The Yellow Submarine’s review summary says some travellers find the time in the underwater cabin short, so do not expect much more than the 20 minutes. Neither listing names a minimum age.
A swim with it: the Lindos boats
If you want water as well as windows, two short trips leave from Lindos, so you have to get there first, as described in Lindos from Rhodes.
The Hippo submarine cruise with a swim in Navarone Bay is €29, 2 hours, 4.7 stars from 237 reviews, with a 30-minute swim stop. A reviewer says noodles and life jackets were on board, that getting in and out of the water was easy, and that there was a toilet for changing. A parent says their children enjoyed the underwater windows, and recommends the late afternoon departure for the evening light.
The 1.5-hour glass-bottom boat cruise with swim stops is also €29 and has 4.8 stars from 198 reviews. It is marked wheelchair accessible. One family travelling with a one-year-old and a four-year-old says the crew helped with the stroller and had equipment so that the four-year-old could swim with them. That is one family’s report, so ask the operator about child sizes before you go.
Fishing with a captain
The family fishing trip with a swim and a barbecue on board leaves from Rhodes Town and costs €95 per person, 4.6 stars from 22 reviews, which is few. The listing gives 4.5 hours, and the itinerary on the page shows 4. The captain teaches children to bait a hook and pull in a first fish, then the boat anchors in a bay for a swim while the catch is cooked. The listing says life jackets and floating noodles are provided for children, and snorkelling gear is free. It is the most expensive option here and the one with the least evidence, but the format suits children who like to do things.
Dolphins and snorkelling
The dolphin trip with a marine biologist is aimed at families as well as couples, according to its page. It takes 3 hours on the water plus two van transfers of 45 minutes each, and it is not recommended for anyone prone to seasickness. The full details are in dolphin watching and snorkelling off Rhodes.
The age limits you will hit
This is the part that is easy to miss in a listing.
These age limits are quoted from each tour’s booking page. The Pirates 3-hour kayak discovery tour lists a minimum age of 14. The operator says it can take children aged 10 to 13 on a private basis, each accompanied by a parent or guardian, if you contact it. There is also a limit of 100 kg and 1.95 m. The stand-up paddle adventure recommends a minimum age of 12, says children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, and expects you to swim in open water. The Trikke tour is not suitable for children under 12.
On the island’s popular bus day, the small-group tour to Filerimos and Butterfly Valley is described as good for families, but its listing names baby strollers and wheelchairs among those it is not suitable for, and a reviewer mentions quite a few steps in the valley. More about it in Butterfly Valley, Seven Springs and Filerimos.
The honest part
Short does not mean easy. A 45-minute boat ride in a swell can still make a child feel sick, and for that the pharmacy or your paediatrician is the place to ask, not a travel article. The listings mention life jackets for swimming stops, but we cannot tell you whether child sizes are always available, so ask.
The long day trips are the real gap. The Symi trips run 6 to 9 hours and the Marmaris trip 8, and none of those listings gives an age guide, so you have to judge it yourself. For under-fives, we would start with one of the 45-minute rides and see how it goes.
Which one, for whom
| Trip | Time | From | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poseidon submarine cruise | 45 minutes | €15 | 4.5 (1,473) | the easiest first trip, toddlers and up |
| Yellow Submarine cruise | 45 minutes | €15 | 4.3 (938) | the same ride, with an upper deck |
| Hippo submarine with Navarone Bay swim | 2 hours | €29 | 4.7 (237) | children who want to swim |
| Glass-bottom boat from Lindos | 1.5 hours | €29 | 4.8 (198) | small children, stroller help reported |
| Family fishing trip with barbecue | 4–4.5 hours | €95 | 4.6 (22) | children who like doing things |
| Pirates kayak tour | 3 hours | €75 | 4.5 (19) | teenagers, from 14 |
For most families we would book the Poseidon submarine first: it is the most-reviewed of the short options, it is cheap, and it is over before anyone is bored. Add the Lindos swim cruise if your children want the water. If you want a whole morning out with other kinds of boat, the Rhodes boat trips page has the rest, and the longer Symi day is compared in Symi from Rhodes.
