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Taste of Istanbul Food Tours
Experience the true vibe of Istanbul by joining us on a foodie walk in the city that spreads across the historical city center and through Istanbul’s vibrant neighboring districts. We will lead you to the best traditional Turkish restaurants, cafes and shops throughout the city that we have carefully selected for being run by locals whose passion is to serve authentic and delicious Turkish food, accompanied with the typical warm-hearted Turkish hospitality. With Taste of Istanbul Food Tours, you will have the chance to explore the captivating sights, have the opportunity to taste mouth-watering delicacies of the Turkish cuisine and hear the stories that lie behind the classic dishes.
Unique culinary tours in Istanbul
We provide a unique culinary experience by presenting our guests with only the real taste of authentic Turkish cooking that uses fresh, local produce.
Book your adventure today
With a great variety of specially designed food tasting tours, we are sure you will find the perfect tour to suit you!
Taste it all
Some of the delicious Turkish foods you will be tasting include; the famous Turkish kebab, mouth-watering baklavas, freshly baked boreks, tasty seafood, delicious Turkish coffee, home cooked meals such as sarma and fasulye. Many more delicious Turkish foodie treasures await you on each one of our Istanbul culinary tours!
View Our Tours
With a great variety of specially designed food tasting tours, we are sure you will find the perfect tour to suit you!
What do our guests think about us ?
Below are the reviews of Taste of Istanbul Food Tour on Airbnb Experiences and TripAdvisor.
700+ reviews
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This tour was overall a great experience that covers a lot of ground being able to wander the old bazaar and Eqyptian bazaar with lots of good food sprinkled throughout.… read more A bit more history of the markets would have been even better but overall the guide, food, and pace was wonderful!
October 7, 2024Unser Guide an dem Tag war die Sudan und sie war so so toll! Neben dem leckeren Essen und den tollen Spots waren ihre Erzählungen noch das i-tüpfelchen. Wir haben… read more das Erlebnis sehr genossen und können es wärmstens empfehlen!
October 1, 2024Notre hôte, Didem était très gentille et informée sur la culture , ce qui agrémentait la visite par ses informations. Elle était très sympathique et à l’écoute de tous .… read more La nourriture découverte était bien et appréciée .
October 1, 2024 -
What an unforgettable experience! Our food tour in Istanbul was nothing short of amazing, and Ozkun, our guide, made it feel as though a friend was showing us around the… read more city. He was personable, attentive, and considerate of everyone’s needs in our smaller group, which created such a comfortable and intimate atmosphere.
The day started at the Egyptian Market, where we picked up some delicious local breakfast items. We then made our way to a hidden gem of a Pide restaurant tucked away in a quiet courtyard. We ordered a meat and cheese Pide, cooked in a wood-fired oven, and enjoyed it alongside cheese, bagel, and pastrami from the market. Of course, Turkish tea accompanied breakfast, completing the authentic experience.
Next, we enjoyed Turkish coffee in another peaceful courtyard, offering a moment to relax and soak in the local vibe. Then we made our way to a small doner spot, which was truly unique. It was literally just a corner where the meat was being cooked, and the seating was
September 4, 2024I’ve been on many guided foodie tours but a day with Ozcan is up there with the best! Not just a great guide, but a good friend by the time… read more we’d finished our last, delicious tasting.
August 5, 2024This tour was exceptional and was the perfect way to start our trip in Istanbul! Didem was such a wonderful guide and went above and beyond to provide the best… read more experience possible – she tailored the tour to fit our specific needs, and provided great recommendations for the rest of our stay in Istanbul. I highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in Turkish food and culture!
July 23, 2024 -
We had a great tour with Didem and she went to great lengths to customize it for us to cater to our many dietary restrictions. Highly recommend!
July 5, 2024Food tour was top, we really liked the opportunity of walking around the city and trying local food icons.
Ozcan is a great guide, very friendly, talkative and kept us interested… read more throughout the qhole experience. definitely recommended.
June 20, 2024It’s an amazing experience, much better than expected. We went to amazing places we would have not known without Ozcan! We ate delicious local food and walk in amazing places.… read more Ozcan was incredibly patient with us and he takes into consideration our wants and needs. I would 100% recommend this experience and 100% recommend Ozcan as a guide!
