Cooking Classes · TURKEY COOKING CLASSES
Good turkey cooking classes take small groups and fill up weeks ahead. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Meet your host near Beşiktaş and cook in a real Istanbul home with local mothers such as Nuran, Özge, Kevser, or Rojda. Your menu can include dolma, börek, meze, salads, and regional dishes, shaped around your dietary needs. Choose a 10am breakfast or 5pm dinner.
“Thank you Nuran and family. We really enjoyed the cooking, the eating and the conversation. Thank you sooooo much!!!”
Join Gülşah for a four-hour Istanbul food experience in Kurtuluş. Visit spice, pickle, produce, and meze shops, then cook family recipes in her home, such as dolma, pilaf, börek, or kuru fasülye, before sitting down to dinner, Turkish coffee, and dessert.
“very welcoming experience. as a solo traveller i had booked and would have been by myself for the day but Gülşah made a great suggestion to join another group the next day which made it wonderful. only wish I had remembered to take a few photos as we were so immersed in the cooking a food”
Meet Gülşah at the Ramada Plaza near Osmanbey, shop Kurtuluş’s family-run food stores, then cook dishes such as börek, lentil soup, meze, and dessert in her home. The small group is limited to five, with tea, coffee, and dinner included. A friendly dog joins the experience.
“Gülşah was excellent, my wife and I had an incredibly fun afternoon and evening cooking up some traditional turkish food. Would recommend this experience, 10/10.”
Start with a market visit guided by Chef Asli or Belgin, tasting olives, cheeses, herbs, fruit, and other Turkish specialties. Then travel to a country home or winery setting for a small-group Aegean cooking class, shared lunch, recipes by request, and optional wine at your own cost.
“We had a great time, thank you for sharing a piece of your culture with us. I would recommend this to any one visiting the area!”
Start with hotel pickup at 10:30 am, then head to King’s Valley near Goreme. Choose fresh produce, cook with local village women, and eat dishes such as stuffed peppers, chickpeas, soup, salad, and regional dessert. Groups are capped at 12, with English support.
“I was the only person on the tour so it ended up being a private class. Tuğba was a very friendly guide as were the women teaching me to cook. They didn’t provide any recipe notes but were happy to explain step by step so I could jot it all down. I recommend this company. Authentic experience”
Join chef Aslihan for a 5-hour Bodrum food experience. Meet local sellers, choose olives, greens, cheeses, and other ingredients at a farmers market, then cook three cold starters, a warm dish, and a main course at her kitchen. Recipes, lunch, wine, and hotel transfers are included.
“So much fun! You won’t want to miss this!! The markets wer amazing and our lunch was spectacular! Our venue was a winery, but this can change from time to time. our host, Isla and her team were so fun to cook with and we really enjoyed the whole experience. Go! You won’t regret this one!”
Shop for ingredients in Ürgüp, then cook and eat a Turkish meal in a local home or kitchen. Kadir often handles guiding and translation, while hosts such as Basa, Ozgul, Feliz, or Nihat may lead the cooking. Expect a small group of up to six, hotel pickup, and plenty of conversation.
“Enjoying good food every day during my holiday in Turkey, I wanted to know more and booked this cooking class. Good decision! This is not just about watching someone who's cooking, you cook! But first you do the shopping, and this is a great opportunity to discover the small shops and lots of local and typical ingredients for turkish meals. After the shopping, you meet the family and start the cooking class. We prepared a delicious yoghurt soup, rice with beans and Pastrami sauce, salad and a typical semolina dessert. Feliz is an amazing cook and welcomed me warmly into her house. I did not only leave with a full…”
Join Özge and her sister in their Istanbul home for a three-hour Turkish cooking class. Over tea or coffee, you’ll prepare dishes such as dolma, havuç tarator, and sigara böreği, then share lunch or dinner with your hosts and their friendly pets.
