برنامه غذایی ترکیه: ۱۰ روز غذا خوردن از استانبول تا دریای اژه

Ten days is the right length for a food trip across Turkey: three nights in Istanbul, two in Gaziantep, two in Cappadocia and three around Izmir, linked by two domestic flights and one long drive. Each stop is a different kitchen. Istanbul has the markets and the meyhane table, Gaziantep the kebab, baklava and pistachio, Cappadocia clay-pot cooking and wine from volcanic soil, and Izmir the Aegean olive oil, street pastries and the Urla vineyards. You can start with a guided day on our Istanbul street food tour, from $90 per person, and plan the rest around it.

This page gives the day-by-day route, the dishes worth travelling for in each region, the flights that make the order work, and what our tours cost on the way.

The route in one table

The order is not fixed. You can also go Istanbul, Cappadocia, Gaziantep and then Izmir, because both Kayseri and Gaziantep have direct flights to Izmir. What matters is that you fly the long distances and drive the one short-enough leg between Gaziantep and Cappadocia.

Istanbul: markets, ferries and the meyhane (days 1 to 3)

Start where Istanbul's food trade has always been, around the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü. Go in the morning, when shops are restocking, and walk the streets behind it for coffee roasters, cheese and pickle shops. Fish sandwiches are sold from boats and stalls along the Golden Horn shore, a short walk away.

On day 3, take the ferry to Kadıköy. The market streets near the pier have fishmongers, delis, pickle shops and restaurants that serve regional Anatolian dishes rarely seen on the European side. Our Kadıköy food tour page has a four-hour walking route, and the Kadıköy and Moda guide covers the neighbourhood.

Spend one evening at a meyhane, the Istanbul tavern where a long run of cold meze comes before the hot dishes and grilled fish. Plan on a slow meal of several hours.

Guided options in Istanbul:

• The Istanbul street food tour covers local neighbourhoods, baklava and coffee in about six hours, from $90 per person.
• The private Grand Bazaar and Spice Market tour helps if you want to buy spices, tea or sweets to take home, from $90 per person.
• Our pages on the private Istanbul food tour and the vegetarian food tour explain the other ways to do it, and the Istanbul street food guide lists what to try.

Gaziantep: the reason serious eaters go south-east (days 4 and 5)

Gaziantep joined UNESCO's Creative Cities Network in the gastronomy category in December 2015, and its baklava, Antep baklavası, was registered by the European Commission as a Protected Geographical Indication in 2013, the first Turkish product with that EU status. Those labels explain why a food itinerary needs this city even though it sits well away from the usual tourist circuit.

What to eat in two days:

• Baklava. Made with the local pistachio, which Turks call Antep fıstığı after the city. Eat it fresh in the morning, when the shops have just baked it.
• Katmer. A thin pastry with pistachio and clotted cream, folded and baked, eaten for breakfast.
• Beyran. A spicy lamb and rice soup that locals eat early in the day.
• Kebab. Gaziantep grills a long list of kebabs, from minced meat on flat skewers to vegetables such as aubergine grilled with the meat.
• Lahmacun and çiğ köfte. Thin flatbread with minced meat, and spiced bulgur rolled by hand, often served with ayran.

Between meals, walk the old bazaars below the castle, where coppersmiths and spice sellers still work. The city's Zeugma Mosaic Museum holds Roman floor mosaics from the ancient city of Zeugma on the Euphrates. With an extra day, our Göbeklitepe, Zeugma and Halfeti tour from Gaziantep covers the region in two days, from $1,073 per person. See our Göbeklitepe destination guide for the archaeology.

The road from Gaziantep to Cappadocia (day 6)

This is the one long drive of the trip. By OSRM routing, Gaziantep to Göreme is about 404 km and roughly five hours at the wheel before any stops, which makes it a full travel day with lunch on the way. A private car with a driver is the easiest way to do it, because you can stop where you like and arrive in Cappadocia for the evening.

