12 Things to Do in Istanbul in the winter

One of the great advantages of traveling to Istanbul in winter is that you will find the places with fewer tourists and eventually, you will be able to visit the most important places in Istanbul ina quieter way than in summer, when the city is more crowded and very hot!

The low season, which in this case goes from November to February, also implies interesting discounts on flights and accommodation. Even better, you will be able to get to know the Turkish culture, enjoy the friendliness of the locals and get better prices in the bazaars and stores of the city.

The beginning of winter in Istanbul, is one of the best times of the year tobook tickets for the show of the Whirling Dervishes. These are the members of the Mevlevi order, the best known of the mystical ideology of Sufism and declared by UNESCO, as Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

While it is a show available in all seasons, it is in December when the Seb-i Arus takes place, an important religious celebration of the Sufi tradition that commemorates the death of the poet Muhammad Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī|, considered one of the greatest Sufi philosophers in the world.

You can also enjoy other exclusive activities on these dates such as workshops, talks and audiovisual exhibitions open to the public, to learn more about this very relevant spiritual and cultural manifestation in various parts of Turkey.

Useful information:

• This is a religious ritual. Out of respect for the tradition, it is not appropriate to clap, take pictures or shout while the dancers are spinning.
• This show usually costs around 40€, and includes the entrance fee, the whirling dervish ceremony and a concert of Sufi music. Many of these ceremonies are held at the iconic Hodjapasha Dance Theater in Istanbul.
• The city also offers other typical dance performances such as belly dancing or Cossack shows.

It is clear that the temperatures in the middle of winter in the city of Istanbul are very cold and this can be an impediment when it comes to sightseeing, walking through the streets, knowing all its landmarks ... To make a little easier the days of walking and hiking suffering the low temperatures we suggest you to book tickets on a tourist bus to take shelter from the cold, without missing anything!

You can get on and off whenever you want for 24 hours on a route consisting of 12 stops. In addition, this tour includes an audio guide that explains in detail each monument and place you visit.

The arrival of winter in the city, comes with some classic recipes to overcome the cold. One of the most popular in the season is the Salep, a mixture of milk or boiling water, cinnamon and a special flour obtained by carefully processing the tubers of two typical Anatolian orchids.

Another favorite drink that you only find in winter is the Boza, a drink that comes from the fermentation of the seeds of breadfruit, a cereal widely consumed in Asian countries and is served with a little cinnamon powder on top and accompanied by roasted chickpeas. Istanbul is also famous for tea rooms with a huge menu of hot infusions and the famous Turkish coffee sold in every corner of the city.

One of the most impressive excursions to do around Istanbul is to visit Cappadocia. This is one of the places you have to visit at least once in your life. It is made up of valleys, rocky mountains sculpted by the wind in a magical way and even mysterious subway cities.

If you have decided to book a tour to Cappadocia, you will spend two days learning all the culture and history of the area, visit some of the main sites such as: Uchisar Castle, the open air museum of Goreme and the subway city of Derinkuyu and, best of all, you will enjoy a balloon ride! Hotel stay and breakfast are included and everything is around 600€.

Nothing better to pass the cold than having a hot coffee and entertaining yourself with a board game. In Turkey backgammon is the national board game and is known as tavla. In winter you will see the cafes and bars full, and their customers playing rounds of this game which is designed for two people and in which the objective is to get checkers off the board before the opponent.

According to historians tavla has its origin in Mesopotamia, from where it spread to the rest of the world. If you don't know how to play, you can ask the waiters and other customers, who will have no problem explaining the rules and why not, invite you to play a game. It is very traditional to play after dinner, while they serve you tea or coffee. One of the most recommended places for a good winter dinner is Mesale Café, where you can also enjoy musical shows and the best of Turkish food.

If you just want to have a coffee to raise the temperature, remember that the coffee culture in Istanbul is recognized worldwide and you will find the best places to have an authentic Turkish coffee in Beyoglu. I recommend it!

Visiting one of the famous Turkish baths in Istanbul is undoubtedly a perfect experience to rest and recharge your batteries, enjoy a massage, taste a comforting tea and save some heat to continue touring the city.

This ancient tradition takes you through absolutely relaxing enclosures and where you will have a deep cleansing of body and mind. In Istanbul there are Turkish baths exclusively for men and others for women, although you can also find options for mixed baths. You can find tours that offer you this experience with prices starting from 35€ approximately, cost that includes the entrance, a tea and in some cases massages. Highly recommended!

Warm up by taking a gastronomic tour of Istanbul through traditional and delicious Turkish street food stalls, enjoying soups, stews and drinks typical of the season, listening to stories of old fishermen on the Galata Bridge and getting to know in depth the soul of this transcontinental city.

