Istanbul Cooking: A Taste of Turkish Culture

Experience authentic Turkish home cooking in Istanbul. Join a local for a cooking course, visit local stores, cook together, and learn about Turkish culture.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Dericiler Sokak - Experience a day in the kitchen, just like visiting an old friend for a homemade meal.
    Start the journey in the vibrant markets of Kurtuluş, a central and historic neighborhood brimming with colorful spice shops, fresh produce stalls, family-run charcuteries, and local bakeries. As you wander through the bustling streets, you’ll…
What's Included
  • Authentic Turkish Dessert
  • Local Market Tour to experience local life
  • Authentic home cooking
  • Dinner
  • Cooking Materials and Ingredients
  • Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
  • Tips and Gratitudes
  • Things you buy for you from Market Tour
  • Private Transfer, arranged on request
  • Alcoholic beverages
Meal Options
  • Soup (Lentil Soup or Yogurt Soup)
  • Salad or Meze - A fresh, cold appetizer bursting with Turkish flavors
  • Pilaf or Börek - Fragrant rice, bulgur, or flaky pastry filled with cheese, spinach, or minced meat
  • Vegetable Dish - Seasonal vegetables cooked in a traditional Turkish way
  • Turkish Pumpkin Dessert with Tahini - A sweet and nutty traditional dessert
Additional Information

This is more than a cooking class—it’s an exploration of the flavors, history, and everyday life in Istanbul.
The adventure starts in the vibrant markets of Kurtuluş, a bustling area filled with century-old specialty shops. Participants will explore a spice store, charcuterie, and bakery, tasting and discovering the ingredients that contribute to the…

Location
Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Istanbul City Center
Halaskargazi Caddesi
Istanbul has traffic issue. I suggest you use metro, ferry as much as you can. Instructions to the address via public transportation is written on tickets
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(111 Ratings)
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87yuri
May 28, 2026
Best food of the trip! - It has experiences that cross the barrier of tourism and end up becoming almost a cultural exchange. It was a great pleasure to spend the afternoon with Gülşah at your house. No doubt, one of the great highlights of my trip. Excellent speaker, I ended up losing my time. We prepared a full dinner with entry, salad and main dish, and honestly it was one of the most delicious meals I have tasted in Istanbul. The way Gülşah conducts everything makes a lot of difference. There is affection, exchange and a genuine feeling of being living something truly local, and not just a cooking class. I left there with cultural references, stories and memories that I will take with me. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to live a more human and special experience in the city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bill
May 24, 2026
An authentic neighborhood and home evening — cooking, conversing, eating - Gülşah was an excellent hostess and instructor. We were a small group, so had opportunities to get to know one another. The class was preceded by a stroll through Gülşah’s neighborhood with the occasional store-visit for a couple of ingredients. Gülşah described aspects of neighborhood living including the fact that lots of grocers, bakers etc are open for convenience-shopping at all hours of day and night. We proceeded to Gülşah’s apartment and all participated in cutting, peeling, chopping and cooking for soup, main course and dessert. Lots of fun and very tasty.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Msorgiovannihotmailc
May 13, 2026
In - home cooking with Nuran - Nuran was very warm and welcoming. She took the time to ask about my trip to Turkey, shared stories about her family and hometown, and created a very relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. She explained and demonstrated each dish before guiding me through the cooking process, making the experience both fun and easy to follow. Sharing dinner with her family at the end of the evening made it feel especially personal and authentic. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for a more meaningful and personal way to experience Istanbul and Turkish cooking.
Review provided by Viator
Q7145otvaleriec
May 10, 2026
Highlight of our trip to Istanbul - This was a most enjoyable experience. The host was very friendly and knowledgeable about Turkish cuisine. She took us to some fascinating and unusual shops, and explained many things about the way Turkish people eat. She then took us to her home and engaged all 5 of us in preparing a 3 course evening meal, which was absolutely delicious. Her grasp of English is excellent and she was able to answer our many questions about the dishes we were preparing. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lolad905
May 5, 2026
Go with your eyes closed! - Great evening with a host concerned about everyone's food preferences. Hearty meals and everyone was able to get their hands on the preparation. The walk before class was instructive.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linda_r
May 4, 2026
Great way to immerse yourself in to Turkey! - What a fun evening we had with Leyla and companions as she walked us through some traditional Turkish dishes in her home. Everyone was charming and welcoming. It was a great evening for introducing us to Turkish cuisine and hospitality!
Review provided by Viator
Curiosity66034362728
May 4, 2026
A wonderful and authentic cooking experience - We had a great experience at this cooking class. Gülşah is an extremely warm hostess, very welcoming and clearly very experienced in what she does. You feel welcome from the first moment. It was especially nice how lovingly and attentively she involved my nine-year-old daughter in the course. She communicated wonderfully with her and made sure that she too could actively participate and really enjoy the experience. Also the dog in the house was very quiet, gentle and friendly, which added to the pleasant atmosphere. A special highlight was the small district tour before the cooking class. Gülşah introduced us to different tastes, local specialties and interesting insights into Turkish shopping and dining culture. This was very authentic, informative and made the whole experience even more special. Overall, a highly recommended experience for those who not only want to cook, but also want to get to know the culture and everyday world behind it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ranjithagokul
May 4, 2026
Turkish home cooking with Gülşah - We had an amazing time with Gülşah. We started off with exploring the neighbourhood's local spots for ingredients and getting an understanding of how locals live and cook. We checked out produce, spices, breads and desserts shop in the neighbourhood. We then walked back to Gülşah's beautiful apartment and got to work prepping the ingredients for dinner. I mentioned I loved eggplant and she immediately changed the menu for us to include an eggplant main course. The dinner and dessert were simply delicious and we had an amazing time learning about Turkey's history and heritage. Would definitely recommend this class if you love cooking and learning new recipes!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J2273sstheresas
May 3, 2026
a taste of Istanbul - We recommend this experience a 100% for everybody who wants a taste of Istanbul. The dishes were amazingly tasty and easy for trying at home! Gülşah is an incredible kind host 🩷
Review provided by Tripadvisor
S_l
May 1, 2026
Great time going to local... - Great time going to local shops and then making an incredible dinner together. It was a small group and the food recipes were full of flavor yet easy to cook. A great way to spend some time to immerse yourself into a little bit of local life. The host is wonderful!
Review provided by Viator
From $110
up to 5 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).