Private and Guided Istanbul Food Tour: Taste of Istanbul
Description
Unlike many standard food tours that include limited tastings or extra spending along the way, this 5-6-hour private experience is a fully all-inclusive culinary journey. 100% All-Inclusive: All generous food tastings and non-alcoholic beverages are covered from start to finish. Eat Like a Local: Explore the authentic neighborhoods of Karakoy and Kadikoy across two continents and discover where locals genuinely enjoy eating. No Hidden Shopping Stops: Your time is dedicated entirely to food, culture, and enjoying the city. A Personal Pace: This is not a rushed group walk, but a relaxed private culinary experience with a more personal pace. Dietary Note: We are happy to adapt tastings for vegetarians and certain food allergies whenever possible. Beverage Note: All non-alcoholic beverages are included. Alcoholic beverages are not included, but may be purchased separately at selected stops.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will meet your guide at your preferred time, and our tour starts from Karakoy with a traditional Turkish breakfast, which includes tea, olives, cheeses, menemen. sucuklu omelet, kaymak, and honey.
Afterward, we’ll explore Tophane, indulge in a delightful cup of tea or coffee at a chic, trendy coffee house that elevates your experience, and sample some of the freshest baklava in Istanbul.
Later, we’ll take a ferry from the European side to the Asian side to Kadikoy, which was formerly known as Kalkedon.
In Kadikoy, you can enjoy authentic Turkish home-cooked dishes or delicious kebabs. After that, we will continue to the fish market, where you can try stuffed or fried mussels and kokorec.
After enjoying these delicious treats, we will conclude the tour at the Kadikoy ferry station, making it easy for you to take a ferry back to your hotel. Additionally, there will be some delightful secret dishes to try. Please note that the itinerary may change based on the availability of locations and weather conditions.
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
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Please note: the itinerary is subject to change, based on the location's availability and weather.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- The tour concludes on the Asian side at the Kadikoy ferry station, where you can easily take a ferry back to Europe.
Reviews(208)
One of the most enjoyable tours I’ve taken anywhere in the world. Some great food - particularly the mackerel wrap and the Kurdish kebabs. However, the stand out of the tour was our guide Derya. The tour was full of, not just good food, but laughter. It felt like we were being shown around Istanbul by a good friend. A memorable, and highly recommended, experience.
Dear Jason, Thank you so much for this lovely review. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed the Private and Guided Istanbul Food Tour - Taste of Istanbul, the food, and especially your time with Derya. Derya will be delighted to read your kind words. We always hope our guests feel less like they are on a standard tour and more like they are discovering Istanbul with a local friend, so your review truly means a lot to us. Thank you again for joining Private Istanbul Walking Tours and for so warmly recommending the Taste of Istanbul food tour experience. All the best, Furkan G.
Our family four spend just under a week in Istanbul in March 2026, and spent two days on two different tours with Derya. She was absolutely amazing!! We first did the 1/2 day food tour, starting in Karikoy and ending in the Asia side of Istanbul (Including the ferry ride over). The 2nd tour (Also with Derya) was the historical sites, including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Cistern, and the Grand Bazaar. Derya was the perfect guide for us on our first trip ever to Istanbul. She is knowledge and passionate about making sure her guests have a great experience, which we did. Our two girls, aged 11 and 13 loved her - Derya kept them fully engaged and interested the entire time, by balancing the history/ cultural part of the tours with fun stories, food, treats/sweets, and just engaging us in conversation. Both my girls said when we were leaving Istanbul that they missed Derya! We are so grateful for the time she spent with us and for making our time in Istanbul such a fine and memorable experience. Prior to our tours, the communication and coordination with the company was top notch. This is a first class team and I highly recommend them to anyone visiting Istanbul!
Dear TW. Thank you for your generous remarks; they have genuinely enhanced our day. We take great pride in our commitment to transparency and in delivering informative, engaging, and enjoyable tours. It is incredibly rewarding to know that our efforts resonate positively with our guests. Your feedback serves as a significant source of inspiration, encouraging us to continuously pursue excellence. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back in the near future. Once again, thank you for selecting Private Istanbul Walking Tours. All the best, Furkan G.
We had a fantastic private food tour — Taste of Istanbul — with our guide Fukan. The Turkish breakfast was delicious, and we tried the freshest baklava. The tour was full of laughter, fun, a local ferry ride, and an authentic Istanbul experience. Fukan was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the day truly special. We wish we had met him earlier, as we would have loved to spend more time with him on other tours. Unlike some other tours we’ve done, there were no hidden costs — everything was transparent, which made the experience even better. A wonderful way to explore Istanbul through food and local culture!
Dear Graham. Thank you so much for your lovely review! We truly love creating enjoyable tours filled with fun activities, tasty food, and great company. It means a lot to us that you noticed our commitment to providing a transparent and hassle-free experience. We hope you can come back to Istanbul to make more memories with us soon!. All the best, Furkan G.