Indoor plans are our favorite during the winter and visiting a mosque is a plan that I recommend to include in this season to learn more about the history and religious tradition of this magical destination.

It is definitely a worthwhile cultural exchange experience. In addition, the Muslim religion in this country is much more flexible and tolerant, so you will have no problem visiting some of the best mosques in Istanbul.

One of the most recommended is the Hagia Sophia. It was the largest church in the Christian world, the main mosque of Istanbul for almost 4 centuries, later converted into a museum; and since 2020, made into a mosque again.

Some others you can visit are:

• Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii).
• New Mosque (Yeni Camii).
• Rüstem Pasha Mosque (Rüstem Pasha Camii).
• Eyüp Sultan Mosque (Eyüp Sultan Camii).

If you visit Istanbul in January or February, I recommend you take advantage of the sales season at the local stores. Besides the fact that visiting a shopping mall can be a good plan to protect you from the cold, you can find discounts in clothing stores, accessories and much more.

The winter sales in Istanbul begin in mid-December and last until the end of February, with discounts of up to 50%. There are more than 200 trendy shopping malls in the city. I recommend you to visit some of them like Kanyon, Vadistanbul and Akaysha.

Bazaars and street markets also have sales. The weekend markets in Besiktas, Bakirkoy and Ferikoy on the European side and the Kadikoy market on the Asian side are very worthwhile. In winter many of them are covered, so the cold won't stop you from bargaining for the best seasonal shopping.

Between September and February, the harvest of the national fruit takes place: the pomegranate, a favorite fruit from the Middle East. Along with dates, it is one of the most famous edibles in the winter season and is enjoyed in many presentations: juice, as an aromatic infusion, in salads and yogurt, or in various desserts and culinary preparations typical of the country.

It is a symbol of abundance and prosperity in Turkish idiosyncrasy and it is common to find amulets shaped like pomegranates, adorned with ribbons and nazar boncuğu pebbles,which according to the locals conjure the evil eye and negative energies.

Useful information:

• A good way to try this fruit is to visit the bazaars around the city. Don't miss the opportunity to bargain Turkish-style for amulets and souvenirs, or try a juice of this exotic fruit on a guided tour of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.
• Another famous talisman is the nazar boncuğu, better known as the Turkish eye, made of colored crystals and according to local tradition keeps away bad vibes. It can be a nice gift for someone you care about on your return, or a curious decorative object for your home.

Although Istanbul is famous for its monuments, history and tradition, you might be surprised to learn that it also has a lot to offer snow and ski lovers. If you can carve out enough time during your trip, I recommend exploring some of the ski areas close to Istanbul and which you can easily connect to by plane and road.

One of the most popular and recommended places is the Uludağ resort, where you can arrive via ferry to the port of Bursa and from there take a car for about two hours. In this area you will find several hotels and an ideal environment to enjoy the snow. In the resort you will find 20 slopes and differentiated areas for different levels of difficulty, as well as sleds, snow bikes and snowboards.

If after skiing you want to refresh yourself, only an hour away from the slopes you will find an incredible hot springs.

Also known as the eye of Istanbul, Ara Güler is considered one of the best photographers in the world.Correspondent of major world magazines such as Time, Life or Newsweek, he photographed throughout his life the most remote places of countries like India, Kenya, New Guinea or Afghanistan and celebrities like Winston Churchill, a very young Sophia Loren, Salvador Dalí or Marlon Brando, among others.

But undoubtedly the most valuable of his work is his particular sensitivity to eternalize the essence of people through his lens and capture thousands of images of Istanbul in more than 60 years of career that allow us to review through his eyes the modern history of the city.

A tour of a couple of hours that you can alternate with a visit to the already well known emblems of the city, such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia or the Topkapi Palace.

Useful information

• Price: free of charge
• Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00, Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00.
• Address: Ara Güler Müzesi, Yapı Kredi Bomontiada, Ara Güler Müzesi Tarihi Bomontiada Bira Fabrikası, Birahane Sk. No:1, 34381 Şişli, Turkey.

During winter in Istanbul you will not experience freezing temperatures, so you will be able to explore the city without any problem and you will only have to protect yourself from some rainy days, in which even, snow may fall. Temperatures during this season are around 11° / 5°C.

When faced with the questions "What should I bring?" or "What should I put in this suitcase?", it is important to think a little about the list of essentials that will make your life easier if you travel in winter.

First of all, bring good, comfortable and preferably non-slip shoes that allow you to walk safely on wet sidewalks and frozen slabs. Scarf, gloves, hat, a compact umbrella and other winter classics will be welcome to keep you warm.

You don't need to bring your whole closet or many coats, one good one is enough. We recommend comfortable wool sweaters for a long walk in the Bosphorus and very important: clean socks since it is mandatory to take off your shoes to enter the mosques.