The best time to visit Turkey is quiet important to know as it is one of the most touristic countries in the Middle East. Cities like Istanbul and Antalya are world famous for their natural attractions, exceptional historical places and modern shopping centers. The historical city of Bursa, which was once the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and the coastal city of Bodrum, with wonderful resorts and an endless sea full of boats, are other tourist cities in Turkey that attract many tourists.
Turkey is a vast country with diverse weather conditions. The variety of weather in Turkey is such that at any time of the year you can choose one of the tourist cities with good weather for your trip. However, in some seasons you will experience better weather, more tourist facilities and cheaper shopping. As a result, it is better to know everything about the weather, official holidays and festivals of this country to choose the best time to visit Turkey.
Weather and climate
Turkey is surrounded by open seas and high mountains, and this has created a Mediterranean climate for the country. The prevailing climate in the interior areas is relatively dry and continental, the northern oceanic areas and the southern areas have a moderate Mediterranean climate.
In spring (April and May) and autumn (mid-September to mid-November) there is good weather for tourism in most regions of Turkey. Also, the coastal areas of Turkey are suitable for swimming and water sports in summer. Turkish winters are usually cold, and in cities like Istanbul, snowfall and sub-zero temperatures are not out of mind. Winter is not the best time to visit Turkey, but if you choose winter for your trip, the southern parts of the country have milder weather.
With 300 days of sunny weather per year, hot and humid summers and mild winters, the city of Antalya is suitable for water sports such as surfing, water skiing and sailing for most of the year and attracts many tourists. The city of Izmir, which is another famous city in Turkey, has relatively hot weather in summer, but welcomes tourists with pleasant weather in spring.
Events and festivals
Since there are many different festivals in Turkey; this country seems to be a happy country. Some festivals are allocated in one part of the country and some are celebrated in the whole country. These festivals are the best opportunity for the tourists to have a memorable trip and meet the Turkish culture.
Balloon festival in Cappadocia
Cappadocia is one of the most spectacular cities in the center of Anatolia, Turkey, which has many visitors due to its dreamy scenery and its stone and historical face. The famous recreation of Cappadocia is riding a balloon over the city and seeing the stone houses from above. For this reason, one of the most famous festivals in Turkey is the balloon festival held in Cappadocia. This festival starts from the beginning of May and continues until the middle of September. Hot air ballooning is a completely safe recreation and its cost in Cappadocia varies between 60 and 250 euros depending on the travel time and whether the flight is private or public.
Rumi festival in Konya
Rumi is one of the famous Iranian poets who is buried in Konya city in Turkey. One of the most special festivals in Turkey is the Rumi Festival held in this city. This festival starts every year on December 8th and continues until December 17th, which is the anniversary of Rumi’s death in Konya. Rumi Festival, with 750 years of history, is considered one of the biggest spiritual and mystical festivals in the world.
In this ceremony, people first make an ascetic turn and then they begin to turn in a circle in a coordinated and collective manner and throw their black robes on the ground. In Sama dance, every movement and every dress is a symbol. All people from different religions can participate in this ceremony, but women and men are separated and women must wear a scarf over their hair.
Istanbul Tulip Festival
When it comes to the tulip festival, most of us think of Holland. But when spring comes in the city of Istanbul, millions of tulips appear in the parks and green spaces of the city and give new excitement to the city. The Istanbul Tulip Festival is not only for tulips, but other flowers such as violets, blue marigolds and hundreds of other plant species are cultivated in different shapes and colors. This display of flowers in the beautiful spring season is truly breathtaking. So, if you go to Istanbul in the middle of April to the beginning of May, don’t forget to visit the main parks of the city and take pictures of beautiful flowers.
Best time for a cheap trip
In general, summer is a very popular season for travel to Turkey. Traveling to cities like Istanbul in the summer is usually more expensive and also the city is full of tourists at this time. It can be said that June, July and August are the high seasons for traveling to Turkey.
From November to March prices are greatly reduced. Maybe this season is not the best time for tourism in Turkey, but if you want to stay in ski resorts and enjoy skiing, it will be the best time to visit Turkey.
Best time to visit Istanbul
In the spring season and with the freshening of nature, the city of Istanbul also finds many beauties. Many tourists prefer the spring season to travel to Istanbul because of the excellent weather and spring festivals. It can be said that April and May are ideal for traveling to Istanbul.
One of the wonderful sights of Istanbul is the Bosphorus Strait. This strait is the place that connects the European and Asian parts of Istanbul. May, June and July are the best times to visit the Bosphorus. At this time, if the weather is suitable, tourists will have the chance to meet three different species of dolphins in this strait.
However, if you cannot go to Istanbul in spring, you can choose autumn for your trip. The weather in Istanbul will be pleasant and suitable in autumn. The city of Istanbul has spectacular and attractive sights in the autumn season.
There are many shopping centers in Istanbul, so you may want to know the best time to visit Turkey for shopping. For professional shoppers it is better to choose a time when they can do their shopping more easily and economically. In the city of Istanbul, there is no exact time for the start of auctions, and different brands consider different times for their auctions. But in general, summer auctions reach their peak at the beginning of summer, from early June to the first week of July and winter auctions will be much more from mid-December to early January.
Important points in planning a trip to Turkey
- In general, the months of April, May, September and October are the best time to travel to Turkey. The air temperature in these months does not exceed 25 degrees Celsius and there are very excellent opportunities for tourism.
- In the summer season (mid-June to mid-September), the weather in most parts of Turkey is warm and without rain. At this time, beach activities and resorts reach their peak.
- If you want to participate in the celebrations and festivals of Turkey, before you buy a plane ticket or make a hotel reservation, be sure to check the exact date of the festival you want.
- Before traveling to Turkey, it is better to be aware of the official holidays in this country so that you can visit the attractions of this country with no problem.
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