If you would rather not drive, the alternative is to fly from Gaziantep to Istanbul and on to Kayseri or Nevşehir. That takes most of a day too, once you add airport time, so for most travellers the road wins.

Cappadocia: clay pots, wine and a slow breakfast (day 7)

Cappadocia's cooking is plateau food: lamb, beans, bulgur and dried fruit, cooked slowly. The dish visitors remember is testi kebab, meat and vegetables sealed in a clay pot, cooked for hours and cracked open at the table. Avanos, on the Kızılırmak river, is the town of potters who make those pots, and a workshop visit fits easily into the day.

The region also has a long wine tradition. Vines grow in the volcanic soil around Ürgüp and the surrounding villages, and the local white grape, Emir, is worth asking for. Several wineries around Ürgüp have tasting rooms; call ahead to check when they are open.

Cappadocia is also where breakfast becomes an event. If the balloons are flying, a hotel terrace at sunrise with cheese, olives, eggs and fresh bread is part of the experience. For the evening, the Turkish night dinner and folk dance show in a cave restaurant costs from $80 per person.

If you have an extra day here, our things to do in Cappadocia page lists the valleys and sights, and the Cappadocia destination guide covers where to stay.

Izmir and Urla: olive oil, wine and the Aegean table (days 8 to 10)

On day 8, fly from Kayseri to Izmir. Route listings for Kayseri and Izmir airports show direct flights on this route with Pegasus and SunExpress; check the schedule for your date, and if there is no direct flight that day, connect in Istanbul.

Izmir's food is Aegean: wild greens dressed with olive oil, fish, and a street-food culture all of its own.

• Boyoz. A flaky pastry of Sephardic Jewish origin, eaten in the morning with a hard-boiled egg and tea.
• Kumru. Izmir's grilled sandwich in a soft sesame roll.
• Kemeraltı. The old market district, best on a weekday morning, for olives, cheese, spices and lunch in a simple local restaurant.

On day 9, go west to Urla, about 40 km from the city by OSRM routing. The peninsula has many small wineries, olive groves and good restaurants. Our Urla wine and art tour visits two wineries and the ancient site of Klazomenai with a private guide, from $380 per person. Staying in Kuşadası or Selçuk instead? The Kuşadası wine tasting tour includes Teos and two wineries, from $300 per person.

On the last day, the hill village of Şirince, above Selçuk and about an hour from Izmir, is known for its fruit wines and village breakfasts, and it pairs well with Ephesus if you have a later flight.

Flights and timing that make the route work

• Istanbul to Gaziantep: a domestic flight. Turkish Airlines flies from Istanbul Airport, and AJet and Pegasus from Sabiha Gökçen.
• Gaziantep to Cappadocia: by road, about 404 km and roughly five hours of driving before stops (OSRM estimate).
• Kayseri to Izmir: direct flights with Pegasus and SunExpress on the days they run; otherwise connect in Istanbul.
• Gaziantep to Izmir: direct flights with Pegasus and SunExpress, useful if you reverse the order and finish in Gaziantep before the Aegean.
• Home from Izmir: Izmir has direct flights to many German and French airports, several of them seasonal, plus connections via Istanbul.

A few timing tips. Gaziantep and Cappadocia are on the inland plateau and can be cold in winter and hot in midsummer, so spring and autumn suit a food trip best. During Ramadan some restaurants change their hours, so check if your dates fall in it.

What the trip costs with our tours

Restaurant prices change too fast in Turkey to quote reliably, so this table shows only what our guided parts cost. Add flights, hotels and your own meals.

For more ideas, browse our food tours and wine tours.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul street food tour: local neighbourhoods, baklava and coffee: from $90 per person.
• Göbeklitepe, Zeugma and Halfeti tour from Gaziantep, 2 days: from $1,073 per person.
• Urla wine and art tour near Izmir: from $380 per person.
• Cappadocia Turkish night in a cave restaurant: from $80 per person.

If you want the whole route arranged with a private driver and guides, our tailor-made Turkey tour page explains how we put it together.

Frequently Asked Questions