June 19, 2024 -
Ozkan was AMAZING! We ate the most delicious food and had a super personalized tour. Ozkan was very knowledgeable not only about food but about all of the history of… read more Istanbul. We had so much fun traveling from the European side to the Asian side as well. Highly highly recommend this tour!
June 13, 2024Didem and Rabia were fantastic hosts! We tried delicious foods, learned a lot about local Turkish culture and history, and explored some places we definitely wouldn’t have found on our… read more own. The tour was the perfect amount of time and the perfect pace — just enough walking, and lots of delicious bites. Come hungry, leave full!
June 7, 2024 -
sude was an amazing guide and took us to many special places! felt like a true local tour- highly recommend her and ozcan’s tour-
May 24, 2024Didem was a fantastic host – warm, thoughtful and knowledgeable. We learnt not only about turkish food but also facts on turkey’s history and culture.
May 23, 2024A GREAT EXPERIENCE! Went to both the spice and grand bazaar, had a huge breakfast (turkish pizza, cheese, olives, tea), had a turkish coffee tasting and coffee grinds reading, sampled… read more the best baklava, had the best chicken skewers. Great quality of food and great history by Didum, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TOUR.
May 23, 2024 -
We had such a wonderful time with Ozcan on this tour. We ended up being the only two on it and Ozcan really personalized it based on what we were… read more looking for – unique locations, delicious food, and great spice market shopping. Ozcan was easily able to cater to our needs as vegetarians and we tried food we wouldn’t have found otherwise. By the end of the tour, we felt like old friends.
May 22, 2024This was such a great experience! Didem was a tremendously knowledgeable leader, took us to places off the beaten path, provided interesting historical food tidbits and each thing we ate… read more was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend for anyone visiting Istanbul!
May 20, 2024 -
This tour is an absolute must, if you want to see parts of Istanbul, eat in places and try food that most tourists would not get to see or… read more try.
It was a great experience and I met some really nice people in our group.
Didem was a charming and personable host and a great guide. Thank you so much
🙂
May 2, 2024Ozcan was a very friendly and enjoyable guide and the food experiences were very good, what we had hoped for. A little more time than we needed spent wandering… read more through touristy lanes with cheap merchandise and not a lot of talking between food stops – which some may like and others not so much – but overall a decent tour with a very nice host.
April 24, 2024Didem was such a great guide, very knowledgeable and easy to chat with. The tour felt personal and we learnt a lot of the history along the way while enjoying… read more amazing food. Would 100% recommend, this was a highlight for our trip to Istanbul!
February 17, 2024 -
Lovely tour guide and ended up being a private tour due to low tourist season. However, the food itself looked very different to the pictures and the food / tour… read more guiding was poor value for money vs the other tours we did in Istanbul.
I’m afraid the food we had felt low quality or the venues we went to didn’t look or feel good quality either. The only one we enjoyed was the coffee. The rest was dishes we could’ve gotten ourselves in London or venues that felt basic with little or no explanation of why it was special to bring us there.
What could have made it better is if the guide had better quality storytelling skills about the food – it’s background, why it’s popular in Turkish culture, how people eat it, how people prepare it, the history of the food. She was very approachable and friendly, but we mostly talked about our personal lives rather than the food. And towards the end of the trip, it felt like we were just walking around with very little explanation and more us pushing the guide for more info. She was very friendly and asked us lots of questions about ourselves, but our preference was to learn more about the food and enjoy the quality and variety of the food.
To compare, we went to a show and dinner experience and for cheaper price, we tried far better food with wider variety and much more explanation and story telling than this one – which was supposed to be a food tour.
Overall, we have been to many food tours around the world and the value of this experience needs to increase – either with better quality food stops, more unique variety of dishes or better guiding of the tour.
January 12, 2024Of all the small group tours we have done around the world, this one was indeed one of the best and most enjoyable. Absolutely fantastic tour for a group of… read more 11 with 5 children – guided by Didem. A great introduction to the fascinating city of Istanbul, it’s culture past and present, history and delicious food scene. Our tour guide Didem was an absolute pleasure – engaging, kind, so informative and passionate about tourism and the food scene. We all enjoyed ourselves immensely and would highly recommend this tour. We left with full bellies and great memories!
