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ISTANBUL

Istanbul Food Tour

Two Markets, Two Continents

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ABOUT

Our favorite Istanbul experiences include exploring the eateries in local markets and crossing the Bosphorus on the public ferry. The route for this Istanbul

market tour draws from the Culinary Backstreets best-of lists.

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DETAILS

  • Ages 6-100, max of 7 per group
  • Duration: 6h 30m
  • 9:30 am (Mon-Sat)
  • Karaköy to Kadıköy
  • Culinary Backstreets
    Price: Adults x $135

Dietary

No pork served on the tour. Not all stops can be altered for vegetarians. Cannot accommodate a vegan diet. Only some gluten-free options available.

Mobility

Children welcome. Terrain fairly flat.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How are you dealing with COVID-19 risk on your walks? We have reinforced our commitment to safety with new guidelines to assure maximum safety of our guests on our walks in terms of social distancing and hygiene while maintaining the quality of the experience. For more details on our precautions, read here. Our routes have been altered during this period of time to ensure the safety of our guests, guides and community. Our cancellation policy is extremely flexible to deal with changes in travel plans.
What is included in the fee? In addition to your Culinary Backstreets guide, all food consumed on the walk – almost a dozen different edible specialties – are included in the price.
Why is the Culinary Backstreets tour more expensive than some other walking tours? Our approach is different than most tour companies. Each of our culinary walks is the outcome of considerable research. We work with academics in the field and our own team of experienced professionals – both guides and local journalists. Our ongoing publishing of articles, from restaurant reviews to features about the intersection of food and culture, constantly feeds new material into the culinary walks, so they evolve and constantly improve. Though costly, we believe that this is how to create the quality experiences we strive for. We practice honest tourism and would never accept a free lunch or any sort of commission. On the contrary, we are proud to know that the money spent during the culinary walk goes to support businesses that we believe in, helping to preserve the social and cultural fabric of the cities we love so dearly.
How does the payment process work? Once you have made a reservation, we require the full fee to be paid in order to complete the online booking. Our online booking system uses Stripe to process secure payments.
What is your cancellation policy? 100% will be refunded if given 1 week notice prior to walk and 50% will be refunded if given 72 hours notice or more.
Are your walks public or private? How many people are on them? Our walks are 2-7 people and are open to the public. If you would like to do a private walk, you can book it for a supplement by selecting book entire excursion. If it is not available on booking, we may be able to arrange one for an additional fee. Please contact us at walks@culinarybackstreets.com for more information.
Can I get a discount if I join more than one walk? Yes, we offer a 10% discount to those who join more than one walk. Please email us at walks@culinarybackstreets.com if you’d like to join multiple walks.
Are your walks suitable for people with food allergies? This can vary based on a number of factors, including the food item in question. Please email us at walks@culinarybackstreets.com to discuss your situation before booking.
Are your walks suitable for vegetarians and pescatarians? Our Born on the Bosphorus route can accommodate vegetarians and is very suitable for pescatarians.
Are your walks suitable for a gluten free diet? Gluten free is difficult in Turkey as so much of the dishes are wheat based. We can accommodate a gluten free diet on this walk but there are a few stops that may need to opt out of.
Is alcohol served on the walks? We sometimes taste some local Turkish wine on this walk.
Is the food offered on the walks halal? This is difficult to answer. In Turkey the halal certification process is relatively new, so though many butchers are halal they may not be certified and though many restaurants use halal products they may not advertise or even recognize it. Because of this, we cannot confidently say that all of the food is halal.
Can children join the walks? Of course! But please note that Istanbul’s streets – narrow, uneven and often lacking a sidewalk – can be challenging with a stroller. We offer a 50% discount to children 12 years old and younger. We do not charge for children 6 and under.
Do you offer walks during Ramazan? We do offer this walk during Ramazan and some local holidays.
Can you pick me up from my hotel? How will I return, once the tour is over? Our tour prices don’t include transportation. If you book a tour, you’re responsible for arriving to the pre-arranged meeting spot on your own. Once the tour is over, we will help you get an authorized, safe taxi to your hotel, or provide directions on public transportation, if you’re interested in that.
How much food will I get to try? This is really up to you. We generally make between 9 and 12 eating stops on our walk and try to include some breaks from eating along the way. The price includes as much food as you’re open to trying. We offer a suggested portion size at each stop and you can take our recommendation if you’d like. Our walks often involve street food and sharing food.

Reserve your spot

Guests
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Guests

Adults
Age 13+
Children
Ages 7-12
Children
Ages 6 & under
Two Markets, Two Continents
Adults x $135
Total
Fee includes everything consumed on the walk.
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