Which to visit: Istanbul or Petra and Amman?

commasense
Sun, 18 Jan 2026 16:33:08 +0000
In My Humble Opinion

We have just booked a Viking river cruise in Egypt, and are considering two extensions, but we can’t afford both. So if you have been to these places, which would you recommend: three days in Istanbul or four days in Jordan, visiting Petra, the Dead Sea, and Amman?

The details for each are here. Scroll down to the section that says “Pre and Post Cruise Extansions.”

We were inclined toward Istanbul, but in light of the horrific things that Erdogan, the Trump of Turkey, has been up to, we are troubled about supporting his regime in any way. Yes, withholding the few thousand dollars we’d spend in Turkey isn’t going to change much, but you can make that argument about any boycott, or even about voting.

On the other hand, we’re 70 and 65 years old, and might never have the chance to visit a post-Erodgan Turkey. Do we set aside our principles for the sake of our personal enrichment?

But although you may feel free to address the ethical issues, we’re primarily interested in hearing from people who have visited both places and their opinions of the relative value of seeing each. Once we’ve heard some of your ideas, we’ll bring the ethical question back into the mix.

Thanks.

25 posts - 15 participants