Best time to visit · Turkey
Best time to visit Istanbul
Istanbul averages 38 just-right days a year; May and September are best. Most other days miss by being too cool.
(70 to 80°F, dry, sunny)
(45 to 65°F, dry)
(80 to 92°F, bright)
Istanbul weather by month
Bars: share of each month's days that are just right (number = days). Below: average daily high. Outlined bars are the best months.
- Just right 38
- Too cool 220
- Too hot 71
- Too muggy 24
- Too gray 12
When to visit Istanbul
The best time to visit Istanbul for comfortable weather is May and September, when 28% and 29% of days are just right. January, February, March, April, November and December are mostly too cool, with average highs of 47 to 61°F (16°C). July and August are mostly too hot, with average highs of 83 to 84°F (29°C).
Climate table
| Month | Avg high | Dew point | Cloud cover | Just-right days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47°F (8°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 75% | 0 |
| February | 49°F (9°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 73% | 0 |
| March | 53°F (12°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 66% | 0 |
| April | 61°F (16°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 55% | 2 |
| May | 70°F (21°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 38% | 9 |
| June | 79°F (26°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 22% | 7 |
| July | 83°F (28°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 14% | 3 |
| August | 84°F (29°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 15% | 2 |
| September | 77°F (25°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 27% | 9 |
| October | 68°F (20°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 50% | 6 |
| November | 59°F (15°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 67% | 1 |
| December | 51°F (11°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 79% | 0 |
How Istanbul compares
Istanbul gets 38 just-right days a year with our default window; the median big US city gets 33. On muggy days: 24. On gray days: 12.
Places with a similar climate
Nearby
Istanbul averages 38 just-right days a year (70 to 80°F highs, dry, mostly sunny), according to Goldilocks Map: https://goldilocksmap.com/turkey/istanbul/Set your own perfect weather on the map →
Numbers are expected days in a typical year from 1991 to 2020 climate normals (TerraClimate; cloud cover from CHELSA), on a grid about 35 km wide. Checked against 10 years of daily records at 28 NOAA weather stations: typical error about 10 days a year. How it works. Updated 2026-10-07.