Turkey in December
July 26, 2023 8:24 AM Subscribe
I'm toying with the idea of traveling to Turkey/Türkiye this December, probably somewhere in mid-December. I know its going to be winter, and it might be cold in some parts, but we're okay with that. There'll be two adults and two youngish kids. Will we be able to have a good time?
Our general travel style is "wandering around and checking out anything that looks interesting". We won't have a checklist of must-see sites, and just spending a day lost in a bazaar is fine. We do tend to like to go out to the countryside, where possible, but since it is winter I'm not sure if that would be feasible. We are also not interested in the beaches, coming from a tropical island.
My biggest worry is the weather. We can manage the cold, but rain would be a problem. Is it likely to rain a lot? Also, as far as the cold goes, is indoor heating generally okay, or are we likely to feel cold indoors unless we bundle up?
Finally, any suggestions where else we could go in Turkey besides Istanbul, that would make sense in December?
Our general travel style is "wandering around and checking out anything that looks interesting". We won't have a checklist of must-see sites, and just spending a day lost in a bazaar is fine. We do tend to like to go out to the countryside, where possible, but since it is winter I'm not sure if that would be feasible. We are also not interested in the beaches, coming from a tropical island.
My biggest worry is the weather. We can manage the cold, but rain would be a problem. Is it likely to rain a lot? Also, as far as the cold goes, is indoor heating generally okay, or are we likely to feel cold indoors unless we bundle up?
Finally, any suggestions where else we could go in Turkey besides Istanbul, that would make sense in December?
Cappadocia is so amazing I would describe it as lifechanging. But you need to go there when it's dry if you're going on any of the hikes. They can be a bit challenging even when it's dry out. I guess if you just stick to the guided tours, you could probably do them in the rain. But you'll miss out on so much if you don't go on any of the hikes! This is the hike you want.
Would recommend Pamukkele, although you won't want to go in the water if the weather is cold. But it's still pretty amazing even if you don't get in the water.
Ephesus is cool if you're a history buff. Combined with a trip to Pamukkele, it's worth it.
Istanbul there's a ton of stuff to do indoors. All the mosques and palaces and such. You'll miss out on the thrill and mystery of wandering down the twisty-windy sidestreets, but you'll still have fun.
posted by panama joe at 10:59 AM on July 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
Would recommend Pamukkele, although you won't want to go in the water if the weather is cold. But it's still pretty amazing even if you don't get in the water.
Ephesus is cool if you're a history buff. Combined with a trip to Pamukkele, it's worth it.
Istanbul there's a ton of stuff to do indoors. All the mosques and palaces and such. You'll miss out on the thrill and mystery of wandering down the twisty-windy sidestreets, but you'll still have fun.
posted by panama joe at 10:59 AM on July 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
Mid-December is the urs (death day) of Jelaluddin Rumi - December 17th. I would want to be in Konya around that time - they do a giant Sema (whirling dervish) ceremony in the big performance hall - the acoustics of the music will blow your mind. Nearby is Chatal Hayouk, widely considered to be one of the oldest discovered cities in the world, also worth a visit.
posted by SoundInhabitant at 1:02 PM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by SoundInhabitant at 1:02 PM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
I visited Türkiye in late October / early November of 2016 and made an AskMe post at that time.
December weather will obviously be cooler and probably rainier but I had a great time and would unhesitatingly go back for another visit in the latter part of the year. Compared to my usual climate I found the weather temperate and agreeable, and visiting after the main tourist season ends made it possible to get pretty good lodging rates and make reservations on short notice. Based on your location info I gather you're used to a warmer climate than I am but you will probably still enjoy the lack of crowds and favorable lodging prices and availability.
And I drank so much fresh-squeezed juice from fruits that were in season.. sigh.. Again, maybe not a big thing for someone who lives in an area where such are routinely available but a real treat for me.
I did feel a bit conspicuous sometimes as an obvious tourist and without many other tourists at that time I felt like I was a bit of a magnet for touts and hopeful scammers but I was able to brush off unwanted approaches and had a couple of interesting conversations so it was all good.
I don't know if it will work for your group because service hours are segregated by sex and it's not really a place to take kids but for other would-be travelers who wind up stumbling across this AskMe, one of the things I treated myself to in Istanbul that I still think about was an evening visit to the Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamam, an architecturally magnificent bath complex built in the 16th century and recently restored. If one partner wants to sneak off for some pampering while the other partner goes exploring with the kids for a bit it might work for one of you, at least.
posted by Nerd of the North at 4:04 PM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
December weather will obviously be cooler and probably rainier but I had a great time and would unhesitatingly go back for another visit in the latter part of the year. Compared to my usual climate I found the weather temperate and agreeable, and visiting after the main tourist season ends made it possible to get pretty good lodging rates and make reservations on short notice. Based on your location info I gather you're used to a warmer climate than I am but you will probably still enjoy the lack of crowds and favorable lodging prices and availability.
