Day Tour: Home Cooked Istanbul, Turkey

Experience authentic Turkish life on an evening spent mixing with locals in popular, traditional haunts, plus a wonderful meal in the home of a local family. Met by an expert local guide at your hotel, you'll head out along the historic streets of Sultanahmet. The hospitality of the Turkish people is known throughout the world and tonight you'll get the chance to experience it first hand: meet a local family and sit down for a typical Turkish meal - only a little English is spoken in the household but your guide will be able to translate and allow you to get to know your hosts. You'll be able to enjoy conversations with different members of the family and find out what it is like to live in contemporary Turkey. This chance to share a meal cooked by a local family is a true privilege and an opportunity to get real insight into local family life.

After we finish our delicious feast, we'll take a wander around the backstreets. Have your camera at the ready to take snaps of the exquisite, traditional wooden houses that line the narrow lanes (in various states of repair). You'll be able to get a taste of the community-focused lifestyle led in Istanbul and learn about the many socio-economic groups that live here. Next, we'll head on to a popular local teahouse which boasts stunning views of the Sea of Marmara - we'll get a comfortable spot to watch games of football pop-up or engage in conversation with the locals, plus you'll get the chance to play backgammon - and if you don’t know the rules or how to play our local guide will be only too happy to show you.

Afterwards you'll have the opportunity to try two of Turkey’s favourite pastimes - drinking tea and smoking Narglie (waterpipe), so just sit back, relax and enjoy. At the end of the adventure you'll be free to return to your hotel or continue your own personal exploration of Istanbul - your guide will be able to suggest a range of different places to spend the rest of the evening.