12 Food & Drink Experiences in Turkey to Build a Day Around

1.Turkish Food Night and Rooftop Experience Istanbul

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

Taste Istanbul street food, sip tea on a rooftop, and share a generous dinner at a 140-year-old local restaurant.

“Though it was a rainy evening our Guide Zeynab made it an enjoyable evening for the group She was knowledgeable about the local cuisine, warm, engaging and passionate about food and taking care of her guests. Food at the restaurant was exquisite. All in all it was a great experience”

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2.Guided Food Tour with Ferry Ride and Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 600 reviews · from $131

Taste Istanbul across two continents with 20 food samples, ferries, markets, local guides, and Turkish favorites from simit to künefe.

“nothing guide was very good,very professional and a pleasure to be with.definately a tour all should take a credit to GYG.”

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3.Turkish Food Night and Rooftop Experience

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

Taste Istanbul street food, enjoy rooftop views, and share a generous Turkish feast at a historic local restaurant for $69.

“We liked Zeynep so much. She was incredibly friendly and understanding with our kids. The food was extremly good, the restaurant was so nice. We liked everything and we would recommend thid activity to anyone who wants to taste the real food of Istanbul.”

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4.Guided Food and Culture Tour

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

Taste Istanbul across two continents on a small-group food tour with ferry views, Kadıköy markets, Kurdish dishes, tea, coffee, and dessert.

“This was one of the best food tours we've been on! Burak was an amazing guide and very knowledgeable about the area and history. We visited a ton of shops and ate like locals. This tour is mainly on the Asian residential side of Istanbul which meant visiting locally owned restaurants and street vendors. Highly recommend!!”

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5.The Award-Winning PRIVATE Food Tour of Istanbul: The 10 Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 462 reviews · from $192

Taste 10 Istanbul specialties on a private Beyoğlu food walk with a local guide, from Turkish delight and dürüm to coffee, fish, and kebabs.

“Our guide, Tolga, met us just shortly before the appointed time. Tolga was a wealth of information regarding the food we consumed and local sights. He was truly a great guide. He led us through alleyways, main streets, and side streets to alloRead more”

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6.Istanbul Food Tour – History and Culture of Turkish Culinary

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 265 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $127

Explore Beyoğlu through Turkish food, from mezze and mussels to baklava, with a local guide on a small-group Istanbul walking tour.

“Where to start. We visited multiple restaurants off the tourist paths. Learned so much about how they prepare food, the amazing variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts grown right here in Türkiye not to mention the culture of food and drink here. By the end of the tour we could barely eat the last few bites. Erol Utgun our guide was so knowledgeable and made sure he gave us an individualized experience not to mention interactive and delicious. Would highly recommend. Not to be missed.”

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7.Istanbul Kadikoy Food Tour with 12+ Local Delicacies Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 247 reviews · 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $100

Taste 12 or more Turkish specialties while walking Kadıköy, from menemen and pide to coffee, wine, lahmacun, and baklava.

“We got extremely lucky and enjoyed a private tour with Jeremy. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating providing a lot of history regarding the origins of each dish. Our recommendation is to come very hungry. For us, it’s a lot of food. We had to leave some dishes only partly finished. We over ate because it was all so delicious. Don’t eat for several hours prior. Take some time to wander through area after to work off the food and enjoy the local vibe”

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8.Istanbul Traditional Food Tour with Dinner on Off-Touristy-Path

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 230 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $139

Cross Istanbul by ferry for nine local food stops, from stuffed mussels and kebabs to kunefe, with a small group and English guide.

“What an amazing night with Burak. He was a great guide and told great stories. We are at so many different places - come very hungry! We would highly recommend!”

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9.Pirate Ship Cruise with Food and Swimming Stops

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 163 reviews · from $11Best value

Cruise Alanya’s coast on a pirate ship with barbecue lunch, swimming stops, soft drinks, WiFi, and a lively foam party for $11.

“Very good staff all friendly food was great, driver was friendly. Would recommend plus go again 👍🏼👍🏼”

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10.Old Town Walking Tour with Dessert Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 97 reviews · from $31

Explore Antalya’s Kaleiçi with guide Önder, visit historic landmarks, enjoy views, and taste Ottoman semolina halva with ice cream.

“Onder was an excellent tour guide who provided lots of information and history about the old town. I would highly recommend to others. Thanks Onder. Alice :)”

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11.Ephesus & Şirince Day Trip w/ Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 39 reviews · 14 hours - 1 day · from $400

See Ephesus, the House of Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis, and Şirince wine country on a long but useful day from Istanbul.

“guía muy estudiado y amable, buena comida incluida y transporte muy cómodo”

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12.Turkish Food Tour in Kadikoy Across the Bosphorus

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 33 reviews · 3 hours

Cross the Bosphorus by ferry, then eat through Kadikoy’s local markets, meze shops, bakeries, and sweet stalls with a private guide.

“It has always been our belief that tasting the local street food is as important as visiting historical monuments if one needs to understand the culture of a place. Thus, we booked this tour hoping to get a glimpse of the wonderful Turkish cuisine that we had heard so much about before. Çetin saw to it that we were given the royal treatment. His insights into the Turkish cuisine, it's history and influences from other neighbouring cuisines were fascinating. We were planning before to do such a tour on our own, but knowing what to order is one thing and knowing where to order it from is a completely different…”

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