NCL 14 day Middle East from Piraeus (Athens) Oct. 25, 2020

[Eeyoredagreat]

I am reposting my forum and hoping somebody can suggest anything.

I was able to book some tours form Tours by Locals Istanbul and Kusadassi.

 

It is my second time in Kusadassi, so we booked a tour to Pamukkale. It is a 9 hour tour but since this is our private group tour we can pick and choose how long we are going to be. Is it reasonable to go to Pamukalle? anyone have done it?

 

Athens, I have two days. Easy to do DIY?

 

I  have 10 ports to visit but I know most of these ports does not need tours. We can DIY. I need major help for any shore excursions or no need to do shore excursions. Just taxi around?Need recommendations on tour groups because we know ship's excursions are always more expensive. So here are my ports:

Athens (Piraeus), Greece	---	6:00 PM	0
Mon	Iraklion (Crete), Greece	8:00 AM	5:00 PM	0
Tue	At Sea	---	---	0
Wed	Ashdod, Israel	6:00 AM	10:00 PM	0
Thu	Haifa, Israel	6:00 AM	Overnight	0
Fri	Haifa, Israel	---	8:00 PM	0
Sat	Limassol, Cyprus	8:00 AM	5:00 PM	0
Sun	Alanya, Turkey	8:00 AM	5:00 PM	0
Mon	Rhodes, Greece	8:00 AM	5:00 PM	0
Tue	Kusadasi, Turkey	7:00 AM	6:00 PM	0
Wed	Bozcaada, Turkey	8:00 AM	5:00 PM	0
Thu	Istanbul, Turkey	7:00 AM	9:00 PM	0
Fri	At Sea	---	---	0
Sat	Mykonos, Greece	8:00 AM	6:00 PM	0
Sun	Athens (Piraeus),

[John Bull]

Athens. Yes you can make a decent fist of it in two days

Go to the Acropolis first, while it’s cool. It’s often closed on very hot afternoons.

 

From Ashdod, arrange with folk on the ship to share a taxi (difficult to fix sharers in port because you are bussed to port gate. Taxi to Jerusalem about 50 euros e/w, get dropped at the walled city gate by King David”s statue and join a free (tip the guide) Sandemans New Jerusalem walking tour. You do need a walking tour of some sort because you’d very quickly get lost in the maze of alleys.

 

Haifa - there are van tours to Nazareth plus kibbutz plus River Jordan baptisms plus Sea of Galilee. Very comprehensive, excellent value. Long day, so do it on Day One. Last time we were there the cruise terminal had changed a lot and we didn’t see the vans lined up. So best to prebook

Day 2, mebbe train half an hour north to the Crusaders fortress at Accra / Acre  /  various spellings. Haifa station is right by the cruise port entrance, frequent trains, the walk from station to fortress is a bit if a hike,

Or unless the ground is wet, taxi to the top of the gardens in Haifa and walk down through the gardens. But because the steps are slippery when wet it’s closed during

and after rain.

 

Alanya mebbe treat it as a lazy day. Pleasant historic centre right by the pier.

 

Rhodes. Very pleasant around the pier area. 

Perhaps we should have ventured further

 

Istanbul. Take the tram from the cruise port to Sultanahmet. Very easy, only one route. Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Roman cistern etc are all here

Then walk across to the top of the main bazaar and down through it to the Galata bridge, then tram back to the ship.

 

Mykonos. Super little place, very laid - back, neat little harbour, immaculate little alleyways, backed by the iconic windmills.or options of ferry to Delos or taxi to a beach.

 

Sorry, no links. I’m out in the Serengeti bush with poor WiFi and an elderly I Pad

 

JB 😀

 

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by John Bull