Born on the Bosphorus: Exploring Three Distinct Waterside Neighborhoods

This was probably my 10th food tour with Culinary Backstreet and my 3rd tour in Istanbul. First think I do, when I travel somewhere is to check, whether they run food tours there. They are always fabulous, the groups are small and fun, the place we go to I would have not found by myself, even if I would have found them, I would not get the amazing stories and background of the places, owners, food and history. It is always a fantastic day spend, can't wait to do the next one. Their guides are always exceptional.

We enjoyed an absolutely incredible day with Başak! We had a small tour group that ended up feeling like a group of friends exploring the city together. Despite the tour being several hours (most of the day) and covering many stops (TONS of delicious food), the walking between stops helped pace the eating so it never felt like too much. In addition to tasting loads of traditional Turkish foods, we also learned so much about Turkish history and culture. A Culinary Backstreets tour is a must-do in Istanbul. The guides are passionate, friendly, and knowledgeable. This was a fun, informative, and immersive way to spend our first day in the city.

We really enjoyed the day spent with Ugur in Istanbul. He shared his knowledge of history, local customs and food traditions so freely and made us feel instantly welcome in this great city. He was able to help us understand the complexity of the past and its influence on today. The combination of foods we tasted was perfect as was the pace of the tour.

An incredible experience. Our guide Gonca (pronounced "Ganja" she led with) was extraordinary. Incredible energy and humor, she not only told us of food vendors, ingredients, and context in the culture, but gave us historical and geographical information for a lifetime. The food was exceptional: we sampled about two dozen things, some unusual that we never had, some excellent examples of things we knew (kabob, olives, etc). We ate from 10 Am to 8 PM! Gonca went overtime with us given the connection we all made with her. Everyone she visited with us greeted her warmly, showing how familiar she was with food providers in the city. She managed ferries, buses, and other logistics with grace and speed. Plus she gave us such unique perspectives on the city, the people living there, her experience, and of course food and cooking. A highlight of a three week trip to the region.

We have just returned from doing the tour “BORN ON THE BOSPHORUS “. We would recommend it to everyone. Our guide, Gonca, was fantastic. Her knowledge of the food, history and culture of Istanbul/Turkey was excellent. She could answer all questions and it was obvious that she was passionate about her country and its food. Having only seven people on the tour was also good. Lots of interaction, conversation and enjoyment. The diverse selection of food experiences could not be faulted, you certainly get to taste a variety. If you want to spend an interesting day in Istanbul, this tour is for you.

We were really looking forward to this tour and it didn't disappoint. The breadth of tasting, location and local cultural knowledge was even better than we'd hoped for, all led by our brilliant guide Basak. Do not eat breakfast before you go as there is a constant supply of food all day. We were totally stuffed by the end! We tried foods we never would have had we been exploring on our own, and we learnt a huge amount about the background to food choices in Istanbul. Wonderful. Highly recommend.

Fascinating walk and slice of life in three very different Istanbul neighborhoods -- Besiktas, Uskudar and Kuzguncuk. Besiktas is a vibrant, youthful neighborhood with lots of great breakfast places; Kuzguncuk is slightly quieter with lots of art galleries; Uskudar is a bustling waterside neighborhood with a huge fish market. Our guide Kadir was friendly and knowledgeable and happy to talk about all things Istanbul, from the specifics of the food to how to manage daily life in a city so huge. My only criticism is that there was, if anything, too much food! We felt bad about leaving so much on the plate by the end of the tour. But the overall experience was excellent and I'd happily do trips with Kadir or with Culinary Backstreets again.

Engaging visit to local neighborhoods of Istanbul with stops at a variety of family run restaurants and shops. The food samples were wonderful, both in quality and variety, as well as giving insight to Istanbul food culture. Esin was just lovely - charming and knowledgeable and fun! Highly recommended.

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Probably one of the best food tours I have done. Esin was wonderful. So passionate about Istanbul and it's food. She took us to many tiny hidden places as well larger ones. Lots of stories about the history as well. Just loved our day.

Gonca was knowledgeable, accommodating, and charming. I had been through some of the neighborhoods before, but I had missed so much on my own!