Istanbul Holidays 2027: Public Holidays, Eid Dates and Best Weeks

Türkiye has eight national public holidays in 2027 plus two religious festivals, Eid al-Fitr on 9 to 11 March and Eid al-Adha on 16 to 19 May, and these dates shape prices, crowds and opening hours in Istanbul more than anything else on the calendar. For a city break, the holidays matter in two ways. Some create long weekends when Turkish families travel and hotels fill up. Others close a museum or a bazaar for a morning. This planner sets out every holiday in 2027 with its weekday, the school breaks, the big events and the weather month by month, so you can pick the right week and know what to expect when you land. If you already know your dates, our 4-day Istanbul tour package with hotel and a Bosphorus cruise starts from $699 per person.

Public holidays in Türkiye in 2027

The national holidays are fixed by law, and the religious holidays follow the Diyanet calendar. The eve of each Eid, and 28 October, are half-day holidays from 13:00.

Christmas Day is not a public holiday in Türkiye. On 25 December 2027, a Saturday, sights and shops keep their normal hours. New Year's Eve 2027 is a Friday, and 1 January 2028 a Saturday.

Ramadan and the two Eids

Ramadan 2027 runs from Monday 8 February to Monday 8 March. For a visitor, very little closes. Museums, restaurants and transport work as usual, the great mosques pause sightseeing at prayer times, and the evenings are lively. Our full guide to Istanbul during Ramadan covers iftar times, mosque visits and etiquette.

The two Eids are the holidays that need planning:

• Eid al-Fitr, 9 to 11 March 2027. It overlaps with the Turkish schools' spring mid-term break from 8 to 12 March, so the whole week from Saturday 6 to Sunday 14 March is a peak travel period inside Türkiye.
• Eid al-Adha, 16 to 19 May 2027. It begins on a Sunday after a Saturday eve. Taking 20 and 21 May off turns it into a nine-day break from 15 to 23 May. Whether the government adds official bridge days had not been decided at the time of writing.

On the first day of each Eid, museums run by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism stay closed until about 13:00, and in 2026 the national palaces, including Topkapı and Dolmabahçe, were closed for the whole first day of Eid al-Fitr. In 2026, municipal public transport in Istanbul was free over Eid al-Fitr. Many Istanbul residents leave the city during both festivals, so the streets of some districts are quieter than usual, while the main sights stay busy with domestic and Gulf visitors.

School holidays and the busiest weeks

Turkish school holidays bring domestic travellers into Istanbul and push up hotel rates in the old city. The 2026-2027 calendar of the Ministry of National Education (MEB) sets these breaks:

• Mid-year break: Monday 25 January to Friday 5 February 2027.
• Spring mid-term: Monday 8 to Friday 12 March 2027, together with Eid al-Fitr.
• Summer holiday: from Friday 25 June 2027.

Add the European school holidays, especially Easter, which falls on 28 March 2027 in the Western calendar, and the summer months from mid-June to the end of August, and you have the busiest periods at Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and the Basilica Cistern. The calmest months for the big sights are usually November, early December, January before the school break, and February.

Events worth planning a trip around

• Istanbul Film Festival, 8 to 18 April 2027. İKSV's 46th edition. Screenings across Beyoğlu and other districts.
• Tulip season, April. The city plants millions of tulips in its parks, and Emirgan Park on the Bosphorus is the centre of the display. In 2026 the festival ran through April. The peak bloom usually comes in the middle of the month.
• İKSV summer festivals, June and July. In 2026 the Istanbul Music Festival ran from 11 to 25 June and the Istanbul Jazz Festival from 30 June to 13 July. The 2027 dates are announced in the spring.
• Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix, 1 to 3 October 2027. Formula 1 returns to Istanbul Park, on the Asian side of the city, for the first time since 2021. Expect hotel demand to rise that weekend.
• Istanbul Marathon, early November. The only major marathon that crosses from Asia to Europe, over the 15 July Martyrs Bridge. The 2026 race was held on 1 November. Bridges and shore roads close on race morning.
• Şeb-i Arus in Konya, 7 to 17 December. The commemoration of Mevlana Rumi, with nightly Sema ceremonies at the Mevlana Museum area. A long day trip or a short flight from Istanbul.
• New Year's Eve. The biggest night of the winter, on the Bosphorus and in Taksim. See our guide to New Year parties in Istanbul.

Istanbul month by month in 2027

The temperatures and rainy days are long-term averages for the Istanbul station from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM), 1950-2025.

For a closer look at the autumn months, see our guides to Istanbul in September, Istanbul in October and Istanbul in November. Our guide to the best time to visit Istanbul compares the seasons in more depth.

Long weekends and city-break ideas for 2027

If you can travel on any dates, the long weekends are the best time for a short break only if you book early. If you want quiet streets and lower rates, travel just before or just after them.

• 1 to 3 January: New Year's Day on a Friday. Book by early December.
• 23 to 25 April: Children's Day weekend, with the tulips and the Film Festival. A good spring break.
• 15 to 19 May: Eid al-Adha. Fine weather, busy sights, many residents away.
• 15 to 18 July: a Thursday holiday that becomes four days if you take the Friday off. Hot, with the summer festivals.
• 28 to 30 August: Victory Day weekend at the end of the summer.
• 29 to 31 October: Republic Day weekend, with flags along the Bosphorus and mild weather. Our Istanbul in October guide covers that month.

How many days to plan, and what to book first

Three full days cover the old city and the Bosphorus. Four or five let you add the Asian side, the Princes' Islands or a day trip, and seven give you time for Cappadocia or Bursa. Our day-by-day guides show how to use each length: the 3-day, 5-day and 7-day itineraries.

What to book first:

1. Flights and the hotel, especially for the New Year week, Easter, the Eid weeks and the Formula 1 weekend.
2. Guided days around the weekly closures: Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays, Dolmabahçe Palace on Mondays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays.
3. Evening plans such as a dinner cruise or a Sema ceremony, which fill up on holiday weekends.

In winter, add a day trip to Bursa and Uludağ for snow. In spring and summer, the Princes' Islands are the classic escape from the city. If you would rather book an Istanbul city tour directly with our sister team in the city, see private Istanbul tours on Get Istanbul Tours. All our tours in the city are listed under Istanbul tours.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Tour Package: 4 Days / 3 Nights with Hotel and Bosphorus Cruise, from $699 per person. A ready-made long weekend.
• Istanbul Old City Private Tour: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi and Grand Bazaar, from $200 per person. Planned around the weekly closures.
• Princes' Islands Day Tour from Istanbul: Ferry, Buyukada and Lunch, from $90 per person. Best from spring to autumn.
• Bursa and Uludag Tour from Istanbul: Ferry, Cable Car and Lunch, from $90 per person. The winter day out.

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