From the Bosphorus to the Acropolis

Who it is for

For anyone who wants Byzantium and ancient Greece on the two sides of the Aegean in one week.

Not for anyone looking for islands, because the trip stays in Istanbul and Athens.

The strategy

Istanbul and Athens are a little over an hour apart by flight. The trip starts with the Byzantine and Ottoman city and ends in ancient Greece.

What you will see

• Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. Basilica completed in 537, a mosque from 1453, a museum from 1935 to 2020, and a mosque again since July 2020.
• Acropolis and Parthenon, Athens. The site brings together the Parthenon (447–432 BC), the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion with its porch of the Caryatids.

Day by day

Istanbul

1. 1
   Day 1: Historic peninsula, from the walls to the bazaar

   1. 2Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii)Up to half an hourEssential
   2. 1Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya)One to two hoursEssential
   3. 5Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan)Up to half an hourWorth a visit
   4. 3Topkapı PalaceOne to two hoursEssential
   5. 9Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı)Up to half an hourIf there is time
   6. 6Egyptian Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı)Up to half an hourWorth a visit
2. 2
   Day 2: Galata, İstiklal and the Bosphorus shore

   1. Galata TowerOne to two hoursYou can skip it
   2. 7Dolmabahçe PalaceOne to two hoursWorth a visit
3. 3
   Day 3: Golden Horn and the Asian side

   1. 8Chora (Kariye)Half a day or moreWorth a visit
4. 4
   Day 4: Princes' Islands (Büyükada) (day trip) · if you have more time

   

Athens

1. 5
   Day 5: The Acropolis, the museum and the hill

   1. 1Acropolis and ParthenonOne to two hoursEssential
   2. 2Acropolis MuseumEssential
2. 6
   Day 6: The Agora, the market, and the Archaeological Museum

   1. 4Ancient Agora and HephaisteionWorth a visit
   2. 5KerameikosUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   3. 3National Archaeological MuseumOne to two hoursEssential
3. 7
   Day 7: The port, the sea and the view · if you have more time

   1. 7Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center (SNFCC)Worth a visit
   2. Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimarmaro)Up to half an hourIf there is time
   3. 6LycabettusUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   4. 1Acropolis and ParthenonOne to two hoursEssential