Athens, Hydra, Dubrovnik and Korčula in 12 Days

Car-free Hydra in the Aegean, then Dubrovnik's walls and Korčula's wine villages on the Adriatic

12 days4 stops

Original illustration

At a glance

Land in Athens for one night, take the fast ferry to car-free Hydra for four slow nights, then fly to Dubrovnik for three and finish with three on the island of Korčula. It pairs two seas and two styles: Greek island quiet and Croatian walled towns. It suits couples who like swimming off rocks, walking and wine. Go from late May to June or in September.

By the Honeymoon Huts editors · How we research

Greece and Croatia share the same clear water and the same long summer evenings, but they feel very different. This route gives you one of each. Hydra is a car-free Greek island of stone mansions where donkeys still carry the luggage. Dubrovnik is a walled city on the Adriatic. Korčula, a short boat ride up the coast, is its slower, wine-growing cousin.

Athens is the gateway because it has the most US nonstops. You spend one night there to recover from the flight, then take a fast ferry to Hydra for four nights with no cars, no schedule and swims off the rocks. A short flight takes you across to Dubrovnik for three nights, then a catamaran carries you to Korčula for three more.

Only one transfer day is long, from Hydra to Dubrovnik. Even that one is manageable. The hardest part is packing light enough for island stairs. Neither island has the long sandy beaches of the Caribbean, so think swimming ladders, pebble coves and boat days.

The route

Best months: Late May to June and September
Trip length: 12 days
Budget: About $300–800 a night for two in boutique and cliffside hotels (approximate)

Day by day

Day 1: Athens

Land at Athens International (ATH), which has nonstops from several US cities. Take a fixed-fare taxi or metro Line 3 into the center, about 40 minutes to an hour. Stay near Syntagma or in Makrygianni below the Acropolis, where many hotels have rooftop terraces facing the Parthenon.

Do not try to see everything. Nap, then walk through the whitewashed lanes of Anafiotika on the slope of the Acropolis as the light fades. Book a rooftop table for dinner with the Parthenon lit up in front of you. The Hotel Grande Bretagne on Syntagma Square has one of the best-known terraces in the city.

If you have energy left in the morning, be at the Acropolis gates at opening time before you head for the port. The site is cooler and much quieter in the first hour. Piraeus is about 30 minutes from the center by metro or taxi, so pick a ferry that leaves late morning.

Days 2–5: Hydra

Fast ferries from Piraeus reach Hydra in about one and a half to two hours. There are no cars on the island, so ask your hotel to send a porter to meet the boat.

On day three, walk the coastal path west to Kamini at sunset, about 20 minutes. Eat grilled fish at a taverna by the water. Day four is your boat day. Hire a water taxi or a small private boat to reach the rocky coves on the south side of the island and swim in water so clear you can see the bottom at ten feet.

Day five is for slowing down. Swim off the rocks at Spilia below the harbor, visit the captains' mansions that now hold small museums or hike up to the monastery of Profitis Ilias for the view, an hour or more of steady climbing. Take your last evening drink on the harbor as the boats come in. Hydra rewards doing very little, which is the point of four nights here.

Days 6–8: Dubrovnik

Take a morning fast ferry back to Piraeus and a taxi to the airport, about an hour. In summer there are nonstop flights from Athens to Dubrovnik (DBV) of about one and a half hours; outside summer you connect, so check what is running for your dates. Dubrovnik Airport is about 30 minutes from the Old Town.

On day seven, walk the city walls the moment they open, before the heat and the cruise crowds. Spend the middle of the day on a sea platform or kayaking around Lokrum Island, then ride the cable car up Mount Srđ for sunset drinks above the red roofs.

Day eight is a boat day to the car-free Elaphiti Islands, with swims and a long lunch on Lopud or Šipan. Return to the Old Town after dark, when the day-trippers have gone and the marble streets glow under the lamps.

Days 9–12: Korčula and Home

In summer, catamarans run from Dubrovnik to Korčula Town in about two hours. Stay in the old town or in vineyard-backed Lumbarda just east of it.

On day ten, rent bikes for the flat road to Lumbarda and taste Grk, a white wine grown almost nowhere else, then swim at sandy Pržina cove. Day eleven is your slow day. Kayak to the islet of Badija in the morning, nap through the afternoon and eat dinner on the old town walls at sunset. In summer, the Moreška sword dance is performed for visitors on set evenings.

On day twelve, travel back to Dubrovnik for your flight. A private transfer by road via the Orebić car ferry and the Pelješac peninsula takes about two and a half to three hours, so book an afternoon departure or spend your last night in Dubrovnik instead. United has run summer nonstops from Dubrovnik to Newark; otherwise connect through a European hub.

Getting Between Stops

There are four transfers. Only one is a long day. Athens to Hydra is a fast ferry of about one and a half to two hours from Piraeus. Book summer sailings ahead, especially on Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings.

Hydra to Dubrovnik is the big travel day: ferry to Piraeus, taxi to the airport and a short flight. Start early and allow buffer between the boat and the plane. Seasonal nonstops between Athens and Dubrovnik run in summer. In spring and fall you may need to connect, which can make it a full day.

