Istanbul · FOOD & DRINK
Good food & drink fill up fast here, and the best go first. Below are the 15 to book early, what each one includes and exactly how they differ.
Small-group Istanbul food night with street snacks, rooftop tea and salep, then a feast at a 140-year-old family restaurant.
“We had a large group from several counties. The guide was friendly and engaging. She introduced us to classic and new Turkish food, sweets, and drinks. I appreciated her take on current events and the local cat population too!”
Guided Turkish food tour in Istanbul with a ferry ride to Kadıköy, 20 tastings, 5 drinks, and panoramic views across two continents.
“This a great tour that I highly recommend especially to those who haven’t been to Istanbul. Our tour guide, Salim, was very accommodating and knowledgeable not only about the different food with sampled but also about the history and information about Turkey. He was able to weave this into the stories and description that he shared throughout the day. There’s a bit of a walk involved throughout the trip which I think is great because you’re able to take a break after each food stop. Make sure to start the tour with an empty stomach cause you will be happily full by the end!Read more”
A 3-hour Istanbul food night with street tastings, a rooftop panoramic view, and a multi-course dinner ending with künefe.
“My wife & I had an awesome experience with Zey as our tour guide & the group that we were with. She’s really passionate about her native roots & brings out the best of Istanbul. My wife & I 100% recommend getting her as your tour guide to have a great time whenever you plan your next trip to Istanbul.”
A 4-hour Istanbul food and culture tour across the Bosphorus by ferry, with Kadıköy markets, Kurdish bites, tea in tulip glasses, and dessert.
“Our tour was outstanding. Barak was a fabulous guide - highly recommend him! Knows the history and culture of the city extremely well, and customized the tour for a vegetarian and nut allergen diet. He was great!!! Definitely ate our way well through hidden parts of the city!”
Private 3-hour Istanbul food tour with 10 local tastings in Beyoğlu, plus city highlights near Cicek Pasaji and Avrupa Pasaji.
“So grateful for this tour! We had a great time and tasted lots of great food. So great that we’re doing another one tomorrow!”
Beyoğlu half-day food tour in Istanbul: Galata Bridge, Istiklal Street bites, Çiçek Pasajı sweets, and a funicular ride in English.
“We had a great time, sampled lots of different things and our guide was super! Would definitely recommend it!”
Taste 12+ Kadıköy bites and sips on Istanbul’s Asian side, guided by locals. Turkish breakfast, pide, lahmacun, coffee and more.
“Excellent Tour! Our group of 9 ranged in age from 10 to 50 years old and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all. It was a great way to see the city of Istanbul and to learn and experience its culture. Some of group members even helped to prepare food at one of our stops. Our guide, Melis, was knowlegeable and thoughtful and the food was delicious! Out of all the tours we did during our vacation to Greece and Turkey, we all agree this was our favorite. Looking forward to finding a Turkish restaurant to enjoy the food at home.”
5-hour Istanbul food tour across Europe and Asia by ferry with 9 tastings, dinner, dessert, and tea or coffee in a small group.
“What an amazing night with Burak. He was a great guide and told great stories. We are at so many different places - come very hungry! We would highly recommend!”
Private guided Istanbul food tour with Turkish breakfast, coffee and baklava, ferry to Kadikoy, mussels and kebabs, gluten-free and veg options.
“Our guide knew Istanbul inside and out. Very informative food tour. Very qualify and knowledgable to secure any tourism”
Small-group Istanbul street food tour with breakfast, lunch, Bosphorus ferry rides, Kadıköy market bites, and a sweet finale of künefe and dondurma.
“A nice adventure through both sides of the Bosphorus Strait sampling various Turkish foods. You won’t be hungry for dinner after this tour!”
Private Istanbul food tour with 10 tastings, Turkish delight and dürüm, city highlights, and an English guide. 3 hours, carbon-neutral.
“Emre Aygün was an excellent guide – extremely knowledgeable, engaging, and professional. He shared fascinating insights that made our experience both memorable and meaningful. We truly appreciated his expertise and highly recommend him.”
A 4-hour private Istanbul shopping walk in Sultanahmet, with Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, ceramics, carpets, and Turkish coffee tasting.
“Eylem was our tour guide for our family of 4 and she was SO GREAT!!! Very nice and intuitive, customized the tour for us and spent extra time with us! Took us lamp shopping, bags, carpets, ceramics. Did not feel very tired, frequent stops and ability to try different desserts. She also has great food recommendations. We had such a great time touring the Grand Bazaar, and learning some history as well. 100/10!!”
Taste real Turkish street food and meze in Kadıköy, cross the Bosphorus on a commuter ferry, and eat your way through local markets.
“It has always been our belief that tasting the local street food is as important as visiting historical monuments if one needs to understand the culture of a place. Thus, we booked this tour hoping to get a glimpse of the wonderful Turkish cuisine that we had heard so much about before. Çetin saw to it that we were given the royal treatment. His insights into the Turkish cuisine, it's history and influences from other neighbouring cuisines were fascinating. We were planning before to do such a tour on our own, but knowing what to order is one thing and knowing where to order it from is a completely different…”
Private Istanbul street food tour with a ferry ride to Kadiköy, Spice Bazaar and markets, plus 14+ local tastings with an English guide.
“Kemal exceeded our expectations and deserves special thanks. He immediately put us at ease with his friendly, welcoming personality. Kemal provided a wealth of information on local customs and traditions associated with the food we enjoyed from why Turkish tea is served in a tulip-shaped glass to the history behind a famous baklava bakery. We enjoyed soup, excellent bread & kebabs, Turkish pizza and more, served in small cafes and shops frequented by locals. A great storyteller, Kemal never hesitated to patiently answer our questions with a smile and an occasional brief history lesson. And we were particularly impressed with his genuine pride in his country. Bottom line, Kemal's knowledge…”
4-hour Istanbul walking food tour in Kadıköy: sample lahmacun, döner, menemen, muhlama, pide, desserts, plus cat stories.
“This was my first food tour and it far exceeded any expectations I had. Meliss was personable and knowledgeable and gave a lot of good information about the food we were having and Kodikoy - the very interesting area we were in. She is very enthusiastic and fun to be with. The food we had was delicious. Meliss knows the restaurant owners, and it was fun to interact with them. The tour was well-organized. One other man in the group said he’d been on a number of food tours, and this was the best one he’d been on. I give it a five-star rating.Read more”
Every kind of day out in the city, and the best of each.
