Istanbul Guided Street Food Tour Around European And Asian Sides

We started off with a traditional Turkish breakfast, picking up foods at the spice market and eating at a quaint little tea house. I was surprised at the generous amount of food that our group got. We showed up hungry and were satisfied after breakfast. The tour continued to impress us with the variety of local foods, and portions. Our tour guide Salih was a generous host, frequently asking if we wanted more of anything and answering our many questions. He also provided recommendations for both traditional and new age foods to try during our time in Istanbul after the tour. There was not a lot of walking on this tour. Bringing your own water bottle is not required, but nice to have between stops.

This tour was a perfect balance of food, culture and history. Binnur was wonderful!!! She was well prepared for every place we went too, giving us the history of the area, teaching us Turkish words and explaining the wonderful traditions of the Turkish people. We highly recommend the tour and Binnur even more so.

Salih was absolutely phenomenal, if you can book with him you should. The tour was amazing, the food was great, and the discourse between the other members and Salih was fantastic. Highly recommended.

Such a fun and interesting full-day group walking food tour that showed me a local’s side of Istanbul I never could have discovered on my own! Tour guide Binnur was very communicative in advance and extremely knowledgeable about the traditions, culture, and history of her country. We ate at 8 different food stops and also took a ferry over to the Asian side. Plus, Salih in the office was so helpful in general, and efficiently booked an airport transfer for me as well. Highly recommend My Local Guide Istanbul tour company!

The whole itinerary was fantastic! Binnur was a lovely host in her city. The breakfast that we picked up and enjoyed at a Turkish tea restaurant was my favorite part of the day. The variety of tastes was just lovely. From fresh fried anchovies to a traditional meats and desserts, we had small tastes of many things. I am full! Ha! I especially liked going to the Asian side of the city as it gave me new views of the city and the ferry ride was lovely. I would absolutely recommend this tour and especially Binnur.

Fantastic introduction to the cuisine of Istanbul. Binnur was such an excellent guide. Knowledgeable and passionate Türkiye, its history and food.

Istanbul food culture is diverse and vast. It’s like stepping back in time when learning about the history of some of the countries food trends. Had the best time eating and hearing history with my guide .

My guided food tour in Istanbul was absolutely incredible, mostly because our guide, Senay, was so amazing! Right from the start, she was friendly, professional, and welcoming and shared a lot of insights into the city's food scene. She took us to a number of great local spots I'd have never discovered on my own. We learned a a lot about Turkish culture, ate some unforgettable food, and honestly just had a really great day. What set this tour apart was how Senay went above and beyond after the tour ended. She took extra time out of her day to help me identify and buy the absolute best authentic baklava in Istanbul to take home to my family. Then, she directed me to the proper transport so I could get back to my hotel with no issues. Talk about amazing hospitality! This tour was easily one of the biggest highlights of my first time trip to Istanbul. Senay’s warm vibe made it feel less like a rigid tour and more like exploring the city food scene with a local friend. If you’re heading to Istanbul, you should really check out this tour ~ you won't regret it. Highly recommend and again, thank you Senay.

This food tour with My Local Guide Istanbul was a wonderful way to get to know the city. We started the morning with breakfast near the Spice Market, which was one of our favourite parts of the day. From there we crossed the Bosphorus to the Asian side for more tastings, and finished in Karaköy with künefe, a perfect sweet ending. What we enjoyed most was the chance to try so many things we would never have discovered, or had the confidence to order, on our own. Our guide, Salih, made the experience. He was warm, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the food and culture of his city. He even sent us a few photos from the day afterwards, which was a lovely personal touch. We would highly recommend My Local Guide Istanbul, and Salih in particular, to anyone wanting to experience Istanbul through its food.

Our guide Salih was very excellent. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and very responsive to all of our questions. His selection of neighborhoods, cafes, and unique restaurants was also outstanding. We learned and ate a lot- and had fun! Great experience and great value. Would definitely recommend.

