Best Time to Visit Istanbul
April, May, late September and October are the easy answer. The air is mild, you can sit on a ferry deck without melting or freezing, and the long walks between sights are a pleasure rather than a chore. In April the parks fill with tulips, a flower the Ottomans loved long before the Dutch did, and Emirgan Park on the Bosphorus puts on the biggest display.
Summer, from mid-June to early September, is hot and humid. Afternoons in Sultanahmet feel airless, the queues at Hagia Sophia and Topkapı are at their longest, and cruise ships add to the crowds. The Bosphorus helps: there's nearly always a breeze on the water, and evenings on a waterfront terrace are the reward for the heat. Do your sightseeing early, then take a ferry.
Winter is underrated. It rains often, the north wind off the Black Sea (poyraz) is cold, and it can snow for a few days in January or February. But hotels are cheaper, the museums are quiet, and a steaming bowl of lentil soup and a glass of salep (a hot, thick drink made from orchid root) make a grey afternoon feel right. Bring a proper coat and an umbrella.
Religious holidays
The dates of Ramadan and the two bayrams, Ramazan Bayramı at the end of Ramadan and Kurban Bayramı about ten weeks later, follow the lunar calendar and move around eleven days earlier each year. During Ramadan the city runs normally for visitors, and the evening iftar meal brings a festive crowd to the square outside the Blue Mosque. The bayrams are different. The Grand Bazaar closes for all of them, some museums close on the first day, and half the country travels, so transport and hotels fill up. Check the dates before you book.
Other dates to check
- 29 October: Republic Day. Flags everywhere, and the Spice Bazaar closes.
- Early November: the Istanbul Marathon, the only one that crosses a continent, closes the Bosphorus Bridge and many roads for the morning.
- April: the tulip festival and the Istanbul Film Festival.
- July: the Istanbul Jazz Festival, with concerts in venues around the city.