Istanbul at its best hour. A ferry across the Bosphorus as the light goes, then the Asian side eating and drinking its way into the evening.
Tour highlights
A public ferry to the Asian side at the end of the day, with the commuters going home
The Maiden's Tower and the old city skyline, Topkapı, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, seen from the water
The fish market and the food streets of Kadıköy after dark
Street food as you walk: stuffed mussels, lahmacun, tantuni, pastırma, olives, goat cheese and pickled vegetables
Dishes from the southeast, Kurdish and Turkish, that rarely reach a tourist menu
A sit down course at a family run restaurant, ordered for the table by your guide
Baklava, Maraş ice cream and çay from a tulip glass to finish
This one starts at the Karaköy ferry pier at six in the evening and crosses to Asia with the commuters going home. From the water you get the Maiden’s Tower, and behind it the old peninsula with Topkapı, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque along the skyline. It is the best twenty minutes in Istanbul and it is a scheduled public ferry, not a tour boat.
On the other side your guide walks you through the food and fish markets and feeds you as you go. Eight stops: stuffed mussels, lahmacun, tantuni, beef pastrami, goat cheese, olives, pickled vegetables. Then a sit down at a local restaurant where the guide orders for the table, and the cooking is Kurdish and Turkish from the southeast of the country, which is not what most visitors in Istanbul are handed.
Dessert is baklava and Maraş ice cream, and there is çay from a tulip glass all the way through. Four hours, back across the water by ferry, finishing near where you started.
The plan
Meet your local guide at Karaköy ferry pier and begin the evening with one of Istanbul's most beautiful experiences, crossing the Bosphorus by ferry. Take in spectacular views of both the European and Asian sides as the city begins to light up for the night.
Step into the lively back streets of Kadıköy, where locals come to eat, drink and socialise after work. Explore the colourful fish market, discover hidden food spots and taste some of Istanbul's favourite street foods along the way.
Take a seat at a family run restaurant for a more relaxed course. Enjoy a traditional dish, hear the stories behind the food and experience the warm atmosphere of a neighbourhood restaurant loved by locals.
Time for coffee, but not just any coffee. Watch Turkish coffee slowly cooked over charcoal, one of the most traditional ways to prepare it. Once you have finished, turn over your cup and let your guide read your coffee grounds. Who knows what surprises your future may hold?
Board the ferry back to the European side and experience a completely different Istanbul. Feel the fresh Bosphorus breeze and admire the illuminated mosques, minarets and city skyline reflecting across the water.
No Istanbul food adventure is complete without dessert. Finish the evening with warm, freshly prepared künefe, a combination of crispy shredded pastry, melted cheese and sweet syrup, followed by famous Maraş ice cream. Thick, stretchy and unlike any ice cream you have tried before, even getting your scoop is part of the fun.
The order can change with the weather, the traffic and how busy a site is on the day. Your guide will tell you.
Food and drink
Take a public ferry ride with the locals to Asia.
Cruise the Bosphorus and photograph both sides of Istanbul including the historic Maiden’s Tower and the old Istanbul peninsula with Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque adorning the skyline.
Browse the local food and fish markets on the Asian side of Istanbul.
Sample many kinds of street food of stuffed mussels, Lahmacun, Tantuni, Baklava, Maraş ice cream, olives, pickled vegetable cocktail, beef pastrami, goat cheese and more…
Dine at a local restaurant for dinner and enjoy the delicious local food your food expert guide orders for you.
Taste Kurdish and Turkish cuisine of Southeast regions of Turkey
Relax and drink cay (tea) from a tulip shaped glass like a local.
Enjoy the many great photo opportunities along your journey.
The menu changes with the season and with what the market has that morning. Tell us about any allergies or dietary needs before you book.
Children aged 12 and over pay the adult price.
Where we meet
Karaköy İskelesi, the Karaköy ferry pier.
Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mah., Rıhtım Cd. No 13, 34425 Beyoğlu, İstanbul.
Make sure you are at the Şehir Hatları city lines pier, not the Turyol one. Look for the yellow Karaköy İskelesi sign on the right of the entrance. A short walk from the Karaköy tram stop, and the tram runs from 6am until around midnight.
Before you book
Worth two minutes before you book, so nothing on the day is a surprise.
Cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the start time and you are refunded in full. Inside 24 hours we cannot refund. Tell us as early as you can and we will move your date rather than lose you.
Tours run in rain and in heat. If conditions make a tour unsafe we cancel it ourselves and refund you in full, or move you to another date, whichever you prefer.
Scheduled group tours need a minimum of three people to run. If the number is not met we offer you another date or a full refund, and we tell you at least 24 hours before.
The best way to discover the local areas is with a local Our guide, Burak, was very accommodating! We were running very late with delayed flights and a traffic jam. He kindly suggested we come the following night. Thank you! We would have hated to miss it. We spent most of the time on the Asian side, which was fascinating. It was a truly local experience. Busy but not crowded with tourists, so not hectic. And the local food was all delicious. We were so grateful to be shown around by a local rather than tackle it on our own.
Great tour, fun and a great dinner Great experience! We did it on a Friday evening and our guide was fantastic! We made so many stops and we were stuffed after the fourth stop! Definitely worth the price, includes ferry ride to the Asian side and back! Loved this tour!
A delicious and informative evening Burak was a wonderful tour guide. He provided some really great info on the area, local scene and history of Istanbul. We were super hungry since we skipped lunch and we were very well fed by the end. We had some really great food: pickled veggies in pickle juice (who knew this would be so tasty?), deli platter with several dips, rice stuffed mussels, Lahmacun (my absolute favorite), Iskender meat with hot butter poured on, Turkish coffee and tea, and Kunefe and ice cream for dessert. It was a wonderful experience where we tasted some great food and learned some good history. Some of these things we probably never would have tried on our own. This tour gave us the opportunity to try several things and all 4 of us tried everything. I would highly recommend this food tour with Burak.
Been with us
Wherever you prefer. A review is worth more to the next person than anything we can write about ourselves.
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