Eid al-Adha 2027 in Turkey: Dates, Visas and Holiday Package Plans

Eid al-Adha, called Kurban Bayramı in Turkish, falls on Sunday 16 to Wednesday 19 May 2027 in Turkey, with the eve (arefe) on Saturday 15 May. Most Eid holiday packages to Turkey for those dates run five to seven nights, arriving on the eve or the first day and leaving on 20 or 21 May. Citizens of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman can all enter without a visa, and mid-May weather in Istanbul is mild, with average highs of about 22°C. This page covers the dates, the entry rules, what the city is like during the holiday, where to pray on Eid morning and a day-by-day plan for families. For a ready-made programme, our Islamic Istanbul tour package for 4 days starts from $768 per person.

Eid al-Adha 2027 dates in Turkey

Turkey follows the calendar of the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), which is calculated in advance, so the dates below are fixed and will not move with a moon sighting.

Because the eve falls on a Saturday, the Turkish holiday merges with the weekend into a long break from Saturday to Wednesday. Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states announce their own Eid dates, which can differ from Turkey's by a day, so check your home country's announcement when you book your return flight.

Visa rules for Gulf passport holders

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists the following rules for ordinary passports. None of these nationalities needs an e-visa for a tourist trip.

Your passport must be valid for at least 60 days beyond the end of your stay. Bahraini official passport holders follow a different rule, and family members who hold other nationalities, such as household staff, may need a visa: check our overview of Turkey visa requirements before you book.

Flights from the Gulf over Eid

Istanbul has two airports, and both are well connected to the Gulf.

• Istanbul Airport (IST), on the European side, is served by Turkish Airlines from Jeddah, Riyadh, Medina, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait and Muscat, and by Saudia, flyadeal, flynas, Emirates, flydubai, Qatar Airways, Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways on their own routes.
• Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), on the Asian side, is the base of Pegasus and AJet, which fly to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Dubai, Sharjah, Kuwait and Bahrain, alongside flynas, Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways and SalamAir.

Eid week is one of the busiest travel periods of the year in both directions, and seats on the Gulf routes go early. If your hotel is in Sultanahmet, Taksim or on the European Bosphorus, IST is usually the easier arrival. If you are staying on the Asian side or heading to Sapanca, SAW saves a Bosphorus crossing. Our page on Istanbul airport private transfers explains how a driver meets you in arrivals.

What Istanbul is like during Kurban Bayramı

For a visitor, Eid week in Istanbul is a good time to be in the city. Many residents leave for their home towns or the coast, so traffic inside the city is lighter than usual from the first day onwards. The roads out of Istanbul are at their worst on the eve and on the last day, when everyone travels at once.

What to expect:

• Mosques are full on the first morning. The visitor routes at the large mosques close during the Eid prayer and the regular daily prayers.
• Museums and palaces stay open over the holiday, but opening times on the first day can differ. Check the Ministry of Culture site (muze.gov.tr) and the National Palaces site the week before.
• Shopping is the exception. The Grand Bazaar and many traditional shops close for at least part of the holiday. Shopping malls, the Spice Bazaar area and most restaurants stay open. If shopping is a priority, plan it before 15 May or after the holiday.
• Hotels and tours fill up. Turkish families travel too, so Bosphorus cruises, day trips to Sapanca and Bursa, and hotels with a view book out earlier than in a normal week.

Weather is one of the strongest reasons to choose Turkey for Eid in 2027. According to the Turkish State Meteorological Service, May in Istanbul averages highs of 22.3°C and lows of 13.6°C, with rain on about seven or eight days of the month. Bring a light jacket for the evenings on the water.

Eid prayer and sacrifice in Istanbul

The Eid prayer takes place shortly after sunrise, which in mid-May in Istanbul is before 6 a.m., so the prayer itself is early. Diyanet publishes the exact time for each city a few days before. Arrive at least 30 to 45 minutes early at the large mosques, where the courtyards fill and people pray in the surrounding streets.

Mosques that families often choose for Eid morning:

• Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and the Blue Mosque, facing each other in Sultanahmet. Both are very crowded on Eid morning.
• Süleymaniye Mosque, Mimar Sinan's masterpiece above the Golden Horn.
• Eyüp Sultan Mosque, the most visited place of pilgrimage in Istanbul, beside the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari.
• Çamlıca Mosque, the largest mosque in Turkey, on the hill above Üsküdar on the Asian side, with large car parks that make it easier for families.

