Grand Bazaar & Spice Market Food Tour with 12 Tastings

Istanbul's markets are a food story, and this tour tells it in twelve bites. We start with a proper Turkish breakfast — simit, kaymak and honey, olives, cheeses, menemen — at a courtyard café in the Grand Bazaar's oldest han, then walk the 61 covered streets while your guide explains carpets, gold, the old bedesten and how to bargain without offending anyone.

From there we move through the book bazaar to Süleymaniye for the famous bean stew, down through the wholesale lanes to the Spice Market (Egyptian Bazaar) for saffron, pistachio Turkish delight, dried fruits and Turkish coffee ground in front of you, and finish at the Eminönü waterfront with the classic grilled-fish sandwich and a glass of tea on a rooftop overlooking the Golden Horn. Everything is halal; vegetarian route available; all tastings included.