9 Food Tours in Istanbul Worth Booking

1.European and Asian Side Guided Foodie Walking Tour

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

Spend 5.5 hours eating your way from Sirkeci to Kadıköy with an English-speaking guide such as Sinan, Selen, Tunç, or Bahri. Expect breakfast, street food, kebab, dolma, tantuni, kokoreç, Turkish coffee, baklava, and dondurma, plus a ferry ride between Istanbul’s European and Asian sides.

“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!”

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2.Guided Food Tour with Ferry Ride and Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 770 reviews · 6 hours · from $115

Spend six hours eating across Istanbul with guides such as Binnur, Önder, Salih, and Şenay. Start near the Spice Bazaar, sample breakfast dishes, cross to Kadikoy by ferry, try kebap, mussels, fish, künefe, and Turkish coffee, then return to the European side for dessert.

“We have booked several tours in Turkiye and by far this was our favorite. Our guide Onder was extremely knowledgeable and a pleasure. We are foodies and we all agreed we could have never visited so many place on our own. We were ducking down side streets to show up at wonderful places prepared and waiting for us. No waiting on our part. Visiting the restaurant where Donar was invented was a welcome surprise. EXCELLENT TOUR!!”

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3.Turkish Food Night and Rooftop Experience Istanbul

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

Meet near Sirkeci, sample local street food and Turkish delight, ride to a rooftop in Süleymaniye for tea and city views, then share more than 10 Turkish dishes at a nearly 140-year-old family restaurant. Guides may include Sule, Zeynep, Eylul, or Bilal.

“The guide was very nice and thorough We will recommend this to our friends and family Well done job and keep it up”

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4.Turkish Food Night and Rooftop Experience

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

Meet your English-speaking host at Sirkeci Station for street-food tastings, rooftop tea or coffee overlooking Istanbul, and a feast of more than 10 Turkish dishes in Fatih. Guides such as Şule, Zeynep, Eylül, and Bilal add local stories, food advice, and an easy social spirit.

“Planned to perfection. Friendly guide, Unique locations including a Rooftop view of the whole of the city. Very traditional and unique take to Instanbul and Turkish culture especially the restaurant. It was my birthday and Zeynep made it a bit special including the other peope that attended the tour. Highly recommended to anyone visiting Istanbul.”

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5.Guided Food and Culture Tour

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

Follow guides such as Burak, Salih, or Cumali from Karaköy across the Bosphorus to Kadıköy. Over four hours, you’ll visit local markets, cafés, and family-run eateries for 15 kinds of food, four drinks, Kurdish specialties, stuffed mussels, Turkish tea, and dessert.

“We had an absolutely fantastic food tour in Istanbul with Burak! From start to finish, he was knowledgeable, friendly, and incredibly passionate about Turkish food and culture. He took us to a wonderful mix of local spots we never would have found on our own, and every stop felt thoughtfully chosen. Burak explained the history behind the dishes, ingredients, and neighbourhoods in a way that was engaging and easy to follow, and he was more than happy to answer all our questions. The food was delicious and plentiful, and we left feeling very full and very happy. What really made the experience special was Burak’s warm personality and genuine enthusiasm—he…”

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6.Istanbul Culinary Tour: Local Hotspots & Gourmet StreetFoods

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 86 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $87

Join a guide such as Erol, Gamze, or Tolga for a 3.5-hour food walk from Galata to Taksim. Expect tea, gözleme, çiğ köfte, mantı, tantuni, kebab, mussels, desserts, and local context in a group capped at eight.

“Very interesting tour taking us to various culinary traditions of Istanbul. The guide had interesting facts and little stories to go with each tasting. Overall great!!”

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7.Istanbul Home Cooking Course – Cook and Eat

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 52 reviews · from $102

Meet Gülşah near Osmanbey, browse Kurtuluş food shops, then cook Turkish comfort food in her home. You’ll prepare dishes such as lentil soup, börek, mezes, and dessert, followed by dinner, Turkish coffee, tea, and conversation in a group of up to five.

“We had a wonderful local guide, hostess and cooking instructor with Gulsah She met us on time with her little dog and we proceeded to walk around the neighborhood exploring small spice, vegetable and grocery vendors. Both she and her little dog were greated with smiles and hugs in each shop and by those she's meet on the street in her neighborhood. She had a marvelous menu prepared for us to make that included a starter, rice pilaf, meat with a red sauce and eggplant called hunkar begendi and also a cold dish with potatoes, carrots and celerik which we'd never had before. We finished our meal with Turkish coffee…”

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8.Authentic Food Tour in Istanbul’s Asian Side – Kadıköy

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 35 reviews · 2h 30m · from $101

Meet your English or Turkish-speaking guide at Kadıköy’s Atatürk Statue for a small-group food walk through neighborhood markets and side streets. Expect six or more generous tastings, from pickle juice and çiğ köfte to kokoreç, wet burgers, and sambali. Guides such as Asli, Laura, and Madina are praised for making the food and culture easy to understand.

“Asli was a wonderful guide. She waited for us even though our taxi was very late getting to the meeting point. Her explanation of the food and her personal favourites were very helpful and full of enthusiasm and humour. We disappointed her by not eating enough. We applaud her flexibility and appreciated her delightful personality. Thank you Asli from Deb and Helen”

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9.Turkish Food Tour in Kadikoy Across the Bosphorus

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 33 reviews · 3 hours

Meet your guide near Hamdi Restaurant in Eminönü, ride the commuter ferry to Kadikoy, and spend about two and a half hours tasting Turkish favorites. Expect meze, simit, cheese, olives, baklava, Turkish delight, tea, and more, with guides such as Murat, Hulia, Çigdem, or Cetin depending on the date.

“The Turkish Food Tour in Kadiköy across the Bosphorus with Murat was an absolute highlight of our trip to Istanbul. Murat was an incredible guide—passionate, knowledgeable, and truly making us feel like we were experiencing the heart of Turkish cuisine. We absolutely loved walking through the lively streets of Kadiköy, soaking in the sights and sounds of the area while tasting some of the best food Istanbul has to offer.”

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