Things to Do in Istanbul in December and on New Year's Eve

December in Istanbul is for the indoor sights, winter food and New Year's Eve on the Bosphorus. It is the wettest month of the year, with about 16 rainy days and daytime highs near 12°C, according to the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM). It is also one of the quietest months at Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and the Basilica Cistern until the holiday week begins. Everything stays open over Christmas, because 25 December is a normal working day in Türkiye. New Year's Day is a public holiday, and in 2027 it falls on a Friday, which turns the turn of the year into a long weekend. For the big night itself, our New Year's Eve Bosphorus party cruise includes dinner, a show and midnight on the water, from $224 per person.

December weather and daylight

The figures are MGM's long-term averages for the Istanbul station from 1950 to 2025, and MGM's monthly average for the Sea of Marmara from 1970 to 2025. Sunrise and sunset are calculated for Sultanahmet.

December is grey rather than freezing. Most days sit between 6°C and 12°C, and snow is uncommon before January, although it can fall in a cold year. Rain often comes with wind. The northerly poyraz makes the ferry decks feel bitter, and the southwesterly lodos brings mild, damp air and rough water that can cancel some sailings for a few hours.

Daylight is the real limit. Türkiye stays on UTC+3 all year, so mornings are dark until after 08:00 and the sun sets before 17:45. Plan two or three main sights a day rather than five, and keep the evenings for food, cruises and shows.

The best things to do in December

See the great monuments without the queues. Before the holiday week, December is one of the calmest times to visit Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern. Foreign visitors pay €25 for the upper-gallery route at Hagia Sophia. Topkapı is closed on Tuesdays. Arrive at opening time anyway, because the light is best in the morning.

Spend a wet afternoon in the bazaars. The Grand Bazaar is covered, warm and lit, and you can walk from it to the Spice Bazaar through the Mahmutpaşa shopping streets without spending long in the rain. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays.

Use the museums. The Istanbul Archaeology Museums, the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, Dolmabahçe Palace (closed on Mondays), Istanbul Modern and the Pera Museum are all good places to spend a dark, rainy afternoon.

Go to a hammam. A traditional Turkish bath is the best way to warm up after a day in the wind. The historic hammams of Sultanahmet and Beyoğlu run all year.

Watch a Sema ceremony. The whirling dervish ceremony is a one-hour indoor programme in the evening, and December is the month of the Mevlana anniversary (see below).

Cross the Bosphorus at dusk. With sunset before 17:45, a public ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy to Kadıköy catches the lights coming on along both shores. On the Asian side, the market streets of Kadıköy are busy and warm on winter evenings. Our Kadıköy guide has the best stops.

Take a dinner cruise. On a cold night, a dinner cruise lets you see the lit bridges and palaces from a heated saloon. Our Bosphorus dinner cruise guide compares the types of boat.

New Year's Eve in Istanbul

New Year's Eve is the biggest winter night in the city, and it is a secular celebration with trees, lights and decorations rather than a religious one. Most of the decorations go up in early December, in hotels, shopping centres and on streets such as İstiklal Avenue and Nişantaşı.

Where people celebrate:

• On the water. Many visitors spend midnight on a Bosphorus cruise, with dinner, a show and a view of the bridges and both shores. It is the most popular way to see in the New Year here, and the best boats sell out weeks ahead.
• Taksim and İstiklal Avenue. The main street-level crowd gathers here. Expect very large crowds, heavy police presence, security checks and road closures around Taksim Square.
• Kadıköy. On the Asian side, crowds gather in the central squares and the bar streets of Kadıköy and Moda.
• Hotel and restaurant galas. Many hotels with a Bosphorus view hold set-menu dinners with live music. They are expensive and need booking early.

Getting around on the night. For New Year 2026, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality ran several metro lines through the night, kept the Metrobüs running around the clock and added extra bus services. Municipal public transport was also free on 1 January 2026. The arrangements for New Year 2027 are announced in late December, so check İBB or Metro İstanbul before you go. Taxis are very hard to find after midnight, so plan your route home in advance or book a transfer.

