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Istanbul
Exploring the Tastes of Two Continents
September 01 - September 08, 2025
July 31 - August 07, 2026
Where
Istanbul
Group Size
6 - 12 Travelers
Duration
8 Days, 7 Nights
When
Sept 1 - 8, 2025 Aug 31 - Sept 7, 2026
Price
From 4,500 USD per person
For millennia, Istanbul has been the connection point for a vast web of places with distinct cultural identities, landscapes, and, of course, cuisines. These disparate influences form the great mosaic that is modern-day Istanbul cuisine, which is so much more than simply “Turkish food.”
Question the origin of any dish in a typical neighborhood restaurant and you’ll find yourself falling down a rabbit hole that may lead out to Albania or maybe over the peaks of the Caucasus to Chechnya. As they have for centuries, people come to this city with their own tastes from home; food in Istanbul these days often bears the fiery hallmark of the largely Kurdish southeast and the myriad of flavors of the Syrian kitchen, brought to the city by refugees who now call it home. Filter this through the older urban traditions of Ottoman Turkish, Armenian, and Greek cooking, and something very uniquely Istanbul — bewildering, fascinating, in perpetual motion — comes into focus. On this eight day culinary experience, we’ll be studying Istanbul through its myriad kitchens. We’ll use the simple ritual of a tea break to access ancient crafts still alive throughout the city. We’ll meet and eat with chefs dedicated to documenting and preserving Anatolia’s rich and varied rural cuisines, endangered by the migrations that continue to this day. We’ll cross the Bosphorus, visiting food bazaars on both continents and eating in private homes along the way. We’ll also witness cooking demonstrations in working restaurants and have a hands-on lesson in a private home. From morning to evening, it will be a week of constant collision and natural synthesis between the many cultural currents that make Istanbul so special — and so deserving of the title, “City of the World’s Desire.”
Taste
Meet
Learn
Step
Feast
Your itinerary
Day 1
Welcome Cocktail & Dinner
We’ll begin this trip on the rooftop bar of Istanbul’s most cutting-edge restaurant for a welcome drink and introduction to the city laid out before us. From there we’ll be able to get a sense for both the city’s incredible history as well as its geography – from the Golden Horn to the Galata Tower, and countless other monuments of Byzantine and Ottoman eras. We’ll then move to our dinner table down the street where the chef is working contemporary touches into traditional Turkish dishes. There we’ll enjoy a fantastic tasting menu, as we get to know each other, and walk through our plans for the week.
Day 2
Through the Backstreets of the Old City
This day will be our first plunge into narrow alleys, bustling markets, and the hidden, living monuments of the Old City. We’ll start with breakfast in the train station which is the terminus for the famed Orient Express. That’s just a start. At a fourth-generation family-run candy shop, we’ll sample some of the city’s finest lokum, Turkish delight. We’ll have pide flatbreads in the style of the Black Sea region, an unforgettable döner kebab, and Turkish coffee among many more edible delights. As part of our day, we will also visit venerated Christian water wells and an absolute treasure of a mosque, hidden above a second-hand shoe market. In the late afternoon, we’ll return to the hotel for a rest before meeting up for meze and drinks with an accomplished international journalist who will lead a discussion on present-day Turkey, how it got here, and field questions on everything in between.
Day 3
From Farm to Market
Today we’ll visit one of the most spectacular and overlooked places in Istanbul, the historic farms within the Old City walls. Within the city’s Byzantine-era fortifications, we’ll visit a farming family working a plot of land and join them for a country-style breakfast complete with produce from their gardens. Popping through the walls themselves, we’ll tour the gardens in this historic area before heading to one of the city’s largest weekly food markets. Here we’ll get a crash course on the construction of Istanbul’s weekly outdoor neighborhood markets – which are, miraculously, set up and broken down each day like a traveling circus – before we wander through one in the Fatih neighborhood. There, we will have a quick lunch in an esnaf lokanta, or tradesmen’s restaurant, featuring the staples of home-style cooking that neighborhood workers line up for. After a rest back at the hotel, we’ll head out for a seminal kebab experience. Seated right at the grill, we’ll put ourselves in the hands of the grill master, omakase-style, and watch the skewers pile up.
