Experience the best of
Istanbul with Withlocals

"Deniz is passionate about food and enthusiastic about sharing her favorite dishes and places. With excellent English and knowledge, she took us through back streets, on the ferry, and different neighborhoods as we feasted, laughed, and learned so much. i especially loved the fish wraps. Highly recommend this trip."

"I hope I can write a review that encourages someone to choose Abdullah. I now see why he is so popular!!! Friendly, funny and courteous. And!!!! Incredibly knowledgeable about the history and cultural intricacies of Istanbul and Turkey. More important, he is sensitive to his audience. He dials it up when there’s interest in the subject and knows when to move on when interest wanes. I would trust Abdullah’s suggestions and wisdom on anything Istanbul! It’s also obvious Abdullah’s kindness has gained many admirers around town. Store owners, food vendors, musuem staff all knew him by face and name and were so warm and welcoming to us by association. Can’t wait to return and spend another day with Abdullah. "

"We had an unforgettable food tour in Istanbul with Erme! He was incredibly communicative and made everything easy from the start. Not only did he guide us through some amazing local dishes, but he also shared fascinating insights into the history behind the cuisine and the city itself. It was the perfect mix of delicious food and rich storytelling. One of our favorite bites of the day was the çiğ köfte—so flavorful and unique! We learned so much and had such a great time that we’d absolutely do it again. Highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Istanbul!"

"We booked the Introduction to Istanbul tour with Emir for the first morning of our stay and we are so glad we did. Emir was a fantastic host, welcoming and full of knowledge! He provided us with lots of tips for how to make the most of time in Istanbul and some great foodie recommendations. "

"Abdullah showed us The Hague Sofia and the Cistern. Walked us through the Grand Bazaar and made two excellent recommendations for dinner that night and a Turkish bath the last evening of our stay. He was fun and also very knowledgeable. It was a great start to our trip!"

"We recently had the pleasure of joining our very first food tour in Istanbul, and it exceeded all expectations—thanks to our incredible guide, Emre! From start to finish, Emre made the experience unforgettable. He didn’t just guide us through Istanbul’s rich and flavorful food scene; he also shared fascinating historical insights about the city and the beautiful buildings we passed along the way. What really stood out was how thoughtful and attentive Emre was. My wife is a pure vegetarian while I’m not, and he managed to tailor the experience so both of us enjoyed every stop to the fullest. He even took into account our high spice tolerance and added an extra layer of flavor (literally!) to the tour. अगर आप इस्तांबुल में असली देसी स्वाद और सांस्कृतिक अनुभव चाहते हैं, तो एमरे के साथ यह टूर जरूर करें – बहुत ही शानदार अनुभव रहा! اگر آپ استنبول میں اصل ذائقے اور ثقافتی تجربے کی تلاش میں ہیں تو ایمرے کے ساتھ یہ فوڈ ٹور ضرور کریں – واقعی لاجواب تھا! Emre’s passion, knowledge, and warm personality made this tour a highlight of our trip. We left with full hearts, full stomachs, and a deeper appreciation for Istanbul. I highly recommend Emre to anyone looking for a truly enriching and personalized food tour experience!"

"Alp was the perfect tour guide. Despite much of the route being disrupted due to the marathon- he adapted his itinerary. Many interesting facts and great restaurant recommendations- thank you Alp. "

"I'd highly recommend Mine, she was a brilliant guide for our group of four, we learned so much about Istanbul's incredible rich history. She was hugely knowledgeable, full of great stories and anecdotes, well organised at the busy sites, friendly and really good fun. We had a great afternoon, thank you Mine! "

"My wife and I had a wonderful time with Emre. He was a big foodie, just like us, and knew all the best spots for authentic Turkish cuisine. Better than that, he knew how the food was made, the history of the food, and all of the hidden gems to taste the best of the best. In between stops Emre would describe the history of the neighborhood and was willing and enthusiastic to answer all of our questions. I can't imagine a food tour in Istanbul without Emre and feel like we've made a friend for life. "

"Kemal introduced our group of 4 to areas in Istanbul after sunset that we never wouldn’t have known about. He was very knowledgeable about Turkish customs and location histories. A perfect gentleman, he made us feel safe and in good hands. His personal history is fascinating too. You can’t go wrong with Kemal as your guide. Only complaint was that we didn’t have more tours with him! "