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Delights of Turkish Cooking
Cooking Class Vacation Itinerary
Cooking Classes in Istanbul, Turkey
Sunday - Welcome to Istanbul!!
Meet and greet at the airport and settle in to your hotel. After a stroll in the Fish Market, your welcome dinner will be at the Historical Çiçek Pasajı (Flower Passage). The “Flower Passage” is an old French-inspired passage that is lined with curbside taverns and meyhanes (bars or pubs), rather than flowers. Behind the Flower Passage a bustling labyrinth of stands peddles fish, fruits, vegetables, and spices -- with a couple of pastry shops thrown in -- all of which makes for great street theater. Here, you will taste numerous meze from large trays of endless choices. Try a sip of rakı, Turkey’s national liquor, an anise-flavored, colorless brandy made from grapes, to accompany the meze.
Monday - After breakfast, meet Selin for your first hands-on Turkish cooking class. For lunch taste what you have cooked! After lunch, you have time to participate in an optional half-day excursion to the Modern Art Museum and then Istanbul’s most famous baklava baker, or explore Istanbul on your own.
Tuesday - Depart for a walk in the Spice Bazaar and nearby attractions. This extensive market was built in the 17th century to finance the upkeep of the nearby mosque, Yeni Cami. The bazaar is often referred to as the "Egyptian Market" due to the fact that spices used to come to the market from India and Southeast Asia via Egypt. The bazaar is a “foodie” delight! After the visit to the market, you will begin your second hands-on Turkish cooking class. Lunch will be at the cooking school – Taste what you have cooked!
After lunch, you have time to participate in an optional half day excursion by ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul to explore the specialty markets or visit Istanbul on your own.
Wednesday – Today is a full day where you are free to join a guided tour of Istanbul’s treasures, enjoy a cruise exploring the charming towns along the Bosporus, or take a step back in time and spend the day visiting one of the Prince’s islands. Alternatively, you may explore the city on your own. The day is yours!
This evening you will enjoy a unique farewell dinner at an Istanbul restaurant famous for its imperial Ottoman cuisine, incorporating Central Asian, Anatolian, Middle Eastern and Balkan flavors. The dishes are the result of intensive research undertaken at three palace kitchens (Dolmabahce, Topkapi and Edirne) to test and recreate long-forgotten imperial dishes, whose recipes were traditionally kept secret. Some of the rediscovered dishes on the menu, such as veal in apple sauce, were served at the circumcision feast held for two of Suleyman's sons in 1539.
Thursday – After breakfast at your hotel, we bid farewell to enchanting Istanbul. Transfer from your hotel to the Ataturk airport. Your journey may end here, or you may opt to participate in one of our trip add-ons to the incredibly stunning Cappadocia region of Turkey or the historical ruins of Ephesus.