We always try to book a food tour when visiting a new destination, and the guided private food tour “Taste of Istanbul” was by far the best one we’ve ever done. Our guide, Furkan, was exceptional. The tour covered both the European and Asian sides of the city, including a ferry ride between the two, and lasted over five hours. At every stop we were greeted with a warm, friendly smile, and we spent the day visiting places Furkan genuinely loves and enjoys himself with friends, far from the usual tourist spots. The food was absolutely unreal, and despite our limited time in Istanbul, we truly felt that we experienced the city in a deep and meaningful way. The people, culture, food, and of course Furkan, made Istanbul one of our favorite cities. A special note for travelers with mobility issues, as we have: Istanbul is not perfectly designed for accessibility, but Furkan’s local knowledge, flexibility, and thoughtful personal touches made the experience smooth, comfortable, and enjoyable for us.
Dear Martin. Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! It truly brightened our day to hear that you had a delightful experience on our private guided Istanbul food tour, Taste of Istanbul. It was a pleasure taking care of you. We look forward to welcoming you back for another Private Istanbul Walking Tour experience very soon! All the best, Furkan G.
Derya was absolutely fantastic and the two tours we did with her (the food tour and Hagia Sophia/Blue Mosque/Grand Bazaar tour) were the highlights of our trip to Istanbul. She is a brilliant, informative and hilarious guide.
Dear Ben, Thank you so much for your kind words. It was truly our pleasure hosting you in Istanbul, and we’re delighted to hear we met all your expectations. There is still so much more to discover in Istanbul and across Turkey, and we would love to welcome you back for another Private Istanbul Walking Tours experience in the future. All the best, Furkan G.
We had an unforgettable culinary journey through Istanbul's lively food scene, guided by Furkan. From the secret local spots to legendary dishes each stop was bursting with flavor, culture and fun. A huge thank you to Furkan for sharing your passion and stories, you truly made this food tour extraordinary.
Dear Alena, Thank you very much for your insightful comments—feedback like this truly fills us with pride in our work! We hope you've taken away some memories that will last a lifetime, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another Private Istanbul Walking Tours experience very soon! All the best, Furkan G.
A really great food tour. Experienced it all on both the European and Asian side of Istanbul. A wonderful cultural experience. Durban was a great guide
Dear Glenn. Thank you for your fantastic review! It was a true delight to have you with us, and I genuinely cherished our time together. We would love the opportunity to welcome you back in the future. Should you ever return to this beautiful corner of the world, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we can't wait to see you again! All the best, Furkan G.
Had an amazing day exploring both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul, and tasting lots of local and truly authentic Turkish food. From simit (bagel) dipped in honey and clotted cream to Turkish tea (cay) and coffee, from lahmacun (pizza) topped with fresh herbs and lemon juice to stuffed mussels and fried pork intestine sandwiches (described as “hangover food”), and from golden baklava and dondurma ice cream to delicious Kurdish doner kebabs. Everything was truly delicious and fresh. And our guide, Derya, was a true delight - kind, knowledgeable, and funny. We loved seeing Istanbul through her eyes and she took us to a lot of great local places. One of our best days in Istanbul. Highly recommend!!!
Dear Michael. Thank you for your fantastic review! We absolutely loved reading it! We are thrilled that we met all your expectations, and we appreciate your trust in Private Istanbul Walking Tours to craft your travel experience. It was a true delight to design your private and guided Istanbul food tour, and we can't wait to welcome you and your loved ones back to the vibrant city of Istanbul. We’re eager to create more unforgettable memories together! There’s still so much more to explore! All the best, Furkan G.
The best thing to do at the start of your visit to Istanbul to take a private and guided Istanbul food tour - Taste of Istanbul. Our guide, Furkan, was fantastic. He thoughtfully planned the experience, providing us with a full and flavorful taste of the city. I did this tour with my two teenagers and they absolutely loved it. I highly recommend Furkan and his company.
Dear Tammy. Thank you very much for your kind words. I’m thrilled to hear that you and your daughters enjoyed your time in Istanbul. It was a true pleasure to show you around. We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming you back on your upcoming Private Istanbul Walking Tours trip and introducing you to even more of the wonderful experiences this region has to offer. Best regards, Furkan G.
We had an incredible food tour that included a visit to the Grand Bazaar , guided by Furkan. His politeness and knowledge were impressive, making our experience unforgettable. The food was absolutely amazing, and the itinerary was perfectly tailored to our preferences. Furkan provided valuable insights into the culture, history, and culinary offerings of Istanbul, and he was instrumental in assisting us with our purchases at the Grand Bazaar. This day was perfect, and it was worth every penny we spent.
Dear Jim. Thank you very much for your thoughtful feedback. We greatly appreciate your favorable review. As a team, we cannot adequately express how significant it is for us to receive comments like yours. Only one in ten of our guests takes the time to provide a review, and we fully understand that the demands of daily life often prevent individuals from expressing their thoughts, even when they have the intention to do so. Consequently, much of our work goes unrecognized. We are truly grateful for your acknowledgment of our efforts and for sharing your appreciation. We look forward to the opportunity to serve you and your family again in the future. All the best, Furkan G.
