Experience food tours in
Istanbul with Withlocals

"This was an amazing tour with Erol Utgun. Olga wasn’t available but he sent his colleague and we are so glad he did. Erol did a fantastic job of guiding us around the asian side of istanbul and helped us understand the importance of food in the culture. Not only was everything we sampled fantastic but he explained the history and significance of everything and really helped us understand the neighborhood like a local. We had a group of seven ranking in age from 25 to 82 and everyone felt it was a highlight of our five day trip to this remarkable city. "

"Spent late afternoon, early evening with Ugur trawling the local and not so local areas of central Istanbul. Tasted traditional (kebab, pizza, shawarma) and local variations. More food than I could deal with (hah!) but mixed with local history and good conversation, this was an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in local flavours. Finished in the spice market which is alive with products and characters. Not to be missed. Thanks so much Ugur, (from the Kiwis who can't use a ticket machine :) "

"Four of us from Wisconsin,US, joined Emre for a super wonderful food tour in Istanbul. Never could have imagined all of the awesomely unique foods that we tasted!! We went from savory to sweet to never-heard-of foods. The Turkish coffee and Turkish delights were to be expected, but what was not expected was the back stories and explanations! It wasn’t just a food tour, a bunch of history was included. We started off as tourists and hours later we left off as friends. Maybe we will see Emre in Wisconsin and share some of our foods with him!! I suggest starting your trip off with Emre, he will give you tips for the rest of your stay!!"

"I’m so happy that we did this food tour on our first day. Emre did a fantastic job of explaining the food, history and culture of the city and in particular the specific neighborhoods that we were in. He gave us so many suggestions that we are now using during the rest of our trip. Thank you!!"

"Gulce was knowledgeable, professional, fun and hugely helpful through out our 3 hour food tour with her. She tailored the experience to suit us and to accommodate one of our party who is vegetarian. Gulce spoke perfect English and used this to communicate on our behalf with our driver. She waited half an hour beyond our tour to make sure our driver found us and we’re most grateful. She was great fun and highly recommend her as guide for Istanbul. Thank You Gulce! 😊 Patrick H"

"We had the pleasure of being on a food tour with Emre. It was a great start to our first trip to Istanbul. We recommend him 100%. We used many of his recommendations over the next few days. Thanks for the trip. VH Karsten"

" We had the absolute pleasure of booking two private food tours with Emre. He provided helpful notes about transportation, currency exchange and food suggestions prior to the trip. There are a plethora of places to dine, so with Emre we were able to experience hidden gems on the European and the Asian side we never would have found on our own. We tried a myriad of delicious dishes and had the opportunity to meet local shop owners and restaurant owners/workers. On top of the amazing food, Emre was incredibly friendly, engaging, and full of fun stories about origins of food and the city. We felt like we were spending two days with a friend who really knows their way around the best spots in town. If you’re a food lover visiting Istanbul do yourself a favor and book a private tour with Emre. It’s the perfect way to experience the local culture through its food in a fun and relaxed way. We highly recommend Emre! "

"We had the pleasure of taking a tour with Muhammad, and he was absolutely amazing! He was incredibly personable, accommodating to our schedule, and made sure we got a true sense of both the food and the rich history of Istanbul. Whether you’re in the city for a long layover or a few days, Muhammad is the perfect host to show you the best of what Istanbul has to offer. Highly recommend!"

"Emre customized a food tour for us to include a few places we wanted to see. We ate our way across two continents and did it all with the best company we could ever ask for. It really was our pleasure to meet such a wonderful person and spend some time with him. "

"Emre is a top notch tour guide. He was very patient with us when we were a little late. He is very knowledgeable about the area and foods and was super friendly. His smile and laugh are infectious. Highly recommend "