Day 4
The Bosphorus Experience
We’ll have the morning of this day to explore on our own, visiting historical sites, or getting in some shopping, before we gather in the afternoon. Together we’ll meet and head down to the Bosphorus, the iconic waterway that separates Europe from Asia. No trip to Istanbul is complete without a pleasure cruise on the Bosphorus, passing by the palaces and iconic wooden houses that line its shores. Aboard a private boat, we’ll get a dose of Ottoman history as we sip on some of the finest Turkish wines, and cruise toward dinner in a family-run waterfront fish restaurant. This neighborhood institution boasts its own fleet of fishing boats, a fanatical local following and some of the best grilled sole imaginable.
Day 5
Escape to the Princes’ Islands
We’ll escape the city’s traffic and chaos for a relaxing day in the Princes’ Islands, the traditional retreat of Istanbul’s religious minorities. On Heybeliada, long a center for the city’s Greek community, we’ll work our way up to the top of the island to visit the historic Greek Orthodox Seminary, caught in a legal limbo that threatens the future of the Istanbul-based Patriarchate itself. Since the 1970s, this centuries-old institution has been closed to religious education by order of the government, as classrooms and dormitories remain moth-balled and a small cadre of monks tend to the grounds, waiting for the day that it is permitted to again accept students. We’ll meet those priests to learn about the controversy and visit the Seminary’s church, where rare Byzantine-era icons are kept. We’ll have a long lunch with our hosts on the seminary grounds and then stroll through a pine forest, passing fine examples of the gingerbread house-style architecture for which the island is known. After ferrying back to the hotel, enjoy a free evening to explore Istanbul on your own.
Day 6
Cultural Contrasts on the Asian Side
We’ll begin today as all days should start, with a sizzling skillet of eggy menemen and a side of heavenly kaymak, clotted cream, blanketed in honey. Fortified, we will head to Üsküdar on the Asian side. There we’ll tour the market street of two very different neighborhoods – one religiously conservative and one more secular – before settling in for truly special afternoon with a manti cooking class in the home of a local restaurateur. Together we’ll learn the arts of this iconic Turkish pasta, and then assemble a simple but delicious seasonal meal, as we learn about ingredients she sources from all over the city. Afterwards, we’ll have some free time to wander in the lively Kadıköy market before regrouping for an early dinner at a classic meyhane, or Turkish taverna. With this, we will have taken in the best of the Asian Side.
Day 7
Hamam Treatment & Shop, Cook, Feast
You’ve earned a little pampering, so on this morning we will indulge in a visit to the hamam, or Turkish bathhouse. Soak in the steam, enjoy a massage, lounge on the sofas wrapped in towels while sipping lemonade. But rest up for our final evening together, when we will have a very special cooking class and house party. To start, our instructor – a Turkish chef with an encyclopedic knowledge – will take us shopping in a local street market and neighborhood shops, before taking us to her home for a full cooking class where we’ll learn to make many of the home-style Turkish specialties we tasted during our trip. We’ll then feast together and reflect on an excellent week!
Day 8
Farewell & Departure
Today, after our last tea together, depart for home or onto your next destination – or spend a few more days exploring Istanbul, as there’s always room for another Turkish breakfast. Until our next adventure!
Meet the Crew
We are firm believers in the power of local knowledge. Our guides and the culinary masters and other artisans who are part of our trips all deeply reflect that. Meet some of Istanbul’s finest:
Gonca
Ugur
Aysin
Katerina
Zubeyir Usta
Dursun
"Mother" Hatice
Apo
Where you'll stay
DeCamondo Galata
This week’s deeply local experiences extend also to both the building and street we’ll be staying in.
