When is it cheapest to visit Istanbul?

Istanbul is cheapest to visit in January, February, and November.

Peak season is May, June, July, and August, when rooms cost the most.

Istanbul seasons and room prices

Istanbul is most expensive from April to May, when the tulips are out, and again from September to October. June through August is hot but still busy with European visitors, and Christmas and New Year's Eve add a spike. The two Islamic holidays, Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, send Turkish families travelling and lift hotel rates for about a week each, and since they move roughly eleven days earlier every year you should check the dates before booking. Ramadan itself changes little for tourist hotels. The cheapest stretch is mid November through February, when rain is frequent and the same room drops noticeably.

Istanbul local costs and payment

The currency is the Turkish lira, and because inflation has been high many hotels quote their rates in euros or dollars instead. Cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops, but cash is easier at Grand Bazaar stalls, corner shops and in taxis, so withdraw a modest amount of lira from a bank ATM and skip the airport exchange counters. ATMs add fees and will offer to bill in your home currency, which you should decline. Turkey introduced an accommodation tax in 2023 that is normally folded into the quoted rate, so there is rarely a separate per person city tax to pay at the desk as in Europe. Pay in whichever currency the hotel prices in.