WanderWhen

Istanbul weather in December

December is a challenging month to visit Istanbul — consider May–October instead. Expect highs around 12°C, lows near 7°C, and about 12.5 days with rain.

4.5 · Poortravel score for December
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Avg high
12°C
Avg low
7°C
Rainfall
91 mm
Rain days
12.5
Sunshine
5.5 h/day
Daylight
9.1 h

What to pack for Istanbul in December

  • a warm coat, hat and gloves
  • a compact umbrella or rain shell — rain is frequent

Humidity averages 79%; max daily wind around 23 km/h.

How December compares

January: 2.9/10 JFebruary: 4.7/10 FMarch: 5.5/10 MApril: 8.7/10 AMay: 9.6/10 MJune: 9.9/10 JJuly: 9.1/10 JAugust: 9.1/10 ASeptember: 9.9/10 SOctober: 9.8/10 ONovember: 8.1/10 NDecember: 4.5/10 D

Best months in Istanbul: May–October. See the full best time to visit Istanbul guide.

Istanbul in December: the details

In December, Istanbul sees average daytime highs of 12°C (53°F) and overnight lows of 7°C (44°F). Rainfall totals roughly 91 mm across 12.5 rainy days, and the sun shines about 5.5 hours per day with 9.1 hours of daylight mid-month. Relative humidity averages 79%.

These figures are climate normals computed from the ERA5 weather reanalysis (2019–2024) for Istanbul, Turkey (41.01, 28.95) — see our methodology. Actual conditions vary year to year.

Where should you go next month?

Get one email a month with the destinations at their seasonal best. Double opt-in, unsubscribe anytime.