January 5, 2024Very good tour to enjoy Istanbul in a different way. Didem, our guide was very interesting and precise. She gave us so many details on Turkish culture and spirit. It… read more is the best to find hidden places and treasures.
Thank you very much.
January 2, 2024 -
Wunderbare Erfahrung! Ich entdecke eine Stadt am liebsten mit einer Kombination aus Geschichte und gutem Essen, das man nur als Local findet – beides wurde voll erfüllt. Klare Empfehlung!
December 30, 2023I was on the tour with Didem and she was a wonderful guide. We went to some amazing places and Didem did a magnificent job telling the stories about the… read more places we ate at and the people making the food. We went to some hidden spots in the Grand Bazaar that I would have never found on my own. This tour was truly one of the highlights of my trip to Istanbul.
December 30, 2023Ulku est une très bonne guide, qui parle très bien de son pays et de sa culture. Le tour est très agréable en partie grâce à elle. De notre point… read more de vue, il ne s’agit pas d’un tour culinaire à proprement parlé, mais d’un mix entre visite culturelle et nourriture. Je déconseillerais ce tour aux personnes qui ne mangent pas de viande ( la compagnie n’avait même pas transmis à la guide que je ne mangeais pas de viande !!). Nous avons trouvé que le prix de cette visite est excessif par rapport aux produits goûtés durant ce tour,même si les produits sont bons.
November 9, 2023 -
The tour was excellent. Didem was knowledgeable, kind and I greatly enjoyed the spots she took us to. They’re not spots I would have thought to visit on my own… read more so I appreciate the hidden gems included in the tour.
October 28, 2023Be prepared to eat well! We stopped at local hidden gems that you would never find on a map and it made it extra special.
October 28, 2023Maravillosa experiencia guiada por Didem que nos ha cuidado y tratado de forma exquisita. Una buenísima forma de conocer lugares de la ciudad a los que nunca irías… read more a no se que fuera acompañado por una persona local a través de la riquísima gastronomía turca.
Totalmente recomendable.
Gracias por todo!
October 21, 2023
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Had a lovely evening walk with the charming guide, Didem. Meeting point was easy to find. The food offered on the tour was freshly made, and smelled and tasted really… read more good. The walk was really nice, and provided a break in between all the stops, where the portions were just right that you get a good taste of what turkish cuisine is like, but not too big that you end up overstuffed at the end of the tour.
Make sure you read your fortune after your Turkish coffee. That made pretty lively and interesting conversations.
February 12, 2023A fantastic experience and delicious culinary offerings. – The evening food tour was an incredible experience. We sampled a wide variety of foods, all delicious, and got a great taste of local culture and history too. Our guide… read more Elif was lovely; welcoming, laid back, friendly, and gave us some great recommendations for dinner spots for our remaining time in Istanbul. As two foodies, we enjoyed every minute of the tour and the dinner recommendations made were also excellent. Highly recommend! A great way to get yourself oriented and acquainted with the city and the beginning of your trip.
February 7, 2023Unforgettably wonderful food (and city sights) tour!
The highlight was meeting not just quality people in the tour who really wanted to be there and emmerse themselves in… read more Turkish culture, but our local born and bred guide Ezgi. She has the most beautiful personality well suited to hosting visitors to her country and took the time to explain (in perfectly fluent English) customs and rituals as well as flowing with group dynamics and banter, reading the room and always being aware and accomodating of people’s needs and preferences. She took the experiance up several notches by this professionalism yet also gave a real genuineness in sharing parts of her own life as a local. After the tour she offered assistance with recommendations and advice for our remaining stay. If I lived here permanently, I would definitly make room for as quality a human being as her in my life.
December 4, 2022 -
Perfect balance of food tasting, gastronomy tips and local history. Very easygoing and relaxed guide who is ready to answer any questions you have. Definitely recommend – well spent 4… read more hours and well worth the money.
October 29, 2022One of the best tours we’ve ever done. What a fantastic experience and Didem was the most fabulous, enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide we’ve ever had! The tour was such a… read more joy and we ate soooo much and learnt so much about Turkish life
October 22, 2022We did the evening food tour with Elif. She was a wonderful host and we had so much fun trying new foods that we hadn’t tasted yeteven after traveling… read more in Turkey for 4 weeks. We learned lots of interesting tidbits of info that helped make Istanbul and Turkey come alive. Thanks Elif.
