From Europe to Asia: Istanbul Food Tour

We booked this tour on the back of a tour with this company the previous day with Yunus which was fantastic. The food of Asia and Europe tour really appealed ..so we booked it. Our guide was Ozge...she was superb.....really knowledgeable and engaging. Do not eat anything before you go on this tour....there is so much to eat!! We started with a fish sandwich in Karakoy ...then moved over to Asia ..to Kadikoy...yes I know it is quite confusing....very similar names! Over there we had Meze, a type of pizza called Lahmacun....then stuffed mussels, then a type of burger followed by dessert of baclava. Lots of food. Ozge was really friendly and happy to help you with plans ..we were a bit confused about the ferries....she helped us with getting tickets. The vibe on Kadikoy is quite different to the Old Town in Istanbul....and the prices are noticeably cheaper. Out tour coincided with a big win for the local football team....Fenerbahce....it was a bit mad..everyone going crazy and singing. We laughed when Ozge said I'm glad you don't understand what they are singing...it's a bit rude!! Absolutely great experience....very few tourists over in Kadikoy....very much would recommend this tour.

We had a wonderful experience with our tour guide Muhammad on the Small Group Food Tour. He was very knowledgeable about the history of Istanbul, took us to excellent eateries in both Karaköy and Kadıköy, and had a great sense of humor that made my wife and me quickly feel welcomed and enthusiastic about the experience. We would definitely recommend Muhammad as a tour guide and Free Istanbul Tours in general for the experiences it offers.

We had booked a free walking tour with Yunus Emre through the same operator and after being very happy with the tour decided to book a food tour. We really had a lovely time, our guide Ozge was really knowledgeable and friendly, we got to try really great food from places we would not have found ourselves and got to have a glimpse of Turkish lifestyle during that afternoon. We were delighted, thank you again!

We initially booked the Walking Tour and Food Tour. After the Walking Tour, we were so impressed, and enjoyed ourselves so much, that we decided to go on the Alternative Walking Tour. While the Main Walking Tour covers the famous sites, and delivers an excellent crash-course in Istanbul's long, long history, the Alternative Tour is an insight into all else: culture, politics, every day life. It was also nice to explore some quieter, local parts of the city. The Food Tour was also excellent, and definitely come hungry. For us, what makes an excellent tour different from one that's simply "good" is, of course, the Tour Guide. You will definitely be blessed if you are able to have Cumali in the lead. He was our Tour Guide for all of the tours! His passion for his job, professionalism, and his extensive knowledge of history made these some of the best tours we've ever done. If you go on one of these tours, I'm sure you'll hear that you actually have to study to be a licensed Tour Guide in Turkey. It's a four-year degree. And honestly, the quality is noticeable. Book a tour with these guys. You won't regret it!

During our few days in Istanbul, we did the free walking tour with Yunus and the Food tour with Burack. Both tours were excellent. Yunus gave a really interesting insight into the rich Istanbul history and provided lots of useful recommendations for places to eat good local food. Burack provided a really fun tour with a smaller, more intimate group, exploring different local foods in both Karakoy on the European side and Kadikoy on the Asian side. As we were continuing our trip to Cappadocia, Yunus also helpfully arranged our Green Tour for us with a tour group there. Really recommend this company.