When is the best time to visit Istanbul?

30.07.2024 - 18:06 / lonelyplanet.com

Jul 30, 2024 • 4 min read

The bustling streets of Istanbul are rarely quiet. This vibrant city bridges two continents and continues to attract flocks of visitors every year as there is never a shortage of incredible things to do.

But the city's seasons will impact your visit quite dramatically. Wet and dark winters mean everyone flocks to indoor attractions, whereas the hot, sun-drenched summers see the beaches fill up and drinking and dining in the great outdoors. 

When planning a trip, it’s worth noting the upcoming dates of the two biggest Muslim holidays, Ramazan Bayramı (Ramadan, or Eid Al Fitr) and Kurban Bayramı (Eid Al Adha), which shift by about 10 days each year. Both are big travel periods in Türkiye, comparable to Thanksgiving or Christmas in the United States, with corresponding effects on costs, crowds and vacation-related closures. Here are our picks for the best times to enjoy Türkiye's largest city.

Summer is the peak tourism season in Istanbul. Many residents decamp to vacation or family homes elsewhere in Türkiye, so accommodation costs can be high and lines long at major attractions. The weather is hot and humid, but the sun sparkling off the Bosphorus is glorious, and a slew of outdoor seating at cafes, restaurants and bars makes for a lively urban scene.

The summer festival season kicks off in June with the classical-heavy Istanbul Music Festival and the Opera and Ballet Festival. Weekends see droves of locals heading to the Princes’ Islands, the Belgrad Forest, and parks and picnic areas around the city. As the temperatures rise in July, those who can escape the city while the tourists pour in. The city sways as artists arrive for the Istanbul Jazz Festival and rooftop bars and Bosphorus-side cafes are the place to be.

Come August, you can hang by the river and cheer on the hardy souls taking part in the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race. If the humidity becomes too much, take a ferry ride and enjoy the cooling breeze.

The long, mostly pleasant shoulder seasons are ideal for seeing the sights and wandering the neighborhoods of Istanbul, a city that rewards exploration by foot. There's a drop off in tourist crowds, and local urban life is in full swing, including a busy calendar of arts and cultural events.

The Newroz festival in March marks the beginning of spring and the Kurdish (and Persian) new year, and indeed, things are starting to wake up in general throughout the city, with warmer days and livelier nights. Tulips planted in parks across the city come into bloom in April, and the fair weather starts luring people outside, while the annual film festival draws them into cinemas as well.

Warm and sunny but not yet sweltering, May is an ideal time to visit Istanbul, with