Istanbul Traditional Turkish Dinner and Dervish Experience
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
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Overview
Istanbul has a thriving food scene, but it can be hard to know where to find an authentic Turkish experience. Enjoy an evening immersed in Istanbul's traditional culture with dinner at a historical family restaurant loved by locals, complete with a dervish performance—an 800-year-old tradition that's Unesco Heritage listed. Plus, transportation back to your hotel is included at the end so there's no hassle of flagging a taxi.
- Eat like an Istanbul local with 10 delicious dishes unique to the area
- Meet like-minded travelers from around the world
- See a traditional dervish performance up close without having to move from your dinner venue
- Enjoy the peace and privacy of a private vehicle transfer to your accommodation afterwards
What's Included
- DinnerAll included. 5 different types of Traditional Turkish Kebabs, 5 types of Meze, Dessert. Food & drinks will be unlimited. Many options for the vegetarian. Ayran, Şerbet, Turkish Coffee, Tea
- Dervish Performance Ticket
- VEGETERIAN, VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE options are available, please inform us after reservation
- Private transportationAfter the experience we will drop you off Sultanahmet, Sirkeci, Eminönü, Galata, Taksim and Cruise Ports.
- THIS IS AN ALL INCLUDED TOUR. YOU WILL NOT PAY ANY EXTRAS.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
- Sirkeci, Hobyar, 34112 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
After the experience is over, we will drop you off close to your hotel.
Itinerary
1
Sirkeci
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Kadinlar Pazari
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Sirkeci Station
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- We have dishes to suit all your food preferences.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Anna_P
This was a fantastic cultural experience! It was great to eat authentic Turkish foods and experience the mystical Dervish ceremony. şüle and Eylul were very knowledgeable and welcoming - they felt like friends by the end of the tour! Both of them told of personal experiences and stories, which made the food and experience more memorable! The food was delicious, and very different from cuisine we had been able to find on our own. Highly recommend this tour and these guides if you want a great experience in Turkey!
Reviews
4.9
based on 590 reviews
Julie_B, Jun 2026
Sule was THE BEST tour guide! She loves her city and has so much knowledge and experience and genuinely enjoys showing off her home with new friends! The food is absolutely amazing and the Dervish experience is authentic and “dizzyingly” unique. Do not skip out on this tour!
Geoffrey_C, May 2026
Great tour - highly recommend Sule! She was an amazing guide - explained everything we were seeing and doing in great detail. She also provided lots of supplemental info and an extensive list of recommended places to go. LOVED the traditional dinner and the Dervish show and suggest asking for Sule!
Aysha_L, May 2026
Ask for Sheelug as your guide. She is the best. Thoroughly enjoyed the evening, topped with good food.
Nick_T, May 2026
Sule’s Traditional Turkish Dinner and Dervish Experience was a real highlight — beautifully balanced between culture, atmosphere, and great hospitality. The whirling dervish ceremony was a serene, authentic Sufi performance that left you feeling peaceful and grounded. The dinner that followed was equally memorable, with a wide variety of tasty dishes, each explained with insight and enthusiasm. Sule herself was a wonderful host, full of engaging stories and warmth, making the whole evening feel both personal and genuinely special.
Simi_O, May 2026
I would give Zeynep a 10/5 if I could! She’s one of the best hosts I’ve toured with. She knows how to talk to you about Turkish culture in a way that’s warm and inviting. The street food was short, but really good. The dinner at the end was the best intro to Turkish food and the group conversation was great. I’d recommend that you do some brief research on Dervish twirling prior to the tour as it’s probably not what you expect.
TerryVitanza, May 2026
Great experience! Nice street food, amazing show, very good food (be hungry because it's a lot of food!) and especially our great guide Sule!
Only thing that could be better is having a shorter dervish show after the real one where we can take pictures (that's what they propose in other dervish shows in Turkey).
Melwyn_C, May 2026
A very interesting Dervish performance and good food experience.
Zeynep was more a friend, than a guide!
Suzanne_J, May 2026
Zey was a great hostess. The Whirling Dervish was a unique experience. The street food before and restaurant after felt very authentic, local, and comfortable. The food was incredible. I highly recommend this experience.
steve_c, May 2026
Our guide Zeynep, did a wonderful job guiding us through some tastes of the city, a Dervish experience, and then the grand finale - a great Turkish dinner. A fun evening apart from the traditional tourist itinerary.
Madlyn_D, May 2026
A fun evening with Z, included a peaceful and lovely Whirling Dervish ceremony and a fantastic dinner! Z has good energy and is very kind and friendly. A recommended experience!
