Cheap Flights from Athens International to Istanbul

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Find the cheapest month or even day of the year to fly to Istanbul

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Flight deals from Athens International to Istanbul

Looking for a cheap last-minute deal or the best return flight from Athens International Airport to Istanbul? If you want to travel next month, return fares start from $201. Find the lowest prices on one-way and return tickets right here.

Find the cheapest month to fly from Athens International to Istanbul

We’re always keeping an eye on fares, so you can find the best one in seconds. It looks like Athens International to Istanbul flights are currently cheapest in January.

Direct flights from Athens International to Istanbul

Alternative Athens International to Istanbul routes

Looking for the cheapest, fastest or easiest route from Athens International to Istanbul? You could fly into the following airports instead.

Athens to Istanbul: Flight information

The things to know before you go.
Cheapest flight found$154
Cheapest month to flyJanuary
Average flight time1 hr, 30 mins
Most popular airlineTurkish Airlines
Average flights per week300

Finding cheap flights from Athens International to Istanbul: Frequently asked questions

There are 2 airports in Istanbul: Istanbul Sabiha and Istanbul.
The best price we found for a return flight from Athens International to Istanbul is $154. This is an estimate based on information collected from different airlines and travel providers over the last 4 days and is subject to change and availability.
1 hour and 30 minutes is the average flight time from Athens International to Istanbul.
Turkish Airlines, Aegean Airlines and Sichuan Airlines fly direct from Athens International to Istanbul.
As of June 2026, there are 300 flights per week flying from Athens International to Istanbul.
The cheapest month to fly from Athens International to Istanbul is usually January.
If you're flying from Athens International Airport, the cheapest airport near Istanbul is Istanbul – which is 34.4 km away from the centre of Istanbul. We've found flights into this airport from $154.
After crunching the numbers on our flight calendar, we found that it's currently cheapest to fly from Athens International Airport to Istanbul on Thursday, 14 January 2027.
Yes – the average flight time is 1 hour and 30 minutes.
We show every price from over 1,200 airlines and travel agents, comparing them all so you don’t have to. If you know you want to fly to Istanbul but you’re not ready to book, set up a Price Alert. We’ll track prices for you, and let you know when they rise or fall.
We crunched all the numbers in our flight calendar and it looks like the cheapest time to book a flight to Istanbul is around 40 days in advance, so don’t leave your flight to the last minute.
In June, the average temperature is usually around 21°C. August is typically the warmest month in Istanbul, when it usually averages around 27°C. You can expect the least rain in August. The coldest month is January, with temperatures averaging 4°C. The rainiest month is December.
Currently, SKY express offers the cheapest flight tickets to Istanbul.

Travelling from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH) to Istanbul: what you need to know

  • Take a direct flight from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul and you'll be in the air for around 1 hour 35 minutes.

  • Istanbul is one hour ahead of Athens, where Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is located. Istanbul runs on the UTC+3 timezone.

  • The busiest flight route is from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH) to Istanbul Airport (IST). You can pick from 62 services between these airports every week.

  • Give yourself plenty of time to make your ATH to Istanbul flight. A good rule of thumb is to arrive two hours before international departures and an hour ahead for domestic flights.

  • You can expect longer queues during popular months such as July. Arriving up to four hours ahead of international flights and two hours for domestic departures is a wise move.

  • Start your trip at ATH and travel nonstop to Istanbul Airport (IST). That's where you can expect to touch down when searching for Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul tickets.

  • These are some of the popular airlines operating direct flights from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul:

  • Stopovers are the perfect opportunity to break up your trip and perhaps even explore another city. When searching for plane tickets from ATH to Istanbul, uncheck the 'Direct flights only' box to see where you can visit along the way. Consider one of these popular options:

    • Vienna International Airport (VIE)

    • Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB)

    • Thessaloniki International Makedonia Airport (SKG)

  • The journey from central Athens to ATH takes about 40 minutes by public transport. If you drive, ride-share or take a taxi, you'll cover the 19 kilometres in 35 minutes or so, depending on traffic.

  • Catching an early flight from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul? Avoid rushing to the terminal (and get some extra shut-eye) by choosing one of these stays close to ATH:

  • Of all flights departing from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, 76% arrive on time at their destination.

How to find the cheapest flights from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH) to Istanbul

  • $83 is currently the best price for a one-way Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul flight. Return plane tickets start at $154. These prices can change based on availability and demand.

  • Book six months before you want to fly. Research on pricing trends suggests this is the ideal window for finding cheap flights from ATH to Istanbul.

  • The best month for picking up cheap Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul tickets is November. Use the 'Whole month' tool to compare all available prices, then choose the dates offering the lowest fares.

  • You don't need to check in daily to see if fares have dropped when you set up a Price Alert. We'll notify you as soon as there's an even better deal on cheap flights from ATH to Istanbul.

  • Select your preferred departure and arrival times, airlines and number of stops with our filters. Then, sort the results for your flight from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul by 'Cheapest,' 'Best' or 'Fastest.'

Airports in Istanbul

Istanbul Airport (IST)

  • Istanbul Airport (IST) to central Istanbul takes about 45 minutes by car. The centre is roughly 40 kilometres away.

  • If you're travelling on public transport, expect a journey time of about 1 hour 10 minutes.

  • The last thing you want is a long journey to your hotel if you're getting in late on a flight from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul. Check in to one of these accommodation options near IST instead:

  • To get the lowest price, book your ride from Istanbul Airport around two weeks ahead of your flight from ATH to Istanbul.

Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW)

  • Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) is around 48 kilometres from central Istanbul. Once you've disembarked your flight from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul, it'll take you around 1 hour 5 minutes to reach the heart of the city in a taxi or ride-share.

  • If you choose to travel on public transport, the ride to the centre takes 1 hour 40 minutes or so.

  • Hang the 'Do not disturb' sign on your door and rest at a hotel close to SAW. Here are a few options where you can take a load off after your ATH to Istanbul flight:

  • Avoid potential price surges. Securing your ride four weeks before your arrival at SAW can help you lock in a better rate.

Best time to go to Istanbul

  • It's time to work out your dates for your flight from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul. August is the most popular month to travel to Istanbul. If you prefer a quieter vibe, go in February.

  • Lock in a Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul plane ticket with a departure in July if you want to experience the city during its warmest month. Expect temperatures to range from 21ºC to 30ºC.

  • Look for cheap tickets from ATH to Istanbul in January if you want to travel in cooler conditions. Temperatures are at their lowest then, ranging between 2ºC and 11ºC on average.

More about Istanbul

  • Start your Istanbul trip right by choosing the ideal place to stay. As soon as you've booked your flight from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Istanbul, check out our selection of hotels including:

  • There are so many things to see and do in this city it can be difficult to know where to start. Historic Areas of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia Museum and Hagia Sophia History Museum are popular attractions which should feature on any good Istanbul itinerary.

Explore more of Türkiye (Turkey)

  • Ankara is just one of the many cities in Türkiye (Turkey) waiting to be explored after you've seen Istanbul. Around 354 kilometres away to the east, its best attractions include The Roman Theatre, Kocatepe Mosque (Kocatepe Camii) and Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.

  • Around 322 kilometres southwest of Istanbul, Izmir is another essential stop in Türkiye (Turkey). Get a taste of what this destination has to offer at Aegean Coast, Smyrna Basilika and Ataturk Konak Square.

Prices shown on this page are estimated lowest prices only. Found in the last 45 days.