Dubrovnik to Korčula is a catamaran of about two hours from the port at Gruž. Returning, you can take the catamaran or a private car via Pelješac.

You will not need a car anywhere on this route. Hydra has none. Dubrovnik's Old Town is pedestrian.

Where to Stay

In Athens, the Hotel Grande Bretagne on Syntagma Square is the grand old address, with a rooftop restaurant facing the Acropolis. Boutique hotels in Makrygianni and Koukaki cost less and many have view terraces.

Hydra has no big resorts. Places to stay are small hotels in restored mansions. Cotommatae 1810, in a restored captain's house, is a polished choice near the harbor. Rooms higher in town are quieter but come with a stair climb every time you head home.

In Dubrovnik, Ploče, just east of the Old Town, is the classic honeymoon area. The Hotel Excelsior and the Villa Dubrovnik look back at the walls across the water. The Hotel Bellevue sits on a cliff above its own cove to the west.

On Korčula, Lešić Dimitri Palace offers suites in a restored palace inside the old town walls.

When to Go

Late May through June and September are the best months. The sea is warm enough for long swims, ferries and catamarans run full timetables and the heat is bearable on stepped lanes.

July and August are hot and busy. Dubrovnik fills with cruise passengers in the middle of the day, ferries sell out and prices peak on both islands.

Early October is often still warm enough to swim, though boat schedules thin out and some flights stop. From November to April, many hotels on Hydra and most on Korčula close, so this is a summer-season honeymoon.

In any month, plan your Dubrovnik walls walk for opening time and your boat days for the morning, when the sea is usually calmest.

What It Costs

This route costs less than a Santorini and Mykonos trip. As an approximate guide, a good Athens hotel with an Acropolis view costs about $250 to $600 a night for two. Hydra's boutique hotels run roughly $250 to $500 in summer. Dubrovnik is the priciest stop, with Ploče's sea-view hotels from about $450 to $800 or more in peak season. Korčula's old town suites cost around $300 to $500.

Ferries and catamarans are inexpensive. The Athens to Dubrovnik flight varies widely, so book early.

The extras worth paying for are a private boat around Hydra, a sunset sea kayak to Lokrum, a boat day to the Elaphiti Islands and a winery visit on Korčula or the Pelješac peninsula. Dubrovnik restaurants inside the walls charge for the setting, so eat lunch in Gruž or Lapad and save the Old Town for a splurge dinner.

Tips for the Two of You

Pack light. Hydra, Dubrovnik and Korčula are all built on steps. On Hydra the porters are donkeys. A bag each that you can carry up a staircase saves a lot of grief.

Bring water shoes. Most swimming here is off rocks, ladders and pebble coves. Sea urchins live on some rocks, so watch where you put your hands and feet.

The sun is strong from May onward. Reef-safe sunscreen, hats and a refillable water bottle help on wall walks and hikes.

Churches and monasteries ask both of you to cover shoulders and knees. Carry a light scarf or shirt.

You may want different things on your free days. One of you could hike Profitis Ilias while the other reads on the rocks, or one could kayak around Lokrum while the other books a spa hour. Meet for lunch by the water.

Make It Shorter or Longer

With nine or ten days, drop Athens at the start by connecting straight through to Hydra the day you land, or skip Hydra and spend two nights in Athens before flying to Dubrovnik. You lose the Greek island but keep the Adriatic half.

With 14 days, add two nights in Split after Korčula, with a catamaran stop in Hvar on the way. Fly home from Split. Or spend two nights on the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, about two hours by road from Dubrovnik, for a fjord-like bay and stone villages.

On the Greek side, Nafplio on the mainland is a good addition for history lovers, with the theater at Epidaurus nearby. Couples who would rather finish with more swimming can swap Korčula for Mljet, a quieter green island with a national park and saltwater lakes.

FAQ

Planning this trip

Can we combine Greece and Croatia on one honeymoon?

Yes. Athens and Dubrovnik are linked by seasonal nonstop flights of about one and a half hours in summer. Outside summer, you connect through a European hub. Combining Hydra with Dubrovnik and Korčula gives you one Greek island and the best of the southern Adriatic in under two weeks.

How do we get to Hydra from Athens?

Take a taxi or metro to Piraeus port, about 30 minutes from the center, then a fast ferry or catamaran to Hydra, which takes about one and a half to two hours. Book ahead for summer weekends. There are no cars on the island, so arrange a porter to meet the boat.

How do we get from Dubrovnik to Korčula?

In summer, catamarans run from Dubrovnik's port at Gruž to Korčula Town in about two hours. By road, drive up the Pelješac peninsula to Orebić and take the 15-minute car ferry. The full drive takes about two and a half to three hours.

Are there sandy beaches on this route?

Only a few. Hydra's swimming is off rocks and pebble coves. Dubrovnik has small pebble beaches and sea platforms. Korčula has the sandy cove at Pržina near Lumbarda. If long sandy beaches matter most, choose Naxos or Paros in Greece instead of Hydra.

When is the best time for a Greece and Croatia honeymoon?

Late May to June and September. The sea is warm, ferries and flights run regularly and crowds are lighter than in July and August. Early October can still be lovely, but some boats and flights stop and many island hotels close for winter.

Stops on this route

Greece

Korčula

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