Clare_C, May 2026
The Dervish performance was interesting. Seynep was an amazing guide - she was so warm and welcoming. The dinner was delicious. It was a great evening.
RIKA_P, May 2026
I had an amazing experience on my 1:1 private tour with Sule. Due to some last-minute cancellations, I ended up having the tour entirely to myself, and I’m so glad the operator still made it happen. Sule is incredibly knowledgeable about Istanbul’s rich history, and her passion truly comes through in the way she connects with people, shares stories about her city, and enjoys great food along the way. I especially appreciated how she took the time to explain the Dervish ceremony beforehand, setting the right expectations that it is a spiritual meditation rather than a performance. It made the experience much more meaningful. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Istanbul!
Susan_B, May 2026
This was one of our best food tours and we take a food tour whenever we go to a new city. Zeynep was a wonderful guide. She spoke excellent English, had a great sense of humor, was very personable, and her explanations and information were very good. The Dervish experience we really enjoyed. It was beautiful, peaceful and a joy to watch. The food was exceptional and authentic. Zeynep explained to us what we were eating and how to eat the different dishes. The restaurant was very nice and was full of Turkish diners which is a good sign we were getting the best Turkish food. I would highly recommend this food tour!!!
Karol_D, May 2026
Zeynap was a great guide. It was funny, informative, and just full of energy. We started the evening with a visit to Turkey's version of the 'no soup for you' guy. Absolutely hilarious and pretty good food too. The Dervish show wasn't my favorite thing in Turkey by any means, but it was interesting. our feast afterwards was beyond fantastic.
Libby_G, May 2026
Zeynep is one of the loveliest and nicest she truly care. Our driver took us to the wrong meeting place and she tried her hardest to find us. When we finally met she showed such concern. The rest of the evening you were treated as if you were her family making sure you were comfortable and well taken care of. Dinner was unbelievable. She joined us explaining everything we tasted to the little treats she gave us to take. For her not Viator her. She is a true tour guide. We have had many. Zeynep is in the TOP IF TOPS in my book. Thank you Zeynep! Thank you Viator for hiring her. Now be smart a give her many more tours. You will be thankful.
Yuberca_S, May 2026
The whole experience was a very informative and interesting. Tour guide explained herself (Say) very well in every step of the way. The location of the restaurant and the different foods that was provided was excellent.
Yoshiko_S, May 2026
Awesome tour! The Dervish ceremony was so beautiful and spiritual. Our tour guide Zeynep was knowledgeable and speaks very good English. She took us to a street food and Turkish delight tasting. After that we had a delicious dinner at ground oven restaurant. They served us so many different kind of traditional Turkish dishes. Everything was great . At last Zeynep gave us a little gift!! Thanks you Zaynep for everything. I highly recommend this tour!
Kurt_P, May 2026
The Dervish experience was very disappointing. I should have researched prior to purchasing as I thought it was a dancing exhibition of talented Turkish dancers. They explained that it is supposed to be a deep religious experience for the dancers as they attempt to attain selflessness, shedding their materialism and desires in order to become one with the divine by spinning in circles for an hour. Our guide was wonderful, highly educated and shared some of her favorite culinary treats with us which was worth the price alone however. Just want others to be aware of what they are signing up for.
Response from Host, May 2026
To be honest, the attitude started long before the experience itself. When we first contacted you before the tour, you blocked us on WhatsApp without even a simple greeting or reply. Then, 30 minutes before the scheduled start time, you suddenly sent a message asking where we were. Despite this confusing communication, we still greeted you professionally and did our best to make the evening enjoyable.
It is also interesting that, despite there being no problems during the experience itself, the review initially appeared as 3 stars during the night and later changed 2 stars the next morning:)
Until your review, our previous 90 reviews had all been 5-star ratings, which reflects how the vast majority of our guests understand and appreciate the experience we provide.
As explained throughout the evening, the Whirling Dervish ceremony is not a commercial dance show, but a spiritual ritual dating back centuries, recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Guests who attend with curiosity, humility, and cultural openness generally understand and appreciate this distinction very well.
Nevertheless, we are happy that even in your review you appreciated our guide, hospitality, and dining experience.
We sincerely wish you more positive, respectful, and open-minded cultural encounters in your future travels.
Dan_S, May 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A perfectly curated introduction to Istanbul food and culture
My wife and I had a fantastic evening with Zeynep, our host, who made the entire experience feel effortless from start to finish.
