You should definitely check out the local markets like the Spice Market and bazaars for the ambience, smells and color. Also there are some beautiful little villages along the Bosphorus which should not be missed – the Bosphorus shores have some of the most expensive restaurants and clubs of all Istanbul. I really liked Ortakoy village – it’s very relaxed, there is a nice flea market and it’s a nice place to have a beer and watch the sunset over Istanbul with a good choice of restaurants.

For our visit we used a wonderful tour company who arranged our trip as we wanted – https://www.byzastoursturkey.com . I would recommend them if you need help with any kind of travel arrangements.

Also definitely make sure you try a Turkish coffee and some baklavas – the famous dessert from there. They are so sweet but delicious.

No, I didn’t get the mini guide, did you email it to me? Thanks…

Greece is so rich in history that even the subways are mini-museums full of artifacts that would be priceless finds in other countries. The food is awesome, I realized how crappy some olive oils here pretending to be top quality really are after going for olive oil tastings in Athens. You must try that! Also, if you like cameos there are some small shops selling hand-crafted ones which are pricey but worth it. Stay away from the part of the old market with the Starbucks and all those things. Tourist traps!!! (Spoken by a victim) If you need any more info or you want to see pictures just let me know.

In Istanbul, places worth visiting are the Topkapi Palace and its treasury section, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and the Aya Sofia. We particularly enjoyed visiting the Spice Market. Istiklal St. in Taksim Square is quite touristy and crowded but we had a real good meal of grilled lamb chops and chicken at a very reasonable price.

If you have time to go out of the city, don’t miss the Cappadocia region and its awesome fairy chimneys, hollowed out dwellings and monastery and the Kaymakli underground city.

Other out of town places worth the trip are Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary in Kusadasi, Hierapolis and the petrified calcium clifffs in Pamukkale and the Acropolis in Pergamon. Turkey is so big that you will find yourself spending quite a bit of time on the road if you want to visit some of the places mentioned above. We also found Turkish people very nice and helpful. Even in the Grand Bazaar, vendors were not hard sellers at all.

In Greece, you would obviously want to visit the Parthenon and the Placa district just down the hill. Yes it’s touristy but it manages to remain quaint. Plenty of good places to eat too but can be pricey.

For out of town places, at the top of my list would be the monasteries sitting on towering rock cliffs in Meteora and the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi.

Hope you and the family enjoy both countries as much as we did.