Skip to content
Voykit

When to go · Istanbul

Istanbul in March

Good month. Cool; tulip season starts.

Key facts

Verdict
Good
Temperature
12°C (54°F) / 5°C (41°F)
average high / low
Rain days
12
Crowds
Medium
Türkiye (Turkey) overall
Prices
Medium
Türkiye (Turkey) overall

Verdict

GoodVoykit month rating for Istanbul

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

Long-term averages
  • IstanbulHighs around 12 °C (54 °F), lows around 5 °C (41 °F), 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.

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)

    May: 22 °C (72 °F)

  • Night low

    Mar: 5 °C (41 °F)

    May: 13 °C (55 °F)

  • 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

Build the full packing list for your trip →

Across Türkiye (Turkey) in March →