We will be in Istanbul for 1-1/2 days with our cruise. What are the highlights to see? Should we bother with a "authentic" dinner (part of an excursion with the ship)? Can we do Istanbul on foot after getting a taxi from the ship?

There are several detailed trip reports on Turkey. Click on "View by country" next to the "Start a new topic" box and select Turkey and you should find plenty of information.

Read a couple of reports and look at a guide book or click on Fodors "Destinations" to see what the hightlights of Istanbul are.

You can do Istanbul by foot. I would think your cruise ship would have information and maps of the city.

istanbul is definitely doable on foot. It is an amazing city with lots to see. You can find plenty of good Turkish restaurants, really cheap, on your own....you don't need to pay for an excursion. Be sure to visit the Blue Mosque, it is beautiful inside. For relaxation, try the turkish baths, truly relaxing.

During our visit in May we noticed that the cruise ships docked really close to one of the tram stops. You could get on the tram and go to the Sultanahmet. Most of the sites are very close to that stop. The trams are much faster than taxis since they have their own travel lane. You are short on time to see even just the highlights so don't waste time in traffic.

If you were dropped off at the square in front of the Hagia Sofia...you would be within walking distance of a large number of the main sites of the old city. Much more than a day or two of visiting.

I would use recommendations from here for restaurants

Michel_ and everyone concerned,

as of the first of this month the whole square in front of Hagia Sofia, the road around the Hipodrome and the ones on three sides of the Blue Mosque are closed to traffic.

Many lodgers at the hotels close to hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque are having difficulty reaching their hotels, except by foot.

The tram seems to be the preferred mode of transport under the circumstances.

m3573,

do not be herded into a restaurant with a tour and have a plate of possibly some undesirables thrown in fron of you.

If you do not mind paying, go to Borsa Restaurant near Taksim, at the new convention center for an excellent traditional Turkish dinner with terrific service. If you like lamb, go for the chops or for the slow roast (tandir, in Turkish)

there are good Turkish restaurants on the roof of the Ceylan Intercontinental, taksim area and within the palace section of the Kempinsky on the Bosphorus. More expensive but also more touristy. Yet eating in a palace is a significant event.

If you like a totally different type of menu, try Changa restaurant (if the original at Taksim is closed for the summer, you may need to take a cab all the way to Emirgan, or better still, take an IDO Sea Taxi from the docks.

They have fusion with a capital "F", using intricate mixes of Turkish and Far Eastern ingredients.

If you like the idea of taking the sea taxi, you can go to "Iskele Restaurant near the European Fortress (Rumeli Hisar) which looks terrific at night from the sea, all lit up, mysterious and dominant. They will have expensive food and starters at a terrific location.

Closer to the docks (still recommend water taxi) is the excellent Italian Restaurant, Mia Mensa, and the Turkish popular Ask Kahvesi, "LOve Cafe" next to it.

Or you can go to one of the Supper Clubs Reina or Sortie and pick one of the six restaurants in either.

You should get someone to make reservations for you at all of the above.

I forgot, within walking distance of the docks, towards the Black Sea direction, there is Sardunya Restaurant in the building of the Marine Chamber of Commerce. It is good quality food, good service, not too exobitant, a reasonably good wine list, good quality clientelle and sometimes live music.

OC,
I'll hikack this thread a bit and ask if you have any Turkish wine recommendations. We were not impressed with selection from local store.

Our "uncle" whose house we were staying at was consulting on helping set up a vineyard on an island off of Izmir. He thought wines from that region were better.

Hi Michel,

My wife is the expert in our family. however, i will make a few general comments :

- Doluca wines are generally decent. I like the Kav and the DLC. Okuzgozu/Bogazkere or their Merlots.

- Kavaklidere also has decent wines. A medium priced wine is "Selection" but different years have different qualities, and i have to ask everytime i order one.

Sarafin has good Sauvignon Blanc.

"Kalecik Karasi" grapes are usually very smooth but go for the medium to expensive bottles. The cheaper ones do not keep well.

Sevilen is also a good brand. Karya has some good wines.

I prefer the Doluca or Sevilen brands for the cheaper wines.
villa Doluca is acceptable and Doluca Antik is OK.

the Bozcaada wines like Corvus are overpriced and not good value.

Of the local wines, i prefer the cappadocia wines to the Aegean ones.

OC

Here's a list of high scoring wines by a jury (hopefully not a hung one) :

Sevilen Syrah Cabarnet 2007 (91), Prodom Sevilen Syrah Cabarnet 2006 (90), Kavaklidere Egeo Cabarnet Sauvignon-Merlot 2007 (89), Kavaklidere Sweet Dry White 1999 (88), Turasan Cabarnet Sauvignon-Merlot-Shiraz 2008 (88), Urla Wineries Bogazkere 2009 (88), Doluca Karma Cabarnet Sauvignon Öküzgözu 2007 (88), Urla Wineries Urla Karası 2009 (88) , Doluca Kav Tugra Kalecik Karası 2008 (87), Kavaklidere Avanos(Cappadocia) Narince Chardonnay 2009 (87), Doluca Signium 2007 (87), Sevilen Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (86), Melen MLN Cabarnet Sauvignon Roze 2009 (86), Likya Kızılbek Merlot & Syrah & Oküzgözü 2008 (86), Sevilen Premium Syrah & Merlot 2006 (86), Kayra Vintage Merlot 2008 (86), Büyülübağ Shah 2008 (86), Likya Kızılbel Cabarnet Sauvignon and Bogazkere 2008 (86), Sevilen Premium Syrah and Merlot 2006 (86).

I wonder if the competition was done by Sevilen.