Istanbul Food Tour in 2 Continents: Europe and Asia
As Anthony Bourdain says “Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.” Following his words, we want to take you to a food journey through the hidden streets of İstanbul!
Join us on a flavor-packed adventure through Istanbul’s most vibrant neighborhoods, where history, culture, and cuisine come together in the most delicious way!
Our journey begins in Karaköy, one of the city’s oldest and most charming districts. With its blend of historic streets, modern cafés, and bohemian atmosphere, Karaköy is a food lover’s paradise. Here, we’ll dive into local favorites like fresh fish sandwiches, sizzling kokoreç, and other must-try street foods. Next, we’ll board a scenic 20-minute ferry ride to Kadıköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. As one of the city’s most lively districts, Kadıköy is where locals gather to eat, drink, and celebrate. We’ll explore its famous food market, sampling delights like crispy lahmacun, stuffed grape leaves, tangy pickles, and more, while learning about Istanbul’s unique culinary traditions. To end on a sweet note, we’ll indulge in a decadent local dessert—either the rich and cheesy Künefe or the flaky, syrupy Baklava.
After the tour, your guide can escort you back to the pier for an easy return to Karaköy, or if you’re up for more, you can unwind with a local beer and soak in the lively Kadıköy atmosphere.
This tour is perfect for those who want to experience Istanbul’s rich food culture, vibrant local life, and dynamic nightlife—all while exploring two continents in one city!
🚀 Book now for an unforgettable food experience in Istanbul!
Departure: 4pm
Duration: 3.5 Hours
Group Size: 2-10 people
Meeting Point: Caribou Coffee Karakoy, we will send further details with booking
Tour Price: 70 Euros per person
Price: 70 Euros pp
What is included:
- Guiding by official tour guide
- 10 type of different Turkish street food
- Tea or Turkish Coffee
- Ferry rides
What is not included:
- Personal Expenses
- Tipping the tour guide
- Foods are not mentioned in the inclusion part and any alcoholic beverages.
The tour begins at Caribou Coffee in Karaköy, conveniently located near the Karaköy tram stop. It concludes either on the Asian side or, if you prefer, your guide can escort you to the pier, where you can take a ferry back to Karaköy, returning to the starting point.
Yes, this tour is suitable for both vegans and vegetarians, but please note that many of the featured dishes include dairy products and meat. While we will do our best to accommodate dietary preferences, the experience may not be as enjoyable as it would be for those with a more flexible diet.
Yes you can and please add a message on booking form.
Basis Travel - Free Walking Tour Istanbul
Out of 5 stars
Overall rating out of 600 Google reviews
Lidia Moharic
3 days ago
I had a fantastic time on the Free Istanbul Tour! The guide was knowledgeable and friendly, sharing fascinating stories about the city's history. The pace was perfect, and I loved exploring both popular and lesser-known sights. Highly recommend it to anyone visiting Istanbul!
Faamanu Lefiti
a week ago
Tour guide was very informative! Hit main points I wanted to see. Would recommend!!
Aj
a week ago
Younes was amazing, very friendly and all around good👍
Darpan Gautam
a week ago
Younes was amazing, would highly recommend for everyone!
Jenny To
a week ago
Albert Packer
a week ago
Had a tour with Yunus and it was a wonderful experience! He took plenty of time to answer all of my many questions! He was super informative and now I see Istanbul and the culture from a totally different perspective. Can’t recommend this tour enough!
Maria S
2 weeks ago
It was an mazing walking tour with Yunus. Thank you very much. High recommended
Prashanth Shankar
2 weeks ago
Mohamed was an excellent guide and a story teller giving us both cultural and historical relevance to each place we went to.
Olga (Meilin)
a year ago
It was our first time visiting Turkey and Istanbul, so as good travellers we decided to learn more about this beautiful and historical place. We have closed Basic travel free walking tour and it was excellent choice. This tour includes all basic sightseeing and Yunus was our good guide to the most attractive and important chapters of the Istanbul history. Dear Yunus, thank you very much for your exciting stories, astonishing moments. And at the end of our tour as a cherry on cake, we visited nice rooftop with very nice food and coffee.
Laura M
4 months ago
Did the old town and off the beaten path tours with Yunus - fantastic!! Yunus was very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend!
tracy mok
2 weeks ago
it’s a great tour to start off the trip of Turkey with different knowledge…the islamic culture, the history, fun things about the locals etc…the guide is funny and very knowledgeable. highly recommend!
Lorenz Steinkohl
9 months ago
I initially just started with the old town tour but ended up doing the alternative history tour as well. You can tell that Yunus is very educated and knowledgeable because he gives really balanced and insightful answers about Turkish’s history as well as current societal issues. Always open to chat about all sort of questions and made the tour fun. The old town tour was cool because we explored well known sites but also went down alleyways I wouldn’t have otherwise noticed. The alternative history tour gave me really good insights into the daily lives of Turkish people. I don’t think I would’ve gotten the same out of more touristy/ organised tour. If you have the option, I’d recommend doing a tour early on because for me it gave me a lot more context for my remaining Istanbul stay. We learnt some useful Turkish words as well. Aside from that, the tour groups were not too big and I got to meet some cool people via them as well! Thanks Yunus!
Alexandra Kutanina
a month ago
The walking tour with Yunas was fantastic! He’s a great storyteller who made the city’s history come alive. The tea and Turkish delight at the end were such a nice touch. Highly recommend for anyone exploring the city!
Sreshya Kamakshi Vishwanathan
a month ago
Excellent tour of the old city by Yunus, who offers many insights along the way and is a fabulous storyteller - the 2.5 hours flew by and we learnt a lot. Thank you so much for also being so approachable and genuine! The Turkish delights and teas at the end are also a very nice surprise.
Jim Butler
4 months ago
Mohamed was a lively, knowledgeable and articulate guide, providing great insight in to Istanbul, the sights, the sounds the culture and the history. He also ensured we all stuck with him on his tour and made sure we were kept safe as we navigated the traffic with him. Great tour, great guide and well worth doing, I recommend this experience to anyone venturing in to Istanbul for their first time.
Marko Švec
a year ago
Definitely one of the best walking tours i have ever been to! The guys are great guides, quite funny and very friendly. On both tours I met interesting people, so I would come againt simply to hang out with them. You shouldn't miss this if you come to Istanbul 🙂
Max
a year ago
Cumali was our guide for the Alternative Istanbul Walking Tour. Cumali has an extraordinary depth of knowledge of Istanbul. He is an exceptional teacher and storyteller transporting us back in time, it felt like we were walking the streets and alleys in a different era! I cannot recommend this tour highly enough, I’ve done many walking tours and this one is top tier. I’ve been thinking about his stories for many days since the tour and learnt so much. Thank you Cumali! 🤩🙌
Renata Lacerda van Dodewaard
11 months ago
What an amazing tour! Imran knows a lot of facts about the history of the city. He gave the group many tips on good spots in the city. He was friendly, and the tour was really great. I would definitely recommend it.