What‘s Included

Reviews

• It was my first day of a...

  Leah S,

  May 15, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  It was my first day of a solo trip so I wanted a chance to orient myself in the city and this was literally PERFECT. Our guide, Feyzanur, was amazing and knowledgeable, made our whole group feel right at home in Istanbul. The experience was exactly what I needed and the amazing food made it even better.

• Do this tour first when you arrive; it will help your restaurant choices!

  Kathleen B,

  May 15, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  We cannot say enough good about Ayse’s foodie tour of Istanbul. We were a group of 15 that wanted to learn about Turkish food choices “beyond kebaps.” Ayse was a wealth of cultural, historical, and geographical information as it relates to Turkish food. She took us to many generations-old family-run establishments and shared the stories of recipes handed down over time. We began with sampling bites of Turkish delight at a historical shop, then a generous breakfast (do not eat before this tour!) at a restaurant that included 3 kinds of cheeses (cow, sheep,goat), wood-fired Simit bread, Turkish Nutella, pastrami, an egg dish, acuka (Turkish spicy red paste), clotted cream with honey and of course olives. She then brought us to enjoy hot Turkish meat soup, with its origins in eastern Turkey. We moved afterwards to the Egyptian spice market where she pointed out unique spices to Turkish cooking. Next on the list was a ferry ride to Asian Istanbul, where we docked at Kadikoy. What a bustling and colorful area! She led us through a literal maze of food shops and restaurants, where we sampled Eskender Kebap at its origin restaurant, and lahmacoun. She was flexible enough to incorporate our request to sample Manti, by contacting one of the restaurants and asking them to prepare for us. She also showed us some cultural delicacies such as pickled food and drink, tripe, sheep’s intestines, and yogurt drink. From fish mongers to butchers to vegetable and spice purveyors, she spoke with somewhat of reverence about the places, flavors and workers. We capped off the day with baklava and ice cream. Take this tour near the beginning of your trip. It will stay with you!

• Well worth the time.

  Madelet P,

  May 14, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  Our guide was fantastic. The food was amazing, please come hungry. This is a great tour to take to learn about the food and the culture. We are glad we took this tour on our first day in Istanbul. I highly recommend it.

• Selen was wonderful. She...

  Antonio S,

  May 13, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  Selen was wonderful. She studied archeology and was able to give us a great historical perspective. She was also kind and had a great ironic wit.

• Ali was friendly,...

  Usha S,

  May 12, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  Ali was friendly, knowledgeable, sophisticated, and knew all about Istanbul. Participating on tour gave us unique insight into the city. The food was fantastic, all 27 items were unbelievable and there were vegetarian optionsas well. I highlyrecommend Ali and this tour!