Istanbul Weather

Located in Northern Turkey, not far from the border of Bulgaria, Istanbul's weather is more European than Asian. Though Istanbul is considered exotic, and part of the city lies technically within the borders of the Asian continent; Istanbul's weather is far from tropical.

The cool season in Istanbul begins in October. The city becomes rainy and cool and remains this way until the following spring. Though weather in Istanbul is mild overall, the summers can get very hot. A seaside city, winters in Istanbul nearly never go below freezing and fall and early spring temperatures hover at around 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Fall in Istanbul is characterized by rain and even on those days when there is no rain, the weather is most likely to be overcast and foggy.

If traveling in Istanbul in the summer time, be sure to be prepared with light clothing which is appropriate for a mostly Muslim city. Most mosques do not allow shorts or short skirts to be worn inside. If traveling in winter, prepare yourself with rain gear and warm clothing. If traveling throughout the country you will find the weather in the more southern coastal towns to be considerably more warm and dry.