October 9, 2022 -
We had a brilliant morning with Didem showing us around the markets and to some of the old and unusual food outlets of the city. Each place we went to… read more had fascinating history and delivered amazing food. The walk through the markets was informative and we were given a whole variety of weird and wonderful things to try from the stalls. Would definitely recommend this as part of your visit to Istanbul.
October 7, 2022Ezgi was so nice and gave us so much information about Istanbul in so many ways. We felt we were talking to a friend instead to a guide. The food… read more was amazing
She is and open book
October 5, 2022Didem was amazing! My friends and I did the "Local Food and History Walk at Night, " which was a highlight of our trip to Istanbul.
We tried food… read more we would have never come across by ourselves, explored the Karakoy and Beyoglu area, and Didem even gave us recommendations for more restaurants to visit during our trip.
Highly recommended!
October 5, 2022 -
Out host, Ezgi was excellent! She took us to some secret spots and famous ones as well – overall, great food selection! She had a wealth of knowledge not just… read more about the food, but also about history, culture and the people of Istanbul and Turkey in general.
We appreciate how patient she was with our questions, and she had a very amiable personality which made the whole tour feel like we’re just hanging out with a friend.
October 4, 2022This tour was simply wonderful. Elif our guide was so kind and patient even though we were running late . She took us to the little places that… read more I would never have found myself . On the whole it was a great experience. Loved it .
October 4, 2022Our host was Didem who was wonderful, warm, friendly, professional and very knowledgeable. There was a wide variety of food to eat at lovely restaurants which we would never have… read more discovered if we had not been in this tour. The meetup was easy and Didem told great stories about Turkish culture that went with the food. Thanks for everything!
September 27, 2022 -
even as a Turkish that know the local food they manage to surprise me with amazing selection of great food and history information . ask for Didem. she… read more is AMAZING!!
Thank you
September 22, 2022We had such a great time on this food tour. We spent 3 hours eating and strolling through the new town Istanbul, going through a few passages along Istiklal St.… read more The food was so great and we were stuffed by the end, and Elif offered to take us to more places if we were still hungry! It was a great tour, highly recommend.
September 21, 2022My mother, sister, and I had a phenomenal time with Didem. She is truly a gem! She showed us all the highlights Istanbul has to offer and gave us amazing… read more recommendations for the rest of our trip. Her English is perfect, and she was able to articulate everything so clearly! Our tour was the highlight of our trip, and we will definitely be in touch when we come back! Although the trip required a lot of walking, she was very patient and even changed up our tour so that we could take optimal breaks and rest while still getting a full experience. Speaking of full! The value of the tour was so worth it. The three of us were struggling to make room in our bellies to try all the great dishes the tour includes!! Definitely make sure to pace yourself if eating food isn’t a great passion of yours. Our favorite was the mackerel Well done Didem, we love you!
September 21, 2022 -
Hands down the best walking food tour in Istanbul. The good is delicious, the guide is amazing and very knowledge and overall the atmosphere is great. Would definitely recommend!!
September 18, 2022We had a wonderful foodtour with Didem. Everything was flawless and we enjoyed every dishes and have learned a lot about Istanbul. Don’t hesitate to ask any recommendations !
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Thanks again
September 14, 2022Wow, what an afternoon! We had the most enjoyable time. From the choice of food and stops, coupled with stroll through the city & stories from the past – this… read more is a must do tour! Our guide Elif was do delightful & made the tour.
The value in this tour is amazing – you will not be sorry.
Thank you so much!
September 14, 2022 -
My favorite part of the tour was being with a local who knows the city, food and culture. Elif added even more being an architect and helping us understand the… read more buildings where we were enjoying the delicious, fresh and authentic cuisine.
I highly recommend this tour when visiting Istanbul.
September 13, 2022This was an exceptional tour and our highlight in İstanbul! We went to so many amazing food spots that we would never have been able to find by ourselves. Our… read more host also was incredibly knowledgeable and provided so many interesting history and cultural facts. Couldn’t recommend this tour enough!
September 4, 2022My husband and I had a wonderful tour with Elif. She brought us to places we would never have found on our own. We were fortunate to be the only… read more ones on the tour which allowed us to explore organically between stops. Elif took notes of our questions and sent us detailed info with a recap of all the places we visited. Super impressed. Highly recommend. This is much more than a food tour and a great way to learn about Istanbul.
