Answering "Which is the Best…" Questions is Hard!
Because I live and breathe "tourism" in Turkey and Greece, people frequently ask for suggestions and itinerary ideas. Travel preferences are subjective, so giving recommendations is tricky. But, I am quick to name a favourite when asked to pick the best city to visit between Athens, Greece and Istanbul, Turkey.
I was fortunate to visit both cities (plus the very popular Cappadocia region of Turkey) in September / October 2012. The trip was my first exposure to Greece and Turkey and I didn't really know what to expect. These are my observations as a first-time visitor:
Athens, Greece
Let me start by saying "Athens was nice..."
I spent 3 days in Athens and that was sufficient to get a sense of the city and explore the main tourist sites and museums. If you're reasonably fit, everything is within walking distance (the hike to catch the tram to the top of Mount Lycabettus is fairly steep) but taxis and the transit system are easy to navigate. Here's a sample tour I found on Trip Advisor: 3 Days in Athens: Travel Guide. I didn't do this exact itinerary, but visited the same highlights and it was sufficient to give a reasonable introduction to the major touristic sites in the city.
The Greek people were friendly. The popular tourist sites were under constant renovation (a reality for structures that are thousands of years old), crowded (even in "off season") and dirty. I was also surprised by the amount of graffiti - and it's gotten worse since my first visit.
After leaving Athens, I spent some time in Rhodes (incredible, I'd actually recommend visiting Rhodes instead of Athens!), the south of Turkey (the Lycian Coast is amazing!), and slowly made my way by car to Istanbul for a week-long, whirlwind visit of the main sites.
Istanbul, Turkey
Athens was nice, ... but Istanbul captured my heart!
Istanbul was more intriguing than Athens. There was more diversity, more excitement, more charm. And it was cleaner. Much cleaner than Athens. The people were friendlier and more generous with their time, knowledge, and hospitality. There was definitely some "pushiness" from vendors, but a polite "no thank you" was generally sufficient to get them to back off.
I hired a private guide to escort me on a custom tour of the city. Besides being able to design the route to match my interests and timelines, a private guide allows you to by-pass line-ups at the popular tourist sites. (Who wants to waste valuable vacation time standing in a queue?) It was well worth the price in my opinion!
A week wasn't long enough to visit everything I wanted to see, but highlights included the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, little Hagia Sofia, Chora Church, Hippodrome, Basilica cistern, Topkapi palace, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Dolmabahçe Palace, Galata tower, Taksim Square, a Turkish Bath at Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam (the Elixer of Life package is pricy but devine!), a luxury dinner cruise on the Bosphorus, a day-time cruise on the Bosphorus, plus visits to carpet shops, ceramic shops, cafes and restaurants. I also spent one evening enjoying a traditional Turkish dance and whirling dervish show at Hodjapasha dance theatre.
(I've been back to Istanbul many times since that first visit, and have still only seen a small fraction of what the city has to offer.)
Nearing the end of my trip, I hopped on an early morning flight (like 4AM early!) to the Cappadocia region and spent the next three days exploring the area. My visit included two day-long bus tours (I'm NOT a lover of bus tours), but the cave cities were unique and I got the chance to hike through some pretty unique rock formations. I also did a sunrise hot air-balloon ride, which was worth the early morning (like 4AM early!) wake-up call. My hotel (a "cave hotel", but I think they're all "cave hotels" in Cappadocia) package included a "cultural dance show", which was abysmal in comparison to the evening I spent at Hodjapasha in Istanbul. Three days was more than enough time for me in Cappadocia and I was quite happy to hop on the plane back to Istanbul.
Can you guess I think is the best city to visit?
My recommendation is to visit Athens for a day or two, but spend the majority of your time in Istanbul. Don't bother with the side-trip to Cappadocia if you only have a week or ten days for your holiday, but definitely splurge if you've got more time. You'll either love or hate each of the cities you visit. If you love them, you can always plan for a longer holiday next time.
Wishing you safe and happy travels, wherever in the world you travel!
Pictures from My Trip to Athens, Istanbul, and Cappadocia
Click on any image to expand it.
![Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Panagia Kapnikara), one of the oldest churches in Athens](../img/gallery/A0254-thumb.jpg)
![Marble columns of the ancient agora at Athens](../img/gallery/A0395-thumb.jpg)
![Temple of Hephaestus peaking out from behind trees](../img/gallery/A0485-thumb.jpg)
![Caryatid porch of the Erechtheion](../img/gallery/A0735-thumb.jpg)
![Marble columns of the Parthenon](../img/gallery/A0751-thumb.jpg)
![Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens](../img/gallery/A0756-thumb.jpg)
![Odeon of Herodes Atticus theater in the foreground, with the Parthenon high on the acropolis in the background](../img/gallery/A0803-thumb.jpg)
![The Acropolis surrounded by Athens proper as seen from Lycabettus Hill](../img/gallery/A1105-thumb.jpg)
![Two columns at the Temple of Olympian Zeus frame the Parthenon in the background](../img/gallery/A1182-thumb.jpg)
![The stone-wall face of an ancient theater still in use today](../img/gallery/B2300-thumb.jpg)
![Evzones soldier standing at attention in front of the Tomb of the Uknown soldier at the Greek Parliament Buildings in Athens](../img/gallery/B2349-thumb.jpg)
![The structures at the Acropolis in Athens look pink and gold in the late afternoon sun](../img/gallery/D4791-thumb.jpg)
![People and pigeons milling about a pedestrian area in Athens beneath the acropolis](../img/gallery/D4805-thumb.jpg)
![Colourful silk Turkish rugs laid out for display in a carpet seller's shop](../img/gallery/A5761-thumb.jpg)
![Museum-quality ceramics on display in a pottery studio and shop](../img/gallery/A5833-thumb.jpg)
![Museum-quality ceramics on display in a pottery studio and shop](../img/gallery/A5836-thumb.jpg)
![Two ceramic whirling dervish figures displayed in front of ceramic plates with a similar motif](../img/gallery/A5870-thumb.jpg)
![The hands of a woman knotting an intricate silk carpet](../img/gallery/A5923-thumb.jpg)
![Balls of dyed silk thread used to make carpets](../img/gallery/D0395-thumb.jpg)
![The Blue Mosque / Sultan Ahmet Mosque in Istanbul](../img/gallery/A5945-thumb.jpg)
![Istanbul's Blue Mosque / Sultan Ahmet Mosque](../img/gallery/C3806-thumb.jpg)
![Stained glass windows in Istanbul's Hagia Sofia](../img/gallery/A6239-thumb.jpg)
![The great room of the Hagia Sofia as seen from the 2nd floor mezzanine](../img/gallery/A6255-thumb.jpg)
![Hagia Sofia in Istanbul](../img/gallery/C3803-thumb.jpg)
![Colourful spices for sale in Istanbul's iconic spice market](../img/gallery/A6925-thumb.jpg)
![A Turkish coffee service made of hammered silver on display in the Grand Bazaar](../img/gallery/E3415-thumb.jpg)
![Overlooking rooftops, domes, and minarets towards boats travelling on the Bosphorus](../img/gallery/A6986-thumb.jpg)
![Main entrance to the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul](../img/gallery/C3643-thumb.jpg)
![Brass artwork depicting Galata Tower and surrounding area when the tower was first erected](../img/gallery/C3667-thumb.jpg)
![Engraved column marking the center of the infamous Hippodrom in Turkey](../img/gallery/C3763-thumb.jpg)
![Stained glass window](../img/gallery/C3781-thumb.jpg)
![Mosaic artwork of Jesus on the ceiling of the Chora Church](../img/gallery/D0417-thumb.jpg)
![A male dancer leaping in the air during a cultural dance performance in an old, converted hamam](../img/gallery/E3667-thumb.jpg)
![Dozens of hot air balloons floating above the badlands at Cappadocia](../img/gallery/A7374-thumb.jpg)
![A single hot air balloon hovers above the fairy chimneys at Cappadocia](../img/gallery/A7541-thumb.jpg)
![The town of Uçhisar provides background to the raw beauty of fairy chimneys in the foreground](../img/gallery/A7556-thumb.jpg)
