Istanbul Food Tour 30 Tasting Stops with Audio Maps Written Guide

3 to 4 hours (approximately)
Offered in: English and 3 more

This is not a fixed, fast-paced group food tour.
Instead of being rushed through a handful of restaurants in a few hours, you get access to 30 different tasting locations spread across three distinct neighborhoods of Istanbul.

You decide where to go, when to stop, and what to taste.

With immersive audio narration, step-by-step walking directions, and a detailed written guide, you explore the city as if a local friend were walking beside you—telling you where to turn, what you’re seeing, and what to try at each stop.

Rather than following a single route with pre-selected tastings, this experience gives you flexibility and depth: return to favorites, skip what doesn’t interest you, or spread your food journey over multiple days.

It’s designed for independent travelers who want authentic local food, clear guidance, and total freedom—without crowds, schedules, or pressure.

What's Included

Digital self-guided Istanbul travel guide, use on your smartphone, at your own pace
Written guide with in-depth explanations, food stories, and cultural context
30 carefully selected tasting stops across 3 different districts (you choose which ones to visit)
Audio guides guiding you step by step through each neighborhood
Google Maps links with pinned locations
Local tips on when, how, and what to taste like a local
Public transportation & walking directions between areas
Headphones
Live tour guide
Food & drink purchases at tasting locations
Public transportation

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point
Eminonu Square

You are going to start from this place! However, you can access to the guide even before getting to the starting point!

End point
Kadıköy İskele

This is a self-guided walking tour with a flexible route and no fixed ending point. The experience can be finished at any point along the route.

Itinerary

Duration: 3 to 4 hours (approximately)
  • 1
    Eminonu Square

    A lively waterfront hub where Istanbul’s daily food rituals begin. You will walk through bustling streets filled with spice aromas, street vendors, and traditional teahouses, experiencing classic local bites and the rhythm of shopkeeper life near the Golden Horn.

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

    A centuries-old marketplace where aromas, colors, and flavors collide. You will navigate through spice stalls, sweet shops, and traditional food counters while learning how locals shop, taste, and choose ingredients in one of Istanbul’s most iconic markets.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 3
    Sirkeci Station

    A historic transition zone between the old trade routes and modern Istanbul. As you walk these backstreets, you will explore regional flavors, traditional bakeries, and long-standing food traditions shaped by merchants, travelers, and railway-era history.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 4
    Sultanahmet Square

    The monumental heart of the Old City, where history and daily life intersect. Between iconic landmarks, you will step into quieter streets to experience traditional desserts, classic Ottoman flavors, and the slower pace of local eating culture.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 5

    A deeply local residential district far from tourist crowds. Here, you will walk through neighborhood streets to discover home-style dishes, regional specialties, and historic food traditions enjoyed by locals under ancient aqueducts and market streets.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 6
    Karakoy Balik Pazari

    You start your walk in Karaköy, Istanbul’s historic port district where old trade routes meet modern food culture. As you move through market streets and waterfront backstreets, you taste classic deli flavors, street food, and sweets while observing how locals eat between ferry rides and daily work routines.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 7
    Istiklal Caddesi

    Walking along and just off İstiklal Street, you step into hidden passages and side streets where everyday food culture lives behind the crowds. Here, you experience iconic snacks, handmade dishes, and long-standing local eateries that reflect Beyoğlu’s multicultural past and lively present.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 8
    Beyoglu

    In Beyoğlu’s atmospheric backstreets, you slow down and eat like a local. This area introduces you to home-style cooking, traditional tavern flavors, and classic comfort dishes enjoyed by residents before or after evenings out, surrounded by historic buildings and graffiti-lined alleys.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 9
    Taksim Square

    Around Taksim Square, the pace of the city shifts into constant motion. You explore nearby streets where quick bites, late breakfasts, and casual local meals fuel Istanbul’s busiest meeting point. This stop reflects how locals eat on the move, any time of day.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 10
    Ortakoy

    Your route ends by the Bosphorus in Ortaköy, where food and scenery come together. Along the waterfront, you experience one of Istanbul’s most iconic street food traditions while watching ferries pass, locals gather, and the city slow down by the water.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 11
    KadIkoy CarsIsI

    You step into Kadıköy, the residential heartbeat of Istanbul’s Asian side, where locals come not to sightsee, but to eat seriously. As you walk through the lively market streets, you move between fishmongers, pickle shops, bakeries, and street-side counters where food is part of daily ritual, not performance. Here, you taste your way through regional Anatolian flavors brought to the city by generations of migrants—from spicy southern wraps and Black Sea dough specialties to offal dishes and healing soups locals swear by. Some bites are eaten standing, some slowly at small tables, others late at night as part of the district’s famous food-and-drink rhythm. With each stop, you’re not just tasting dishes—you’re learning how and when locals eat them, why certain foods belong to mornings, others to nights, and how the Kadıköy market functions as a living food archive rather than a tourist attraction. This is where Istanbul eats for itself.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 12
    Tarihi Moda Iskelesi

    Leaving the market energy behind, you walk into Moda, a quieter, more reflective neighborhood shaped by the sea. The pace slows, streets open up, and food becomes less about urgency and more about ritual. Here, you experience the sweet and social side of local life—where people linger with dessert, sit by the water, and end the day with simple pleasures. You walk along calm residential streets toward the Bosphorus edge, where locals gather for sunset, conversation, and long pauses between bites. Moda isn’t about quantity—it’s about closing the day like a local, letting flavors stretch out over time while the city softens around you.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking.
Supplied by Ultimate Travel Kits

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Tags

Half-day Tours
Private and Luxury
Audio Guides
Walking Tours
Street Food Tours
Food & Drink
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

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

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