Best Time to Visit Istanbul: Weather Month by Month

Q: What is the best time to visit Istanbul?

July is the best month with 29.0°C highs, 21.0°C lows, 10.3h of sunshine and 10.0% rainy days. The months of July & June offer comparable conditions.

Q: How many hours of sunshine does Istanbul get in July?

Istanbul averages 10.3 sunshine hours per day in July. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 9.0/10.

Q: What is the rainiest month in Istanbul?

January is the most unfavourable month with January has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

Q: What are the temperatures at night in Istanbul in July?

In July, overnight lows reach 21.0°C, while afternoon highs average 29.0°C.

Q: Is Istanbul good in winter?

In winter (December-February), Istanbul scores 4.0/10 on average — Difficult period — prefer the peak season.. The best month overall remains July with a score of 9.0/10.

Q: When should you avoid Istanbul?

January is the most difficult month to visit Istanbul, with January has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.

Decide

When to visit Istanbul?

The decision rests on several criteria. Climate score, tourist crowds and feasible activities.

Verdict: In Istanbul, July and June clearly stand out. December concentrates the least favourable conditions.

Top & avoid

🏆 July · 9.3 June · 9.0 September · 8.6 May · 7.9 ⚠️ December · 4.0

4.0

Jan

4.1

Feb

4.3

Mar

7.3

Apr

7.9

May

9.0

Jun

9.3

Jul

6.3

Aug

8.6

Sep

7.6

Oct

4.4

Nov

4.0

Dec

Best period · ≥ 7 Decent period · 4 – 7 Tough conditions · < 4

What you grasp in 5 seconds

Istanbul offers 6 comfortable months, without any month really to avoid. The gap stays moderate: 9.3 in July vs 4.0 in December.

What to check next

Your tolerance for crowds and budget. The best months concentrate tourist saturation and higher prices. Shoulder seasons offer a good compromise.

Next action

Scroll down to the detailed table to compare month by month, then open the page of the month that interests you.

Compare the 12 months By your project

How we calculate the score

The score combines 4 weighted criteria using 10 years of real climate data (ERA5).

Source : ERA5 · Open-Meteo · 10 years (2016–2025) · Full methodology →

Understand

Compare all 12 months

Month-by-month details: temperature, rain, sunshine, score and verdict.

✅ 6 comfortable months (Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Sep · Oct)

Month	T° min	T° max	Rain %	mm/day	Sun	Score	Verdict
🌥️ January →	4°C	10°C	30%	3.4mm	2.2h	4.0/10	Decent period
🌥️ February →	5°C	10°C	25%	2.5mm	3.2h	4.1/10	Decent period
🌥️ March →	6°C	13°C	24%	2.3mm	4.6h	4.3/10	Decent period
⛅ April →	9°C	17°C	20%	1.7mm	6.0h	7.3/10	Best period
☀️ May →	13°C	21°C	21%	1.9mm	8.0h	7.9/10	Best period
☀️ June →	19°C	26°C	16%	1.3mm	9.9h	9.0/10	Best period
☀️ July →	21°C	29°C	10%	0.7mm	10.3h	9.3/10	Best period
⛅ August →	22°C	30°C	7%	0.5mm	9.3h	6.3/10	Decent period
☀️ September →	19°C	26°C	17%	1.5mm	7.8h	8.6/10	Best period
☀️ October →	14°C	20°C	17%	1.8mm	5.1h	7.6/10	Best period
🌥️ November →	11°C	16°C	24%	2.9mm	3.1h	4.4/10	Decent period
🌥️ December →	7°C	12°C	29%	3.1mm	2.0h	4.0/10	Decent period

🌥️ January

4.0/10

T°4°C / 10°C

Rain %30%

Sun2.2h

Decent period

🌥️ February

4.1/10

T°5°C / 10°C

Rain %25%

Sun3.2h

Decent period

🌥️ March

4.3/10

T°6°C / 13°C

Rain %24%

Sun4.6h

Decent period

⛅ April

7.3/10

T°9°C / 17°C

Rain %20%

Best period

Rain %21%

Best period

Rain %16%

Best period

Rain %10%

Best period

Decent period

Rain %17%

Best period

Rain %17%

Best period

Rain %24%

Decent period

T°7°C / 12°C

Rain %29%

Sun2.0h

Decent period

📊 Quick read

Optimal window

Apr → Jul

Good transition

Mar · Aug · Nov

Tough period

none

🌡️ Detailed conditions (July)

🌡️ Feel

Warm

☀️ UV

7.5 · Moderate-Strong

💧 Humidity feel

18°C · Humid

☔ Rain

10% · 0.7 mm/day

🌅 Sunshine

10.3h/day

Week by week

Istanbul week by week: your odds of avoiding rain

For each week of the year: in how many years out of 10 it was mostly dry (at most 2 rainy days), 2016 to 2025.

