Turkey Real Food Adventure

11 Days | Go behind the scenes of the local cuisine on an adventure that’s full of Turkish delights

3.3 out of 5 based on 11 reviews submitted.
Food
From
EUR €1,603
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Get up close and personal with Turkey's age-old culinary traditions on this authentic food adventure. From ancient recipes with modern twists to Asian-inspired feasts with European influences, take a tongue-tingling journey beyond the cookbook and discover the secrets behind delicious Turkish dishes. Enjoy a cooking class in the caves of Cappadocia, learn from a celebrated local chef in Selcuk, and explore the impressive ruins of Ephesus. Whether you’re wandering through the passageways of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar or flying high in a balloon above the fairy chimneys of Goreme, embark on an experience that goes above and beyond what you think you know about Turkish cuisine.

Trip overview

Map of Turkey Real Food Adventure including Turkey
Start
Istanbul, Turkey
Finish
Istanbul, Turkey
Theme
Food
Destinations
Turkey
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Original
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1 - Max 12
Trip code
ERZZ
This trip generates 52.78 kg of CO2-e per person per day.
We offset these emissions on your behalf. But we know that is not enough, so we also have a carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip
  • Discover the secrets behind Turkish dishes during a cooking class with a celebrated local chef in Selcuk, and learn how to make central Anatolian dishes with a local chef in her cave home.
  • Meet the people behind the dishes, from the market vendors serving up sizzling street food in Izmir and Istanbul, to the owners of a local olive farm in a rural village.
  • Explore bustling Istanbul, walk among the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, hear the wartime stories of Gallipoli and wander through the ancient ruins of Ephesus.
  • Taste the country’s most cherished dishes, from iconic kebabs and world-famous Turkish delight to local favourites like baklava, pide, gozleme and fish sandwiches.
  • Get to know the artisans behind local crafts when you visit a social enterprise that trains local women in carpet weaving, and visit a family-run pottery studio that’s been in business for six generations.
  • By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, CYDD (Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği). Donations help them provide scholarships and educational programs for economically disadvantaged youth in Turkey.

Is this trip right for you?
  • The cuisine of Turkey includes a lot of meat and seafood. For vegetarians and vegans we recommend reviewing the itinerary and inclusions to ensure that you will be able to fully participate and enjoy this trip. We also have many other trips to Turkey which can accommodate a range of dietary requirements.
  • This trip includes a 12 hour overnight train trip from Izmir to Konya. Please see Day 6 of the itinerary for details.
  • This trip involves a lot of walking, sometimes on rocky or slippery terrain such as the sites in Goreme. Please bring sturdy walking shoes, but also note that you can sit out the walks if you do not feel up to them.
  • Don’t underestimate the weather at any time of year in Turkey. In the summer months, heat can be extreme. In winter months, some travellers have been surprised at how low the temperatures go. A hat, sunscreen, and clothing that can be layered will serve you well year-round.

Itinerary

Map of Turkey Real Food Adventure including Turkey

Inclusions

Meals

10 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners

Transport

Plane, Private Vehicle, Overnight Train

Accommodation

Hotel (9 nights), Overnight Sleeper Train (1 night)

Activities
  • Istanbul - Welcome Dinner
  • Istanbul - Spice Market tour
  • Istanbul - Kadikoy visit and street food tour
  • Istanbul - City Tour
  • Gallipoli - Battlefields visit
  • Canakkale - Leader-led orientation walk
  • Canakkale - Cheese and jam tasting
  • Havran - Olive Oil Farm
  • Adatepe - Altar of Zeus
  • Ephesus - Archaeological site visit
  • Selcuk - Sultankoy Village Carpet Weaving
  • Selcuk - Cooking class
  • Selcuk - Leader-led orientation walk
  • Izmir - Street eats and city tour
  • Cappadocia - Derinkuyu Underground City
  • Goreme - Sunset wine tasting
  • Goreme - Red Valley walk
  • Goreme - Soganli Valley walk
  • Mustafapasa - Coffeehouse visit and tasting
  • Goreme - Cooking Class
  • Cappadocia - Pottery demonstration
  • Istanbul - Balik ekmek (fish sandwich)
Add on activities
  • Goreme - Hot Air Balloon, Cappadocia Regular Flight - EUR300
  • Goreme - Hot Air Balloon, Cappadocia Deluxe Flight - EUR410

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 6 (Overnight Train) where you will be in shared accommodation, and is subject to
availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. While we endeavour to cater for specific dietary requirements, some meals and food activities are set in advance and may be difficult to adjust. Please advise us of any dietary requirements at the time of booking so that we can ensure you’ll enjoy this trip.
3. This trip includes domestic flights. The luggage allowance is 15kg for check in luggage and 8kg for carry on. You can store excess luggage at the start point hotel.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

3.3 out of 5 based on 11 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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Kimberly · Traveled May 2023
What a beautiful fascinating country. This was my 7th trip with Intrepid and my 3rd culinary/food tour — and one of my favorite! Learning about a country, culture and society though food is fantastic, but visits to historic and ancient sites and masters of arts and crafts were also included. I learned so much and loved our superb guide, Tarik.
Review submitted 05 Jun 2023

Katie · Traveled May 2023
An excellent trip led by a brilliant guide (Tarik). I’ve learnt so much about Turkiye and eaten a ridiculous amount of absolutely delicious food. Tarik was enthusiastic and knowledgeable and obviously loves his food - which is ideal for a trip like this! NB The accommodation was good and clean.
Review submitted 31 May 2023

Katherine · Traveled October 2022
This trip was fun, interesting and gave a great sense of Turkey. Whilst the guide was not a foodie and I felt this side of the tour was let down, the rest was great - accommodation, inclusions and destinations, so do not let the other reviews put you off, but be aware intrepid use a local company to run this tour with non-foodie guides - still a great experience and I would recommend if you want a taste of Turkey.
Review submitted 24 Oct 2022

Alexander · Traveled September 2022
Food was good. However a weak guide, dirty hotels and inaccurate itinerary led to a lousy trip. Choose anyone but intrepid.
Review submitted 07 Oct 2022

Philip · Traveled September 2022
We so wanted to love this trip. The food experiences were good. Everything else was unacceptable. Awful hotels, weak trip leader, and poor local office support. DO NOT GO ON THIS TRIP.
Review submitted 19 Sep 2022
Turkey Real Food Adventure
From
EUR €1,603