![Fairy chimneys are a geologic formation created when wind and water erode the soft rock on the lower layer, and leave a 'cap' of harder rock on top](../img/gallery/A7725-thumb.jpg)
![Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Panagia Kapnikara), one of the oldest churches in Athens](../img/gallery/A0254.jpg)
![Marble columns of the ancient agora at Athens](../img/gallery/A0395.jpg)
![Temple of Hephaestus peaking out from behind trees](../img/gallery/A0485.jpg)
![Caryatid porch of the Erechtheion](../img/gallery/A0735.jpg)
![Marble columns of the Parthenon](../img/gallery/A0751.jpg)
![Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens](../img/gallery/A0756.jpg)
![Odeon of Herodes Atticus theater in the foreground, with the Parthenon high on the acropolis in the background](../img/gallery/A0803.jpg)
![The Acropolis surrounded by Athens proper as seen from Lycabettus Hill](../img/gallery/A1105.jpg)
![Two columns at the Temple of Olympian Zeus frame the Parthenon in the background](../img/gallery/A1182.jpg)
![The stone-wall face of an ancient theater still in use today](../img/gallery/B2300.jpg)
![Evzones soldier standing at attention in front of the Tomb of the Uknown soldier at the Greek Parliament Buildings in Athens](../img/gallery/B2349.jpg)
![The structures at the Acropolis in Athens look pink and gold in the late afternoon sun](../img/gallery/D4791.jpg)
![People and pigeons milling about a pedestrian area in Athens beneath the acropolis](../img/gallery/D4805.jpg)
![Colourful silk Turkish rugs laid out for display in a carpet seller's shop](../img/gallery/A5761.jpg)
![Museum-quality ceramics on display in a pottery studio and shop](../img/gallery/A5833.jpg)
![Museum-quality ceramics on display in a pottery studio and shop](../img/gallery/A5836.jpg)
![Two ceramic whirling dervish figures displayed in front of ceramic plates with a similar motif](../img/gallery/A5870.jpg)
![The hands of a woman knotting an intricate silk carpet](../img/gallery/A5923.jpg)
![Balls of dyed silk thread used to make carpets](../img/gallery/D0395.jpg)
![The Blue Mosque / Sultan Ahmet Mosque in Istanbul](../img/gallery/A5945.jpg)
![Istanbul's Blue Mosque / Sultan Ahmet Mosque](../img/gallery/C3806.jpg)
![Stained glass windows in Istanbul's Hagia Sofia](../img/gallery/A6239.jpg)
![The great room of the Hagia Sofia as seen from the 2nd floor mezzanine](../img/gallery/A6255.jpg)
![Hagia Sofia in Istanbul](../img/gallery/C3803.jpg)
![Colourful spices for sale in Istanbul's iconic spice market](../img/gallery/A6925.jpg)
![A Turkish coffee service made of hammered silver on display in the Grand Bazaar](../img/gallery/E3415.jpg)
![Overlooking rooftops, domes, and minarets towards boats travelling on the Bosphorus](../img/gallery/A6986.jpg)
![Main entrance to the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul](../img/gallery/C3643.jpg)
![Brass artwork depicting Galata Tower and surrounding area when the tower was first erected](../img/gallery/C3667.jpg)
![Engraved column marking the center of the infamous Hippodrom in Turkey](../img/gallery/C3763.jpg)
![Stained glass window](../img/gallery/C3781.jpg)
![Mosaic artwork of Jesus on the ceiling of the Chora Church](../img/gallery/D0417.jpg)
![A male dancer leaping in the air during a cultural dance performance in an old, converted hamam](../img/gallery/E3667.jpg)
![Dozens of hot air balloons floating above the badlands at Cappadocia](../img/gallery/A7374.jpg)
![A single hot air balloon hovers above the fairy chimneys at Cappadocia](../img/gallery/A7541.jpg)
![The town of Uçhisar provides background to the raw beauty of fairy chimneys in the foreground](../img/gallery/A7556.jpg)
![Fairy chimneys are a geologic formation created when wind and water erode the soft rock on the lower layer, and leave a 'cap' of harder rock on top](../img/gallery/A7725.jpg)