OVERVIEW
Our Flavours of the Old City Tour gives you the chance to savour some of the best local foods Istanbul has to offer, while wandering the back streets around the markets of the Spice Bazaar. Discover a side of Istanbul that only the locals know about. Discover how Turkish cuisine has developed over Istanbul’s long history as the capital of 3 different empires – right where it all began, in the heart of the Old City.
Sit down to a local market-style breakfast after sourcing our foods fresh from the market, and sip on tea the way that Turks enjoy it. Taste original Turkish baklava and katmer the way it should be – fresh from the traditional wood-fired ovens. Feast your tastebuds on local favourites like kokoreç (we’ll tell you what that is later) and cağ kebabı (the grandfather of the modern döner kebab) – from the best local hole-in-the-wall restaurants that the locals are enjoying. Stop in at a generations-old lokum (Turkish Delight) shop and see how the popular sweet is made. Experience over 15 different foods during your day.
Finally, finish your tour with a traditional Anatolian-style lunch – cooked just the way it has been in central Anatolia for generations. This is an opportunity to savour during your visit to Istanbul, and experiencing the true taste of Turkey is sure to be one of the highlights of your trip.
Join us for a day that is sure to surprise and delight your taste buds and unearth the charms of the real Old City. Eat. Walk. Enjoy!
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Discover why Turkish cuisine is one of the world’s most famous – and learn about it’s long history across many empires, in the iconic Old City
- Sample more than15 of the best authentic Turkish dishes, from restaurants only Istanbul locals know about
- Learn about Turkish food culture, eat at local restaurants, and visit markets where locals are buying traditional foods to use in their kitchens
- Discover Istanbul with a professionally licensed foodie guide – passionate about all things food and Istanbul – ready to share information about their culture, Turkish history and modern-day life
- Enjoy the small, intimate groups with a maximum of 6 guests
- Energise with a delicious outdoors breakfast by the Spice Market, after freshly sourcing the produce
- Devour some of the most popular Turkish street foods, from hole-in-the-wall eateries best known to locals
- Indulge in famous Gaziantep-style baklava and other pastry sweets cooked in wood-fired ovens
- Visit a Turkish Delight shop and hear how the popular sweet is made
- Finish the day with an unforgetable Anatolian-style lunch, prepared using traditional methods dating back generations and still being used today!
What To Bring & Wear
- An empty stomach and a very big appetite!
- Casual and comfortable shoes and clothing
- Our tours depart rain or shine, but if rain is forecast you might like to bring an umbrella for the short walking distances between food stops
Departures & Meeting Point
The Flavours of the Old City tours depart daily (except Sundays) at 09:30 am and are approximately 6 hours in duration.
This tour takes place around Istanbul’s Old City; therefore we meet to begin our tour in the heart of Eminönü. The exact meeting point and detailed directions will be provided upon booking.
Our small, standard tour group size is just 2-6 people. However, we are certainly happy to cater for your larger, private group.
We are the proud of being the #1 Tour Operator in Istanbul and the winner of Trip Advisor Excellence Awards 6 years in a row and have over 1000 Excellent Rated Reviews worldwide. Certificate of Excellence for the successive years of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 by tripadvisor
Our Company managed to get the Certificates of Excellence each year by Tripadvisor
Included
- All food and drink along the tour, including water as you need
- A friendly, knowledgable and energetic professionally-licensed English-speaking tour guide
- Local public transport costs
- Loads of culinary, cultural and historic anecdotes
- A day filled with culinary, cultural, historic and personal anecdotes, with a local insider’s view of Istanbul
- Maximum group size of 6 people
- 6 hours of eating, walking and enjoying Istanbul
Excluded
- Personal Expenses
