Kadıköy Food Tour Istanbul: 10+ Tastings Small Group

Eat your way through Kadıköy's market lanes and Moda backstreets in one evening.

A small-group food tour through Istanbul's Kadıköy neighbourhood on the Asian side, with more than 10 tastings that add up to a full dinner. Walk the market streets and backstreets with an English-speaking local guide, stopping for midye dolma, lahmacun, kokoreç, beyran soup and goat's-milk dondurma, then return to the European side by ferry. Maximum 10 guests.

Step-by-step itinerary

Evening food tour in Kadıköy

• Meet guide at Kadıköy ferry terminal
• Walk through Kadıköy market streets
• Taste midye dolma and street foods
• Try lahmacun and kokoreç
• Explore Moda backstreets for beyran soup
• Enjoy traditional goat’s-milk dondurma
• Return to Kadıköy ferry terminal
• Take ferry to European side

The experience

The tour starts at İstanbul Kitapçısı Café inside Kadıköy Ferry Terminal and heads straight into the neighbourhood's market streets, where locals buy fish, cheese and olives. The tastings begin immediately: midye dolma (mussels stuffed with spiced rice and finished with lemon) comes first, then lahmacun (hot from the oven with parsley and lemon) and kokoreç (seasoned and chopped hot from the grill). Each stop is a working food stall or vendor, not a restaurant, so you're eating where locals eat.

After the busiest market streets, the route moves into Moda's quieter backstreets for beyran, the intensely garlicky Gaziantep soup made with shredded lamb, rice and hot broth. The tour finishes with traditional goat's-milk dondurma before returning to Kadıköy Ferry Terminal. Your one-way ferry ticket back to the European side is included, and your guide helps you catch the ferry toward Eminönü or Karaköy. The whole evening is three hours, and the tastings add up to a full dinner, not just samples.

The group stays under 10 people, which means time to ask the guide about the stories behind each dish and the neighbourhood itself. Non-alcoholic drinks and water come with the tour. Vegetarian options are available at most stops, though one or two have no alternative. Gluten-free diets are not workable here because many tastings include bread or wraps.

What’s included

• More than 10 food tastings across Kadıköy Market and Moda backstreets.
• one-way ferry ticket from Kadıköy to Istanbul's European side.
• local non-alcoholic drinks and water.
• food stories and local history from an experienced English-speaking Istanbul food guide.

Information

Lasts 3h, runs Tuesday to Saturday at 18:00, from US$ 89 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 10 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesTuesday to SaturdayDeparts at 18:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 103 private ›

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.2 with pickup ›

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Youth (6 to 12 years) · Infant (under 6): free

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Yummy Istanbul

Is this one for you?The tour starts and ends at Kadıköy Ferry Terminal, so you don't need a car or knowledge of the neighbourhood to find your way. Just arrive at the café inside the terminal, and the guide handles the rest of the evening and your return ferry.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 12 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What exactly are the 10+ tastings on this Kadıköy food tour?

The tastings include midye dolma (mussels stuffed with spiced rice), lahmacun (flatbread with meat and herbs), kokoreç (seasoned offal from the grill), beyran (garlicky Gaziantep soup with lamb), and traditional goat's-milk dondurma. The guide stops at market vendors and street-food stalls throughout Kadıköy and Moda, and the tastings add up to a full dinner rather than small samples.

Does the tour include the ferry ride back to the European side?

Yes, your one-way ferry ticket from Kadıköy to the European side is included. The tour finishes at Kadıköy Ferry Terminal, and your guide helps you board the ferry toward Eminönü or Karaköy.

What is the Moda backstreets part of the tour like?

Moda is a quieter residential neighbourhood behind Kadıköy's main market streets. The tour moves there after the busiest shopping lanes to taste beyran, the intensely garlicky soup, in a more relaxed setting before finishing with dondurma and heading back to the ferry terminal.

Can I do this tour if I'm vegetarian or have dietary restrictions?

Vegetarian options are available at most stops, though one or two tastings do not have a vegetarian alternative. The tour is not suitable for gluten-intolerant travellers because many tastings include bread or wraps. If you have serious allergies or medical dietary requirements, you must advise the operator at the time of booking.

How many people are in the group?

The maximum group size is 10 guests, so there's time to talk with the guide and other travellers without the group feeling crowded.