Two Markets, Two Continents with Culinary Backstreets
Description
This award winning food tour is our most popular tour in Istanbul and is a full day of eating, drinking and walking across two markets two continents, visiting a dozen or more small eateries and meeting many of the faces in the kitchens.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The route for this Istanbul market tour draws from the Culinary Backstreets best-of lists in the European side’s Karaköy neighborhood and the Asian side’s Kadıköy, tied together by a Bosphorus crossing.
We’ll hop the boat to Kadıköy on the Asian side and eat our way through that neighborhood’s market, which holds the highest concentration of traditional food shops and eateries in the city.
Full market tour with lots of eating and drinking along the way.
Here we will visit some hidden stops and have some awesome bites
We’ll continue on toward the lesser-explored culinary hotspots around the Moda area at the market’s edge, where an infectious neighborhood vibe and a sweet finish await us to conclude our Istanbul market tour.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum of 18 years old for Alcoholic Beverages
Reviews(557)
Incredible, can't wait to book the next!
Thank you for the wonderful review and for joining us on this journey. We are thrilled that you enjoyed exploring the daily life of the city and taking the time to connect with the unsung heroes of the kitchen. Your support means the world to us and to the local families working hard to preserve these traditional culinary crafts.
We had a wonderful culinary adventure on this tour — truly the highlight of our time in Istanbul. If you love food and want to experience both sides of the city, this is a must‑do. Our host, Ibrahim, was fantastic. He shared rich historical insights and guided us to incredible spots where we tasted a huge variety of dishes Istanbul has to offer.
Thank you for the wonderful review. We are so glad that your adventure across both sides of the city was a highlight of your time in Istanbul. By walking with us, you help support the unsung culinary heroes and preserve the deep-rooted traditions of these historic neighborhoods. We will be sure to pass your kind words along to Ibrahim!
This is a wonderful way to experience Istanbul and find great food you might not find on your own. Our guide, Gonca, was so knowledgable about food and history and made the whole tour fun and interesting. I highly recommend.
Thank you for the wonderful review and for taking the time to share your experience. We are thrilled that Gonca could help you discover the rich history and daily life of Istanbul through its food. Your visit truly helps us support the local, unsung heroes who are working so hard to preserve their culinary traditions.
Ugur was a marvel.. what a great tour we had with him.. he was able to show us the hidden corners of Istanbul and a long list of return to places. Seeing the 'other' side of this amazing city - Kadikoy - was a real revelation with some of the best food we have ever had. A whole day of enjoyment that should not be missed
Thank you for the wonderful review and for taking the time to share your experience. We are thrilled that Ugur could introduce you to the daily life and unsung culinary heroes of Kadikoy. Your support helps us continue preserving these authentic family-run spots and the rich traditions of Istanbul.
Wish we had learned more about the food and less about the guide.
Thank you for the review and for sharing your honest feedback with us. We sincerely apologize that your experience did not reflect our commitment to Honest Tourism and telling the stories of the city's culinary masters.
Esin was fantastic. Really enjoyed the depth of the tour. Felt like a local, and I loved making a day of the tour with all the different stops.
Thank you for sharing your experience and for taking the time to spend a day with us. We are thrilled that you were able to dive deep into the daily life of the city and feel like a local alongside Esin. Thank you for supporting these traditional, family-run spots and helping us preserve their incredible culinary traditions.
We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour with Ugur. He was very welcoming and knowledgeable and took us around to several unique spots with very tasty food. Loved the small group size too . So happy we did the tour!
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are so glad you enjoyed exploring the city and sharing in the stories of Istanbul's unsung culinary heroes. By joining our walks, you are directly supporting local families and helping to preserve the rich culinary traditions of our communities.
A really excellent food tour! Our guide Esin was brilliant - she was very knowledgable, engaging, and funny, and her warmth and familiarity with the local shopkeepers and restaurant owners really made the tour. The food was all absolutely delicious and well spread out, with a good range - and we went to a lot of places that we would never otherwise have experienced. I would highly recommend!
Thank you so much for this wonderful review. We are delighted that you enjoyed exploring the daily life of the city and connecting with the shopkeepers who bring the neighborhoods to life. Your visit directly helps us support these unsung local heroes and preserve their beautiful culinary traditions. We hope to share more stories and meals with you on your next journey.
We had the most extraordinary and memorable food adventure with Gonca who took us eating from one side of the city to another. The city and its food came alive and every bite was delicious. I appreciate all the small touches, meeting the many small businesses that sell one great meal that you wouldn’t know about unless you lived there, and being with Gonca. It was the highlight of our stay and we loved many things in Istanbul ! Thank you !!!!
Hello, and thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience! We are deeply grateful for your support of Istanbul's unsung culinary heroes and the dedicated families working hard to preserve these timeless traditions. Exploring the daily life of the city and sharing the stories of masters passing down their craft is what we live for, and we are thrilled it was a highlight of your stay.
Great experience and great food. Our guide Gancha (I think that may be how her name is spelled) not only brought us to great out of the way food stops but provided us with the cultural relevance of the food, how the food is presented and how the food fits into the culture. Great trip and I plan to do more culinary backstreet tours in future travels.
Thank you for the review and for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are so glad you enjoyed connecting with the unsung heroes of our kitchen and learning about the deep cultural roots behind their craft. Supporting these traditional family-run spots and sharing the true daily life of our city is what drives us every day. We look forward to welcoming you on another walk in the future.
