1-Week, 10-Day or 2-Week Honeymoon: Where to Go and What It Costs

The best places for a 1-week honeymoon

The order follows one rule: the shorter the trip, the more the flight matters. Mexico comes first because it is a short flight from either coast. The Caribbean is the quickest beach from the East Coast, and Hawaii is the West Coast's answer.

1. 1. Mexico

   Riviera Maya and Tulum on the Caribbean side, Cabo and Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific

   

   Photo: Edgar Del Valle on Pexels

   Flight: about five hours from New York and two and a half from Los Angeles, according to our Mexico guide.

   Mexico is the pick that works from either coast. The flights are short, US citizens need no visa for stays under 180 days, and the Riviera Maya has the most developed all-inclusive scene in the Western Hemisphere, so you can land, check in and stop making decisions.

   For a week, choose one coast and one hotel. From the East Coast, the Riviera Maya between Cancún and Tulum gives you white sand, cenotes and Mayan ruins within a day trip. From the West Coast, Cabo or Puerto Vallarta is the shorter hop. Save the multi-region trip for 10 nights or more.

   When to go: November to April is the dry season and the easy choice. June to October is hurricane season on the Caribbean coast, and sargassum seaweed can reach the Riviera Maya and Tulum from April to August, worst in May to July.

   A week for two, flights included from the US (estimate)

   Budget

   $2,200–$4,100

   Mid-range

   $4,000–$7,400

   Luxury

   $7,500–$13,800+

   Scaled from the Mexico guide's 10-night figures: its flight cost is kept once and the rest of the trip is cut to 7 nights. Source: our Mexico honeymoon guide.

2. 2. The Caribbean

   one island: St Lucia, Jamaica, Antigua, Turks & Caicos or Barbados

   

   Photo: Alfred Jarman on Pexels

   Flight: 3.5 to 4.5 hours nonstop from New York (JFK), according to our Caribbean guide.

   From the East Coast, the Caribbean is the shortest beach honeymoon there is: Jamaica, Turks & Caicos and the US Virgin Islands are about 3.5 hours from New York, St Lucia and Barbados about 4.5. No long-haul flight and no jet lag, so very little of the week goes on travel.

   Pick one island and stay put. St Lucia is the romantic choice, with volcanic peaks and adults-only resorts. Turks & Caicos is for couples who want the beach and little else. Jamaica and Antigua have the most mature all-inclusives, and Barbados suits couples who want to eat out and explore.

   When to go: December to April is the dry season, with January to March the safest window. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June to November, with the riskiest weeks from mid-August to mid-October; Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Barbados sit south of the usual storm belt.

   A week for two, flights included from the US East Coast (estimate)

   Budget

   $3,000–$5,000

   Mid-range

   $5,000–$9,000

   Luxury

   $9,000–$18,000+

   The Caribbean guide's own 7-night totals. Source: our Caribbean honeymoon guide.

3. 3. Hawaii

   one island, usually Maui

   

   Photo: Jess Loiterton on Pexels

   Flight: 5 to 6 hours from the West Coast, or 9 to 11 hours from the East Coast with a stop, according to our Hawaii guide.

   From the West Coast, Hawaii is a week-sized trip with no passport and no currency to change. From the East Coast it is a long day each way, which is why it ranks below Mexico and the Caribbean for a 7-night trip.

   Stay on one island. Our Hawaii guide's advice is plain: for 7 nights or fewer, each inter-island hop costs you half a day. Maui is its pick for most couples, with snorkelling at Molokini Crater, sunsets over Ka'anapali Beach and the Road to Hana. With 10 nights or more, a split such as 6 nights on Maui and 4 on the Big Island works well.

   When to go: April to October is the dry season and the best time for beaches and snorkelling; April to May and September to October are the quieter shoulder months. November to March is cooler and wetter on the windward sides, and it is humpback whale season, best in February.

   A week for two, flights included from the US West Coast (estimate)

   Budget

   $3,300–$4,700

   Mid-range

   $5,300–$8,000

   Luxury

   $12,400–$23,600+

   The totals row of the Hawaii guide's cost table, rounded to $100. From the East Coast, add the difference in fares. Source: our Hawaii honeymoon guide.

What about Europe in a week?

From the East Coast it is a longer haul. Our Santorini guide puts Athens about 10 hours from New York, before a 45-minute flight to the island, and the Amalfi Coast guide routes you through Naples. A week still works if you pick one base and accept a long travel day at each end; with 10 nights it gets much easier. Both guides price the stay without flights, so their figures are not comparable with the ones above.

How these costs work

Every cost on this page is an estimate for two people for 7 nights, including return flights from the place named, taken from that destination's own guide on this site. The Caribbean and Hawaii figures are their guides' 7-night totals. The Mexico guide prices 10 nights, so its flight cost is kept once and the rest of the trip is cut to 7 nights. Prices move with dates and demand: treat these as a starting point, not a quote.

Longer than a week: 10 or 14 nights

Pair these for a 14-day trip

With two weeks you can split the trip between two places. These pairs are close enough to combine in one trip and different enough to feel like two.

Keep planning