Recently Viewed
Istanbul Food Tour: Taste Local Flavors
5.0
25 Ratings
Beyoğlu
Join Hasan’s Home Experience for a ferry ride, local foods, and stories in Istanbul. Feel at home with our unique hosts.
Join Hasan’s Home Experience for a ferry ride, local foods, and stories in Istanbul. Feel at home with our unique hosts.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Karakoy Rihtim - The journey kicks off with a ferry ride that provides breathtaking views from Karaköy to Balat.
- Private Fener Greek High School - The exploration of the Fener neighborhood begins with a visit to the Greek Orthodox School and its surroundings.
- Merdivenli Yokus Evleri Balat - Discover the vibrant streets of the…
- Karakoy Rihtim - The journey kicks off with a ferry ride that provides breathtaking views from Karaköy to Balat.
- Private Fener Greek High School - The exploration of the Fener neighborhood begins with a visit to the Greek Orthodox School and its surroundings.
- Merdivenli Yokus Evleri Balat - Discover the vibrant streets of the neighborhood, featuring colorful houses and lively stairs, while engaging and socializing with the local children.
- Fener & Balat - Then, proceed to the Main Street of the neighborhood, where you will be introduced to over 10 dishes and meet the unique individuals who bring the area to life.
What's Included
- Three Surprise Local Snacks
- Local Guide (English-Speaking, Hospitality Expert)
- Three Surprise Local Snacks
- Local Guide (English-Speaking, Hospitality Expert)
What's Not Included
- Food & Personal Expenses
- Ferry fee: $2 per person
- Food & Personal Expenses
- Ferry fee: $2 per person
Additional Information
Welcome to Istanbul’s premier food and community tour — Taste Istanbul, discover its story, and connect with the locals.
The journey begins with a ferry ride along the Golden Horn, providing breathtaking views of Istanbul — including a delightful Bosphorus cruise!
Guided by enthusiastic locals, participants will explore Istanbul’s most vibrant…
Welcome to Istanbul’s premier food and community tour — Taste Istanbul, discover its story, and connect with the locals.
The journey begins with a ferry ride along the Golden Horn, providing breathtaking views of Istanbul — including a delightful Bosphorus cruise!
Guided by enthusiastic locals, participants will explore Istanbul’s most vibrant neighborhood through must-try dishes, hidden flavors, and interactions with the community — all in one memorable experience.
The promise is straightforward: regardless of your origin, your appetite will be satisfied with endless local cuisine, you’ll feel at home, and receive a warm introduction to the city.
Participants will also receive an Istanbul Guidebook, packed with essential information. Additionally, assistance will be provided for every aspect of the trip to ensure it is truly memorable.
This experience is vegetarian-friendly and ideal for all types of travelers.
If preferred dates or times are unavailable, please inform us.
Location
Rıhtım Caddesi
We’ll meet in front of a café called Mado, located right near Karaköy Ferry Station—it's easy to find and a central spot. If you'd prefer, we can also arrange a private pickup from your hotel for an additional cost.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(25 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Stevepope2013
Jul 28, 2025
Fun taste of local life - I had the good fortune of being with Mert. We wandered, talked, and ate great food for four hours. It was a nice way to see Istanbul, including see areas I would have otherwise missed. Mert is a knowledgeable guide, good conversationalist, and has a chill vibe.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kasinda_t
Jul 26, 2025
A picturesque journey through a neighborhood. - Our tour guide was very informative, open, and knowledgeable about this experience. Our tour guide Mehmet, met us at the ferry and gave us a step-by-step guide on what the day would be like and he did not disappoint. This was an amazing experience of a behind-the-scenes tour of his very own personal neighborhood. he was very open to all questions we had for him about his country and his cultural background, he gave us inside tips to what it was like for him to grow up in Istanbul. We stopped at many of his favorite locations to eat and experienced some of the tasty cuisine that turkey had to offer. This was a walking tour, so be prepared to walk the steep streets of Istanbul, bring water, a good sun hat, or umbrella. This is a very intimate journey that I took with my cousin and another couple. I would definitely go on another tour with Mehmet again, he treated us with wonderful hospitality. You do have to have money for the food samples, but you are not pressured to sample all that is offered. After having this experience, I feel that I have a very personal insight on Istanbul, and I hope to come back and experience this again.
Review provided by Viator
898emileeb
Jul 22, 2025
Wonderful tour with delicious food! Awesome guide too! - Mehmet truly made our time in Istanbul special. He offered such a unique and local perspective on the city's amazing cuisine and rich culture. Every single place we visited had a wonderful personal touch or connection, which made the experience feel truly authentic.
Mehmet was also incredibly accommodating to our dietary needs and checked in regularly to ensure we had everything we needed. Overall, he was a wonderfully thoughtful and kind guide.
We would genuinely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Istanbul – it's an experience not to be missed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ria_d
Jun 25, 2025
A must-do!! - My sister and I spent the afternoon with Mert and we couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Fener/Balat are such charming, calm neighborhoods full of vibrance and warmth. We are so glad Mert shared his childhood neighborhood with us, it is clear he is so loved by all of the locals and children in the neighborhood and we totally see why! He was super easygoing, funny, and sweet. It felt like hanging out with an old friend. All of the food spots he took us to were amazing (we are still dreaming about the cold baklava), and the shopkeepers were so friendly too! This is a must-do in Istanbul!
Review provided by Viator
Deakovchka
Jun 13, 2025
Vibe: Visiting your friend in his hometown - Fener and Balat is a beautiful place already, but to have someone who actually from the neighbourhood, guiding through the nooks and cranny while introducing the food - and by that, I mean it’s beyond kebab and baklava - is what make it special! If you’re looking for a chill walk while chatting and exchanging stories with locals along the way, this might be perfect for you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
118catrionam
Jun 12, 2025
Yummy food with local people - Our family loved this tour. We learned so much about Turkish culture and ate lots of delicious local food. Our kids (9 & 11) loved it as much as the adults. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wendyat2535fz
Jun 11, 2025
A Personal Tour - We loved our tour with Hasan, it was a very personal view of his home part of Istanbul and the foods he introduced us to were generally not ones we’d tried before. There were just 6 of us, a perfect number. Expect a bit of walking at the start which will give you a good appetite for what is to follow!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alison_a
Jun 9, 2025
Hasan was passionate... - Hasan was passionate about Istanbul and its food. We were in a small group and really enjoyed the tour, thank you Hasan!
Review provided by Viator
Jane
May 21, 2025
Fantastic afternoon delights! - wonderful afternoon exploring this vibrant neighborhood. Our guide grew up in here and knows all about the history, the cultures and of course the food. We had a great selection and lots of food. We circled back at the end of the tour so I could purchase some pomegranate molasses which I tasted for the first time and loved!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
X7085iybrandonl
May 18, 2025
An excellent food & cultural experience! - Hasan and the food tour were awesome! We love learning about the culture of different places through food, and this was no exception. Hasan started out with an excellent historical recount of Istanbul and relevant info about the city today before taking us over to his home area for the tour. It's a lovely spot, very friendly, aesthetic, safe, trendy and welcoming. All of the 6-8 food stops were unique and he was able to describe the ingredients and cooking techniques very well. All in all an excellent tour, well worth it for us! I'd go back to hang out with Hasan in the future anytime! He's also a tour guide in the area and his guidebook is filled with awesome info! Thanks so much for everything!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
