Best time to visit Turkey

• “spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October) – are widely regarded as the best times to visit Turkey” turkeytravelplanner.com
• “Spring (April to June) and autumn (September to early November) are widely considered the best times to visit” atlys.com
• “The best times to go to Turkey are Spring and Fall” evaneos.com

7 of the 9 travel guides we read name these months.

1. January48°F / 39°F · 17 rainy daysChecking fares…Cold with snow in Eastern Turkey and Cappadocia; Istanbul is cold and rainy at 6 to 8C. Prime ski season at Uludag, Erciyes and Palandoken.Fewer tourists and cheaper rates.Cappadocia averages 7C by day and -3C at night.Camel wrestling in Selcuk
2. February49°F / 38°F · 15 rainy daysChecking fares…Skiing, and Istanbul or Cappadocia without throngs of tourists; likely too chilly for the beach.
3. March54°F / 41°F · 13 rainy daysChecking fares…Unpredictable early in the month; spring is clearly in the air from mid-March.Tulips bloom and the Istanbul tulip festival is in mid-March.One writer travels in March and November for lower prices and smaller crowds.Alaçatı Herb Festival
4. Best timeApril61°F / 47°F · 10 rainy daysChecking fares…Pleasant weather and the busy season is yet to start.Can be rainy.Istanbul Tulip Festival fills the parks throughout April; cherry blossoms in Sakarya in the first half.Istanbul Tulip Festival · Anzac Day dawn service at Gallipoli
5. Best timeMay70°F / 55°F · 7 rainy daysChecking fares…Called arguably the single best month: ideal temperatures nearly everywhere, sea warming in the south.Good for the northeast, from May to September.Hidrellez in Edirne · Isparta rose harvest
6. June78°F / 63°F · 7 rainy daysChecking fares…Istanbul Music Festival runs June to July but heat can be bad.Gaziantep rose festival in late June.Loggerhead turtle nesting at Iztuzu
7. July82°F / 69°F · 5 rainy daysChecking fares…Istanbul Jazz Festival; Izmir International Festival; Istanbul can be stifling in July and August.Izmir International Festival in July (opera, classical music, dance).Kuyucak lavender bloom · Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim
8. August83°F / 70°F · 5 rainy daysChecking fares…Hottest month in Cappadocia at 32C by day.Intense heat inland and on the south coast with queues and busy beaches.
9. Best timeSeptember76°F / 63°F · 8 rainy daysChecking fares…Still feels like summer on the coast; sea warm, prices dropping from the summer peak.Still considered high season with crowds and prices high at popular destinations.Prices are about 10 to 20 percent lower in September, per a local poster.Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival
10. Best timeOctober68°F / 57°F · 12 rainy daysChecking fares…Temperatures a comfortable 18 to 25C on the coast and crowds thin.Rain may begin again; days shorter.Istanbul trees change colour from mid-October to early November.The Bodrum Cup · Republic Day in Ankara
11. November59°F / 49°F · 14 rainy daysChecking fares…Low season begins: lower prices and smaller crowds, but many Istanbul museums and attractions close by November.Chilly and rainy winter starts.Istanbul Marathon
12. December51°F / 42°F · 18 rainy daysChecking fares…Mildest winter month, rainy season arriving, ski season under way.Late December around New Year has higher hotel rates.Seb-i Arus, Rumi's wedding night

Weather: Istanbul averages (1991 to 2020 averages), as listed in its climate table on Wikipedia.

• Camel wrestling in SelcukSelcuk, near EphesusEvery January to February
• Alaçatı Herb FestivalAlaçatı, İzmirEvery March to April
• Istanbul Tulip FestivalEmirgan Park, IstanbulEvery April
• Anzac Day dawn service at GallipoliAnzac Cove, Gallipoli PeninsulaEvery April
• Hidrellez in EdirneSarayici, EdirneEvery May
• Isparta rose harvestGuneykent and the rose valleys, IspartaEvery May to June
• Loggerhead turtle nesting at IztuzuIztuzu Beach, DalyanEvery June to August
• Kuyucak lavender bloomKuyucak, IspartaEvery July
• Bosphorus Cross-Continental SwimKanlica to Kurucesme, IstanbulEvery July to August
• Aspendos International Opera and Ballet FestivalAspendos, AntalyaEvery September
• The Bodrum CupBodrum harbourEvery October
• Republic Day in AnkaraAnitkabir, AnkaraEvery October
• Antalya Golden Orange Film FestivalAntalyaEvery October to November
• Istanbul Marathon15 July Martyrs Bridge to Sultanahmet, IstanbulEvery November
• Seb-i Arus, Rumi's wedding nightKonyaEvery December

What is the best time of the year to visit Istanbul, Turkey?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September and October); summer heat can be unbearable and winter is very cold.

What is the weather like in Istanbul in December?

Average temperatures in Istanbul range from 8 to 10C in winter, and rain is common.

• Best Beaches in Turkey18 places
• Best Places to Visit in Turkey16 places

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