Safest week: Jul 30 to Aug 5, mostly dry in 10 years out of 10 (0.3 rainy day(s) on average).

Most exposed: Nov 26 to Dec 2, mostly dry in 4 years out of 10 (2.7 rainy days on average).

Number = years out of 10 with at most 2 rainy days in the week. Source: ERA5 reanalysis (ECMWF) via Open-Meteo, daily data 2016-2025. Rainy day = at least 1 mm, as everywhere on the site.
Jan	Jan 16/1010°C	Jan 87/1010°C	Jan 155/109°C	Jan 227/108°C	Jan 2910/1011°C
Feb	Feb 54/1010°C	Feb 126/109°C	Feb 198/1010°C	Feb 268/1012°C
Mar	Mar 57/1013°C	Mar 126/1012°C	Mar 197/1012°C	Mar 269/1014°C
Apr	Apr 25/1015°C	Apr 97/1016°C	Apr 168/1017°C	Apr 2310/1018°C	Apr 307/1019°C
May	May 77/1019°C	May 1410/1022°C	May 217/1022°C	May 288/1024°C
Jun	Jun 410/1025°C	Jun 119/1026°C	Jun 187/1027°C	Jun 258/1028°C
Jul	Jul 29/1029°C	Jul 99/1029°C	Jul 169/1029°C	Jul 239/1030°C	Jul 3010/1030°C
Aug	Aug 610/1030°C	Aug 139/1029°C	Aug 209/1029°C	Aug 278/1029°C
Sep	Sep 310/1027°C	Sep 109/1027°C	Sep 178/1025°C	Sep 247/1023°C
Oct	Oct 19/1022°C	Oct 89/1021°C	Oct 1510/1019°C	Oct 228/1019°C	Oct 297/1018°C
Nov	Nov 59/1018°C	Nov 128/1016°C	Nov 198/1015°C	Nov 264/1014°C
Dec	Dec 37/1013°C	Dec 104/1013°C	Dec 177/1010°C	Dec 245/1011°C

A specific date? The app computes the same figure day by day.

10-year trend

Annual temperatures — Istanbul

Min/max temperature curves observed over the past 10 years (ERA5). Shows climate stability and trend.

Tailor

For your trip

A few angles depending on what kind of trip you are planning.

🏖️ Beaches: Jun-Sept🌊 Swell: Sept-Mar🚤 Water activities

Book

Plan your trip

Hotels at their lowest outside peak season, highest on comfortable months. Shoulder seasons offer a good price/climate compromise.

🏨

Stay

Hotels & rentals · Istanbul

Expedia →

🎟️

Activities

Tours, tickets, experiences

See ↓

✈️

Flights

Multi-airline comparator

Kiwi →

🎟️ Activities & tours · Istanbul

GetYourGuide selection · free cancellation

See all →

Affiliate link · GetYourGuide

Practical info

What you need to know before you go

Three angles: the country (language, currency, safety, budget), the year-round climate, and the specifics of a beach holiday.

Country · Turkey

🗣️LanguageTurkish

💶CurrencyLivre turque (₺)

🚗DrivingRight-hand

🛡️Safety ⓘVery safe · 1/5

💰Cost of living ⓘCheap · 2/5

🌡️ Climate

🌍Climate typeTemperate oceanic

📈Climate trend ⓘStable

🔥Hottest monthAugust · 30°C

❄️Coolest monthJanuary · 10°C

🌧️Rainiest month ⓘJanuary · 30%

🏖️ Beach holiday

📅Peak seasonJuin → Sept

🏖️Swell (Sept–Mar) ⓘModérée

Explore

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Guides & rankings

World ranking 2026See →

Best summer destinationsSee →

Winter sunSee →

Where to go in JulySee →

🗺️ Climate map of 754 destinations

Location

Where is Istanbul ?

Global position + regional geographic context.

🌍 World

🔍 Geographic context

Temperate oceanic climate with a 9.3 → 4.0 gap between best and worst month. 10 years of ERA5 data to choose by project.

41.01°N · 28.95°E

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to visit Istanbul?

July is the best month with 29.0°C highs, 21.0°C lows, 10.3h of sunshine and 10.0% rainy days. The months of July & June offer comparable conditions.

How many hours of sunshine does Istanbul get in July?

Istanbul averages 10.3 sunshine hours per day in July. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 9.0/10.

What is the rainiest month in Istanbul?

January is the most unfavourable month with January has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

What are the temperatures at night in Istanbul in July?

In July, overnight lows reach 21.0°C, while afternoon highs average 29.0°C.

Is Istanbul good in winter?

In winter (December-February), Istanbul scores 4.0/10 on average — Difficult period — prefer the peak season.. The best month overall remains July with a score of 9.0/10.

When should you avoid Istanbul?

January is the most difficult month to visit Istanbul, with January has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.