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Black Sea Region & Istanbul, Turkey

Sep 10-17, 2025

Black Sea Region & Istanbul, Turkey: Ingredients, Traditions & More

There’s so much to love about Turkey, so much that we keep returning with Chef Ana Sortun of Oleana and Sofra in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Traveling with Chef Ana is a wonderful gift, and being in Turkey with her is even better.

Black Sea Region & Istanbul, Turkey

What You’ll Love about Your Week in Turkey

What You’ll Love about Your Week in Turkey

We can’t come to Turkey without spending time in magnificent and fascinating Istanbul.  You’ll have the opportunity to tour and learn about history and culture with Oguz Goncu, our longtime tourguide, as well as explore Turkish cuisine and ingredients with our great friend and food guide, Banu Ozden.  You’ll tour markets and street food, along with seeing the major historic-cultural sites – Topkapi, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

Ana has long been fascinated by the Black Sea region, and now you’ll have the chance to explore parts of the Black Sea region that most American tourists don’t visit.  Banu has found the iconic dishes, ingredients and restaurants; Oguz will take us to historic sites; and Chef Ana will be doing a cooking demonstration in the countryside outside of Kastamanou.

When we return to Istanbul, we’ll spend time on the Bosporus (ferry and private boat trip), and will spend part of the day on the Asia side of Istanbul touring food markets and having lunch at CIYA, one of Ana Sortun’s favorite restaurants anywhere. CIYA’s chef is Musa Dağdeviren, featured in Season 5 of Netflix’ The Chefs Table.

If you wish to stay on in Istanbul after the Culinaria, we have a one-day bonus program with either. Banu or Oguz, so you can explore places you missed.

Of course we’ll have wonderful meals throughout the week, and we’ve found that your fellow travelers become another highlight of traveling with Oldways.

Registered Dietitians may be eligible to earn continuing education credits pending review and approval from CDR.

Day by Day

Day 1

Wednesday, September 10

Check into the Bank Hotel, our Istanbul hotel, unpack, and relax before we meet in the early evening for a Welcome Session, Wine Tasting & Dinner.

Day 2

Thursday, September 11

In the morning, you have a choice of a cultural tour or a food tour.  Join our Turkish cultural guide, Oguz, for a tour of Topkapi, or take a morning food walking tour of the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar and the Eminönü neighborhood with our food expert Banu. We’ll leave for the Istanbul Airport and our 5:00 pm Turkish Air flight to Sinop, a city known as a hidden gem on the southern shore of the Black Sea. After arriving in Sinop, we’ll check in at our hotel into the Sinop Antik Hotel and meet for a group dinner.

Day 3

Friday, September 12

After breakfast, we will view Sinop from the sea via a short boat tour around Sinop Bay. This will give us a feel for the city, while Oğuz gives us the city’s history. After returning from the sea, we’ll visit Sinop Castle to dive into the city’s Roman and Seldjuk past. Lunch will be in a casual eatery, Mantıcı Melahat’in Mutfağı, for a local taste of mantı. After lunch, we will visit the Sinop Archeological Museum. Then, you will be on your own to explore the city and shop at your leisure.

Be sure to visit Gazi Street, a.k.a. Sinop Lover’s Street, in the city’s center. It is one of the most popular sightseeing areas of the city, offering a beautiful sunset view, a pleasant evening walk, flower gardens, palm trees, various cafes, and restaurants. You are free for dinner to enjoy one of Sinop’s local restaurants. We will include Banu’s restaurant suggestions in the program book.

Day 4

Saturday, September 13

After breakfast, we will spend the day exploring some of Sinop’s specialty food shops. We will meet an artisanal candy maker, witness the making of “mantı” and “erişte,” and learn about the “lakerda” (salt-cured bonito fish) culture that Sinop has become famous for over the last few years. You will be on your own to have lunch and explore the city until we meet again for dinner. We will meet at the hotel lobby, and together, we will head to Saray Restaurant by the sea for our dinner.

Day 5

Sunday, September 14

In the morning, we’ll check out of our hotel in Sinop and will drive inland about 2 ½ hours to Kastamonu, a city with rich culinary traditions.  We’ll go to the city center for lunch at the local eatery Münire Sultan Sofrası to taste Kastamonu’s local dishes. After lunch, we’ll explore the city’s cultural sights, such as the Kastamonu Clock Tower and Kastamonu City Museum, then head to İksir Resort Hotel, our hotel outside the city for Ana’s cooking demonstration, followed by a relaxing and traditional dinner.

