Istanbul Private Food Tours with a Local: 100% Personalized
Description
Turkish food is bursting with exotic flavours but it all comes together in the beautiful city of Istanbul, where the cuisine is tied to its rich history and cultural diversity. Discover this bustling city's vibrant food culture with a Host, who will take you through the neighbourhoods and culinary backstreets of a city lined with an eclectic mix of mosques, temples and churches. Wander through the city streets and feast upon authentic dishes from the street cafes, food stands and ‘meyhane’ taverns of Istanbul. Within 24 hours of your booking, we will contact you to find out about your interests so we can assign a like-minded local who will create a bespoke experience for you. Your Host will suggest an itinerary and agree a meeting time and place, but you can always change your mind about what you want to do.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Beyazit station. Wander through the city and dip into the cafes, markets and bazaars where you can experience life from a local perspective. IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalised experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
Kumkapi district. Explore a local neighbourhood and visit one of the streets vendors and patisseries and sample an authentic dish IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalised experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
Eminönü district. For something a little different, visit a traditional tea house and sip on a cup of Turkish tea IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalised experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(9)
Our tour was with Burak Gulcan. What a fabulous time we had with him! We travel frequently and I can say he was one of the best tours guides we ever had. We went to the Asia side of Istanbul where he explained the different foods and spices in the local markets. He was able to have the local merchants give a sample of their various foods. We were never rushed and he took his time to explain origin of the food and how its relevant to the Turkish culture today. At dinner we sampled a variety of different types of food, all of which was delicious. Burak was so accommodating to make sure we understood the Turkish experience our tour ran over the scheduled end time. I high recommend this tour and Burak.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! It’s meaningful to know that, as frequent travelers, you consider him one of the best tour guides you’ve had. Exploring the Asian side of Istanbul through its food, markets, and local culture is such a special experience, and we’re delighted that Burak helped make it both authentic and memorable. We’re glad you enjoyed the food tastings, cultural insights, and relaxed pace of the tour, as well as the delicious dinner selections along the way. Thank you as well for your recommendation — it truly means a lot to us. We hope to welcome you again on another experience in the future!
We had a fantastic food tour with our guide Ipek. Ipek gave us many options that would meet our needs and expectations. We sampled many local Turkish foods that we may not have normally found. A fantastic private food tour
We’re so glad you enjoyed discovering so many local Turkish flavors in a way that felt tailored to you! It’s wonderful to hear the experience introduced you to dishes you might not have found otherwise — thank you for sharing this.
One gets a sample tasting of Turkish street food in a neighborhood where locals too eat. I didn’t feel like a tourist. It was fun.
We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the authentic taste of Turkish street food! It’s wonderful that the experience felt local and fun rather than touristy. Thank you for sharing your kind feedback!
Ipek provided an insider’s expertise on the secrets of finding the best culinary tidbits-in Itanbul..
We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed discovering Istanbul’s culinary secrets with Ipek! It’s wonderful that her insider expertise made the experience so special. Thank you for your kind words!
We did a fabulous evening food tour with Burak. We went to places we would not have found on our own and tried food we wouldn't have known to try. He was very knowledgeable and had lots of fascinating information that made the tour amusing and interesting. It was just what we wanted
So glad to hear you had such a fabulous evening with Burak — it’s wonderful that he introduced you to hidden spots, unique dishes, and fascinating stories that made the tour both fun and memorable!
Great guide, easy regarding adjusting tour to meet our needs, helpful.. best meal we had in Istanbul. Felt totally safe and taken care of. Navigated us back to our ship in port
It is amazing to hear that Tugba once again went above and beyond. She is an exceptional host and it is amazing to hear she has delivered another great experience. Thank you for your support it means everything to us!
One of the best tours I have taken in the 90 plus countries I have traveled to. Feruza was kind enough to meet me at my hotel that was an hour plus away. We visited Hagia Sophia & toured the area with delicious kebabs, Turkish meatballs, tea & baklava. I love the street feeling of Istanbul
Thank you so much for your amazing review! I'm thrilled to hear that your tour with Feruza was one of the best you've experienced in your extensive travels. It's wonderful that you enjoyed visiting Hagia Sophia and savoring delicious kebabs, Turkish meatballs, tea, and baklava. I'm glad you loved the vibrant street atmosphere of Istanbul. We hope to have the pleasure of hosting you on another adventure with City Unscripted soon!
Such a great food tour of local, authentic food. Our guide, Feruza was fantastic. She went above and beyond and fed us well! We enjoyed chatting with her and learning about Turkish Cuisine. Highly recommend her!!
We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the food tour and that Feruza provided an exceptional experience. It's great to know you appreciated her efforts and enjoyed learning about Turkish cuisine. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
A private tour with Djhamel is the way to go! He met us at our hotel, accommodate us in every way from the time of our availability, food to eat, answered questions about Istanbul’s people, trend and culture. It was a great day to experience riding a tram and a ferry to the Asia side of Istanbul. Had various kinds of pides (pizza) and the best part for us was the ice cream at Mado. Djhamel knew who had the best pide and ice cream in town. The ice cream was very thick and creamy!!!! We also got a taste of the stuffed mussels, which was delicious and definitely different from all the mussels I’ve tasted in my life! If you’re a fan of the show, “Friends”, ask Djhamel to take you to this cute and trendy restaurant that has all the Friends’ memorabilia’s. Nice touch. Djhamel knew the best of the best. Even where to sit on the ferry so we can have the best view and learn more about Istanbul’s culture.
Hi! I am so happy to hear that Djhamel did it again! He is a great host and always tries his very best to personalize the experience for our guests. Your review has brightened our day. Your support means the world!
