We have two nights in Istanbul before boarding a cruise. We would like to buy a few bottles of wine and spirits which we are allowed to take on board. We are staying in a hotel in Sultanahmet area and prefer an easy to get to shop. Anyone have experience with this?
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
7323 posts
I can see quite a few liquor stores in Sultanahmet. Put your hotel in google maps and search for liquor store nearby.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
3318 posts
There are little markets selling alcohol all over, just keep your eyes out. A Turkish word you might use to search is "tekel" which I think is something like a state-run liquor store in USA.
Posted by
Portsmouth
5758 posts
I could only find small convenience stores selling beer (mainly), wine and spirits. The wine selection was pretty poor and expensive. I can't comment on spirits as I wasn't looking to buy any. How are you getting to Istanbul? If flying then the airport duty free would probably be a better option.
Posted by
OP
Alabama
21 posts
What about the Galataport duty free?
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
3318 posts
What about the Galataport duty free?
I'm sure that is an option, but you might find more info on CruiseCritic as there may be more people with experience actually going there. If you don't want to lug around your purchase pre-cruise then I would just plan on buying them there - you won't get a deal but it will be convenient.
FWIW, I wasn't a fan of Turkish wine and the other wine offerings I saw in stores were pretty limited. Beer is much more available and seems to be the preferred beverage choice. Spirits are rather spendy by comparison.