Practical points for 31 December:

• Book flights, hotels and cruises early. Hotel rates for the New Year week are the highest of the winter.
• 1 January 2027 is a public holiday. Banks and government offices close, but most museums and sights open. Check bazaar and restaurant hours on the day.
• Bring warm clothes even for an indoor cruise. You will want to be on deck at midnight, when the temperature is usually well below 10°C.

Christmas in Istanbul

Christmas Day is not a public holiday in Türkiye. On 25 December 2026, a Friday, museums, bazaars, shops and transport run as normal, and the usual weekly closures still apply.

Christians in Istanbul do celebrate, and visitors are welcome at services:

• St Anthony of Padua on İstiklal Avenue, the largest Catholic church in the city, holds Christmas Eve and Christmas Day masses.
• The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Fener celebrates Christmas on 25 December, as it follows the revised calendar. The Church of St George is the patriarchal church.
• Other churches in Beyoğlu, Kadıköy and the Golden Horn hold services in Greek, Armenian, Syriac and other languages, some on different dates. The Armenian community celebrates on 6 January.

If you want to see the city's Christian heritage in more depth, our Christian heritage tour of Istanbul page covers the main churches.

Winter food to try in December

December is one of the best months to eat in Istanbul.

• Hamsi. The Black Sea anchovy is at its best in winter, fried in cornmeal or baked with rice in hamsili pilav.
• Boza. A thick, slightly sour fermented millet drink with cinnamon and roasted chickpeas. Vefa Bozacısı near Süleymaniye has served it since 1876.
• Salep. Hot milk thickened with orchid root flour, sold in cafés and on ferries.
• Roasted chestnuts and corn. Sold from street carts on İstiklal Avenue, at Eminönü and around the bazaars.
• Soups and stews. Red lentil soup and slow-cooked dishes in the city's lokantas, the traditional workers' restaurants.

A guided food walk keeps you moving between warm kitchens and cafés, which suits the weather. Browse our food tours for the options.

Day trips and side trips in December

Bursa and Uludağ. The ski season on Uludağ depends on snow and usually starts in the second half of December. In the 2025 to 2026 season, the slopes opened on 29 December. Even without skis, the gondola ride above Bursa into snowy pine forest is a good winter day out, combined with the early Ottoman mosques of the city.

Konya for the Mevlana anniversary. Each year from 7 to 17 December, Konya holds the Şeb-i Arus commemorations for Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, who died on 17 December 1273, with nightly Sema ceremonies. The Mevlana Museum is the centre of the events. Konya is a long day from Istanbul, so most visitors fly.

Cappadocia in snow. The fairy chimneys under snow are one of the best winter sights in Türkiye. Balloons are cancelled more often in winter because of wind and fog, so allow two mornings if a flight matters to you. For more on winter travel across the country, read our Turkey in winter guide.

What to pack for December

• A warm, waterproof coat with a hood. December is the wettest month.
• Layers you can take off in heated museums, bazaars and restaurants.
• Waterproof shoes with good grip for wet marble, cobbles and steep streets.
• A hat, gloves and scarf for ferries and New Year's Eve. The scarf also covers your hair in mosques.
• A compact umbrella for the short walks between sights, although wind makes them hard to use near the water.

Our page on what to wear in Istanbul covers the dress codes for mosques. For the month before, see Istanbul in November, and for the whole year, our guide to the best time to visit Istanbul.

Tours that cover this

• New Year's Eve Bosphorus Party Cruise Istanbul 2027: Dinner and Show, from $224 per person.
• Bosphorus Dinner Cruise Istanbul: Folk and Belly Dance Show, Transfers, from $90 per person. For any other December evening.
• Bursa and Uludağ Tour from Istanbul: Ferry, Cable Car and Lunch, from $90 per person.
• New Year Istanbul and Cappadocia Tour from the USA: 8 Days with Flights, from $1,800 per person.

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