On sacrifice: in Turkey animals may only be slaughtered at places authorised for the holiday, not in streets or gardens. Visitors who want to fulfil the qurbani usually give it by proxy (vekalet) through an established charity, such as the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation, or through an organisation in their home country, rather than arranging it themselves during a short stay.

For a guided day focused on the city's Islamic heritage, see our Istanbul mosques tour page. Guides who speak Arabic are available on request, as described on our Arabic-speaking guide in Istanbul page.

A 6-day Eid holiday plan for families

This plan arrives on the eve and leaves the day after Eid. It works around Topkapı Palace's Tuesday closure and Dolmabahçe Palace's Monday closure, both of which fall inside the holiday in 2027.

1. Saturday 15 May, arrival. Transfer to the hotel, an easy evening on the waterfront. If you arrive early, the Spice Bazaar area is lively before the holiday.
2. Sunday 16 May, first day of Eid. Eid prayer, breakfast with the family, a rest. In the late afternoon, a Bosphorus cruise past the palaces and mansions; our Bosphorus lunch cruise page covers a midday sailing instead.
3. Monday 17 May, the Old City. Hagia Sophia (foreign visitors pay €25 for the upper-gallery route; worshippers enter the prayer hall at prayer times), the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and Topkapı Palace, where the Holy Relics rooms hold the mantle and sword attributed to the Prophet. The Topkapı ticket with the Harem costs 2,750 TL.
4. Tuesday 18 May, a day out of the city. Lake Sapanca and the Maşukiye valley, or Bursa and the Uludağ cable car. Both are popular with Gulf families and are covered below.
5. Wednesday 19 May, the Asian shore. Beylerbeyi Palace, Çamlıca Hill and the Üsküdar waterfront, or Dolmabahçe Palace (2,000 TL) on the European side. Expect flags and ceremonies, because 19 May is also a national day.
6. Thursday 20 May, departure. The holiday is over, the Grand Bazaar is open again, and a morning of shopping fits before an afternoon flight.

Families with small children usually prefer a private car between sights, which our page on Istanbul tour packages for families explains in more detail.

Beyond Istanbul: Sapanca, Bursa and Cappadocia

A longer Eid holiday can add green countryside or a second region.

Sapanca and Maşukiye. Lake Sapanca is roughly 130 km east of central Istanbul, about an hour and a half by car in clear traffic and longer on holiday weekends, with lakeside villas, cafés and the river restaurants of Maşukiye. It is one of the best-known escapes for Gulf visitors. Our Sapanca and Maşukiye trip page in Arabic describes the day.

Bursa and Uludağ. The first Ottoman capital, with the Green Mosque and Green Tomb, the old silk market, and a cable car up the mountain of Uludağ. In mid-May the upper slopes are cool and green rather than snowy.

Cappadocia. A short domestic flight from either Istanbul airport. Two nights in a cave hotel and an early-morning balloon flight, weather permitting, turn an Eid week into a two-region holiday. See our Cappadocia destination guide.

Practical tips for booking an Eid package

• Book flights and hotels first. Eid is a peak week for both Gulf and Turkish travellers. The tours themselves are easier to add later than the flights.
• Choose the hotel area for the family. Sultanahmet puts you next to the mosques; the Bosphorus shore and Taksim are better for evenings out. Our guide on where to stay in Istanbul compares the districts.
• Halal food is the norm. Almost all meat served in Turkey is halal, and many restaurants do not serve alcohol. Hotels and restaurants with alcohol on the menu are common in Taksim and on the Bosphorus; ask if it matters to you.
• Dress and mosque etiquette. Women cover their hair in mosques and everyone covers shoulders and knees. Shoes come off at the door.
• Payment. Cards are accepted in hotels, malls and most restaurants. Carry some Turkish lira for taxis, small cafés and tips.

For a broader view of trips for families from the region, see our pages on Istanbul tours for Gulf travellers and Turkey tour packages from Saudi Arabia.

Tours that cover this

• Islamic Istanbul Tour Package: 4 Days, Private Guided Heritage Tours: from $768 per person, built around the city's mosques and Ottoman heritage.
• Istanbul & Cappadocia Tour Package: 5 Days with Flights & Cave Hotel: from $1,150 per person, for a two-region Eid holiday.
• Sapanca Lake & Masukiye Day Tour from Istanbul, Lunch and Pickup: from $70 per person.
• Bursa & Uludag Tour from Istanbul: Ferry, Cable Car & Lunch: from $90 per person.

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