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Best Time to Visit Istanbul, Turkey

Are you wondering what is the best time to visit Istanbul, when is the low and high season in Istanbul, and what is Istanbul like in summer and winter?

Istanbul

When choosing a new destination to travel to, we always try to look for the best time to visit that specific place, taking into consideration the best weather, low tourism season, and more affordable prices, especially when it comes to accommodation and airfare tickets. That is why in today's content. I'll tell you what's the best time you should be visiting Istanbul so that you can make the most of your vacation.

So let's start with the weather in Istanbul. In Istanbul, we have all four seasons: 

  • Spring 
  • Summer 
  • Fall 
  • winter 

In the winter months going from December to February, we can expect to have mostly cloudy days. Also, it gets quite rainy and the temperature can be between -2 to 10 degrees Celsius. Snowy days in Istanbul are not common nowadays but sometimes snow will surprise us just as last year. I remember we weren't expecting any snow at all. And all of a sudden we have a full week of snow. 

Turkey's Coldest Month January to February:

Turkey's Coldest Month January

The coldest months is definitely January and beginning of February when it comes to summer season. Sometimes we can have those days that we can not even leave home. The humidity makes it very difficult for us to go out. Especially during the day, the temperature generally reaches a maximum of 32 degrees Celsius, but with all the humidity that sometimes we have, we can feel it as if we are reaching the 40 degrees Celsius in our experience.

Turkey's Hottest Month July to August:

Turkey's Hottest Month

The hottest month in Istanbul is July and beginning of August. Also take into consideration that Istanbul is a city where you will need to walk a lot. Therefore you will be more exposed to fatigue during fall season, which goes from September to November and spring, going from March to May. The weather is fantastic. Now let's talk about the crowds in Istanbul.

Crowd:

Crowd

Remember that Istanbul is one of the most visited cities in the world, and therefore we will expect to receive more tourists during certain months of the year. And it will be, of course, much more crowded than it usually is during the summer months. For sure, we will receive plenty of tourists. In fact, is peak season in the country also because local tourism starts after the second week of June. When the school year finishes museums, restaurants, transportation and most attractions are much more crowded. Sometimes people need to wait in line for more than 30 minutes to visit certain attractions like Galata tower or Dolmabahce palace.

In my opinion, the city can be enjoyed better without the crowds during October to November or March to April. Now let's talk about another important point.

What about the prices?

When it comes to finding affordable prices in accommodation and flight tickets are definitely during low season, either spring or fall seasons. During this time, we can find great deals that for sure you will want to take advantage of. Now that we already know what's the weather like in the city throughout the year, when is the peak season, and when we can find the best deals in Istanbul, we can conclude that the best time to visit this gorgeous city is either from March to May or October to November. During these months, you can enjoy the major tourist attractions and other beautiful sites without lines and almost empty, especially during the weekdays. Also you'll have a greater chance of finding better deals in hotels.

And of course airfare tickets. However, keep in mind that in March and April, we have many rainy days. Just make sure to pack suitable clothing for rainy days, especially waterproof shoes, and a jacket. Just as an advice, make sure to check the national Turkish holidays. Because usually during that time, also the places are way more frequented by the locals, prices in accommodation and even airfare tickets tend to increase in Turkey and they tend to get a bit more expensive. Try to keep an eye, especially on the days of the holy month of Ramadan and sacrifice feast. So you already know what is the best time to visit Istanbul. This is a city that all year round is beautiful and for sure you'll enjoy it, but in certain months, you'll have some extras that will make your trip even better.