Turkey
Best time to visit Istanbul
Based on 0 years of real historical weather data (2015–2026). Sunshine hours, rainfall, and temperature — week by week.
Planning a trip, an event, or a party in Istanbul? Here's what to expect. Summers here run warm, and winters are cooler. For the best odds of good weather, aim for May, September and July. Days run warm, with up to 11.9h of sunshine and mostly dry.
Month-by-month weather
Istanbul in January runs cold, averaging 8.8°C.
Istanbul in February runs cool, averaging 10.3°C.
Istanbul in March runs cool, averaging 12.4°C.
Istanbul in April runs mild, averaging 16.3°C.
Istanbul in May runs warm, averaging 21.4°C.
Istanbul in June runs hot, averaging 25.9°C.
Istanbul in July runs hot, averaging 28.4°C.
Istanbul in August runs hot, averaging 28.9°C.
Istanbul in September runs hot, averaging 25.2°C.
Istanbul in October runs mild, averaging 19.8°C.
Istanbul in November runs mild, averaging 15.6°C.
Istanbul in December runs cool, averaging 11.3°C.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to visit Istanbul?
If you're planning a trip, wedding, or outdoor event in Istanbul, aim for May, September and July — Days run warm, with up to 11.9h of sunshine and mostly dry. This is based on 0 years of real historical weather data (2015–2026), not a single forecast.
What is the weather like in Istanbul in May?
If you visit Istanbul in May, expect warm days around 21.4°C You'll get around 11.9h of sunshine per day and 1.7mm of rain — mostly dry.
What is the hottest month in Istanbul?
August is typically the hottest month, running hot — good to know if you're planning something outdoors and want to avoid the peak heat.
What is the driest month in Istanbul?
August is your safest bet if you want to avoid rain, averaging only 0.6mm per day. January is the wettest, at 3.6mm per day — worth planning around if you're hosting anything outdoors.
All weeks ranked by weather score
| Week | Dates | Midday temp | Range | Sun / day | Rain / day | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W20 | May 13–19 | 22.0°C | 11.2° → 25.4° | 12.0h | 1.4mm | 92 |
| W38 | Sep 16–22 | 24.1°C | 14.3° → 28.9° | 10.9h | 1.3mm | 92 |
| W21 | May 20–26 | 22.5°C | 13.2° → 25.5° | 12.3h | 1.5mm | 90 |
| W22 | May 27–Jun 2 | 23.1°C | 14.6° → 26° | 12.4h | 1.5mm | 89 |
| W23 | Jun 3–9 | 24.3°C | 14.8° → 27.5° | 12.5h | 1.3mm | 88 |
| W36 | Sep 2–8 | 27.1°C | 17.3° → 29.2° | 11.6h | 0.7mm | 88 |
| W18 | Apr 29–May 5 | 19.5°C | 9.8° → 22.4° | 11.5h | 1.6mm | 87 |
| W35 | Aug 26–Sep 1 | 28.1°C | 18.6° → 30.1° | 11.9h | 0.4mm | 87 |
| W37 | Sep 9–15 | 26.4°C | 17.1° → 28.7° | 11.4h | 1.2mm | 87 |
| W17 | Apr 22–28 | 18.1°C | 6.5° → 22.2° | 11.7h | 1.1mm | 86 |
| W29 | Jul 15–21 | 28.0°C | 18.4° → 30.5° | 13.3h | 0.6mm | 86 |
| W39 | Sep 23–29 | 23.2°C | 14.1° → 26° | 9.5h | 2.3mm | 86 |