And I drank so much fresh-squeezed juice from fruits that were in season.. sigh.. Again, maybe not a big thing for someone who lives in an area where such are routinely available but a real treat for me.
I did feel a bit conspicuous sometimes as an obvious tourist and without many other tourists at that time I felt like I was a bit of a magnet for touts and hopeful scammers but I was able to brush off unwanted approaches and had a couple of interesting conversations so it was all good.
I don't know if it will work for your group because service hours are segregated by sex and it's not really a place to take kids but for other would-be travelers who wind up stumbling across this AskMe, one of the things I treated myself to in Istanbul that I still think about was an evening visit to the Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamam, an architecturally magnificent bath complex built in the 16th century and recently restored. If one partner wants to sneak off for some pampering while the other partner goes exploring with the kids for a bit it might work for one of you, at least.
posted by Nerd of the North at 4:04 PM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for the answers! With regard to the rain, could anybody elaborate on the kind of rain we might get? Is it more likely to be mostly sunny or cloudy days with maybe 1 day of rain a week? Or constant rain over several days?
And is the rain going to be heavy downpours that you just cannot go out in, or the kind of neverending drizzle that a raincoat and boots will suffice?
Coming from a tropical climate, I realize I tend to get the wrong impression when people talk about rain, because here it rains almost every other day, and it's always a huge thunderstorm that can blow down trees. But I don't think that's what people mean when they say it'll be rainy!
posted by destrius at 10:02 PM on July 26, 2023
And is the rain going to be heavy downpours that you just cannot go out in, or the kind of neverending drizzle that a raincoat and boots will suffice?
Coming from a tropical climate, I realize I tend to get the wrong impression when people talk about rain, because here it rains almost every other day, and it's always a huge thunderstorm that can blow down trees. But I don't think that's what people mean when they say it'll be rainy!
posted by destrius at 10:02 PM on July 26, 2023
One thing to be aware of is that it can snow, and when I lived there in 2006 the city didn't really manage the snow in the way other places in Europe do, re: roads. It is wonderfully picturesque around the Bosphorus but the schools tend to shut down and people don't drive all that much. That only lasted a couple of days.
I lived there over winter and can't remember the rain, which makes me think it's not really that big a deal- def not like tropical rain. I saw the Sumela monastery, near Trabzon, in the snow, and I would say it was one of the most beautiful and special experiences I had in two years in Europe. It was relatively isolated and difficult for a non Turkish speaker (I had an ok amount of Turkish) but again that has probably changed since 2006.
posted by jojobobo at 1:07 AM on July 27, 2023
I lived there over winter and can't remember the rain, which makes me think it's not really that big a deal- def not like tropical rain. I saw the Sumela monastery, near Trabzon, in the snow, and I would say it was one of the most beautiful and special experiences I had in two years in Europe. It was relatively isolated and difficult for a non Turkish speaker (I had an ok amount of Turkish) but again that has probably changed since 2006.
posted by jojobobo at 1:07 AM on July 27, 2023
Also yes there is so much to do and see. The underground cisterns would be cool for kids. The mosque and Hagia Sophia and just the bosphorus itself are very beautiful and interesting.
posted by jojobobo at 1:08 AM on July 27, 2023
posted by jojobobo at 1:08 AM on July 27, 2023
Response by poster: Thanks for all the replies! I think we'll probably give it a try!
posted by destrius at 8:38 PM on July 31, 2023
posted by destrius at 8:38 PM on July 31, 2023
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An outside day trip accessible from Istanbul is the Princes' Islands. Büyükada was a lovely place to explore for a day. Be careful with winter ferry schedules.
Turkish winters are indeed often rainy, at least along the Aegean coast where much of the interesting ancient Greek ruins are. Indoors will generally be warm in big cities and not fully warm in the country, including resort towns.
Turkiye has plenty of beauty outside of İstanbul — Kapadokya, Antalya, Trabzon, the Lycian way — but it's a big country, so any of those would involve non-negligible travel if your home base is İstanbul. If you have the time for a multi-day road trip, the İzmir region is relatively dense with ancient sites. Then again, that might bore your young ones to tears.
posted by daveliepmann at 9:19 AM on July 26, 2023