Henri Leroux

Istanbul · experience

Turkish cooking class in a local’s Cihangir home

A hands-on class making dolma and other Turkish dishes from scratch inside a local’s home, finished with a shared meal.

3 hoursSmall group, up to 5From €109

The experience

A hands-on Turkish cooking class inside a local’s home in Cihangir.

A hands-on cooking class inside a local host’s home in the Cihangir neighbourhood, learning to prepare traditional Turkish dishes such as stuffed grape leaves (dolma) from scratch, finished with coffee or tea.

The small group of up to five sits down together afterward to eat what they’ve cooked, with an optional short walk through the surrounding Cihangir streets.

Duration

3 hours

Group

Small group, up to 5

Languages

Confirmed with the option

Format

Confirmed with the option

Meeting point

A local host’s home in Cihangir, central Istanbul; exact address confirmed at booking.

Pickup and drop-off

Confirmed with the option

Who this suits

A good choice when it matches the way you want to use the city.

  • Travellers wanting a hands-on alternative to a restaurant meal or walking tour.
  • Small groups who’d rather cook than just taste.
  • Anyone curious about home cooking rather than restaurant Turkish food.

Itinerary

The route at a glance.

The guide and exact sequence are confirmed on the day. Times below are a useful indication of how this visit is normally structured.

  1. 1

    Cooking class

    Hands-on preparation of traditional Turkish dishes with a local host.

    ~2 hours
  2. 2

    Shared meal

    Sitting down together to eat what the group has cooked, with coffee or tea.

    ~1 hour

What the visit includes

The practical detail before you choose a date.

Highlights

  • A hands-on class making dolma and other Turkish dishes from scratch
  • Held inside a real local home, not a commercial kitchen
  • A sit-down meal of what you’ve cooked, with coffee or tea
  • An optional neighbourhood walk through Cihangir

Included

  • ✓ The cooking class and ingredients
  • ✓ The meal cooked during the class
  • ✓ Coffee and/or tea

Not included

  • • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • • Alcoholic drinks

Before you go

A few essentials for the day.

  • The group is limited to five participants.
  • The venue is a private home in a basement-level apartment; the host recommends metro or ferry over a taxi due to traffic.
  • Let the host know of any dietary restrictions when booking.