Dubrovnik to Santorini: Croatia Highlights & Greek Island Hopping (Self-Launched)

Fly into Dubrovnik (DBV) and take the Platanus airport shuttle bus to Pile Gate (~£7) or the local Libertas bus if you're heading to Gruž. Check into a hostel inside or just outside the walls — Old Town Hostel or Hostel Angelina are good solo-friendly picks (~£30/night dorm). Late afternoon, walk the city walls yourself (ticket ~£34) for views over Fort Minčeta, Fort Bokar and the Adriatic — go after 4pm when the cruise crowds thin. Grab a cheap 'marenda' lunch-box dinner (burek + pizza slice, ~£8) and finish with sunset drinks on the rocks at Buža Bar, then a bar crawl down Stradun and along Prijeko Street to meet other travellers.

🚌Airport shuttle bus DBV to Old Town (~£7); walking

🛏Hostel in/near Old Town Dubrovnik (dorm, ~£30)

• →Self-guided Dubrovnik city walls walk (~£34)
• →Stradun & Prijeko Street evening bar crawl
• →Buža Bar sunset

Take a morning bus from Dubrovnik main bus station to Herceg Novi (~2 hrs, ~£10–12, book at the station or via GetByBus/Busticket4.me). Stop off in Herceg Novi for a swim at Njivice or Igalo beach, then catch a local bus or shared taxi around the bay to Kotor (~£4). Alternatively a direct Dubrovnik–Kotor bus runs most days (~£15). Check into Old Town Kotor hostel (Old Town Hostel Kotor, ~£22 dorm). Evening: wander the walled old town, climb partway up the San Giovanni steps for the sunset, and eat at a konoba — pršut, cheese, grilled fish (~£12).

🚌Public bus Dubrovnik–Herceg Novi (~£11) + local bus to Kotor (~£4)

🛏Old Town Kotor hostel (dorm, ~£22)

• →Herceg Novi beach stop
• →Kotor Old Town self-guided walk
• →San Giovanni steps sunset viewpoint

Choose your own Kotor day. Option A: hike the Ladder of Kotor / Sveti Ivan (San Giovanni) fortress trail — free, ~2–3 hrs up, brutal but worth it for the bay views. Option B: local bus to Perast (~£2, 20 mins), a picture-perfect baroque village; take a €5 rowboat out to Our Lady of the Rocks. Option C: half-day to Lake Skadar National Park by bus/tour (~£30) for kayaking and birdlife. Evening back in Kotor for a cheap grilled meal and drinks at the old-town bars (~£15 total).

🚌Local buses (~£4); walking

🛏Old Town Kotor hostel (dorm, ~£22)

• →Sveti Ivan fortress hike (free)
• →Perast + Our Lady of the Rocks boat (~£7)
• →Or Lake Skadar kayak day (~£30)

Take a morning bus from Kotor to Tirana — direct services run in summer (~4–5 hrs, ~£20 via Ulcinj/Shkodër) or connect at Podgorica/Shkodër. Arrive Tirana and check into a hostel near Skanderbeg Square (Hostel Albania or Milingona City Center, ~£18 dorm). Do your own orientation loop: Skanderbeg Square, the colourful Piramida, Blloku district, and the free-to-wander New Bazaar for byrek and qofte (~£7). Optional: Dajti Ekspres cable car (~£5) for city views, or the National History Museum (~£2). Cheap Albanian dinner with wine ~£8.

🚌Public bus Kotor–Tirana (~£20)

🛏Central Tirana hostel (dorm, ~£18)

• →Self-guided Tirana orientation walk (Skanderbeg Square, Piramida, Blloku)
• →New Bazaar food stop
• →Optional Dajti Ekspres cable car (~£5)

Take a morning furgon (shared minibus) or bus from Tirana's South & North Terminal to Gjirokastër (~4 hrs, ~£10). Wander the UNESCO-listed stone old town and climb to Gjirokastër Fortress (~£3 entry) for the argument that it's the best view in Albania. Lunch in the bazaar quarter (~£6). Then continue by furgon to Saranda (~1 hr, ~£4), arriving with time for a late-afternoon swim at Saranda's city beach or a bus to Ksamil/Mirror Beach (~£2). Hostel dorm in Saranda ~£20. Sunset drinks on the promenade looking at Corfu (~£10).