| W19 | May 6–12 | 19.9°C | 10° → 23.4° | 11.4h | 2.3mm | 85 |
| W42 | Oct 14–20 | 19.8°C | 11.9° → 22.1° | 8.0h | 0.8mm | 85 |
| W28 | Jul 8–14 | 28.4°C | 18.6° → 31.5° | 13.5h | 0.5mm | 84 |
| W32 | Aug 5–11 | 29.1°C | 19.5° → 31.1° | 12.8h | 0.6mm | 84 |
| W40 | Sep 30–Oct 6 | 21.7°C | 13.2° → 24.2° | 9.1h | 2.4mm | 84 |
| W34 | Aug 19–25 | 28.3°C | 19.5° → 30.4° | 12.0h | 0.9mm | 83 |
| W30 | Jul 22–28 | 29.3°C | 19.4° → 32.2° | 13.6h | 1.1mm | 82 |
| W33 | Aug 12–18 | 28.7°C | 19.9° → 30.5° | 12.5h | 1.1mm | 82 |
| W24 | Jun 10–16 | 25.3°C | 16.5° → 28° | 12.8h | 2.2mm | 81 |
| W27 | Jul 1–7 | 27.8°C | 18.1° → 29.7° | 13.4h | 1.7mm | 81 |
| W31 | Jul 29–Aug 4 | 30.4°C | 20.8° → 32.6° | 13.6h | 0.2mm | 81 |
| W16 | Apr 15–21 | 16.2°C | 6.1° → 19.8° | 9.9h | 1.4mm | 80 |
| W26 | Jun 24–30 | 27.3°C | 17.7° → 29.8° | 13.4h | 1.9mm | 80 |
| W41 | Oct 7–13 | 20.8°C | 12.2° → 23.4° | 8.4h | 2.4mm | 80 |
| W45 | Nov 4–10 | 17.6°C | 8.9° → 19.5° | 8.4h | 1.0mm | 79 |
| W25 | Jun 17–23 | 26.6°C | 17.9° → 29.1° | 12.7h | 2.3mm | 77 |
| W44 | Oct 28–Nov 3 | 18.0°C | 9.1° → 20.8° | 8.4h | 1.9mm | 76 |
| W15 | Apr 8–14 | 16.0°C | 6.1° → 19.9° | 9.8h | 2.3mm | 75 |
| W43 | Oct 21–27 | 18.8°C | 11° → 21.1° | 7.6h | 2.5mm | 73 |
| W14 | Apr 1–7 | 14.8°C | 4.6° → 18.6° | 9.1h | 2.7mm | 68 |
| W12 | Mar 18–24 | 12.0°C | 2.6° → 16.3° | 8.8h | 1.8mm | 65 |
| W13 | Mar 25–31 | 13.7°C | 3.6° → 18.2° | 8.5h | 2.2mm | 65 |
| W10 | Mar 4–10 | 12.7°C | 2.5° → 16° | 8.4h | 2.2mm | 63 |
| W47 | Nov 18–24 | 14.9°C | 6.2° → 18.3° | 6.7h | 2.2mm | 63 |
| W46 | Nov 11–17 | 15.8°C | 7.5° → 18.5° | 6.8h | 3.3mm | 61 |
| W49 | Dec 2–8 | 12.0°C | 3.8° → 14.8° | 5.9h | 2.0mm | 57 |
| W8 | Feb 19–25 | 10.6°C | 1.8° → 14.5° | 7.1h | 2.6mm | 55 |
| W5 | Jan 29–Feb 4 | 10.9°C | 1.3° → 14° | 7.0h | 3.0mm | 52 |
| W7 | Feb 12–18 | 8.8°C | 0.2° → 13.1° | 6.4h | 1.8mm | 52 |
| W9 | Feb 26–Mar 3 | 11.1°C | 2.7° → 14.9° | 6.5h | 3.0mm | 52 |
| W52 | Dec 23–29 | 11.0°C | 3° → 13.7° | 5.8h | 2.6mm | 52 |
| W4 | Jan 22–28 | 8.4°C | 0.5° → 11.5° | 5.4h | 1.7mm | 50 |
| W11 | Mar 11–17 | 11.0°C | 2.2° → 15.1° | 6.8h | 3.3mm | 50 |
| W51 | Dec 16–22 | 10.2°C | 2.1° → 13.1° | 5.5h | 2.6mm | 49 |
| W3 | Jan 15–21 | 8.5°C | −0.7° → +11.5° | 6.5h | 3.1mm | 47 |
| W6 | Feb 5–11 | 10.3°C | 0.7° → 15.3° | 6.7h | 4.2mm | 45 |
| W48 | Nov 25–Dec 1 | 14.1°C | 5° → 17.6° | 5.5h | 4.9mm | 45 |
| W50 | Dec 9–15 | 11.8°C | 3.2° → 15.2° | 5.1h | 4.0mm | 45 |
| W1 | Jan 1–7 | 9.8°C | 1.4° → 12.4° | 5.5h | 3.8mm | 43 |
| W2 | Jan 8–14 | 8.4°C | −0.9° → +13.1° | 4.3h | 5.7mm | 30 |
Nail down the right dates for Istanbul
Compare individual weeks, see year-by-year variation, and download the data as Excel — everything you need to plan a trip, wedding, or event.
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