We will be in Istanbul over US Thansgiving; arriving on Nov 17 and leaving on the 24th. What will the weather be like? It's "somewhat" off-season, will a lot of things be closed? We are into seeing mosques and churches, historical sites and museums.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Thanksgiving is a US holiday that doesn't affect any other country.
Posted by
Seattle, USA
990 posts
Linnea,
Istanbul's many historical and cultural sites will be open and much less crowded than in summer. Unlike the touristed areas along the Aegean and Mediterranean, hotels, shops, and tourist sites will not be closed.The weather will likely be cool to moderately cold, but very unlikely to be below freezing. Be prepared for rain, since winter is the rainy season in Istanbul. And enjoy one of the world's greatest cultural treasures--Istanbul.
Posted by
OP
Chicago, USA
43 posts
I mentioned the Thanksgiving holiday only as a date reference point for US readers: of course I know it's a US only holiday! :) (Hah, hah!) It's handy for us because one school age daughter will have a few days off (though it doesn't help the son who attends school in Canada!). I'm not a fan of eating turkey, would much rather GO to Turkey!
I just meant will things be closed because it's off-season. When I checked some websites I saw that off-season rates for hotels started in mid-November; but couldn't find info on closings for historical/cultural sites.