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Kurtulus Tour: Culinary Delights and Artisan Visits
5.0
49 Ratings
Şişli
Embark on a culinary adventure through Istanbul’s Kurtulus neighborhood. Indulge in delicious breakfasts, heavenly dairy delights, meze samples, kebabs, street food, and more!
Embark on a culinary adventure through Istanbul’s Kurtulus neighborhood. Indulge in delicious breakfasts, heavenly dairy delights, meze samples, kebabs, street food, and more!
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Kurtulus - Far from the tourist trail, get a taste of one of the last bastions of classic Istanbul flavors, including bread fresh from the tandir oven, a mind-boggling assortment of meze, sizzling kebab, old school ice cream and much more. On this full-day food tour, we will dig deep into the culinary traditions of one of Istanbul’s most culturally diverse and food-centric neighborhoods.
- Kurtulus - Far from the tourist trail, get a taste of one of the last bastions of classic Istanbul flavors, including bread fresh from the tandir oven, a mind-boggling assortment of meze, sizzling kebab, old school ice cream and much more. On this full-day food tour, we will dig deep into the culinary traditions of one of Istanbul’s most culturally diverse and food-centric neighborhoods.
What's Included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Snacks
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Snacks
What's Not Included
- Private transportation
- Private transportation
Additional Information
Our Kurtulus tour starts with an exclusive visit to a sports club belonging to that historic community, where we’ll have our first breakfast, followed by a stop for the heavenly dairy delights of Erzincan. We’ll walk off breakfast with visits to local artisans
- artichoke peelers, cuckoo clock repairmen, Armenian book venders
- as then begin grazing on…
Our Kurtulus tour starts with an exclusive visit to a sports club belonging to that historic community, where we’ll have our first breakfast, followed by a stop for the heavenly dairy delights of Erzincan. We’ll walk off breakfast with visits to local artisans
- artichoke peelers, cuckoo clock repairmen, Armenian book venders
- as then begin grazing on our way to lunch. There will be stunning meze samples, including top-grade stuffed vine leaves and topik, a classic Armenian speciality. Down the street, kebabs at a real-deal grill house will arrive sizzling, fresh from the fire. Along the way, we’ll sample street food from the Mediterranean port city of Mersin and share a couple plates of the daily special in a cozy family-run lokanta. Depending on the season, there may be boza, a fermented millet drink with Ottoman roots, or Turkish-style ice cream at a beloved dairy bar run by the third generation of a local family.
Location
Açık Yol Sk. No:2
Açık Yol Sokak
The meeting point is in front of the Carrefour Supermarket, Feriköy, Açık Yol Sk. 2-6, 34377 Şişli.
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
(49 Ratings)
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X8445kojaner
May 26, 2026
Extraordinary tour with an amazing guide and fantastic food - An incredible food tour with Gonca exploring the underlying cultures and traditions that make up the melting pot that is Istanbul. Fantastic food and fascinating history all delivered seamlessly and with passion and enthusiasm
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachael
May 26, 2026
10/10 would recommend to all visiting Istanbul for a first or return trip! - Fantastic tour, led by Gonca who was knowledgeable and engaging throughout. Lots of personal touches, catered for various dietary requirements. Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W7204qnkirstyd
May 25, 2026
Wonderful - We had a fabulous day doing the Culinary Backstreets Kurtuluş tour with Gonca as our guide. She was warm, passionate and so knowledgeable- she wove history, culture and human stories in with the many many tastings and explanations of delicious food. We spent nearly 7 hours eating, talking and wandering the area meeting people from chefs to hairdressers. By the end I felt I had been given a glimpse of the soul of suburban Istanbul. A simply great day - do it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maryalicematlack
May 8, 2026
Amazing tour in a neighborhood rich in food culture and off the beaten-path - We absolutely loved out tour with Anna Maria in Kurtuluş. From the moment she took us into the sports club for an intimate private experience, to the last bite of baklva and halva, the wole day was a delight. Her knowledge was exceptional and it was fun to watch her interact with the restaurant workers and owners. The neighborhood was as interesting as promised and more special than we could have imagined.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
B1209jvjt
May 7, 2026
The highlight of the trip! - This was the highlight of my trip! Our guide Esin was absolutely the best! What a treat to have met her. She was so friendly & knowledgeable. The food was so delicious! This was such a fun neighborhood to explore & the experience is elevated when you have a guide that lived in the neighborhood & has many connections with all the shop owners & locals. No matter where I go in the world I will definitely make sure I book a culinary backstreet adventure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Samanta_c
Apr 13, 2026
Absolutely PERFECT & LOCAL food tour - We had the perfect local tour. We met our tour guide, Ana Maria and everything since then was amazing for almost 5 hours. She took us to a local sports club to start with the brunch, and from there we walked through this typical foodie neighborhood off the beaten path. We ended up trying everything and so different to the touristic restaurants. Absolutely a must!
Review provided by Viator
Michaelmz4282wf
Apr 13, 2026
We are so happy we chose this tour! - This experience was so much more than a simple food tour, all because our guide, Esin, is a terrific ambassador for the entire neighborhood! She knows everyone along the route we walked and took us to so many amazing spots -- from small family run places and shops to a Michelin-recognized restaurant -- you certainly won't leave hungry. This was the best food tour we have ever taken and, it was a highlight of our visit to Istanbul.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Villaondina
Apr 11, 2026
Another perfect day! - As always, we had a wonderful day with Culinary Backstreets! We have been on about a dozen of their tours and they never disappoint. Our guide, Esin (I hope I'm spelling that correctly) was amazing. Her knowledge of and enthusiasm for the neighborhood was impressive. We would never have discovered the many treasures in Kurtuluş on our own and we ended the day thinking, "We could live here!" In addition to great food, we will treasure the memories of the remarkable people we met. A perfect day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Warren
Apr 4, 2026
A touch of the real life - We loved walking the neighbourhood. Being greeted by friends of our guide, learning more about life in Istanbul away from the big tourist venues. And the guide was very accommodating our family including two small children.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linda
Mar 31, 2026
Off the beaten track - We recently did a private tour with Katerina as our guide. Katerina was very knowledgeable as she grew up here and had many stories to tell and was friendly with many of the restaurant owners.
The neighborhood was very local with not many tourists about which was certainly a change from other areas. The food we got to taste was lovely, all made on site at the different eateries, we wouldn’t have tried much of it if not for the tour.
I thoroughly recommend the tour and Katerina!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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