🚌Furgon Tirana–Gjirokastër (~£10) + Gjirokastër–Saranda (~£4)

🛏Saranda hostel/guesthouse (dorm, ~£20)

• →Gjirokastër old town & fortress (~£3)
• →Ksamil / Mirror Beach swim
• →Saranda promenade sunset

Spend the morning at Butrint Archaeological Site (bus from Saranda plus entry ~£18 total) — Roman ruins in a lagoon setting, genuinely spectacular. Or just swim. Take the afternoon Saranda–Corfu ferry (Finikas Lines / Ionian Seaways, ~45–90 mins, ~£20–25 one way; book online a day ahead). Arrive Corfu Town, check into a hostel or budget guesthouse (~£28 dorm; Corfu Backpackers or similar), and do your own orientation walk: the Venetian Liston, Spianada Square, the Old Fortress exterior, and the Campiello lanes. Dinner of pastitsada or souvlaki ~£12.

🚌Saranda–Corfu ferry (~£22); local bus to Butrint (~£3)

🛏Corfu Town hostel/guesthouse (dorm, ~£28)

• →Butrint Archaeological Site (~£15 entry + bus)
• →Self-guided Corfu Town old town walk
• →Spianada Square evening

Free day on Corfu. Cheapest big-beach option: local bus from Corfu Town to Glyfada or Kontogialos/Pelekas (~£3 each way) — sandy, organised, and far cheaper than the package resorts. Alternative: bus to Paleokastritsa for swimming, boat trips to caves (~£15), and the monastery. Culture option: Achilleion Palace (~£9 entry) via local bus. Or take a GetYourGuide half-day boat trip (~£30). Back in town, hit the bars around Liston and the old town for the night out (~£20 with drinks).

🚌Local buses (~£6 return)

🛏Corfu Town hostel/guesthouse (dorm, ~£28)

• →Glyfada or Paleokastritsa beach day
• →Optional Achilleion Palace (~£9)
• →Old Town night out

Book a cheap morning Ryanair/Volotea/Aegean flight Corfu (CFU) to Athens (ATH) in advance — outside peak August these run ~£30–60 one way. From Athens airport, take Metro Line 3 to Monastiraki/Syntagma (~£8, 40 mins) or the X95 express bus (~£5). Check into a hostel in Psyrri/Monastiraki (City Circus Athens or Athens Backpackers, ~£25 dorm). Afternoon wander: Monastiraki flea market, Plaka lanes, the changing of the guard at Syntagma. Evening: rooftop bar sunset views of the Acropolis (free with a drink, ~£7), then Gazi or Psyrri bars for the big night out (~£25).

🚌Low-cost flight CFU–ATH (~£45 est.) + Metro Line 3 (~£8)

🛏Athens hostel, Psyrri/Monastiraki (dorm, ~£25)

• →Self-guided Plaka & Monastiraki walk
• →Syntagma changing of the guard
• →Rooftop Acropolis sunset & Psyrri night out

Pre-book your Acropolis timed entry on the official hhticket.gr site (~£12 off-peak, ~£25 peak — go at 8am opening or after 5pm to dodge heat and crowds). Add the Acropolis Museum (~£13) and, if you've energy, the National Archaeological Museum (~£10). Skip the €2 Roman Agora unless you're a completist. Afternoon: climb Filopappou Hill for the classic free Acropolis panorama, or join a GetYourGuide sunset bike tour (~£28). Cheap gyros dinner in Psyrri (~£5) and an early night before the ferry.

🚌Metro/walking (~£5)

🛏Athens hostel, Psyrri/Monastiraki (dorm, ~£25)

• →Acropolis & Parthenon entry (~£12–25)
• →Acropolis Museum (~£13)
• →National Archaeological Museum (~£10)
• →Filopappou Hill sunset (free)

Take the morning ferry from Piraeus to Paros — fast ferry ~3 hrs (~£45) or slow Blue Star ~4.5 hrs (~£28); book on Ferryhopper or Direct Ferries a few weeks ahead, and take the metro to Piraeus port (~£2). Arrive Parikia and check into a Parikia hostel or guesthouse (~£25 dorm; Paros Backpackers or a family guesthouse near Livadia). Self-guided orientation: the Panagia Ekatontapyliani church, the Frankish Castle on the hill, and the Archaeological Museum, then wander the whitewashed lanes. Evening: Livadia Beach sunset swim and a taverna dinner — moussaka or fresh fish, ~£13.

