9 Cooking Classes in Istanbul to Book First

1.Traditional Home Cooking with a Local in İstanbul City Center

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 82 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $80Our pick

Review of İstanbul’s home cooking experience with Gülşah, including the Kurtuluş market walk, small-group class, meal, price, and practical tips.

“super nice cooking class with beautiful Gulsah and her cute dog, Microb.🥰 The atmosphere was so cozy and warm. She met us and took us to her home. It was raining non-stop all day, and we were completely wet and freezing. Gulsah was so kind — she gave me warm, cozy socks and clothes to change into. Such a thoughtful gesture.😇🤍 After hot tea and a delicious, aromatic pie, we finally warmed up and started cooking. 👩‍🍳It felt exactly like a warm dinner with friends at her home. 🥹☺️The food was so tasty, and the recipe was simple enough to easily cook at home. We’ll definitely make it again.❤️‍🔥 Thank…”

Open dates and prices →Our review of this class

2.Traditional Home Cooking with a Local in İstanbul Center

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 78 reviews · 4 hours · from $120

Shop Kurtuluş markets, cook Turkish home dishes, and share dinner with Gülşah in this warm, small-group Istanbul food experience.

“It was a wonderful and cozy afternoon/evening! We met Bawer and his girlfriend in the neighborhood. There he showed us a few stores and explained how Turkish culture works. With his favorite pastries and the pickled vegetable drink, it was a nice walk. We met the rest of his family at his family home and were warmly welcomed. We then cooked for ourselves and the family with his mother. She answered all the questions we could think of and showed us how Turkish cuisine is really prepared. At the end, we were allowed to eat first before more family arrived and we chatted for a while. It was a wonderful,…”

Open dates and prices →Our review of this class

3.Authentic Turkish Cooking at a Local’s Home in Istanbul

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 24 reviews · 3 hours · from $84

Learn Turkish home cooking with two sisters in Istanbul, share a homemade meal, and get practical tips for transport, timing, and dietary needs.

“I really enjoyed my time learning Turkish dishes! I learned baba ghanoush, cacik, and patatesli kofte, all vegetarian by request. All the dishes were so yummy and fun to prepare, and the baba ghanoush was my favorite because I’ve been wanting to learn how to make it for awhile now. I would 100% recommend this experience to anyone visiting Istanbul 😊”

Open dates and prices →Our review of this class

4.Turkish Cooking Class with a Professional Chef

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 23 reviews · 3 hours · from $122

Learn Turkish cooking in Istanbul with a professional chef, custom dishes, small groups, dietary options, recipes, and a chef’s table meal.

“We are professional chefs, It was an amazing experience, definitely will never forget about this class. We always do cooking classes around the world and this one , was one of my favorite. Thanks chef for sharing your knowledge and thanks to Armen for your translation, you are the best. Isabella and Jeff”

Open dates and prices →Our review of this class

6.Vegan/Vegetarian Cooking Class with Locals at Home

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $106

Cook vegan Turkish favorites with Rojda in her Istanbul home near Taksim, sharing tea, stories, dolma, mantı, and local hospitality.

“Rojda was a kind-hearted guide. She not only showed us the best vegan/vegetarian recipes, but also told us about the city of Istanbul. Everything was delicious. We would recommend the cooking class to anyone interested.”

Open dates and prices →Our review of this class

7.Authentic Turkish Breakfast Cooking at Home with Locals

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $59Best value

Learn to cook Turkish breakfast with local sisters in an Istanbul home, including menemen, warm dishes, coffee, and friendly cultural exchange.

“Aysu is a great host. She is a very talented cook and a great instructor. I was so happy to join her and witness the local life at her home with a closer look. The community Aysu is in, LokalBond offers authentic home-hosted experiences. I suggest anyone who travels to Istanbul to join Aysu or try other LokalBond experiences to be a part of real, local life of Istanbul, to be a traveler instead of a tourist 🫶”

Open dates and prices →Our review of this class

8.Turkish Baklava Cooking Class with a Local Host

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 3 hours · from $142

Make Turkish baklava from scratch in Rojda’s Istanbul home, from paper-thin dough to walnut filling, syrup, tea, and treats to take home.

Open dates and prices →Our review of this class

9.Traditional Cooking Class with a Local Mom

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 3 hours · from $106

Make mantı, grape leaves, soup, and mezze in Rojda’s Istanbul home, then share a generous Turkish meal in a small group of six.

“Really great experience. Manti is a very special dish and great to make in a group. Our host (Roza) was incredibly kind, personable, good-humored, and generous with her time. Hard to ask for a better experience. And, the food was really fantastic. Highly recommended.”

Open dates and prices →Our review of this class