August 29, 2022 -
This is a terrific tour. My wife, 20yo son and I all had a great time, even though we aren’t normally into any kind of group tour.
From an… read more almost hidden 100 year old Turkish pizza place to the birthplace of Turkish Delight, from a working class home-food restaurant that you’d never be able to go to without special knowledge to a hidden courtyard in the grand Bazaar with history, diamonds and cats, we spent 3-4 hours at 7-8 places we’d never find on our own. Not too fast, not too slow.
Didi was a generous, enjoyable and knowledgeable host, who is happy to answer questions and provide recommendations not only during your tour but during the rest of your stay in Turkey.
If any of this sounds good to you, sign up and enjoy. It’s well worth your time and the price.
June 3, 2022I joined the group by luck, after getting stuck in the restaurant and lovely Didem helped me out. After that she was kind enough to let me join her tour.… read more And tour was amazing her knowledge and trivia and of course food stops where amazing. Really opened my eyes about what this city can offer and how much you can miss without super guide.
Also another big plus was that after the tour ended she kept in touch and her recommendations were amazing, were do go , what to see etc. 110% improved my visit
May 30, 2022Wow! This was the best tour I’ve ever done. If you’re reading this you need to book this right now and on your first day would be best. Not only… read more does this tour offer AMAZING value for money, you basically get 6 meals, but you also learn a lot about the city and tips for what to do the rest of your trip.
Didem is THE BEST tour guide ever! She is a native to the area and has so many recommendations. I recommend doing the morning and night tour with her to maximize your trip!
The food at all the stops is included in the tour price. You get a ton of food and as much water as you can drink. See something you love along the way? didem was so kind and flexible letting us stop to shop as needed.
May 28, 2022 -
This is one of the best food tours I’ve ever been on. Four full hours of exploring, eating, and learning, our host Didem was an excellent guide. She was… read more warm, engaging, and knowledgeable, really knew how to bring everyone in and create a welcoming group atmosphere.
The food itself was incredible, spanning five stops and ranging from breakfast to lunch, home cooking, street food, coffee, and dessert.
My only note wound be to warn you that the bulk of eating is weighted on the last half of the tour. It could have been because of Ramadan timings but pace yourself!! My husband and I should have split some of the meals at the end (it was all too good!). Our last bite was at 2pm and he didn’t eat the rest of the day! Worth the food coma but plan for a nice walk to the Hagia Sofia and/or Blue Mosque afterwards, then a late afternoon nap.
April 30, 2022Loved my tour with Didem – she went above and beyond with the service and really catering the tastes of our group since we were a little more adventurous.
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I did the evening tour and couldn’t recommend it enough. We visited some fish shop, tasted some baklava, tried some turkish coffee, tasted Lahana Sarmasi as well as tried some mussels stuffed with rice and finished off with some quince dessert.
I had a fantastic time and would highly recommend anyone interested in tasting the variety of Turkish food available in Istanbul to do this tour.
April 14, 2022Great tour!! We had an amazing time. Our tour guide has great taste in food and shares all his knowledge of Istanbul as well as local’s lifestyle. We would recommend… read more this tour to anyone who wants to learn more about Turkish food and history. Be sure to bring a healthy appetite)!
January 2, 2022 -
I did the Taste of Two Continents Food Tour. It was beyond excellent! While multiple people booked a food tour that day, I was the only one on… read more this "route" so I had a private tour with Ozcan. And I couldn’t recommend the agenda more! The vendors/restaurants that we went to were incredible (just look at the pictures!) and being able to cross the Bosphorus and experience the Kadikoy Fish Market was a highlight. I would highly recommend this tour for all you’re able to see and eat, while doing so like a local with a knowledgeable guide.
Ozcan was my friend for the day in Istanbul, and I could not have had a better time. What an incredible day to put in my travel memory bank!
January 1, 2022This was an awesome tour that I did soon after I arrived in Istanbul for the first time! Dudu was an amazing guide who took me to all of the… read more places necessary to know for any travelers coming through Istanbul! I would definitely recommend this tour to any solo travelers who need a guide for food, transportation, and history of the different major neighborhoods in the city!! 10/10 day, and bring really comfortable shoes because you’ll be on your feet all day!
December 13, 2021