🚌Metro to Piraeus (~£2) + ferry to Paros (~£28–45)

🛏Parikia hostel/guesthouse (dorm, ~£25)

• →Ekatontapyliani church & Frankish Castle walk
• →Livadia Beach sunset
• →Parikia old town wander

Do the same half-day route as the tour under your own steam, or book it cheaply via GetYourGuide (~£35 including transfers). DIY version: local KTEL bus from Parikia to Lefkes (~£2, 20 mins) — hike the Byzantine path down to Prodromos if you like, then bus to Naousa (~£2) for lunch and the little fishing harbour. From Naousa, a seasonal shuttle boat crosses to Kolymbithres Beach (~£10 return) for those famous wind-sculpted rock formations and clear water. Return bus to Parikia (~£2) and a relaxed dinner at a Livadia taverna (~£12).

🚌Local buses (~£6) + Kolymbithres shuttle boat (~£10)

🛏Parikia hostel/guesthouse (dorm, ~£25)

• →Lefkes village & Byzantine path
• →Naousa harbour
• →Kolymbithres Beach boat trip (~£10)

Morning ferry Paros to Ios (~1 hr fast, ~£15). Check into a Chora or Mylopotas hostel (Far Out Beach Club, Francesco's or Ios Backpackers, ~£22 dorm). Self-guided Chora walk: the windmill viewpoint, Panagia Gremiotissa church, the Odysseus Elytis theatre for sunset, and the labyrinth of whitewashed lanes. Afternoon: bus down to Mylopotas Beach (~£2) for swimming and a cheap gyros lunch (~£5). Evening: Chora's bars kick off early — the legendary 'Ios pub crawl' route starts around 10pm (~£25 with drinks).

🚌Ferry Paros–Ios (~£15); local bus (~£3)

🛏Ios hostel, Chora or Mylopotas (dorm, ~£22)

• →Chora windmills & Panagia Gremiotissa walk
• →Mylopotas Beach afternoon
• →Chora night out

Full beach day, tour-style but self-organised. Take the local bus or a shared water taxi to Manganari Bay (~£8 return) or a boat trip to secluded coves (~£20–30 via local operators or GetYourGuide). Walk up to the Chora's highest point (Agios Georgios / the windmills above Chora) for the panoramic sunset the tour raves about — free. Optional: hire a scooter or quad (~£20/day) to reach quieter beaches like Agia Theodoti or Psathi. Lunch at a beach taverna (~£10), dinner back in Chora (~£12).

🚌Local bus / water taxi (~£8)

🛏Ios hostel, Chora or Mylopotas (dorm, ~£22)

• →Manganari Bay or boat trip (~£20–30)
• →Scooter hire (optional, ~£20)
• →Agios Georgios sunset viewpoint

Morning ferry Ios to Santorini (~45 mins fast, ~£25; book on Ferryhopper). From Athinios port, take the local bus to Fira (~£2). Stay in a Fira or Karterados hostel — Karterados and Perissa are far cheaper than caldera-view hotels (~£30 dorm; Santorini Camping & Hostel in Fira is the budget classic ~£18). Afternoon orientation of Fira: the whitewashed lanes, the Museum of Prehistoric Thera (~£5), and the caldera-edge path. Start the caldera walk toward Fira–Firostefani–Imerovigli for sunset — free, and the same route the tour covers. Dinner in Karterados (~£12) rather than caldera-side.

🚌Ferry Ios–Santorini (~£25); local bus (~£3)

🛏Fira/Karterados hostel (dorm, ~£25–30)

• →Fira old town walk
• →Caldera-edge path Fira–Imerovigli sunset walk (free)
• →Museum of Prehistoric Thera, optional (~£5)

Finish strong: do the full Fira–Oia caldera walk (~10 km, 3–4 hrs, free) early before the heat — or take the local bus to Oia (~£2) and walk the Oia castle-to-Amoudi Bay section. Swim off Amoudi Bay, eat grilled octopus by the water (~£12), then bus or taxi back to Fira. Optional final swim at Perissa or Kamari black-sand beach (bus ~£2). The tour ends in Santorini — most travellers fly out from Santorini (JTR) the next morning (book cheap onward/return flights in advance) or take the ferry back to Athens (~£55) and fly home from there. Keep a buffer night if your flight is early.

🚌Local buses (~£5); onward flight/ferry not included in estimate

🛏Departure day (or optional extra Fira hostel night, ~£28)

• →Fira–Oia caldera walk (free)
• →Amoudi Bay swim
• →Optional Perissa/Kamari beach stop