Russian New Year Holidays 2027 in Istanbul: A Plan for 31 Dec-10 Jan

Russia's New Year holidays for 2027 run for 11 days, from Thursday 31 December 2026 to Sunday 10 January 2027, which is enough for a full week in Istanbul with New Year's Eve on the Bosphorus, Orthodox Christmas on 7 January and one or two snow days outside the city. Russian citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 60 days, and the flight from Moscow takes about four hours. Our 8-day private Istanbul tour package starts from $1,499 per person and fits the holiday well. This page shows how the days fall, what to sort out before you fly, how to pay when Russian bank cards do not work, and a day-by-day plan for 31 December to 10 January.

How the 2027 holiday falls

The Russian government fixed the 2027 calendar in decree No. 1187 of 17 September 2026. The break starts on 31 December, and the first working day is Monday 11 January. In Istanbul, these are the days that matter:

Two things follow. First, if you only arrive on 1 January, you miss New Year's Eve itself but get the calmer part of the holiday. Second, the weekly closures fall in the middle of the break, so plan Topkapı for any day except Tuesday 5 January and Dolmabahçe for any day except Monday 4 January.

Expect cool, wet weather. The Turkish State Meteorological Service's long-term January averages for Istanbul are 9.6°C by day and 4.2°C at night, with about 16 rainy days. The sun rises at about 08:30 and sets at about 17:50 in the first week of January.

Entry rules and documents

According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, holders of ordinary Russian passports can enter Turkey without a visa for tourist and business trips of up to 60 days. You travel on your international passport (zagranpasport), not the internal one.

• Passport validity: the ministry requires a passport valid for at least 60 days beyond the end of your stay, and recommends six months of validity from arrival.
• Children travel on their own international passports.
• Return ticket and hotel booking: have them on your phone, in case the border officer asks.

If you hold a second nationality, check the rules for that passport separately. Our Turkey visa requirements update lists the rules for other countries.

Flights from Russia and arrival

Several airlines connect Moscow and Istanbul, including Aeroflot, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and AJet, and the non-stop flight takes about four hours. Flights from Russia land either at Istanbul Airport (IST), on the European side north of the city, or at Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), on the Asian side. Check which one is on your ticket, because the drive into town is long from both.

Book holiday flights as soon as your dates are certain. Arriving on 30 December gives you a full sightseeing day before New Year's Eve.

For the drive in, a pre-booked car is simpler than a taxi at night. Our VIP Istanbul airport transfer costs from $60 per group, and our Istanbul airport transfer guide for Russian travellers explains both airports.

Money: cards, cash and exchange

This is the most important practical point for a Russian traveller. Russian-issued Visa and Mastercard cards do not work abroad, and Mir cards are not accepted in Turkey: the Turkish banks that once processed them stopped in 2022.

• Bring cash in US dollars or euros. Change it into Turkish lira at an exchange office (döviz bürosu). Rates are posted on boards outside, and the offices around the Grand Bazaar and in the city centre are used to tourists.
• Pay tours and transfers in advance where you can, or agree the currency with your operator before you arrive.
• Keep some lira in small notes for taxis, tips, museum lockers and street food.
• A card from a non-Russian bank, if you have one, works everywhere Visa or Mastercard is accepted.

If you only have cash, ask your guide to buy museum tickets for you in advance.

A day-by-day plan for 31 December to 10 January

This plan assumes arrival on 31 December and departure on 10 January. Shorten it from the end if you have fewer days.

1. Thursday 31 December: arrive and see in the New Year. Check in, rest, then midnight on the Bosphorus. Our New Year's Eve Bosphorus party cruise, with dinner and a show, starts from $224 per person.
2. Friday 1 January: a slow first day. A late breakfast, a walk along the Bosphorus in Ortaköy or Bebek, and an early night.
3. Saturday 2 January: the old city with a guide. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar, open today. Our Istanbul old city private tour starts from $200 per person.
4. Sunday 3 January: Topkapı Palace and the Golden Horn. The Grand Bazaar is closed, so spend the day at Topkapı Palace, then the Spice Bazaar and Balat.
5. Monday 4 January: a snow day at Uludağ. The Bursa and Uludağ tour avoids the Monday closure at Dolmabahçe.
6. Tuesday 5 January: the Asian side. A ferry to Kadıköy, the market streets and the seafront at Moda. Topkapı is closed today.
7. Wednesday 6 January: Fener and the Patriarchate. The Theophany service and the blessing of the waters at the Golden Horn, then Dolmabahçe Palace in the afternoon.
8. Thursday 7 January: Orthodox Christmas. A morning service, a long lunch, an evening hammam or a whirling dervish ceremony.
9. Friday 8 January: a second day trip, to Sapanca and Maşukiye, or a free day for shopping.
10. Saturday 9 January: a last day in the city, Galata and Karaköy, then a farewell dinner.
11. Sunday 10 January: fly home.

If you would rather have everything booked as one package, our 5-day Istanbul tour package starts from $1,285 per person, and the 8-day private package from $1,499 per person. Our sister site Get Istanbul Tours also focuses on the city itself.

Orthodox Christmas in Istanbul

Istanbul is one of the few cities where you can follow two Orthodox Christmas calendars in the same week. The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Fener follows the Revised Julian calendar, so it celebrates Christmas on 25 December and Theophany on 6 January, when a cross is thrown into the Golden Horn and swimmers dive for it. The Russian Orthodox Church keeps Christmas on 7 January, and services are held in Istanbul's small Russian community churches in Karaköy.

Our guide to Orthodox Christmas in Istanbul lists the churches, service times from past years and a plan for 5 to 8 January. The Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate is worth a visit on any day of the week.

Snow days and side trips

Snow in Istanbul itself is not reliable, but it is close by. The two easiest winter trips from the city are:

• Bursa and Uludağ. A gondola climbs from Bursa to around 1,810 m on Uludağ, where there is usually snow in January. The day also covers Bursa's Ottoman mosques and the silk bazaar of Koza Han. Our Bursa and Uludağ tour with cable car and lunch starts from $90 per person.
• Sapanca and Maşukiye. A lake, forest and a cable car in the hills east of Istanbul. Our Sapanca and Maşukiye day trip starts from $70 per person.

With three spare days, fly to Cappadocia. The flight is a little over an hour, and the Cappadocia 2-day flight package from Istanbul starts from $599 per person. Winter balloon flights are often cancelled because of weather, so allow more than one morning. Our page on Cappadocia from Istanbul for Russian travellers has the details, and our winter excursions from Istanbul guide compares all the snow options.

A guide in Russian and getting around

A licensed guide who speaks Russian can be arranged on request, subject to availability. Ask early for the New Year week. Our pages on a Russian-speaking guide in Istanbul and Istanbul tours in Russian explain how it works. Day-to-day contact with your guide and driver runs over WhatsApp.

For getting around, the tram and the ferries are cheap and quick in the old city and across the Bosphorus. For a family or a group, a car with a driver is easier in the rain: our private Mercedes Vito city tour with driver costs from $299 per group.

Tours that cover this

• Private Istanbul Tour Package, 8 days: from $1,499 per person.
• New Year's Eve Bosphorus Party Cruise in Istanbul: from $224 per person.
• Bursa and Uludağ Day Trip from Istanbul with Cable Car and Lunch: from $90 per person.
• Istanbul Old City Private Guided Tour: from $200 per person.

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