The 15 Best Food Experiences in Istanbul

Istanbul: European and Asian Side Guided Foodie Walking Tour - Starting near the Spice Bazaar with breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,038 reviews · 5.5 hours · from $135Our pick

Taste Istanbul across two continents, from Spice Bazaar breakfast to Kadıköy kebabs, baklava, coffee, and dondurma on a 5.5-hour food walk.

“This tour was so much fun and the food was plentiful and delicious!!! Great way to experience both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul while learning about Turkish culture and food. Definitely come hungry because there is a lot of different foods at each location. Our guide was witty and engaging and his English was perfect! Highly recommend this tour!!!”

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Evening Experiences, Food, Food & Drink, Istanbul Rooftop Experiences, Tour Reviews

Turkish Food Night and Rooftop Experience Istanbul

2.Turkish Food Night and Rooftop Experience Istanbul

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 666 reviews · 3 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $77Top rated

Taste Turkish street food, enjoy rooftop views, and share a generous family-style dinner on this intimate Istanbul evening tour.

“A+++++ Zeynep was a fantastic host. She shared her love of her city, culture, and food. Another thing that made this particular tour great was the fellow travelers. Having great fellow travelers make the experience even better. The rooftop restaurant where we had coffe/tea was spectacular. The views from there were breathtaking. The main part of the tour was the feast. Absolutely delicious. They were a couple or new things that I tried and glad that I did. Absolutely must do.”

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Food, Food & Drink, Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul: Guided Food Tour with Ferry Ride and Tastings

3.Guided Food Tour with Ferry Ride and Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 600 reviews · from $131

Taste Istanbul from Spice Bazaar to Kadıköy with 20 food samples, ferry views, local drinks, and an English-speaking guide.

“Thank you to Binar for a wonderful day wondering around all the food stops. Very well paced, with delicious tastes of the food culture of Istanbul. Highly recommended!”

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Evening Experiences, Food, Food & Drink, Istanbul Rooftop Experiences, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Turkish Food Night and Rooftop Experience

4.Turkish Food Night and Rooftop Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 569 reviews · 3 hours · from $69

Taste 10-plus Turkish dishes, street food, tea, and künefe while enjoying Istanbul rooftop views with local hosts.

“Zeynep was the best. Her energy was wonderful and she was very knowledgeable. She made us feel extremely welcome. All the food was great.”

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Food, Food & Drink, Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul: Guided Food and Culture Tour

5.Guided Food and Culture Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 528 reviews · 4 hours · from $136

Cross Istanbul by ferry, browse Kadıköy markets, and taste Kurdish dishes, mussels, tea, coffee, and Turkish sweets with a local guide.

“This was an outstanding immersive experience into real Turkish food and culture. Burak our guide took us away from the tourist Istanbul to the places in which locals eat and relax. He gave our small group expert insights into Turkish history and foods. The ferry trip across the Bosphorus was a bonus. We sampled a variety of delicious fresh locally made dishes from street food to exquisite desserts and Turkish coffee. Each place we visited was a local ‘go to’ in the dishes they are renowned for. An educated historian and experienced tour guide, Baruk spoke fluent English and managed the evening good humouredly and attentively to each member of…”

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Food, Food & Drink, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours

The Award-Winning PRIVATE Food Tour of Istanbul: The 10 Tastings

6.The Award-Winning PRIVATE Food Tour of Istanbul: The 10 Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 462 reviews · from $192

Taste 10 Istanbul classics on a private Beyoğlu food walk with a local guide, historic passages, Turkish delight, dürüm, coffee, and more.

“Enrol was a very knowledgeable and friendly guide who lead us through 10 varied & delicious tasting experiences in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul. I would highly him as a guide for anybody interested in the history, culture and local cuisine of the area.”

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Food, Food & Drink, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul Food Tour – History and Culture of Turkish Culinary

7.Istanbul Food Tour – History and Culture of Turkish Culinary

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 265 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $127

Taste Istanbul from Galata to Taksim with local dishes, Turkish coffee, baklava, street snacks, and stories of food and culture.

“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.”

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Asian Side Tours, Food, Food & Drink, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul Kadikoy Food Tour with 12+ Local Delicacies Tastings

8.Istanbul Kadikoy Food Tour with 12+ Local Delicacies Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 247 reviews · 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $100

Taste 12+ Turkish specialties while exploring Kadıköy, Moda, local markets, street art, and backstreets with a small English-speaking group.

