Private Food Tour Istanbul: 8 Stops Across Europe & Asia

Shop breakfast at the market, then taste your way across the Bosporus

A six-hour private food tour in Istanbul that crosses the Bosporus by ferry, stopping at eight locations across the European and Asian sides. You shop for breakfast at a local market, eat like a local at a tea house, ride the ferry to Asia, taste street food and regional specialties at food stalls and restaurants, sip Turkish coffee the traditional way, and end with künefe dessert. A live guide in English or Spanish leads the route. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Eminonu Square30m · entry included
2. Eminonu Pier20m · entry included

Explore Istanbul's food and culture

• Pick up from hotel
• Shop breakfast at local market
• Have breakfast at local cafe
• Stroll in historic Spice Bazaar
• Ferry ride crossing Bosporus to Asia
• Drink traditional Turkish coffee
• Taste local foods at Asian market
• Ferry ride back to Europe side
• Enjoy Künefe dessert

The experience

The tour starts with hotel pickup and a stop at Eminönü Square, where you shop for breakfast alongside locals: cheeses, olives, hazelnut paste with honey, acuka (a local breakfast paste), and bal & kaymak (buffalo cream with honey). You carry your bag to a café near the Spice Bazaar, open it up and eat breakfast with freshly brewed tea and menemen (a dish of tomatoes, green pepper and eggs cooked together). Then you walk through the Spice Bazaar itself to smell the layers of local and international flavors.

At Eminönü Pier, you board a ferry to cross the Bosporus to the Asian side. A 20-minute ride where you can photograph the city skyline, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace from the water. Once in Asia, you sit at a local café to drink Turkish coffee prepared the traditional way in a copper jar over charcoal. Your guide can show you how to read the grounds in your cup, or you can try menengiç, a coffee made from wild pistachio seeds unique to southeast Turkey. The food tasting happens at a local market away from the tourist zones, where you sample lahmacun (wood-fired flatbread with minced meat), mercimek çorba (lentil soup in the Gaziantep style), kokoreç (charcoal-grilled lamb wrapped in fat), çig köfte (bulgur paste with tomatoes and spices), Adana or İskender kebap, midye dolma (mussels stuffed with rice and spices), and turşu (pickled vegetables). A second market stop offers mussels, pickled vegetables, pastrami, cheeses and olives.

You take another ferry back to the European side, landing in Karaköy across from the Galata Bridge. The tour ends with künefe: angel hair noodles layered with cheese and pistachios, drizzled with honey syrup and served with ice cream made from goat's milk and mountain orchid roots. Four different local drinks are included throughout the day.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off by van.
• ferry tickets for both crossings of the Bosporus.
• traditional breakfast with tea and menemen at a local café.
• food tastings at eight different stops including street food, local markets and restaurants.
• Turkish coffee prepared in the traditional style.
• four different local drinks throughout the day.
• and all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 11:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Child (4 to 5 years): free · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by My Local Guide lstanbul

Is this one for you?The six-hour duration means you can fit the tour into a single day and still have time for other activities before or after, though the route moves at a steady pace with stops built in for eating and walking through markets. It's not rushed, but it's not leisurely either.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

5 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 5 years): free; Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I taste at the eight food stops on this tour?

The eight stops include breakfast shopping and a tea house meal in Eminönü; the Spice Bazaar; a Turkish coffee stop in Asia; a local food market where you taste lahmacun, lentil soup, kokoreç, çig köfte, kebap and mussels; a second market with pickled vegetables and cheeses; and a final dessert stop for künefe with goat's milk ice cream. Street food, regional specialties and market items make up the tastings.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to get to the tour, or is pickup included?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included in the tour price. A van collects you from your accommodation and returns you at the end of the day.

How long is the ferry ride across the Bosporus?

The ferry crossing from Europe to Asia takes 20 minutes. You get another 20-minute ferry ride back to the European side later in the tour, so you cross the Bosporus twice.

Are there vegetarian options at the food stops?

Three of the food stops have no vegetarian options, so if you follow a vegetarian diet, let the operator know when you book so they can advise you on which tastings you can participate in.