We had a lovely day with really good food in Istanbul. Our charming guide Binnur made the day very exciting and interesting, combining knowledge about the local food, beverages and the restaurants with the history of the city and the country. And her knowledge about both the food and the history is remarkable! The tour was very well organized and planned. A fine detail is that we picked up some ingredients at a local store and then got it served at a café/restaurant. Everything was ready to be picked up as we journied through the city. Included in the trip was the beautiful ferry-trip between Asia and Europe across the strait of Bosporos. Not every day you will eat breakfast in Europe and lunch in Asia! The whole tour lasted 5 hrs+, but time flies fast in good company and with a lot of delicious food. You should definitely not eat breakfast before the tour, you will be served plentiful throughout the day. If this is your first trip to Istanbul, this tour is highly recommended at day 1 because you will learn so much about both the local cuosine and where to eat it. Which is actually somewhat tricky because there are so many small street food bars with really good food. This tour is highly recommended as you will get an good introduction to a beautiful city with truly wonderful food!

Great food. Interesting history and culture. Friendly people on the tour. Highly recommended. Nice experience.

This tour was phenomenal! It is one of the best tours I’ve ever done. Burak, our guide, was knowledgeable, friendly and engaging. I couldn’t recommend this tour more highly. Don’t eat before hand - there is so much amazing local foods you will want as much space as possible.

I had very little time in Istanbul as I was here for work and had this tour recommended. It was phenomenal and one of the best tours I have ever done. The food was exceptional and our guide Burak was knowledgeable, engaging and insightful. This experience will stay with me for a long time. Book this tour.

This guided tour is a fantastic way to experience Istanbul’s rich history and traditional cuisine. (One of the highlights for me was visiting the Asian side of Istanbul—it added a wonderful dimension to the experience!) A special mention goes to our guide, Binnur, who made the tour even more enjoyable. She was warm, knowledgeable, and incredibly generous in sharing her insights and personal experiences with us. I highly recommend booking this tour on your next visit to Istanbul. It’s a wonderful way to discover the city, its culture, and its amazing food!

Binnur was fantastic! From Spice Market to tips on haggling, to historical information and delicious varieties of Turkish food— our tour was everything we could’ve hoped for. 10/10, no notes, would recommend 🩷

We took this tour on our first full day in Istanbul, and we are very glad we did. Burak was really the perfect tour guide for us…knowledgeable, kind, a great communicator, and very knowledgeable on all things Istanbul and Turkey. We had a lot of food over the five hours or so of the tour, but it was well-spaced in terms of time and distance. We enjoyed all of the dishes as well as the coffee, tea, and “pistachio coffee”. We also loved that we got to experience both continents during this tour…breakfast on the European continent, lunch on the Asian continent, and then back to Europe for a bit of decadent dessert. Burak surprised us with the choices of food as well. I thought I could predict most of the dishes, but I was delighted to be wrong. Finally, the limited size of the tour group is so very valuable as it allows for much better interaction and learning. We left with full bellies and a much greater appreciation for this city and its people.

This food tour was such a fun way to experience Istanbul, and Binnur was a wonderful guide. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience feel relaxed and enjoyable. I loved getting to try a variety of different foods while also learning more about Turkish culture and the city along the way. It felt like more than just going from place to place to eat, Binnur really helped make the experience feel personal and engaging. She made everyone feel comfortable, answered questions, and kept the tour fun from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend this experience to anyone visiting Istanbul who wants to try a lot of local food without having to figure out where to go on their own. I would absolutely book with Binnur again.

Our Istanbul Guided Street Food Tour Around European and Asian Sides was led by Salih. Our group consisted of myself and my wife and 8 other guests. Before we started Salih clearly explained the itinerary and the food we were about to taste. It was a wonderful tour and Salih did an excellent job of passing on information about Turkish culture, the food we tasted, the restaurants we visited and interesting/humorous anecdotes along the way. During our tour he added a stop at a mosque which was a real treat. Unlike other food tours we've taken, the pace was just right (not to slow/not to fast) with stops along the way so we could rest our feet, etc. and the amount of food was perfect so we weren't hungry or too stuffed at the end of the tour. The tour included two ferry crossings (European to Asian side and then back to the European side) and he did a great job of keeping the group together so we wouldn't loose anyone. The food was varied and delicious and gave us the opportunity to try things we normally wouldn't eat. If you have 5-6 hours free in Istanbul I highly recommend taking this tour.