“Thank you very much dear Meliss for introducimg us to your tasy neighborhood. Good job!!! Five stars, it's a MUST when in Istanbul.”

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Dining Experiences, Dinner Experiences, Food, Food & Drink, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul Traditional Food Tour with Dinner on Off-Touristy-Path

9.Istanbul Traditional Food Tour with Dinner on Off-Touristy-Path

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 230 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $139

Cross the Bosphorus for a five-hour Istanbul food tour with market tastings, kebabs, kunefe, ferry views, and a small group.

“Very enjoyable evening with a wide variety of foods, many of which were new to us. Burak, our guide, was very informative and entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the stuffed mussels and our introduction to pistachio coffee (caffeine free - brilliant as I am allergic); my husband’s favourite was dessert! We love food tours as a great way to explore a city and its culture and this one definitely delivered.”

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Food, Food & Drink, Guided, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours

Private and guided Istanbul food tour – Taste of Istanbul

10.Private and guided Istanbul food tour – Taste of Istanbul

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 205 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $270

Taste Istanbul on a private food walk from Karakoy to Kadikoy, with Turkish breakfast, coffee, baklava, kebabs, markets, and a Bosphorus ferry ride.

“We absolutely loved this tour! We did the private tour .Our guide Furkan was so knowledgeable and took us to incredible venues. We tasted many things we had never had before and thoroughly enjoyed the neighborhoods he walked us through. He took us at our own pace and we enjoyed food on both continents. On the ferry ride he gave us great information about the area and history. We would definitely request him again!”

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Food, Food & Drink, Guided, Istanbul Street Food Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul Guided Street Food Tour Around European and Asian Sides

11.Istanbul Guided Street Food Tour Around European and Asian Sides

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 200 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $139

Cross Istanbul by ferry on a small-group food tour with Turkish breakfast, kebabs, mackerel, coffee, künefe, and local stories.

“Our guide was very knowledgeable and attentive. He accommodated our dietary needs and provided a culturally rich experience. It included many local favorites, not overcrowded tourist spots. I highly recommend this tour.”

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Food, Food & Drink, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Local Food, History and Hidden Places Walking Tour in Istanbul

12.Local Food, History and Hidden Places Walking Tour in Istanbul

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 81 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $80

Taste Istanbul from simit to baklava while exploring the Spice Market, Grand Bazaar, and local food stalls with an English-speaking guide.

“We had Sude as our tour guide on a 4 hour food tour. Sude was fantastic. She explained the history of the Ottoman empire and of course a thorough explanation on the history of the local food. Extremely patient kind and helpful and a lovely person to have on our tour of local food. We enjoyed the whole tour and would recommend Istanbul food tour and of course Sude to anyone wanting a local experience.”

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Asian Side Tours, Food, Food & Drink, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul Kadikoy Private Food Tour with 12+ Local Tastings

13.Istanbul Kadikoy Private Food Tour with 12+ Local Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $356

Taste 12+ Turkish specialties across Kadıköy, from menemen and pide to coffee, wine, baklava, and local life with a private guide.

“Cold day in Istanbul; we were the only people to sign up and had Jeremy to ourselves. He was knowledgeable and super great to talk with while we were walking and eating. He spent extra time with us as we talked about the other foods in the area outside of the set menu. Thanks Jeremy! We had a great time!”

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Food, Food & Drink, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours

PRIVATE Istanbul Food Tour – 10 Tastings including Raki & Padi

14.PRIVATE Istanbul Food Tour – 10 Tastings including Raki & Padi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $153

Taste Kadikoy on a private Istanbul food walk with 10 local tastings, raki, Turkish classics, and neighborhood stories in three hours.

“We had the most wonderful day with Dilek. It started a couple of days before as she responded to our query about the meeting point by providing us with a much easier alternative. She also helped with our questions in the days & hours before we met, always prompt, helpful & informative. When we met, she was a delightful host & showed us some wonderful parts of Istanbul we’d have never found on our own. She also taught us about the various transport systems, which we can now navigate as if we were locals! Then to the food! What can we say? Dilek made so many suggestions , showed us…”

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City Tours, Food, Food & Drink, Guided, Istanbul Street Food Tours, Old City & Sultanahmet Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Taste Of Old City Street Food Tour with Local Guide

15.Taste Of Old City Street Food Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 64 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $96

Taste Istanbul’s Old City street food on a five-hour walking tour with local guides, Kadınlar Pazarı stops, lahmacun, kebab, künefe, tea, and coffee.

“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.”

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