Trip to Turkey and Greece: Routes, Days, Flights and Entry Rules

A trip to Turkey and Greece needs 12 to 15 days to cover Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Athens and one Greek island at a sensible pace; 9 days works if you drop Ephesus or the islands. The two countries are joined by a flight of about an hour and a half from Istanbul to Athens, or by short ferries from the Turkish Aegean coast to the nearest Greek islands. Our combined packages start with the 9-day Turkey and Greece tour from Istanbul to Santorini, from $3,165 per person. Below are the routes, connections, entry rules for Spanish and Latin American passports, and the months to choose.

How many days for Turkey and Greece?

The honest answer depends on how many places you want, not on how many countries. Every change of base costs half a day. These three lengths are the ones we plan most often:

• 9 days: Istanbul (3 nights), Cappadocia (2 nights), Athens (2 nights) and one island (1 to 2 nights), or Istanbul, Ephesus and Athens with no Cappadocia. Fast, but complete for a first look.
• 12 days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Athens and Santorini. This is the best balance for most travellers.
• 14 to 15 days: the same plus Pamukkale, a second island such as Mykonos, or more time in Athens.

Turkey usually comes first. Istanbul is the easier arrival hub for travellers from both Spain and Latin America, and ending on a Greek island is a calmer finish than ending in a city of 15 million.

Getting from Turkey to Greece

There are two ways across, and they suit different routes.

By air. Istanbul to Athens takes about 1 hour 25 to 1 hour 35 minutes nonstop. Aegean Airlines and Turkish Airlines both fly the route. This is the reliable year-round option and the one our packages use.

By ferry from the Turkish coast. Several Greek islands sit just off the Turkish Aegean, and short crossings link them:

These ferries run most often between April and October. From the islands you continue to Athens by ferry or a domestic flight. The ferry route is attractive in summer but adds a day of logistics, and you clear passport control at a small port on each side.

A 12-day route, day by day

1. Day 1, Istanbul: arrival and an evening walk in Sultanahmet.
2. Day 2, Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace (closed on Tuesdays) and the Basilica Cistern.
3. Day 3, Istanbul: Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar and a Bosphorus cruise.
4. Day 4, Cappadocia: fly to Kayseri, about 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 30, then Göreme Open-Air Museum.
5. Day 5, Cappadocia: sunrise balloon, valleys and an underground city.
6. Day 6, Selçuk: fly to Izmir and drive about an hour to Selçuk.
7. Day 7, Selçuk: Ephesus, the Terrace Houses and the House of the Virgin Mary.
8. Day 8, Athens: fly to Athens, connecting in Istanbul; evening in Plaka.
9. Day 9, Athens: the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum.
10. Day 10, Santorini: ferry from Piraeus, from about 4 hours 45 minutes on a high-speed boat to 8 hours or more on a conventional ship.
11. Day 11, Santorini: Oia, Fira and the caldera.
12. Day 12, home: short flight to Athens for your international connection.

Flights from Spain and Latin America

From Spain. Turkish Airlines flies nonstop from Madrid and Barcelona to Istanbul, and Pegasus also flies from Madrid to Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side. Barcelona to Istanbul takes about 3 hours 45 minutes and Madrid about 4 and a half hours. For the return, book an open-jaw ticket home from Athens: Aegean flies nonstop from Athens to Madrid and to Barcelona in roughly 3 hours 10 to 3 hours 55 minutes. This avoids flying back to Istanbul, which would cost you most of a day.

From Latin America. Turkish Airlines connects Istanbul with Mexico City, Cancún, Bogotá, Panama City, Caracas, São Paulo and Buenos Aires, and it added Santiago de Chile in December 2024 with a stop in São Paulo. Buenos Aires and Santiago currently need an intermediate stop. Because the flight is long, add a rest day in Istanbul at the start, and fly home from Athens via a European hub or back through Istanbul.

Entry rules: Turkey and Greece are different systems

Greece is in the EU and the Schengen area; Turkey is in neither. You pass two separate border controls, and the rules are not the same.

Spanish citizens. Turkey lets Spaniards enter with either a passport or the DNI, valid for at least six months from the day of entry, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Spain's foreign ministry still recommends the passport for practical reasons. Greece needs only your DNI.

Latin American citizens, for Turkey. According to Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ordinary passport holders from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Ecuador enter without a visa for up to 90 days. Mexican citizens need a visa: a 30-day single-entry e-Visa from the official site, evisa.gov.tr, is the usual route. The ministry also asks for a passport valid at least six months from arrival.

Latin American citizens, for Greece. Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay are visa-exempt for short Schengen stays of up to 90 days in 180. Ecuador and Bolivia still need a Schengen visa. Since 10 April 2026, the EU Entry/Exit System registers non-EU travellers with fingerprints and a photo at the first Schengen border, so allow extra time at Athens airport. The ETIAS travel authorisation has no start date yet; as of November 2026 you do not need to apply.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the best months for both countries together. The islands are open, Athens is not yet too hot, and Cappadocia is pleasant for walks and balloons.

Watch these dates:

• Holy Week 2027: Palm Sunday is 21 March and Easter Sunday 28 March, a busy week for travellers from Spain and Latin America.
• Orthodox Easter 2027: 2 May. many Greek archaeological sites close or shorten their hours over the Easter weekend, so avoid putting Athens on those days.
• August: the peak month for Spanish holidays, with the highest hotel prices in Santorini and Mykonos.
• November to March: many island hotels and restaurants close, and there is no direct winter ferry between Santorini and Mykonos. Pick one island, or do Turkey and Athens only.

Money: Greece uses the euro; Turkey uses the lira, although many Turkish museum fees are set in euros and charged in lira.

What it costs

Our Turkey and Greece packages cost from $3,165 to $4,670 per person for 9 to 15 days, plus international flights. Entrance fees to budget for: the Acropolis €30 (timed entry, booked in advance), Ephesus €40 plus €15 for the Terrace Houses, Hagia Sophia's visitor gallery €25 and Göreme Open-Air Museum €20. A balloon flight in Cappadocia is the biggest optional extra.

Prefer a Spanish-speaking guide? We arrange one in Istanbul and on our multi-day routes; see our Spanish-speaking guide in Istanbul page. Travelling from Spain or Mexico, our guides to Turkey tours from Spain and Turkey tour packages from Mexico cover flights and costs for Turkey alone.

Tours that cover this

All of these include the flight from Turkey to Greece and island transport:

• Turkey & Greece Tour Package: 9 Days, Istanbul to Santorini, from $3,165 per person. The shortest version.
• Turkey & Greece Tour 9 Days: Istanbul, Ephesus, Athens & Islands, from $3,370 per person. History first, no Cappadocia.
• Turkey & Greece Tour 12 Days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Athens & Islands, from $4,195 per person. Close to the 12-day route above.
• Turkey & Greece Tour 14 Days: Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Cappadocia, from $4,470 per person. Two islands.

To change the order or add days, use our tailor-made Turkey tour service. More Turkey-only routes are under multi-day trips.

Frequently Asked Questions