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Hydra in January
Mixed month: January is outside the recommended season (May – June, September – October). Against it: Winter: Fast Boats Stop, Many Hotels Close. Epiphany: the Blessing of the Waters can fall this month.
The season opens in May, 4 months away.
2 days in Hydra in January · from ₹31,817 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
Before you book January
Closures, crowds and rules at Hydra this month.
Worth knowing
Winter: Fast Boats Stop, Many Hotels Close
From November to March the high-speed ferries stop, island-to-island boats run a few times a week, and most resort hotels, beach bars and boat tours close. The towns stay open with some hotels and tavernas, the conventional ferries and the flights from Athens keep running, and storms can still cancel sailings: keep a spare day before a flight home.
What’s on in January
Timing a trip around these changes what you pay and what you can book.
Epiphany: the Blessing of the Waters2027: 6 Jan
Priests throw a cross into the sea, a river or the harbour and young men dive to bring it back, at Piraeus, Thessaloniki's seafront and island harbours. A public holiday.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 2 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹31,817 for two
- Room a night₹11,720
- Food a day, each₹4,160
Mid-range
₹67,716 for two
- Room a night₹21,300
- Food a day, each₹9,600
Luxury
₹1,49,256 for two
- Room a night₹42,600
- Food a day, each₹22,400
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Greece yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Athens (ATH), 74 km away
Then: Ferry · 2h 30m (Hellenic Seaways / Alpha Lines / Magic Sea from Piraeus)
Flights from India: from 8 cities, one way from ₹20,000
Entry rules
Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹11,590
- Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa at a VFS Global Greece centre in India, 4-8 weeks before you fly, and at least 6 weeks ahead for June to September (no earlier than 6 months). Apply to Greece if it is your only or longest stay in Schengen. The fee is €90 (about ₹9,600; €45 for children 6-11) plus the VFS service charge, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
- At the appointment give your fingerprints and photo (skipped if you gave them for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months). The embassy takes up to 15 working days, longer if other Schengen states are consulted, and summer applications often take 3-5 weeks.
- If you have lawfully used two Schengen visas in the last three years, ask for a multiple-entry visa: under the EU's 2024 cascade rules for Indians you can be given a two-year visa, then a five-year one.
- On your first arrival in the Schengen Area your fingerprints and face are scanned at passport control (the EU Entry/Exit System, in full use since April 2026) instead of a stamp. Allow extra time at Athens airport.
Carry: Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages; Completed visa application form and two recent photos (35 x 45 mm); Travel insurance with at least €30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip; Return flight booking and a day-by-day itinerary, with the ferries or flights between islands; Hotel bookings for every night; Bank statements for the last 3-6 months, income-tax returns, and a leave letter from your employer (or business or college papers).
One Schengen visa covers Greece and every other Schengen country (Italy, France, Switzerland and more) for up to 90 days in any 180, but not Türkiye, which needs its own visa or e-visa. ETIAS is only for visa-free travellers, so it does not affect you. Appointment waits and VFS charges vary by centre and season: check visa.vfsglobal.com for your city before you book flights.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Greece in January
Nearby in Athens & the Saronic Islands:
Want this as a real plan?
Hydra in January, day by day, priced for your group.