“It was a lovely, personal experience. We met and after some comfortable chat, started the cooking. The food was super authentic, absolutely delicious and done in a friendly, relaxed, informative manner. Some extra information and family favourites were shared about Turkish food and eating habits! We felt so at home and enjoyed the kitty and Penny the dog joining us too. I can really recommend this experience!”
Meet Nesrin or another fluent English-speaking guide at Kusadasi cruise port for a private day at Ephesus, Selcuk, and Çamlık. Walk Roman streets, learn about ancient food and wine, then prepare a Turkish meal with locals and eat beneath the pine trees.
“We voted this our favorite tour. We had a group of 9 and visited Ephesus and then did a cooking class and had lunch at a private restaurant. Later we visited a ceramic studio and rug merchant.”
In a bright studio between Galataport and Galata Tower, choose Turkish soups, mezes, mains, salads, or desserts, then cook them with a professional chef. Sermin Tayyar, Gül, Nurgül, and Yahya have led sessions, with language support available in English, Russian, Turkish, German, and Arabic.
“The chef was great! Absolutely delicious food and got really involved. Highly recommend.”
Leave Bodrum for Etrim village with a local guide, explore homes and village traditions, then help prepare mezes, dolma, bread, and other seasonal dishes. Lunch, tea, coffee, soft drinks, water, and an air-conditioned vehicle are included. English is offered, with vegetarian options available.
“I was the only person signed up for this tour on a Friday. I guess this is because this tour is relatively new, but I assure you, it could be the most special tour you could take in Bodrum. I, myself am a huge foodie and passionate about cooking, therefore, this is the perfect tour for me to get to learn the Turkish traditional village cooking. On the day of the tour, I was greeted by tour guide Tony, he is fully fluent in English and gave me a very warm welcome. Unfortunately, during my visit to Bodrum, I was not very well physically due to seasonal allergies, but not…”
Meet a professional chef at Deraliye Restaurant in Sultanahmet for a small-group lesson in Ottoman-style Turkish cooking. Prepare dishes such as sour-cherry stuffed vine leaves and Kirde Kebab, then eat your work with dessert and local wine. Pickup from central Istanbul hotels is included.
“I would highly recommend this cooking class at this Michelin star restaurant. The owner of the restaurant taught the class with precision, humor and a personal touch. We learned new cooking techniques, and the food was amazing. We were able to eat our dinner that we cooked and it truly was a highlight of our trip. Thank you for offering us a rare opportunity for which we will always be grateful!”
Join Büşra, Burak, and Bawer in their Kadıköy home for a 2.5-hour çiğ köfte evening. Learn the spices, knead the famous Urfa dish, enjoy traditional music and jokes, and share the table with a group of up to eight people.
“One of the best, if not the best, experiences I’ve ever had. Bushra, Burak and Bawer were the sweetest people I’ve ever met before. There was never a dull moment, so many conversations you’d feel you’re sitting with friends you’ve known for a long time. Cooking class with traditional music is definitely something to have on your bucket list when you come to Istanbul. Highly recommended. ÇigKofte was so good.”
Join Özge in her Beşiktaş home for a small, English-language Turkish cooking class capped at four people. Prepare karniyarik, sigara böreği, zucchini tarator, salad, and semolina dessert, then share the meal with Turkish coffee, dessert, and optional coffee-ground fortune reading.
“Wow!! What an incredible experience. Had so much fun making some traditional Turkish Food. Ozge is such a friendly and lovely host and made me feel so welcome. The food was delicious and got learn so much about the food, people and culture. Highly recommend this experience.”
Join local sisters at their home in Sarıyer for a 2.5-hour Turkish breakfast cooking class. Prepare menemen, muhlama, eggs with sucuk, and other morning staples, then eat together and take home recipes. The small group is capped at six, and the class is offered in English.
“My best experience on viator/tripadvisor Hosts were great. Had lots of fun spending time with them talking and cooking. Food is delicious. I can honestly recommend it”
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