The historic DeCamondo Galata hotel is named for the family of prominent Sephardic Jews lived and worked locally from the early 19th century. The stylish and updated hotel, built within the former palatial home of the DeCamondo family, is within easy reach of restaurants, bars and many of the city’s main attractions, and offers cityscape views from guest rooms and its two rooftop terraces. *We will be staying here on the 2025 trip.
Bank Hotel
On our 2026 trip we’ll be staying at The Bank Hotel, designed by Antoine Tedeschi in the Neo-Renaissance style and constructed in 1867. on Bankalar Caddesi (formerly Voyvoda Street) in Karaköy. From as early as the 17th century, Bankalar Caddesi was a hub for financial activity, mercantile trade, and commerce within the Ottoman Empire. The hotel is perfectly located to explore bohemian Beyoglu and historical Sultanahmet, and has a rooftop bar with stunning views of the peninsula.
Hear what travelers are saying
This was my third trip to Istanbul but my first with Culinary Backstreets. I'm hooked!
Katherine L.
Exactly as the name describes: food as an entry to culture, with off-the-beaten-track, one-of-a-kind experiences.
Henry M.
We visited parts of Istanbul that we would never have found on our own. At the end we weren't ready to come home.
Jonathan D.
Know before you go
Pricing and Accommodation
The total cost of this trip is $4,500 for 2025 and $5,000 for 2026. For travelers wishing to have single accommodations during the trip, an additional $1,250 will be due at the time of the final payment. A $500 non-refundable deposit per traveler is required to secure space on the trip. The balance is due 90 days prior to the start of the trip.
Activity Level
Travelers should be reasonably fit and feel comfortable walking three to five miles each day and remaining on their feet for long periods of time. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get hands-on during a couple cooking workshops. Keep in mind that Istanbul is a bustling and crowded place!
Arrival and Departure
For flights in and out of Istanbul International Airport (IST), we suggest you arrive anytime before 3 p.m. on Day 1 and depart anytime on Day 8. We’ll provide the option of booking extra nights at our Istanbul hotel before and/or after the tour, and are more than happy to provide suggestions for things to do and see in the city on your own.
Inclusions
• All accommodation throughout the trip in stylish, boutique hotels. • Professional guides throughout the entire experience. • A belt-popping experience, with all meals and drinks included in planned activities. • All activities and events as mentioned in the itinerary. • A hungry group of Culinary Backstreets travelers, excited to explore all that Istanbul has to offer!
Exclusions
• Transportation and flights to and from Istanbul, including airport transfers. • Food and drink outside of Culinary Backstreets Trip offerings. • If applicable, applying for a Turkish visa (required for U.S. citizens). • Travel insurance (recommended).
Dietary Restrictions
We encourage an adventurous palate! Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated, though in most cases ingredients can’t be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. Vegan options are challenging to come by, but if you’re willing to be flexible and miss out on some of the tastings, then you’re more than welcome to join. If you have a particular food allergy or intolerance, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you.
Notes on Itinerary
Itineraries and daily schedules are subject to change. We expect to do everything listed in the itinerary, though the order may be rearranged based on weather or other local conditions.
Safety and Sustainability
We have reinforced our commitment to sustainability and safety with new guidelines to assure maximum safety of our guests on our trips while maintaining the quality of the experience. All of our experiences are designed to have minimal impact on the community and environment. For more details on our precautions, read here. Our cancellation policy is extremely flexible to deal with changes in travel plans.
Cancellation Policy
You may cancel 90 days before the start of the trip and receive a full refund minus a $500 per-person service fee. If you cancel on or after 60 days before the start of the trip there is a 50% cancellation fee. On or after 30 days there is a 100% cancellation fee. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance as we are not able to make exceptions to this policy in cases of family/medical emergency or cases of the trip being canceled (see our Terms and Conditions for full details).
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