When to go · Türkiye (Turkey)
Türkiye (Turkey) in January
Mixed month. Cold and wet in Istanbul, snow in Cappadocia; low prices, short days, coast mostly shut.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Crowds
- Low
- Türkiye (Turkey)
- Prices
- Low
- Türkiye (Turkey)
Verdict
Cold and wet in Istanbul, snow in Cappadocia; low prices, short days, coast mostly shut.
Weather in January
- Istanbul and Marmara · Istanbul, Bursa, Edirnecool
Wet, windy winters with occasional snow; humid 30 °C summers; May and September–October are the easy windows.
- Aegean coast · İzmir, Selçuk (Ephesus), Bodrum, Çeşmerainy
Sea is swimmable June–October; inland ruins reach 38 °C in July–August — visit at opening.
- Mediterranean coast · Antalya, Kaş, Fethiye, Alanyarainy
Longest beach season (May–October); winter storms bring heavy rain; the Lycian Way is best in spring and autumn.
- Central Anatolia · Cappadocia, Ankara, Konyacool
High, dry plateau: snow and −10 °C nights in winter, hot days but cool nights in summer; balloons fly all year when wind allows.
- Black Sea · Trabzon, Rize, the Kaçkarcool
Rain in every month; summer is the only reliable time for the high plateaus (yayla).
- East and south-east · Kars, Van, Mardin, Şanlıurfacool
Kars and Van have hard winters; Şanlıurfa and Mardin pass 40 °C in summer.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
New Year's Day
1 Jan
Public holiday; Taksim and İstiklal crowded on the 31st.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Türkiye (Turkey)
- Low
- Prices · Türkiye (Turkey)
- Low
What to pack
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast