ISTANBUL
The pick of Istanbul.
The 15 most popular food tours in Istanbul. A short list of the ones worth planning a day around, with prices, run times and who to book with.
Eat your way through Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar and Kadıköy with 8-9 tastings, a Bosphorus ferry ride, and dondurma in Moda.
Most Popular“Ayse was a fantastic guide, and this tour was wonderful. We got to try a lot of different food, learned a lot about the history of the region. I would highly recommend!”
Guided Istanbul food tour with ferry ride, panoramic views, and 20 tastings across Kadıköy and Karaköy. $131 for 6 hours.
“Its a must, best food, takes you everywhere in istanbul and tour guide Binnar is the best guide”
Taste Istanbul after dark with street food stops, a rooftop tea view, and a traditional 130-year-old dinner featuring kebabs, meze, and künefe.
“Our guide, Suli, was extremely passionate about her job and truly brought the experience to life. She took us to several insider spots we never would have found on our own. We started with street food and the off to a beautiful rooftop view overlooking the lights of Istanbul, followed by a fantastic final restaurant…”
4-hour Istanbul guided food tour with Bosphorus ferry views, Kadıköy markets, Kurdish dishes, and dessert, priced at $136.
“Salih was an excellent source of information about Turkey and the food. He took us outside of our comfort zone at a couple of stops, which was perfect. He accommodated our request for a bar stop and some vegetarian options. The food was great (and plentiful) but the best part was the conversation.”
A small-group Beyoğlu food walk linking Galata and Taksim to Turkish flavors, sweets, and local drink stops, led by top guides.
“This was a lot of walking in very little food. Guide was hard to understand, which is OK if there’s enough food, in this case it wasn’t it was very long and drugged out absolutely not worth the cost.”
A 5-hour Istanbul food walking tour that crosses the Bosphorus to Kadıköy for tastings, dessert, and a full dinner.
“We had an amazing food tour in Istanbul with Salih — he was super friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience fun and easy. We tried some incredible local dishes, including a delicious lamb intestine sandwich (I can’t remember the name though), Turkish coffee, and probably one of the best desserts I’ve had in knafeh.…”
Private Kadıköy food tour with 10 tastings, raki and padi, plus opera-house and café stops, in about 3 hours.
“Guide great problem with transportation not sure on u. Car arrived one hour late but guide called u move up time one hour. Got stuck with car bill”
5-hour evening street food walk in Istanbul’s Fatih, with local bites, dessert, and tea, plus Golden Horn views and Kadınlar Pazarı.
“We had a very familial experience with our guide. It felt as if we were with an additional family member. He showed us all the great local spots which was amazing. This is an ALL walking tour, so be prepared! Ali was literally part of our family after the tour.”
Evening Istanbul food tour with hotel pickup, Taksim Square sights, cig kofte and lamb kebab tastings, plus sweets like kunefe.
“Ayhan was great. He introduced us to places we might have missed. We did the tour on our first day in Istanbul, so we were able to revisit the places and enjoy the dishes again.”
Small-group food and culture walk through Balat and Fener with snacks, 15+ dishes, great photo stops, and an Istanbul guidebook.
“We did this at the start of our trip which was a great way to explore and get a taste of Turkey. We knew what we wanted to try more of throughout the rest of our trip.”
Shop Kurtuluş markets, cook Turkish classics at a local home, and eat a cozy dinner with tea, Turkish coffee, and dessert.
“This was a really wonderful way to learn more about Turkish cooking and explore local food shops. We all met at a central location and Gülseh showed us around her neighborhood food shops. I loved that a lot of people greeted her in the street and welcomed us into their stores. It was a really…”
Private 3-hour Istanbul food tour with 10 tastings, Turkish delight and dürüm, plus city highlights from the Cihangir side.
A private Istanbul food tour through Grand Bazaar, Rustem Pasha Mosque, street snacks in Eminonu, and Misir Carsisi spices, with pickup options.
“Our culinary tour with Siman was top-notch. It was such an amazing way to see the city on a relaxed way, eating amazing foods along the way and learning from a local. Siman brought us to unique places that were not touristy at all and we never would have experienced on our own. I highly…”
Taste authentic Turkish food in Kadıköy with a local guide, meze samplings, market stops, and a commuter ferry crossing the Bosphorus.
Private 4-hour Istanbul food tour with Karaköy bites, ferry to Asia, Kadıköy market tastings, spice bazaar stops, and Turkish coffee.
“I am not normally an adventurous eater, but decided to go out of my comfort zone and try this culinary tour. Very happy I did. Ugur Kilerci was knowledgeable, personable, and fun. He explained the history and preparation of the food. I sampled a wide variety of items from main courses, snacks, sides dishes, pickled…”
From the strait to the old city to the day trips beyond, and every way to see them.
