Istanbul in January
Highs around 9°C, lows 3°C, 105mm of rain; rooms at the year's low. One of the three wettest months.
Cheap, but wet: keep plans flexible and pack for rain.
Best time to visit / Istanbul
When is it cheapest to visit Istanbul?
See how room prices move month by month, and know the cheapest window and the peak season to avoid before you book.
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Cheapest Jan, Feb, Nov, DecPeak May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Read from this city's own twelve months. The table below adds the temperature and rainfall for each one.
Istanbul is cheapest to visit in January, February, November, December.
Peak season is May, June, July, August, September, when rooms cost the most.
The month to pick is November. Rooms sit at this city's yearly low, and at an average high of 15°C and low of 9°C with 104mm of rain it asks the least of you of any of its cheap months.
The wettest month in Istanbul is December, at 126mm, and it is also one of the cheapest. That is usually the reason the rooms are cheap.
Istanbul month by month: weather and room prices
One row per month. The price column is relative to this city's own year, and the temperature and rainfall are thirty-year normals.
| Month | Rooms | Temp | Rain | What is on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Cheap | 9°C / 3°C | 105mm | Quiet shoulder |
| February | Cheap | 9°C / 3°C | 79mm | Nothing in particular |
| March | Mid | 12°C / 5°C | 70mm | Eid holiday |
| April | Mid | 17°C / 8°C | 45mm | Local festival |
| May | Peak | 21°C / 13°C | 35mm | Nothing in particular |
| June | Peak | 26°C / 17°C | 35mm | Eid holiday, Summer holidays |
| July | Peak | 29°C / 20°C | 34mm | Summer holidays, Hottest month |
| August | Peak | 29°C / 20°C | 42mm | Summer holidays, Hottest month |
| September | Peak | 25°C / 17°C | 60mm | Summer holidays |
| Octobernow | Mid | 20°C / 13°C | 88mm | Nothing in particular |
| November | Cheap | 15°C / 9°C | 104mm | Quiet shoulder |
| December | Cheap | 11°C / 5°C | 126mm | Quiet shoulder |
Temperature and rainfall are published 1991-2020 monthly normals from national meteorological agencies. The price level is Tripdify's own per-city read of peak seasons and holidays; what you actually pay varies by property and day of the week.
Istanbul month by month
Istanbul in February
Highs around 9°C, lows 3°C, 79mm of rain; rooms at the year's low.
Cheap, but wet: keep plans flexible and pack for rain.
Istanbul in March
Highs around 12°C, lows 5°C, 70mm of rain; rooms mid-priced. On this month: Eid holiday.
Istanbul in April
Highs around 17°C, lows 8°C, 45mm of rain; rooms mid-priced. On this month: Local festival.
Istanbul in May
Highs around 21°C, lows 13°C, 35mm of rain; rooms at the year's high. One of the three driest months.
Peak prices: book early if your dates are fixed.
Istanbul in June
Highs around 26°C, lows 17°C, 35mm of rain; rooms at the year's high. One of the three driest months. On this month: Eid holiday, Summer holidays.
Peak prices: book early if your dates are fixed.
Istanbul in July
Highs around 29°C, lows 20°C, 34mm of rain; rooms at the year's high. One of the three driest months. On this month: Summer holidays, Hottest month.
Peak prices: book early if your dates are fixed.
Istanbul in August
Highs around 29°C, lows 20°C, 42mm of rain; rooms at the year's high. On this month: Summer holidays, Hottest month.
Peak prices: book early if your dates are fixed.
Istanbul in September
Highs around 25°C, lows 17°C, 60mm of rain; rooms at the year's high. On this month: Summer holidays.
Peak prices: book early if your dates are fixed.
Istanbul in October
Highs around 20°C, lows 13°C, 88mm of rain; rooms mid-priced.
Istanbul in November
Highs around 15°C, lows 9°C, 104mm of rain; rooms at the year's low. One of the three wettest months.
Cheap, but wet: keep plans flexible and pack for rain.
Istanbul in December
Highs around 11°C, lows 5°C, 126mm of rain; rooms at the year's low. One of the three wettest months.
Cheap, but wet: keep plans flexible and pack for rain.
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.
Take Istanbul further into a stay plan
Once you have picked a cheap time to go, work out which base gives you the shortest travel.
When to visit Istanbul: common questions
When is it cheapest?
Istanbul is cheapest in the low season, January, February, November, December.
When is peak season?
May, June, July, August, September is peak season, when room prices are highest.
Which months should I avoid?
To spend the least, avoid the peak months of May, June, July, August, September, when prices climb.
Which month in Istanbul is both cheap and pleasant?
The month to pick is November. Rooms sit at this city's yearly low, and at an average high of 15°C and low of 9°C with 104mm of rain it asks the least of you of any of its cheap months.
Which month is wettest in Istanbul?
The wettest month in Istanbul is December, at 126mm, and it is also one of the cheapest. That is usually the reason the rooms are cheap.