Private Istanbul Tour
Istanbul Food Tour
Eat your way across the city, guided by someone who truly knows where to go.
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Istanbul is one of the world's great food cities, and the best of it does not take reservations from abroad. It is in bakeries that sell out by mid-morning, market stalls that have had the same family behind them for three generations, and small kitchens that cook one thing extremely well. On this private food tour your guide takes you to the places they eat themselves.
The day begins on the European side with a proper Turkish breakfast — cheeses, olives, honey and kaymak, warm simit, borek and tea, laid out across the whole table. From there you taste the street classics where the locals actually queue: balik ekmek by the water, midye, kokorec. Then baklava and Turkish ice cream with a proper Turkish coffee, which is usually the point at which guests admit they have stopped being hungry.
Then you cross. A ferry carries you over the Bosphorus to the Asian side, and the second half of the day is quieter and more domestic. You walk the Kadikoy fish market, picking at dried fruits and nuts along the way, and eat in family-run restaurants serving the slow-cooked dishes Istanbul households actually cook at home — a great many of them vegetarian — and in a kebab restaurant run by masters who have spent decades perfecting a single dish.
We accept no commission from any restaurant, shop or vendor, on any tour, ever. On a food tour that matters more than almost anywhere else. Every stop on your day is there because it is good, not because somebody pays us to bring you through the door, and your guide is free to tell you when something is overrated.
Your guide is licensed and local. Our lead guide has twenty-two years in this city and the others each have more than fifteen, which is long enough to know which kitchens have slipped and which have quietly become very good. The tour is private, for your group alone, so it follows your appetite — we stay wherever something is worth staying for, and skip anything that does not appeal. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergy needs are built into the route rather than worked around, so tell us in advance and we will plan for them.
What You'll Experience
Highlights
Turkish Breakfast
The legendary spread — cheeses, olives, honey & kaymak, simit (Turkish bagel), borek and tea — the right way to begin.
Street Classics
Balik ekmek (fish wrap), midye (mussel) and kokorec, tasted where the locals actually queue.
Sweet Treats
Baklava and Turkish ice cream, paired with proper Turkish coffee.
Ferry to Asia
Cross the Bosphorus from Europe to the Asian side, where the second half of the day is waiting.
Local Markets
Wander through the lively Kadikoy fish market and sample some lovely dried fruits and nuts along the way.
Family-Run Restaurants
On the Asian side: traditional Turkish home-cooked restaurants serving slow-cooked dishes locals love, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan choices, and an authentic kebab restaurant run by masters who have perfected a single dish over decades.
Included
What's Included
- Fully private food tour for your group only
- Licensed, English-speaking local guide and food host
- All tastings along the route (come hungry)
- Non-alcoholic beverages with your tastings
- Ferry ride from Europe to Asia and return
- Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options happily accommodated
- Transparent pricing agreed in advance — no hidden costs
Good to Know
Frequently Asked
Can you cater to vegetarians, gluten-free diets or allergies?
Yes. Turkish cuisine is wonderfully vegetable-forward, and we tailor every stop to vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or allergy needs — a gluten-free option is available on our food tour, so just tell us in advance.
Is the Istanbul food tour on the European or Asian side?
Both. Our private Istanbul food tour covers both the European and Asian sides of the city, with a scenic ferry ride across the Bosphorus connecting the two. You taste your way through favorite spots on each side, including the Asian-side food district of Kadikoy.
Is alcohol included in the food tour?
The tour covers the food and the non-alcoholic drinks that go with it. If you would like a glass of raki, local wine or beer along the way, several of our stops serve them and you are very welcome to order one.
Do you take commission from the restaurants you take us to?
No. We accept no commission and no kickbacks from any restaurant, shop or vendor, on any tour, ever. Our fee is agreed with you before you arrive, so there is nothing more for us to earn from your day and no reason to walk you into one kitchen rather than another. It is also what lets your guide tell you honestly that somewhere is overrated, which a guide on commission can never afford to say.
How much food is included? Will we still want dinner?
There is a great deal of food, and most guests do not need a proper dinner afterward. The tastings run from a full Turkish breakfast through street food, sweets and a sit-down meal on the Asian side, with non-alcoholic drinks included alongside them. Come hungry. If you would rather pace yourself, tell your guide and they will simply order less at each stop.
Is street food in Istanbul safe to eat?
Yes, at the places we take you. Istanbul has a long and serious street food culture, and the stalls we use are busy, established and watched closely by the locals who eat at them every day — which is the real test. Your guide chooses the stops and will steer you around anything that is not right on the day.
Is the food tour suitable for children or fussy eaters?
Yes, and families are very welcome. Turkish food is generous with the things children usually like — bread, cheese, grilled meat, pastries, ice cream — and nothing is spicy by default. Tell us what your children will and will not eat and we will shape the stops around it rather than hoping for the best on the day.
Can we do the food tour on the day we land?
Many guests do, and it is a gentle way into the city after a long flight. It is mostly eating, sitting and a ferry ride rather than monuments and queues. Send us your flight numbers and we will tell you honestly whether it sits comfortably with your arrival or whether another day would suit you better.
What happens if it rains?
The tour runs. Much of the day is indoors by its nature — breakfast, the covered market stalls, the restaurants on the Asian side — and the ferry runs in all but the worst weather. Your guide will reorder the stops to keep you dry rather than cancel on you.
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Plan Your Istanbul Food Tour
Send us your dates and what you would love to see — we will reply with a tailored itinerary and a clear quote.