The tour was exceptionally well organized and thoughtfully paced. We began with a fun introduction to local street food, which was an easy and approachable way to start the evening.
We then attended a Whirling Dervish ceremony, which was a meaningful and memorable cultural experience. Zeynep provided helpful context and background, giving us a much better understanding of the symbolism and tradition behind what we were experiencing.
Afterward, we headed to one of her favorite local restaurants for a full Turkish dinner. The variety of dishes was outstanding - far more than we would have ever ordered on our own - and it gave us a true sense of the range and depth of Turkish cuisine.
Our group was small (six guests plus Zeynep), which made the evening feel personal and relaxed. We especially enjoyed getting to know the other travelers over dinner - everyone was enthusiastic, and the atmosphere was lively and welcoming.
Zeynep was incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable about all things Turkish food. She made the entire experience feel warm and welcoming. We wished we had done this on our first night in Istanbul, as it would have been a helpful introduction to the local cuisine.
Communication was excellent throughout. Zeynep coordinated with the group via WhatsApp and followed up after the tour with a detailed list of the dishes we experienced, restaurant recommendations, and photos from the evening - a thoughtful and much-appreciated touch.
This was an easy, enjoyable way for us to experience Istanbul - from street food to a meaningful cultural ceremony to an abundant local dinner - all in one well-curated evening.
Thank you, Zeynep - teşekkür ederizm
Georgiana_W, May 2026
We had a great Turkish dinner experience at a local restaurant with Zeynep and two other couples. We could not have found this beautiful restaurant and enjoying the delicious food, with a wonderful, small group. Before the dinner we had two stops to try local food and Turkish delights and an authentic Dervish ritual. Big thanks to Zeynep for taking good care of us.
steven_s, May 2026
Nice pace…a little taste before the whirling dervish event and then an authentic dinner at a great old town restaurant….highly recommend!
Nicole_G, May 2026
This was the perfect way to kick off our stay in Istanbul! The mini food tour at the beginning was a fun way to start the evening, the Dervishes were hypnotizing, and the dinner... 🤤 we're still talking about the food! Sule was an incredible tour guide - very knowledgeable & approachable! She gladly answered any questions we had and provided lots recommendations. Highly, highly recommend.
Sandra_B, Apr 2026
We were met promptly and had great communication with our guide, Zey. She took us to the best delights and explained in detail every place we visited and those along the way. We were so pleased we could totally understand all she had to tell us. She also made sure we were happy with the items tasted and any other options we might like. All the excursions were very nice.
Russ_K, Apr 2026
Excellent experience, great insight into a different culture followed by yummy local food. We recommend this tour for all persons
Frank_S, Apr 2026
We just had a fantastic time. Zeynep walked us to her favorite places and it was just a wonderful experience. Great food, fun times and experiencing the whirling dervish ceremony was fantastic
Kathie_S, Apr 2026
This is a must-do in Istanbul. Zey, our fantastic guide, introduced us to traditional Turkish foods, enlightened us on life in Turkey and explained the Dervish ceremony we watched. She was delightful. I'm so glad we had this experience.
Gill_L, Apr 2026
Informative fun and a great guide who chose a perfect restaurant for dinner after the show.
Highly recommend
Zach_R, Apr 2026
Fantastic experience with Zey. She was knowledgeable and engaging with both the food and ceremony. I would highly recommend
Krista_M, Apr 2026
Our international flight was 3 hours late and with Istanbul traffic, we dropped our bags and ran to public transportation as it was faster than car. We were in touch with Zey the whole time.
While we missed the first part of the experience with Turkish coffee, Zey met us at the stop and rushed us into the Whirling Dervish ceremony. We made it by seconds. Thrilled as it was relaxing and mesmerizing to watch.
We gathered with our small group and Zey then and took a van to dinner. Along the way, Zey treated us to the Turkish Delight that she kept for us due to us missing that first part. She explained the two different types and it was fantastic.
At dinner we chatted companionably with our group as Zey explained the dishes and it was delightful. We left with bellies full and cheer. Afterwards, the van brought us near our hotel and we crashed after all the travel.
Despite the late arrival, it was the perfect way to kick-off our first time in Turkey.
Zey sent us in WhatsApp the explanation of what we ate and other Istanbul recommendations.
We cannot say enough good things about Zey and this experience.
Christine_H, Apr 2026
Zeynep was a wonderful guide. She told us fascinating facts mixed with personal family stories. Over an amazing dinner, she told us many stories about the local foods and what we should try later.
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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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