Day 6

Monday, September 15

We’ll leave our hotel in the morning and spend the day in the city of Kastamonu, focusing on food demonstrations and visiting a wooden utensil shop that Kastamonu is well known for.  We’ll end  the day with an early dinner and an evening flight from Kastamonu to Istanbul.  We’ll check in at the Bank Hotel again in the late evening.

Day 7

Tuesday, September 16

Ana will start our morning with a spice presentation. Afterward, we’ll take the ferry to Kadikoy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. We’ll enjoy a spice and food tour with Ana and Banu in the Kadikoy Market area and then have lunch at CIYA, the famous Anatolian regional fare restaurant. After lunch, we’ll get on our private ferry and cruise along the Bosphorus before returning to our hotel. You will be free to experience the Istanbul restaurant scene in your evening.  Once again, you will have Banu’s restaurant suggestions in the program book.

Day 8

Wednesday, September 17

Departures or for those of you want to stay another day in Istanbul, you can take one of the tours you missed at the beginning of the trip.  Take a cultural tour with Turkish cultural guide Oguz to Topkapi or a food walking tour of the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar and the Eminönü neighborhood with our food expert Banu. For this bonus day, there is an additional charge (to extend your hotel reservation and for the tour).

Your Accommodations

Photo courtesy of The Bank Hotel

The Bank Hotel, Istanbul

The Bank Hotel Istanbul is located in Karakoy, one of the most prominent neighborhoods of Istanbul, known for its history. With a magnificent view of old Istanbul, the hotel is perfectly located to explore bohemian Beyoglu and historical Sultanahmet.

Photo courtesy of the Sinop Antik hotel

Sinop Antik Hotel, Sinop

This boutique hotel overlooks a sandy beach on the Black Sea in Sinop. The hotel houses an extensive collection of antique relics and a sea-view restaurant, well known for seafood dishes.

Photo courtesy of İskir Resort Town

İskir Resort Town

İksir Resort Town is the story of the math professor Mrs İksir Sema Aydın. During her childhood and adult life, İksir Hanım lived far from her native village Daday in Kastamonu because of her father’s official duty. But she always kept her relations with the village and her relatives. She always dreamt of getting back to Daday. Later, she purchased and renovated first the old mansion, called now İksir Hanım Mansion, and built step by step İksir Resort Town facilities with the support of her 2 daughters. Her dream now is to represent Daday and Kastamonu region’s natural beauties, history, local architecture, local arts and manufactures and develop local peoples life quality and also the sustainable agriculture via İksirli Farm.

Meet the Chefs/Experts

Chef Ana Sortun
Banu Özden
Oguz Goncu

Flight information
to Travel Destination

Flight information
to Travel Destination

Fly in and out of Istanbul (IST).  Turkish Airlines has daily nonstop flights from a number of US cities.  Istanbul’s International airport is served by almost all carriers, but sometimes with a stop in a European city. Your registration fee includes domestic air flights within Turkey (Istanbul to Sinop and Kastamanou to Istanbul).

Pricing & Registration

Pricing & Registration

Black Sea Region & Istanbul, Turkey: Ingredients, Traditions & More

  • Price per person from $5,550 per person.
  • If this trip must be cancelled due to COVID-19, refunds will be issued.

Trip Insurance

Medical Insurance

Oldways has procured medical and evacuation insurance for all Culinaria participants while traveling on one of our Culinarias with an Accident & Health policy from The Hartford.  Additionally, Hartford partners with International Medical Group (IMG), a leading global assistance provider, to give us 24/7 access to medical and travel assistance services anywhere in the world.  The policy also gives you as a Culinaria participant insurance for medical expenses, evacuation, and repatriation.

Since 1990, IMG has offered travel assistance services and a global network of medical providers to millions of people in nearly every country around the world. Working across time zones and in different languages, IMG’s commitment to “Being There” provides end-to-end coordinated care – so you can feel secure while traveling.

Please let us know if you need more information about the medical insurance.

Travel Insurance

While we cannot offer travel insurance for the cost of the trip or your air travel, here are three widely used travel insurance companies:

Allianz

Travelex

Travel Guard by AIG

More Upcoming Trips

For More Information

For additional questions, please reach out to [email protected] or contact Abby Sloane at  617-896-4875.