Turkey Tour Packages for December 2026: Konya, Cappadocia and Coast

December 2026 is a good month for a Turkey tour package if you plan for short days and cool weather: the first three weeks are low season with calm museums, and the last ten days bring Christmas, New Year and peak prices. Two events are specific to the month: the Şeb-i Arus ceremonies for Rumi in Konya, held from 7 to 17 December, and Saint Nicholas Day on Sunday 6 December, at his old church in Demre. Our Istanbul, Konya and Cappadocia tour, 5 days and 4 nights, starts from $1,565 per person and fits the Konya dates well. This page sets out the December calendar, the weather in each region, our packages that run this month, and two plans for the first and second halves of December.

December 2026 at a glance

December 2026 starts on a Tuesday and ends on a Thursday. These are the dates that shape a trip this month:

• 1 December (Tuesday): Low season. Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays.
• 6 December (Sunday): Saint Nicholas Day. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays.
• 7 to 17 December (Monday to Thursday): Şeb-i Arus in Konya, final night on 17 December.
• 21 December (Monday): Shortest day. The Eastern Express sleeper train starts its Ankara to Kars season.
• 25 December (Friday): Christmas Day, a normal working day in Turkey.
• 31 December (Thursday): New Year's Eve, the busiest night of the winter.
• 1 January 2027 (Friday): Public holiday, long weekend.

Two weekly closures matter all month in Istanbul: Topkapı Palace closes on Tuesdays and Dolmabahçe Palace on Mondays. Plan your guided days so they do not fall on the wrong day.

Weather and daylight by region

The figures are December long-term averages from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).

Daylight is the real limit. In Istanbul the sun rises at about 08:10 and sets at about 17:38 on 1 December, and at the shortest day, 21 December, it rises at about 08:26 and sets at about 17:39, a little over nine hours of light. In Cappadocia the sun rises about half an hour earlier and sets about a quarter of an hour earlier. With that much light, two or three major sights per day is a comfortable pace.

The first three weeks: low season

From 1 to about 20 December, Turkey is in its quietest period of the year. The autumn visitors have gone and the Christmas crowds have not yet arrived. For a traveller, that means:

• Calmer sights. Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern have some of their shortest queues of the year, and you can see Ephesus with few other groups.
• Easier hotels. Rooms in Sultanahmet and in the best-located cave hotels in Göreme are easier to find than in spring or autumn.
• Winter hours. Museums run by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism keep shorter winter opening hours, so start early.

The trade-off is weather. December is the wettest month in Istanbul and on the Mediterranean, so pack a waterproof jacket and choose indoor sights for rainy days. Our guide to things to do in Istanbul in December lists the best ones.

Şeb-i Arus in Konya, 7 to 17 December

Şeb-i Arus, the "wedding night", marks the death of the poet and mystic Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi on 17 December 1273. Every year Konya holds a series of evening Sema ceremonies, the whirling ritual of the Mevlevi order, running from 7 December to the final night on 17 December. In 2026 the 17th falls on a Thursday.

What to know before you plan around it:

• The official 2026 programme had not been published when we checked in early November. Tickets for the evening ceremonies are released by the organisers before the season starts, so confirm the schedule before you fix your dates.
• Konya is cold in December. MGM's average December low is -2.2°C, so dress for a cold walk back to the hotel after the ceremony.
• Visit Rumi's tomb by day. The Mevlana Museum, with its green-tiled dome, is the heart of the city. Expect it to be busy during the commemoration week.

Konya fits neatly between Istanbul and Cappadocia. Our Konya day tour from Istanbul starts from $431 per person, the 2-day private Konya tour from Istanbul from $530 per person, and the Spirit of Turkey tour: Istanbul, Cappadocia and Konya, 7 days, from $2,100 per person. If you cannot travel to Konya, our whirling dervish ceremony in Istanbul starts from $60 per person. For the destination itself, see our Konya page.

Saint Nicholas Day on the Lycian coast

Saint Nicholas, the fourth-century bishop behind the Santa Claus tradition, served at Myra, today's Demre, west of Antalya. His feast day is 6 December, which in 2026 is a Sunday. The Byzantine church of Saint Nicholas in Demre is a museum, and above the town the rock-cut tombs of ancient Myra are carved into the cliff.

Demre is a day trip from Antalya, where December days average 16.7°C. Our private Demre, Myra and Kekova tour starts from $140 per person, and the Demre, Myra and Kekova tour from Antalya from $103 per person. In winter, the boat section over the sunken city at Kekova depends on the sea, so ask for a land-only alternative if the forecast is rough. Our page on Christmas in Turkey explains how to add Demre to a holiday trip.

Cappadocia in December

Cappadocia is cold and often clear in December, with the first snow of the winter possible in the second half of the month. The valleys of Göreme, the underground cities and the rock churches are open all month. The Cappadocia destination page lists what each area offers.

Balloons are the uncertain part. The civil aviation authority decides each morning whether flights can go ahead. Figures for December 2026 are not out yet, but in January 2026 balloons flew on 9 days out of 31. Plan three mornings if a flight matters, and book it for your first one. Shared flights start from $199 per person. Our winter balloon guide has the details.

Our packages that run in December

All of these can start on a December date of your choice. Prices are our standard starting prices. The Christmas and New Year weeks are priced as peak season.

For the first half of the month, the Konya tours are the natural choice. For a milder trip, choose Antalya. For the New Year, see our Istanbul New Year packages and the Cappadocia New Year page.

Two plans for December 2026

Plan A: Istanbul, Konya and Cappadocia, 6 to 13 December (7 nights)

1. Sunday 6 December: arrive in Istanbul. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays, so take an evening walk around Sultanahmet.
2. Monday 7 December: the Byzantine city. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. Dolmabahçe is closed on Mondays.
3. Tuesday 8 December: the bazaars and the Bosphorus. With Topkapı closed, a Bosphorus cruise and the Grand Bazaar.
4. Wednesday 9 December: Topkapı Palace in the morning, then fly to Konya. An evening Şeb-i Arus ceremony, if the programme allows.
5. Thursday 10 December: Konya by day. The Mevlana Museum and the Seljuk mosques, then drive to Cappadocia.
6. Friday 11 December: Cappadocia. Balloon chance one, the Göreme valleys and Uçhisar.
7. Saturday 12 December: balloon chance two, then an underground city and Ihlara Valley.
8. Sunday 13 December: fly back to Istanbul for your flight home.

Plan B: the holiday fortnight, 23 December to 2 January

The second half of December is a different trip, built around Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Our Christmas in Turkey page has a day-by-day plan from 23 December to 1 January, and the Turkey in winter guide compares the regions for the season. Book the hotel for 31 December first, because it sets the price of the whole stay.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul, Konya and Cappadocia Tour, 5 days: from $1,565 per person.
• Spirit of Turkey Tour: Istanbul, Cappadocia and Konya, 7 days: from $2,100 per person.
• Highlights of Turkey, 8 days: from $1,670 per person.
• Private Demre, Myra and Kekova Tour from Antalya: from $140 per person.

Frequently Asked Questions