Istanbul Food Tour

Tailoring each experience to your wishes by locals who love their city

Top 10 food tours & experiences around Istanbul

From exploring cool neighborhoods to eating with the locals to seeing iconic sites, these are some of our favorite experiences

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The best private food tours & experiences with locals

Perched in its prime position between two continents, Istanbul has seen its fair share of people passing through (it’s the final stop on the ancient Silk Road, after all). Centuries ago, traveling merchants passing through made a pitstop in Istanbul and decided to stay. Today, Istanbul benefits from diversity stretching back hundreds of years, and the city’s food scene celebrates it. Uncover the culture of the Turkish capital on unforgettable food tours of Istanbul with City Unscripted and one of our food-loving local guides. Our Istanbul food tours are the perfect way to explore iconic sights and taste the most spectacular cuisine the city has to offer.

Meet some of our food-loving local hosts

Feruza

Istanbul

An enthusiastic Istanbul local, unveils the city's historical wonders and culinary delights, guiding you through a captivating journey of culture and flavor.

Devanshu

Dublin

A taste of Turkey

Few cuisines in the world have reached icon status like Turkish food has, and it’s not difficult to see why. Turkish foods took the best flavors from around the world to create tastes and textures that are tough to beat. Discover the very best of them on food tours of Istanbul with a knowledgeable local guide! A taste of Turkey is like a trip around the world spread across a silver platter. Let your host tell you fascinating stories of Istanbul’s homegrown cuisine – a fusion of flavors from the Mediterranean, Middle East, Eastern European, and Armenian. Ready to try it for yourself?

Mealtime at the market

It’s impossible to explore the city without getting lost in a colorful, fragrant marketplace, and food tours in Istanbul are no different. Forget Istanbul restaurants – there are over 200 authentic markets serving up some of the best food in Istanbul, and the Grand Bazaar is just the tip of the iceberg. Get going early on an Istanbul food tour to try a traditional Turkish breakfast, or squeeze in some sightseeing and build up an appetite for street food like fish sandwiches on fresh bread, Turkish pizza, and kumpir – a fluffy baked potato topped with cheese, corn, mayonnaise, peas, and carrots.

Try foods unique to the city

In Turkey’s capital city, you’ll find every food the country is famous for. Discover them on Istanbul food tours (and taste a whole lot of them too!). Your local guide has already scoped out the city’s food scene, and can share all the best-kept secrets with you. Try Şiş Kebap, a juicy kebab cooked over glowing coals, or grab a quick meal of Turkish coffee and a traditional flatbread topped with ground beef and veggies. Or, skip right to the sweet stuff, like jewel-toned Turkish delight or baklava dripping in honey – this is your Istanbul food tour, so you make the rules.

Istanbul travel tips and inspiration from our Travel Magazine

Find the best things to do, places to eat, must eat foods and lots of travel tips in Istanbul and around the world recommended by our local hosts

Latest reviews from our guests

Our private vegetarian tour with Ipek was the perfect day of digesting history and culture in Istanbul. She promptly picked us up from our hotel and immediately began sharing her knowledge on the unique and ancient area we were walking around. She answered all our questions along the way, and we were extremely impressed with the images and extra info she carried in her bag and iPad. She took us to many important landmarks and highlighted other significant locations casually found around town. Ipek also helped us with our (very broken) Turkish, and even got our fortunes read from our coffee grounds haha. It was awesome to eat like a local, with a local at all the local spots - and we were so full from all the food. 10/10 - would book again for the Asian side next trip :)

Jul 2025

Maps J
Burak, the guide for our walking tour around Istanbul, took us around the highlights in the Old City. Burak is an excellent guide, tremendously knowledgeable about the city and the sights within. He has a nice way of explaining them, and the pace is comfortable, but he makes sure you get to see what you want. I highly recommend him.

Jul 2025

Michael M
Burak was amazing! He listened to our requests and took us to many non touristy places just like we asked. His knowledge was incredible and I would highly recommend him as a guide!

Jul 2025

Lindsey K
We had an amazing time exploring Istanbul with Öztürk. Right from the start, he was warm, friendly, and clearly passionate about his city. He began the tour by showing us a brief history of Türkiye on his iPad, which helped us understand what we’d be seeing throughout the day. He didn’t just guide us—he truly took care of us. Whether it was helping us plan the day’s route or negotiating great prices at the Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, or even Hafiz Mustafa, Öztürk was on top of it. He seemed to know everyone! We started calling him “the mayor of Istanbul” because of how connected and respected he was. The highlight for me was our time at Topkapı Palace. The way he explained the palace’s history, especially the Islamic and Ottoman parts, made it feel like he had lived there himself. He brought the stories to life in a way that was both educational and enjoyable. If you want a guide who is knowledgeable, kind, and makes you feel like you’re exploring the city with a friend, I would 100% recommend Öztürk. This tour was a highlight of our trip.

Jul 2025

Mohammed Y