Wonders of Istanbul & Turkish Cuisine Tour

Your guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. In anticipation of your weeklong journey, take your time and relax in the traditional bath. Then, you can spend the afternoon wandering the busy streets to glimpse the city’s architectural marvels or relax in your beautiful room with the views of the Golden Horn before a bespoke introduction to the delicious Turkish cuisine.

Overnight at Istanbul

Your first of four cooking classes begin today. These hands-on classes will be taught by expert local chefs and masters of traditional Turkish recipes. But first, enjoy your delicious breakfast before heading down to meet your instructor for the day.

Your menu for the cooking class depends on your tastes and preferences and will serve as lunch at the end of the session.

Spend the afternoon touring Istanbul’s Sultanahmet Square, exploring the lavish rooms of the Topkapi Palace, and navigating the mazy alleys of the Grand Bazaar. Supper will be served at a local restaurant before heading back to your hotel for the night.

Overnight at Istanbul | Meals: B, L, D

Today, you learn the art of the meze- a Turkish starter meal designed to stimulate the appetite. It features a delicate balance of wheat dishes, vegetables, herbs, and spices that typically take a lot of experimentation to get used to. But with the help of your expert companion, you only need a couple of hours to get your table ready.

After a delicious meze lunch accompanied by small sips of raki, return to Sultanahmet square to explore the city’s stunning mosques. Marvel at the timeless beauties of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia and head underground for a moment in the imposing presence of the Basilica Cistern.

You’ll also visit the Egyptian Obelisk and Istanbul crafts center as you await the sunset for an idyllic dinner along the shores of the Bosphorus.

Overnight at Istanbul | Meals: B, L, D

Your fourth day in Istanbul is a tour of culinary treats and flavors, but not before you witness the grandeur of the city’s largest mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque. After an hour under its complex-patterned ceilings, proceed to the iconic Spice Market. Here, you will spend a couple of hours shopping and treating your olfactory senses to various scents and flavors. Exploring the market also makes for the most vibrant and colorful of experiences.

Cross to the Asian side of the city and visit Goztepe Farmer’s Market and Kadikoy market before enjoying a delicious lunch at a floating restaurant. Now take a boat for a slow cruise along the Bosphorus for breathtaking views of magnificent mosques and places that line the shore and proudly silhouette against the Istanbul skyline.

Enjoy dinner at a local gourmet restaurant.

Overnight at Istanbul | Meals: B, L, D

Today’s lessons will explore Turkish desserts and teach you the basics of different flavors. These include rice pudding, baklava, tulumba tatlisi, revani, muhallebi, etc. You’ll also be cooking a traditional Turkish meal to accompany the desserts for lunch. After this, your tour will take you to a hammam, where you’ll enjoy the rest of the day in a therapeutic spa.

Supper is served at a local restaurant.

Overnight at Istanbul | Meals: B, L, D

This is your fourth and final cooking class. So, the chef will make it a little more special and let you prepare your treat of Turkish dishes. Of course, they’ll still be able to provide you with assistance, but whatever you’ve learned will be put to the test.

After a leisurely lunch, you get the rest of the afternoon to explore Istanbul to your liking.

Overnight at Istanbul | Meals: B, L, D

Now that you’ve sampled the treasures of the lunch table, how about a tour of the street’s iconic treats? But first, your guide will guide you along the Bosphorus to the splendid Dolmabahce Palace with its ornately decorated rooms. And while you may not be able to visit all 365 of them, the few you glimpse should tell you enough of Ottoman royalty’s opulent and extravagant ways.

Your guide will then take you to Camlica Hill, where you’ll enjoy a panoramic view of the city’s skyline.

Now you embark on a culinary exploration of Istanbul’s street food. Sample a wide variety of snacks and treats from stalls in offbeat areas of the city on your way to uncovering a seemingly endless menu.

Farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight at Istanbul | Meals: B, L, D

Your adventure of tastes, scents, and flavors has sadly come to an end. So it’s time to bid the ancient city farewell and transfer to the airport for your trip back home or the next destination.

Meals: B