December · the month at a glance, from Aura's data
Istanbul
Plan it
Istanbul in December
The planner opens with December preselected. Nothing is saved or booked until you choose.
Why Aura · editorial, all year
One old city, two continents, a ferry between them.
Weather in December
Average high11.6 °C
Average low6.4 °C
Days with rain43%1 mm or more
Sunshine5.4 h a day
2016–2025 averages, not a forecast · Open-Meteo archive (ERA5 reanalysis), average 2016–2025 · CC BY 4.0 · read 6 Oct 2026. A forecast for your dates appears in your plan once they are within 16 days.
Daylight
1 Dec 202608:09–17:379 h 27 min of daylight
31 Dec 202608:29–17:459 h 16 min of daylight
Calculated for the city centre with the NOAA solar equations, local time (Europe/Istanbul). Not observed; terrain not included.
Places in December
Hours evaluated for every day of December 2026 from OpenStreetMap, read 6 Oct 2026. Check the official site before you go.
Open in December
Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya-i Kebir Camii)
Every day 09:00–19:30
A working mosque: visits depend on the five daily prayer times, which change every day (Diyanet publishes them). Visiting hours, rules and any fee were not read from an official page. ayasofyacamii.gov.tr gives no visiting information and the Ministry page could not be opened.
Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii)
Every day 08:30–12:15, 14:00–16:45, 17:45–18:30
A working mosque: visits depend on the five daily prayer times, which change every day (Diyanet publishes them). Visiting hours, rules and any fee were not read from an official page. The site sultanahmetcamii.org could not be reached.
Topkapı Palace
Mon 09:00–17:00 · Tue closed · Wed–Sun 09:00–17:00
Foreign visitors: combined ticket (palace + Harem + Hagia Irene) 2,750 TL, valid one day; Harem alone 1,050 TL; Hagia Irene alone 1,050 TL. Residents 500 TL; under 6 free. MüzeKart not valid for the Harem and Hagia Irene.
Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı)
Every day 09:00–19:00
Hours and prices not read: the official site yerebatan.com could not be reached on 6 Oct 2026.
Istanbul Archaeology Museums
Every day 09:00–18:30
Ticket price not shown on the Ministry page (the e-ticket page loads by script). MüzeKart valid for Turkish citizens.
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Every day 09:00–18:30
Ticket price not shown on the Ministry page. MüzeKart valid for Turkish citizens.
Cağaloğlu Hamamı
Every day to confirm (the official page gives two different hours)
Bath packages from €95 (The İstanbul Dream) to €400 (Elixir), per the hammam's own price list.
Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı)
Mon–Sat 08:00–19:00 · Sun 09:30–19:00
Hours not read: misircarsisi.org could not be reached. Pandeli's site notes the bazaar closes on religious holidays (it was closed 20–22 March 2026 for Ramazan Bayramı).
Kariye (Chora) Mosque
Every day 09:00–18:00
A working mosque: visits depend on the five daily prayer times, which change every day (Diyanet publishes them). Visiting hours, rules and any fee were not read from an official page. No official page on the visit fee for foreign visitors was found.
Galata Tower
Every day 08:30–18:30
Ticket price not shown on the Ministry page. MüzeKart valid for Turkish citizens.
Pera Museum
Mon closed · Tue–Thu 10:00–19:00 · Fri 10:00–22:00 · Sat 10:00–19:00 · Sun 12:00–18:00
Full 450 TL, reduced 250 TL, groups of 10+ 300 TL; students free on Wednesdays.
Istanbul Modern
Mon closed · Tue–Thu 10:00–18:00 · Fri 10:00–20:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00
International visitors 1,000 TL (reduced 650 TL); residents of Türkiye 600 TL, free on Thursdays 10:00–14:00. Tickets not refundable.
Karaköy Güllüoğlu
Mon–Sat 07:30–01:00 · Sun 08:00–01:00
Hours and prices not read: karakoygulluoglu.com refused automated reading (HTTP 403).
Dolmabahçe Palace
Mon closed · Tue–Sun 09:00–17:00
Foreign visitors: Selamlık + Harem + Painting Museum 2,000 TL; residents 250 TL; under 6 free. Combined National Palaces passes 2,750–3,500 TL (valid one month).
Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi)
Every day 09:00–18:00
Boat transfer 110 TL; entrance price not shown on the Ministry page. Under-18s must visit with a parent. MüzeKart valid for Turkish citizens.
Hours as written in OpenStreetMap
No hours recorded
Gülhane Park
Outdoor place, hours not recorded — check before you go
Opening hours not read from an official İBB page (the İBB site could not be reached).
Süleymaniye Mosque
hours not recorded — check before you go
A working mosque: visits depend on the five daily prayer times, which change every day (Diyanet publishes them). Visiting hours, rules and any fee were not read from an official page.
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
hours not recorded — check before you go
A working mosque: visits depend on the five daily prayer times, which change every day (Diyanet publishes them). Visiting hours, rules and any fee were not read from an official page.
Bosphorus by public ferry from Eminönü
Outdoor place, hours not recorded — check before you go
Timetable and fare not read: sehirhatlari.istanbul refused automated reading (HTTP 403).
Hamdi Restaurant
hours not recorded — check before you go
Opening hours and prices are not on hamdi.com.tr (only addresses and phone numbers).
Pandeli
hours not recorded — check before you go
Opening hours not on pandeli.com.tr; reservation requests are taken for 12:00–18:00. No guests for dessert, tea or coffee only; no pets. Prices not read.
Balat
Outdoor place, hours not recorded — check before you go
Price not loaded
Ecumenical Patriarchate (St George's Church), Fener
hours not recorded — check before you go
Visiting hours are not stated on ec-patr.org.
İstiklal Avenue and the historic tram
Outdoor place, hours not recorded — check before you go
Price not loaded
Ortaköy Mosque (Büyük Mecidiye)
Outdoor place, hours not recorded — check before you go
A working mosque: visits depend on the five daily prayer times, which change every day (Diyanet publishes them). Visiting hours, rules and any fee were not read from an official page.
Kadıköy market streets and Moda seaside
Outdoor place, hours not recorded — check before you go
Price not loaded
How Aura plans it
Sultanahmet
Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı and the cistern.
The bazaars and Süleymaniye
The Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar and the piers at Eminönü.
Fener, Balat and Chora
Painted houses and old churches up the Golden Horn.
Galata and Beyoğlu
The tower, İstiklal and the museums.
Along the Bosphorus
Dolmabahçe and Ortaköy on the European shore.
The Asian side
Kadıköy, Moda and the Maiden's Tower.
Areas: Aura editorial.
Sources: places and hours © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), read 6 Oct 2026 · climate Open-Meteo archive (ERA5 reanalysis), average 2016–2025 (CC BY 4.0) · local names Wikidata (CC0) · prices from the sources named on each place. "Mezquita de Solimán, Estambul, Turquía, 2024-09-29, DD 42-44 HDR.jpg" by Diego Delso, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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