This is a tour that you must take if you want to see and experience real Istanbul. Our guide Ayse was perfect. Huge knowledge and understanding of culture. Our little group was very interesting. Family where we had dinner was perfect. We really felt like we came to friends for dinner. This was for sure highlight of our visit to Istanbul.

Idea is great tourist attraction but there is a room for substantial improvement by the organiser. Firstly except the mother the host family though present in the apartment neither joined the dinner nor discussion which negate the slogan of dine with local family . Secondly due to space constraints in the apartment though we were only two seating for dining was on the floor which was bit uncomfortable and without prior disclosure. Thirdly the so called three course dinner was served in one go and was cold and blew average quality. Lastly it is too pricey even giving the margin that idea is to support the chosen family with additional income. However since share of the family in the price appeared to be nominal therefore gave them gift/tip wroth 75 TL.

It was amazing to visit the family, sit, chat and dine. to my luck there was only 1 more person who signed up for this trip and he did not show up. so it was only me !! the host Seray was a very nice and humble lady and i met her daughter and a few relatives. it was like you are visiting your own family. we spoke about each other, shared stories and had a lot of fun. special thanks to my guide Tolga who is such a nice and knowledgable person. he helped not only translate but also told me a lot about turkish history. ask for him if you are planning this tour. i highly recommend.

Tolga was an excellent guide - very knowledgeable in history and answering our questions. Wonderful cultural exchange dinner with a Turkish family. So hospitable and super food!

A nice experience. We were a group of 6. The guide escorted us to a family house. A woman - lower middle class- lives there with her 3 kids and her husband. We enjoyed the traditional meal in a local house as well as the conversation. However, the conversation was more among us the visitors than with the woman and her kids due to language barriers. Overall a good experience.

This was the one thing we did that made the trip worth all the cultural shock that followed in the shops and on the streets. Do bring a gift for the family. We were remiss in this. Our guide was more than just helpful. He followed up on suggestions for navigating our way for our extended stay in the tourist and shopping locations throughout the city. The food was thoughtful and the family kind and welcoming. As two women traveling alone it was a wonderful introduction to Istanbul. Our guide pointed out the best locations for photographs, Bosphorus rides, local foods, and unlike the remainder of our stay, we felt safe and confident exploring the quaint cobblestone streets with this knowledgeable, conscientious guide. Thank you, S□leyman Erkse!

this tour was eye opening, and such a cultural experience. the host family was probably one of the sweetest families I have ever met. We got to eat in her home, met her children, and learned about her lifestyle and what a day in the life entails.
We LOVED this.

We only had an overnight stop in Istanbul and this was a perfect choice for dinner. The host family was gracious and the guide was like a friend. He also walked with us around the Hippodrome and showed us the outside of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia while sharing historical information with us. This part of the tour was more of a bonus, as this could be done without a guide, but the traditional Turkish dinner in the home of a local Kurdish family was really special.

Great tour. It was a nice way to get to experience the city. Our tour guide, Tolga, was very knowledgeable and gave us helpful tips about how to spend our time in Istanbul. definitely recommend!

The tour was very good. We arrived at our host's home to a very warm welcome. The food especially the lentil soup was amazing. The conversations with our guide about Turkey were very illuminating as well.