Italy, Turkey & Greek Islands

[keefergksm]

Stopping in Sicily, Mykonos, Athens, Istanbul, Ephesus, Santorini and Naples in late September.  Does anyone have any "must" sees on this itinerary, or any "should not" sees?

[JeanieC,Aston]

If you only have one day it Istanbul I would do the ships excursion to see Hagia Sophia,The Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar.,,,,the 3 must sees in Istanbul.

If you don’t like being hassled give the Bazaar a miss.

[MISTER 67]

So many things to see. Try to do the Taormina trip if your port is Messina in Sicily. The previous poster is right on the things to see in Istanbul, nothing to add, Haiga Sophia is amazing.

Ephesus is a great trip, you will walk on the same walkways that  Marc Antony and Cleopatra walked on not to mention St. Paul. In Santorini, it's the town that is worth the trip with great views of the island and harbor, make sure you take the ride on the tram down the mountain to get back to the pier and tenders. Of course in Athens, the Acropolis and Parthenon are a must as is a stroll through the Plaka. Take time to see the changing of the guard at the Greek Capital building, you can walk there from the Plaka.

From Naples we had a great tour stopping in Sorrento in the morning and Pompeii in the afternoon, Pompeii is unbelievable with great views of Visuvius.

Have a great trip.

Edited January 30, 2023 by MISTER 67

[George C]

For Naples I would visit Pompeii then return to Naples for the best pizza in the world. 

[JeanieC,Aston]

In Santorini when you get off the tender there is a fast speedboat to Oia,with the same ticket you return on the bus to Fira,,then the funicular back down to the dock.

Makes for a nice few hours trip.

I find Fira a tourist trap full of tat shops and overpriced restaurants.

Good for the experience the first time.

And the sunset is something else if you sail out of the caldera late.

 

Please don’t come down on a donkey,if you decide to walk down the steps(588 steps) bear in mind the donkey poo on the steps.lol.

Edited January 30, 2023 by JeanieC,Aston

[newtocruiseinblue]

4 hours ago, keefergksm said:

Stopping in Sicily, Mykonos, Athens, Istanbul, Ephesus, Santorini and Naples in late September.  Does anyone have any "must" sees on this itinerary, or any "should not" sees?

The Greek theater in Taorimina (Sicily)

Either Amalfi, Positano or Capri in Naples

The Celsus Library in Ephesus 

[Jeremiah1212]

4 hours ago, keefergksm said:

Stopping in Sicily, Mykonos, Athens, Istanbul, Ephesus, Santorini and Naples in late September.  Does anyone have any "must" sees on this itinerary, or any "should not" sees?

 

Taormina is a great little town although it's apparently experiencing a little boom since White Lotus was released. A private transfer is a bit pricy from Messina. The train down is also very easy and far less expensive. 

 

Istanbul also doesn't really need a tour if you want to visit the previously mentioned mosques. Istanbul is a massive place. Do some research to see what interests you. 

 

Ephesus is fantastic. A private tour there is 100x better than a coach tour. We paid $140ish for 4 people with a guide and a driver for an all day tour. Kasudasi itself has some pretty good restaurants along the waterfront. 

 

Plan accordingly if there are multiple large ships in Santorini the same day. Unfortunately the crowds can really change the experience. 

 

Naples can be a starting point that will allow you to see Capri by ferry, Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, Sorrento, etc. or just explore Naples. Unfortunately you can't do it all. Do you research to see what appeals the most.  

 

It's a really great itinerary but with the number of ports involved you definitely have to spend some time researching and planning. 

[Nado44]

6 hours ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

If you don’t like being hassled give the Bazaar a miss.

 

I actually loved the Grand Bazaar. Punto Carpet store for Turkish rugs and kilims.

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

If you only have one day it Istanbul I would do the ships excursion to see Hagia Sophia,The Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar.,,,,the 3 must sees in Istanbul.

If you don’t like being hassled give the Bazaar a miss.

 

I'd substitute Topkapi Palace for the Grand Bazaar. If you must shop, the Spice Bazaar is more photogenic and the bazaar alongside the Blue Mosque has much finer items -- some of which are actually from Turkey and not from China.

[cruisemom42]

There is a lot of information on these ports on the Mediterranean board here on Cruise Critic -- good place to go for specific questions about each port. 

[JeanieC,Aston]

For Ephesus you will dock in Kusadasi a great place to get a 10€ Lacoste polo shirt or that 20€ Rolex you have always wanted.😁

[BigAl94]

7 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'd substitute Topkapi Palace for the Grand Bazaar. If you must shop, the Spice Bazaar is more photogenic and the bazaar alongside the Blue Mosque has much finer items -- some of which are actually from Turkey and not from China.

Agree 100% - you have never seen and never will see anything like the contents of The Treasury at the Palace.

[Markanddonna]

17 hours ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

If you only have one day it Istanbul I would do the ships excursion to see Hagia Sophia,The Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar.,,,,the 3 must sees in Istanbul.

If you don’t like being hassled give the Bazaar a miss.

Blue Mosque is currently under renovation so check the status. It is not worth the visit at this time 

[JeanieC,Aston]

5 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

Blue Mosque is currently under renovation so check the status. It is not worth the visit at this time 

I’ve checked,,this I believe is the latest info…..

 

Restoration Status at Blue Mosque in 2023

As of January 1, 2023, the mosque was completely closed for 2 months to speed up the restoration. For this reason, the Blue Mosque will be closed until March 1, 2023 for renovations.7 Jan 2023