Istanbul month by month
Plan your visit to Istanbul by month. Compare weather, crowds, events, and prices across all twelve months with historical climate data.
Istanbul's measured year splits into three distinct bands. Winter holds from December through February, with highs of 10 to 12°C and 10 to 12 rain days each month. From March's 12°C and 13 rain days, the spring climb reaches 17°C in April, 21°C in May, and 27°C in June as rain drops to 6 days. July and August plateau at 30°C with the year's lowest rain, 3 and 4 days. September holds 26°C with 7 rain days, October falls to 20°C, and November returns to 17°C.
All 12 month guides are published beneath this index. January and July sit 20 degrees and 9 rain days apart. Open July or August first for the driest window of the year. For milder conditions, try May at 21°C with 9 rain days or October at 20°C with 7. March is the wettest month at 13 rain days and 12°C.
July reaches 30°C with 3 rain days, the hottest and driest reading in Istanbul's measured year.
- January
- High
- 10°C
- Low
- 5°C
- Rain
- 91 mm
January in Istanbul is cold, grey, and wet, and that honesty matters more than sugarcoating it. Expect daytime temperatures around 10°C (51°F) that drop to near 5°C (40°F) at…
- February
- High
- 10°C
- Low
- 4°C
- Rain
- 76 mm
February in Istanbul is cold, grey, and damp, and honestly, that's part of its charm if you come prepared. Daytime temperatures hover around 10°C (50°F), dropping to near 4°C…
- March
- High
- 12°C
- Low
- 5°C
- Rain
- 76 mm
March in Istanbul is the tail end of winter, and it still feels like it. Expect daytime highs around 12°C (54°F) with nights dropping to about 5°C (41°F): cold enough that you'll…
- April
- High
- 17°C
- Low
- 9°C
- Rain
- 70 mm
April is when Istanbul finally shakes off winter. The city has been cold and grey since November (grey, in a way that surprises people who picture it as perpetually sunny) and by…
- May
- High
- 21°C
- Low
- 13°C
- Rain
- 57 mm
May is arguably the best month to be in Istanbul. The city finally shakes off the grey, damp weight of winter and early spring, and you get these long, warm days (highs around 21°C…
- June
- High
- 27°C
- Low
- 18°C
- Rain
- 42 mm
June in Istanbul is when the city finally commits to summer. Daytime temperatures settle around 27°C (80°F), the Bosphorus turns that particular shade of steel-blue that…
- July
- High
- 30°C
- Low
- 21°C
- Rain
- 33 mm
July in Istanbul is hot. Not dangerously hot (this isn't Dubai or Death Valley) but a steady, persistent 30°C (86°F) kind of hot that wears on you by mid-afternoon, when you're…
- August
- High
- 30°C
- Low
- 22°C
- Rain
- 20 mm
August in Istanbul is hot, dry, and packed with international visitors. Expect daytime temperatures hovering around 30°C (86°F), sometimes pushing past that, with humidity around…
- September
- High
- 26°C
- Low
- 18°C
- Rain
- 48 mm
September is when Istanbul finally exhales. The oppressive July-August heat breaks, temperatures settle around 25-26°C (77-78°F) during the day, and the city starts to feel like…
- October
- High
- 20°C
- Low
- 13°C
- Rain
- 53 mm
October in Istanbul is when the city finally exhales after summer. The crushing heat and cruise-ship crowds of July and August have passed, and you're left with daytime…
- November
- High
- 17°C
- Low
- 10°C
- Rain
- 100 mm
November is when Istanbul remembers it sits between two seas and the weather stops being polite about it. Expect daytime highs around 16.8°C (62°F) dropping to 10.3°C (51°F) at…
- December
- High
- 12°C
- Low
- 7°C
- Rain
- 90 mm
December in Istanbul is cold, grey, and wet, and that's precisely what makes it one of the more honest months to experience the city. Expect daytime temperatures around 12°C (54°F)…