Istanbul Guided Street Food Tour Around European and Asian Sides

5.0
(253 reviews)
Istanbul, Turkey

listing image 1
Show all photos
5 to 6 hours (approximately)
Offered in: English

Taste your way through Istanbul’s European and Asian sides with a local food expert. Explore lively markets, neighborhood cafés, and local eateries while discovering regional specialties and the stories behind Türkiye’s food traditions.

Begin with a generous Turkish breakfast: kaymak with honey, sesame-crusted simit, cheeses, olives, pistachio and hazelnut spreads, and menemen—eggs cooked with tomatoes, green peppers, and spices.

Continue with local favorites, including a fish wrap with spices and pomegranate sauce, and mussels stuffed with fragrant, seasoned rice. Your guide will help you discover delicious bites you might otherwise walk past.

Finish with künefe: crisp, golden pastry filled with melting cheese, soaked in sweet syrup, and topped with pistachios, served alongside traditional Maraş ice cream.

Enjoy a scenic ferry ride across the Bosphorus, sip Turkish tea from a tulip-shaped glass, and experience Istanbul through its food, everyday life, and warm hospitality.

What's Included

Çay. Turkish black brew tea serve in the tulip shaped glasses
Iskender. Lamb cooked on charcoal on top of pitta bread cubes with tomatoes, butter and yoghurt sauc
Midye ; Mussels stuffed with rice and spices cooked in the shell serve with lemon
Ferry tickets. Ferry tickets to and from Uskudar neighborhood in Asian side
Balık dürüm. Grilled mackerel fish wrap in lavash bread with salad, pomegranate sauce and spices
Turkish coffee. Coffee brew on sand or charcoal
Turk kahvesi & Çay ; Turkish coffee or Çay ( tea ) options
Maraş Dondurma. Famous Turkish ice cream made from goats milk and roots of mountain orchids roots.
Künefe. A dessert made of angels hair noddles, cheese, honey and pistacho
Menemen. Made from tomatoes, green peppers, eggs and spices.
Börek. Filo pastry wrapped with minded meat, cheese, potatoes, spices and butter.
Kaymak. Dairy cream made from buffaloes milk with sesame bread, honey, two type of cheeses. Variety of olives. Açuka, a traditional breakfast paste. Hazelnut paste.
Gratuities
No vegetarian food options at 2 of the food stops.
No vegan food options at 4 food stops

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point
İtimat Fabrika Satış Yeri

Our meeting point is “ Itimat Fabrika Satış Yeri/Magazasi ” it is a dairy store. Please wait in front of the shop till our guide comes to you and ask for your name. On Google map : İtimat Fabrika Satış Yeri https://maps.google.com?g_st=ic

End point
Karaköy Pier

This tour will end in Karakoy neighborhood near Karakoy ferry pier ( European side ) after the dessert. The ending point is just across the Galata bridge over the Golden horn which is 10 minutes waking to the starting point. Our guide will help you how to get back to your hotel.

Itinerary

Duration: 5 to 6 hours (approximately)
  • 1
    Eminonu Square

    Meet your guide and fellow food lovers for a warm welcome and a brief introduction to the tour. Then, walk together to a local dairy shop to select delicious ingredients for your Turkish breakfast.

    10 minutes • Admission ticket free
  • 2
    Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)

    Start your day with a delicious Turkish breakfast near the Spice Bazaar. Join your local food expert at a neighborhood dairy shop to select ingredients before sitting down to enjoy a generous breakfast spread. Taste savory pastırma (Turkish cured beef), creamy kaymak (buffalo cream) with organic honey, a selection of cheeses, and freshly baked simit—the sesame-crusted bread loved by locals. Enjoy menemen, a traditional dish of eggs cooked with tomatoes, onions, and green peppers, alongside rich pistachio and hazelnut spreads and acuka, a savory pepper-and-walnut spread. Complete the experience with Turkish çay, served in a traditional tulip-shaped glass.

    1 hour • Admission ticket included
  • 3
    Bosphorus Strait

    Enjoy a scenic ferry ride from Europe to Asia in just twenty minutes, taking in spectacular views of Istanbul’s skyline. Along the way, your knowledgeable guide will share the stories behind the landmarks you pass. On the Asian side, explore a lively neighborhood food market and sample delicious local specialties away from the main tourist areas.

    30 minutes • Admission ticket included
  • 4
    KadIkoy CarsIsI

    Step into the bustling Kadıköy food market and experience the everyday flavors of Istanbul’s Asian side. Follow your local food expert through lively market streets as you discover the stories and traditions behind each tasting. Begin with savory pastırma (Turkish cured beef) and tender grape leaves stuffed with seasoned rice. Taste freshly baked lahmacun—a thin, crisp flatbread topped with minced lamb and beef, onions, tomatoes, and paprika, cooked in a wood-fired stone oven. Next, try midye dolma: mussels stuffed with fragrant rice and spices, a much-loved Istanbul street food. Continue with mouthwatering İskender kebap—thinly sliced döner served over pieces of pide bread, topped with tomato sauce and sizzling butter, with yogurt alongside.

    2 hours • Admission ticket included
  • 5
    KadIkoy CarsIsI

    After enjoying the delicious local food, settle in for a relaxing coffee break at a café run by a Kurdish family. Savor traditional Turkish coffee, slowly brewed over charcoal in a copper cezve for a rich, aromatic flavor. Once you finish, ask your guide for a playful introduction to coffee fortune-telling using the grounds left in your cup. For a caffeine-free alternative, try menengiç kahvesi, a distinctive drink made from the roasted fruits of wild pistachio trees. This specialty of southeastern Türkiye offers a smooth, nutty flavor well worth discovering.

    20 minutes • Admission ticket included
  • 6
    Bosphorus Strait

    Enjoy the breeze of the Bosporus once again to land in Karakoy the modern part of Istanbul.

    20 minutes • Admission ticket included
  • 7
    Mumhane Caddesi

    Stroll through the backstreets of Karaköy and stop at a small, family-run eatery for a delicious fish wrap. Filled with fresh salad, aromatic spices, pomegranate seeds, and a drizzle of tangy pomegranate molasses, it’s a flavorful taste of Istanbul’s street food.

    30 minutes • Admission ticket free
  • 8
    Mumhane Caddesi

    End your food adventure on a deliciously sweet note with künefe, a beloved Turkish dessert best enjoyed fresh and hot. Crisp, golden strands of fine pastry surround a warm, melting cheese center, finished with sweet syrup and a generous sprinkling of pistachios. Served alongside traditional Maraş ice cream made with goat’s milk, it offers an irresistible contrast of hot and cold, crisp and creamy—the perfect finale for food lovers.

    30 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Not recommended for people who have serious allergies
Supplied by My Local Guide lstanbul

Tags

Half-day Tours
Private and Luxury
Walking Tours
Culinary Tours
Street Food Tours
Water Tours
Small Group
Food & Drink
Excellent Quality
Top Product
Viator Experience Award 2025
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Show more

Rating

5.0 Based on 253 253 reviews
5 stars
246
4 stars
6
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
from per person
Was {{formatPrice(summaryFromPriceBeforeDiscount, currency, 2)}}
Book Now