Istanbul Kulinarische Geheimnisse der Altstadt

We met another couple on our travels who highly recommended the Culinary Backstreets food tour for Istanbul. We took their recommendation and were not disappointed. We managed to book the tour a few days ahead and ended up on a private tour with Remziye. Remziye was an excellent guide, her knowledge of the city as well as relationships with the vendors made the tour feel warm and familial. It was amazing being able to chat with the vendors that are the foundations of the city and see their day to day. The pride they take in their food was clear to see. The food was delicious (so come hungry) and a great way to experience local foods. The tour was also well paced with interesting stops along the way. We were able to see how religions combine in daily city life, how old and ancient intersects with modern life, and how immigration has brought diversity into the food and culture of the city. It was also very interesting to discover how certain foods had iterations in our home country as well (the boza in particular brought back childhood memories).

This is truly a worthwhile and amazing experience, both culinary and immersion into the culture. Our guide, Kadir, was a joy. Very knowledgeable about the food and the city. He connected with all the guests and the tour was all the better for it. This was the one experience that did not feel touristy, even if it technically was.

Benoit is a marvel and this tour was FANTASTIC. Centred around the market area we wandered the back streets learning about the history of the city, the food that comes from across Turkey and met the most wonderful people delivering the taste, from lamb soup (divine), the variety of a simply superb turkish breakfast in han, kebab, turkish delight, sausage, the list goes on, and on and on. I cannot recommend this tour enough and will probably do it all again the next time I am there !

Benoit our guide has an amazing passion for the most authentic food available in the old city - he personally assembled a tasting experience with over 15 elements, 2 types of bread and the best natural lemonade ever. Then he took us on an amazingly diverse and delicious tour introducing us to true culinary secrets of amazing tatase and textures. His knowledge of the provenance of the food, the families who offer the best food secrets and the history made this an outstanding tour. We were wanting to find a rare spice (for us) - Salep - and Benoit quickly found us a fresh supply. A brilliant tour with a brilliant guide

My husband and I spent the day with Gonca from Culinary Backstreets. Gonca, who is Turkish and speaks fluent English, has traveled the world, but her passion is the history, culture, food and traditions of her home country, Turkey. We found Gonca easily in the historic Eminonu neighborhood. Gonca greeted us with a warm smile and we started off into the true backstreets of the Egyptian market, including the straw weavers street and the roasted coffee street. We visited a fish market, a seed market, and a coffee roasting market before stopping in a 4th generation tea house for buffalo clotted cream, rose petal jam, and simit - all incredibly delicious. We then drank Turkish coffee while Gonca explained how the Ottomans brought coffee to Turkey from Ethiopia and Yemen. The day moved on from there - we visited streets and shops that only Turkish people visit, and ate some of the most incredible food while engaging in stimulating conversations with Gonca and the Turkish merchants to whom she introduced us. It was a very full day - we learned so much about Turkey. I 100% recommend this tour - especially if you’re fortunate enough to spend the day with Gonca.

Our guide Benoit has a great passion for authentic food and has identified the families that have mastered their food offerings, often over many generations. We tasted an amazing variety of food from the many regions and cultural influences that make up Türkiye From places that we would never have found on our own.

We started our stay in Istanbul with the Secrets of the Old City food tour and couldn't be happier with our experience. Esin, our tour guide, went above and beyond for our family of five (parents plus three 20-somethings). I recommend taking your tour early in your stay. As first-time visitors, it really helped us become oriented to the city and at ease in a culture different from our own. The food was delicious and we had lots of it, in many different settings. While a lot of the Old City has a lot of tourists, the tour kept to the more authentic, local venues, deepening the cultural experience. We learned a lot about the food, culture, and history of Istanbul/Turkey. We absolutely loved Esin and found her and the tour itself to be engaging, fun, and interesting. In my son's words, "Esin was the MVP of our trip - she really crushed it at every level!"

My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful food tour led by Gonca Karakog through the backstreets of Istanbul on April 13, 2026. We met two fun couples, and the six of us awaited our tour guide, Gonca. Gonca arrived right on time with a beaming smile and infectious enthusiasm. We immediately went to a classic coffee and tea establishment where we enjoyed the beverages with bread, olives, cheese, and honey. Gonca entertained us with historical information about the business and tales of fortune telling based on the remains in her Turkish coffee cup. We continued on to stops at market stalls, small nondescript restaurants with delicious foods, a candy shop selling Turkish Delights, a mosque, a seemingly abandoned building, a juice stand, a sausage shop, and we finished in a Kurdish area of Istanbul near an ancient aqueduct. Our tour was scheduled for 9:30-2:30, but Gonca kept us going until 5:00 p.m. It was a fabulous tour led by an incredibly positive woman. Overall, my wife and I spent 16 days in Turkey and had 9 days of guided tours, and Gonca was our favorite tour guide.

We’ll start by saying, this is the most informative, fun and yummy tour we’ve ever been on! The food and sights were amazing but the highlight of the day was without a doubt, our guide, Gonca. Her ability to add colour to an already vibrant city were amazing. The hidden food spots were a treat, at times it felt like we were invited to someone’s private dining room, the curation of this tour is literally that good. Anyway, it’s goes without saying that we’d recommend this tour to anyone! Keep an open mind, ask questions…and request Gonca as your guide!

Absolutely amazing experience. Gonca, our guide, is one the greatest, well informed and funny we’ve ever had the pleasure of spending time with.