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State museums and archaeological sites in Greece switch to winter hours on 1 November 2026. Under a Ministry of Culture decision published in the Government Gazette on 22 October (ΦΕΚ Β’ 6405/22.10.2026), most museums and sites in the Dodecanese open 08:30-15:30 until 31 March 2027. Some places, such as the city walls walk and the Suleymaniye Mosque in Rhodes, stay closed all winter. Because Greece has been one hour behind Turkey since 25 October, 15:30 on the islands is 16:30 Turkish time.
What happened?
Ministry of Culture decision 469973/2026 sets the hours of state museums, monuments and archaeological sites across the country from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 in a table. The general rules:
- Last entry: 20 minutes before closing unless the table says otherwise. At a site closing at 15:30, the last entry is 15:10.
- Closed days: 25 and 26 December, 1 January and 25 March. Winter hours apply on 6 January (Epiphany) and Clean Monday.
- Tuesdays: The table header carries a note saying “closed on Tuesday”, but the table does not make clear which places it applies to. The ministry’s own site pages show places such as the Palace of the Grand Master in Rhodes and the Kastellorizo museum as closed on Tuesdays in winter; if you plan to go on a Tuesday, check that site’s page.
- Exceptions: The decision says changes for individual sites will be announced on the ministry’s website.
The Dodecanese section of the decision gives the following for the islands reached by ferry from Turkey:
- Rhodes: The Palace of the Grand Master, the Archaeological Museum, the Acropolis of Lindos, Kamiros, Filerimos (Acropolis of Ialysos), the Church of Our Lady of the Castle and the Decorative Arts Collection are open 08:30-15:30. In the palace the Byzantine and “Ancient Rhodes” exhibitions are closed; in the museum the prehistoric and epigraphic collections and the Villaragut Mansion are closed. The Acropolis of Rhodes (Monte Smith), Rodini and the moat are free to enter. The city walls walk, the Suleymaniye Mosque, Agia Paraskevi, the Hospice of St Catherine, the ground floor of the House of Djem, the ancient Neoria, the Roman Tetrapylon and the palace gardens are closed.
- Kos: The Archaeological Museum, the Asklepion, Neratzia Castle, Casa Romana, the Ancient Agora and port district, and the Western Archaeological Site are open 08:30-15:30. The Roman Odeon (loggias closed), Antimachia Castle and the basilicas of Agios Stefanos at Kefalos are free to enter. The Ottoman hammam is closed.
- Kalymnos: The Archaeological Museum is open 08:30-15:30; the Vouvalis Mansion on the same grounds is closed for works.
- Leros, Symi: The archaeological museums are open 08:30-15:30.
- Patmos: The Nikolaidis Mansion is open 08:30-15:30.
- Kastellorizo: The Archaeological Museum and the historical collection in the Ottoman mosque are open 08:30-15:30; the acropolis of Palaiokastro is free to enter.
- Samothrace: Under the Evros section of the decision, the Sanctuary of the Great Gods and the archaeological museum are open 08:30-15:30 but closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays in winter. The castle in Chora and the Monastery of Christ are closed.
We could not see the winter hours for Lesvos, Chios, Samos and Limnos in the text of the decision available to us, so we have not been able to verify them.
Before winter hours begin, entry to ministry museums and sites is free on Wednesday 28 October, a Greek national holiday. Under the ministry’s decision on ticket prices (ΦΕΚ Β’ 1968/29.03.2024), entry is also free on the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March.
What it means for travellers
- Timing a day trip: Greek time has been one hour behind Turkey since 25 October (our report). If your phone is still on Turkish time, a museum closing at 15:30 on the island shows as 16:30. If you arrive on a morning ferry and want to see a museum, go there first and leave the shops for later.
- Rhodes Old Town: The walls walk and the Suleymaniye Mosque are closed all winter; the Palace of the Grand Master is open, with some exhibitions closed. Details in our Rhodes travel guide and, for a day from Marmaris, the Rhodes day trip guide.
- Kos: The Asklepion and the castle are open; the Ottoman hammam is closed. See our Kos travel guide and the Bodrum Sea Lines November timetable.
- Kalymnos and Kastellorizo: The Kalymnos museum is open but the Vouvalis Mansion is closed (Kalymnos guide). For Kastellorizo from Kaş, see the Kastellorizo guide and the Kaş-Kastellorizo winter timetable.
- Samothrace: Do not plan the sanctuary for a Wednesday or Thursday (Samothrace guide).
What stays open on the islands over the winter, and which ferries keep running, is in our Greek islands in winter guide.
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Sources
- Nomotelia: Ministry of Culture decision 469973/26, ΦΕΚ Β’ 6405/22.10.2026, full text of the winter hours (PDF, Greek) (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Nomotelia: Listing of the decision (23 October 2026) (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Dnews: Winter hours at archaeological sites and museums from 1 November (23 October 2026, Greek) (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Sofokleousin: Winter hours at museums and archaeological sites (23 October 2026, Greek) (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Odigos tou Politi: Free entry to museums and sites on 28 October 2026 (Greek) (accessed 26 October 2026)
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