Our guide is the sweetest, knowledgeable, and patient young lady. I was late due to traffic, she was chill; she always has smile on her face; at the same time she is very professional. She knows the backstreets ins and outs. I will take her tour anytime.

This was so much more than the food. Our guide gave us so much history and mad it fun. Literally 8 food stops , ferry ride, spice bazaar. Just the right amount of walking to get hungry for the next stop. The food was amazing and we got to see alot of Istanbul.

Our guide Binnur was wonderful, the organization was seamless, educational and the food was incredibly tasty. Highly recommend to everyone—we would definitely book again!

We had Binnur as our tour guide. She was fantastic. The tour enabled us to explore areas & food that we might not otherwise have found on our own. The tour was well planned & food servings generous. I would highly recommend this tour.

Binnur was a fantastic guide, we went to the Asian Side, Bospherous, and European side. Don't eat before you go, lots of food and great experiences.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to this food tour after an all day tour in Istanbul, but I'm so glad I did. Our tour guide, Binnur, did such an amazing job with taking us to different parts of Istanbul that I didn't get to see from the full day tour. This tour covered both European and Asian side of Istanbul and we got to see and experience the history of Istanbul with what locals eat everyday. There were so many different types of foods we got to try starting from traditional Turkish breakfast, Turkish pizza, seafood, and of course the desserts! The tour also included the ferry rides that we enjoyed. This was such an amazing tour!

The tour started on time at the meet point which was easy to find. Binnur was such a pleasant guide and it was great having someone with good experience, qualification, and conversion in English. We recovered many sites, ranging from sit down meals to stand-up tastings and used the ferries between sites on the European and Asian areas. I was really impressed with some of the hidden distinctive sites with much history about the family owners and the cuisine background. It was a very relaxing day and having conversation and chat a bonus with friendly people.

We had an incredible food tour evening with Burak leading a small group tour, mostly on the Asian side of Istanbul. Burak was very knowledgeable, engaging & an excellent guide. The food stops were many, varied & delicious. The ferry ride across to Kadakoy is the start of the adventure & the city is a beautiful sight on the way back. The layering of food, culture, history & fun made our stay in Istanbul even more memorable. Highly recommended 🤩

Great first day in Istanbul exploring different areas and the local food. Burak was very knowledgeable, shared a lot of history over the day. Highlight was food markets on the Asian side- away from the tourist areas, very authentic and vibrant. Our guide went above and beyond helping us orient to the city, and helped us with planning the next few days too. Highly recommend.

Burka was excellent and knew everything related to food in both sides of the country. He has great communication skills and it was a pleasure to be with him during the tour

Binnur was a wonderful tour guide. She was extremely knowledgeable and provided a lot of facts about the food and Turkiye as a whole. The tour was very well paced and never felt rushed. This was our favorite food tour we’ve done in our travels thus far.

The trip was really great, our guide Binnur make it even better- she was super friendly and had a lot of intresting knowledge not only about the food.

Binnur was a truly fantastic guide. This tire is the perfect introduction to Istanbul, and I recommend it for your first day there.

We had a fantastic time wandering and eating our watcthrough Istanbul. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, not only about food but about the history of Istanbul. We tried food on the European side and on the Asian side of Istanbul, some quiet neighborhood restaurants and some bustling markets which were lots of fun. Also had a tour through the Spice Market. I really can’t say about what a wonderful tour this was!!! The only downside was we were so full we only ate half of our dessert!

I loved the place and food, so you must visit it once.

Excellent food tour and guide (Burak). Delicious food sampling with historical info interweaved. Six hrs well spent. Highly recommend. Small group. Lively, friendly, energetic pace.

This is a very worthwhile experience that was well organized and fun and expertly lead by Burak our local tour guide and leader. We contacted ahead of time via Whatsapp, then were met on time and in the location specified. The tour group was only 3 so we were especially looked after. The explanations given and food locations visited were all great as was the tasty food. So don't eat breakfast before doing this tour as it starts with a full typical Turkish breakfast and then just keeps going. Coffee, tasty snacks, lunch and desert were all part of wandering local markets, small restaurants, just like a local would. Also 2 ferry rides and great conversations with Burak made this tour an extremely memorable one. I rate it 10/10 and a MUST Do.

This was a great highlights tour of Istanbul’s unique local food favourites. Binnur was highly knowledgeable and friendly. I would strongly recommend this tour to anyone interested in a deep gastronomical dive into the city, especially if you are adventurous in the type of food you are willing to try!

Everything about our tour was great. Our guide was fantastic: friendly and knowledgeable. We learned so much about the food we tried, and the history of the cuisine and the city. I would recommend it to anyone.

Öndon was amazing!! Initially, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was our favorite experience in Istanbul! It started with breakfast, where we had red lentil soup that was so delicious, I’ve already made it here at home since we returned. Öndon was so knowledgeable and interesting, we learned so much and had such delicious food and fun! We took the ferry to the Asia side of Istanbul, walked and met kind and friendly locals. There was alot of walking but completely manageable because it is broken up into shorter increments. I highly recommend this experience and if you can ask for Öndon, you will be so glad you did. Have fun!!

Excellent way of getting to see a lot of Istanbul and understanding getting around. Great guide , Burak who was helpful and knowledgeable. Food was excellent and varied too

This tour was so much fun! So much food! It was fun trying treats from both the European and Asian sides. Yumali, our guide, was knowledgeable, personable, and has a great sense of humor. Not only do we recommend this tour, we would do it again!

Everything about this food tour was spot-on. Our guide, Salih, was just amazing - incredibly knowledge, friendly, and took time to explain everything in fascinating detail. Do this on your first day - it orientates you and Salih gave us essential information about where to buy from, and where to avoid. We visited a mosque off the tourist list which was stunning, and far superior to the main tourist mosques that will charge a fortune to enter. This tour goes (by ferry) over to the Asian side, where you visit Karakoy, which gives you a more authentic food experience, away from the old town tourist traps. We were given dishes we wouldn't have thought of ordering, but we're so glad we tried everything! We left absolutely stuffed! The group was fantastic, Salih was great, and the restaurants were perfect. I highly recommend this tour!

Today we had a fantastic tour with Binnur on a Street Food Tour around the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. Binnur is an excellent and knowledgeable local guide with smile.

Burak was an excellent guide. We had a wonderful day fantastic locations to sample the best food around istanbul. Group of 10 just enough made good friends and had a wonderful experience. Highly recommend

I can thoroughly recommend this tour, and would suggest planning it as one of the first things you do on arriving in Istanbul. Onder, our guide, was amazing. This is not just a food tour, it is history, culture, architecture and anything else you ever wanted to know about Istanbul while eating and learning about delicious local food, enjoying the cruise across the Bosphorus Strait in both directions and a gentle walk through many local streets and alleys you may never find on your own. You will not leave hungry, and I suggest you will probably only need a small snack for supper before bed!

Brilliant experience. Perfect quantity and variety of food, plus Binnur was a fantastic guide. Would highly recommend

The tour was absolutely amazing and a huge shoutout to our guide - Önder Denker. Our group was small - just three plus Önder. We started out with breakfast near the Egyptian Bazaar, took a ferry ride to Kadıköy, ate our way through Kadıköy - coffee , Lahmican, Doner kabab, stuffed mussels and then to Karaköy for dessert. Throughout Önder shared his love of food and his knowledge of Istanbul and truly made the trip something special. çok teşekkür ederim Önder!

We had a wonderful tour with Binnur. This was a great way to spend our first day in Istanbul . The tour began with a typical Turkish breakfast in a tearoom, followed by a tour of the Egyptian bazaar. We then had a lovely ferry crossing to the Asian side of Istanbul and sampled a vast range of local foods. Binnur was an excellent guide, with excellent English, and an equally good sense of humour. There was so much food, we couldn't eat another morsel for the rest of the day. The tour was lasted six hours and gave a great insight into the city, its history and culinary traditions. I would highly recommend this tour.

This was an amazing day full of flavor and culture! Our guide, Burak, was congenial and very knowledgeable about the city. He walked us through each dining experience and toured us around the neighborhoods, giving us tips on where to explore for the remainder of our trip. Highly recommend for the start of your trip as a way to get grounded in the city.