When to go · Istanbul
Istanbul in March
Good month. Cool; tulip season starts.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Temperature
- 12°C (54°F)54°F (12°C) / 5°C (41°F)41°F (5°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 12
- Crowds
- Medium
- Türkiye (Turkey) overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Türkiye (Turkey) overall
Verdict
Cool; tulip season starts.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than March?
March is rated good. These months rate higher:
Weather in March
- IstanbulHighs around 12 °C (54 °F), lows around 5 °C (41 °F), rain on about 12 daysHighs around 54 °F (12 °C), lows around 41 °F (5 °C), rain on about 12 days
- Istanbul and Marmara, Türkiye (Turkey) · Istanbul, Bursa, Edirnecool
Wet, windy winters with occasional snow; humid 30 °C (86 °F) summers; May and September–October are the easy windows.Wet, windy winters with occasional snow; humid 86 °F (30 °C) summers; May and September–October are the easy windows.
Winter season
Few crowds and cheaper beds.
Watch: Cold, wet, short days; occasional snow.
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.
Ramadan, then Ramazan Bayramı (Eid al-Fitr) check
Islamic calendar, moves yearly · Citywide
Restaurants adapt; the three-day holiday closes shops and clogs transport.
Ramazan Bayramı (Şeker Bayramı) big impact
9–11 Mar 2027 (lunar, moves yearly — check) · Türkiye (Turkey)
Three-and-a-half-day holiday, often extended; buses and flights sell out, Grand Bazaar closed.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Türkiye (Turkey) overall
- Medium
- Prices · Türkiye (Turkey) overall
- Medium
Türkiye (Turkey) overall: Warming but changeable; Ramazan Bayramı 9–11 Mar 2027 fills transport — check dates.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Istanbul, side by side.
Verdict
Mar: Good
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Mar: 12 °C (54 °F)54 °F (12 °C)
May: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Night low
Mar: 5 °C (41 °F)41 °F (5 °C)
May: 13 °C (55 °F)55 °F (13 °C)
Rain days
Mar: 12
May: 7 (better)
Crowds
Mar: Medium
May: High
Prices
Mar: Medium
May: Medium
Festivals listed
Mar: 2
May: 1
March: Cool; tulip season starts.
May: Warm; long days; crowds building.
Istanbul: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket