What is it like to visit Istanbul and Turkey during Ramadan 2027?

Ramadan 2027 dates in Turkey

Turkey follows Diyanet's calculated calendar rather than a local moon sighting, so the dates are fixed well in advance. Diyanet's 2027 calendar, published in August 2026, gives:

• First tarawih prayer: Sunday 7 February 2027, the evening before the first fast.

• First fast (first day of Ramadan): Monday 8 February 2027.

• Kadir Gecesi (Night of Power): Friday 5 March 2027, when mosques are full late into the night.

• Arefe (bayram eve): Monday 8 March 2027. Offices often close at midday.

• Ramazan Bayramı: Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 March 2027.

Ramadan in 2027 lasts 29 days on Diyanet's calendar. Neighbouring countries that rely on sighting can be a day off; if you are combining Turkey with Morocco, the dates there are in our Morocco Ramadan 2027 guide.

What changes in Istanbul during Ramadan

Daytime: almost nothing for a visitor. In Sultanahmet, Beyoğlu, Karaköy and Kadıköy, cafés and restaurants stay open at lunch, and eating in the street is not illegal. In more conservative districts such as Fatih around Çarşamba, and in Üsküdar's back streets, some small lokantas close at lunchtime or serve only takeaway. Eating, drinking or smoking openly right outside a mosque at noon is the one thing worth avoiding; our Turkey etiquette guide covers the rest.

Iftar (sunset): this is the part worth planning for. In February 2027 sunset in Istanbul falls a little after 18:00, moving later through March. In the half hour before, traffic is heavy, taxis are hard to find and bakeries have queues for Ramazan pidesi, the round flatbread sold only in this month. At the moment of the call to prayer the streets go quiet, then restaurants fill all at once. Book a table if you want a set iftar menu in Sultanahmet or near the Süleymaniye Mosque.

Evenings: Sultanahmet Square traditionally hosts a Ramadan market with food stalls and evening crowds; check the Fatih municipality's announcements for the 2027 programme, as it is not published yet. Mosque courtyards are busy late for tarawih prayers. Visitors can still enter the big mosques outside prayer times; dress rules are in what to wear in Istanbul.

Drums before dawn: in older neighbourhoods a davulcu walks the streets before sahur, roughly 03:00 to 04:00, beating a drum to wake people for the pre-dawn meal. If you are a light sleeper, a hotel in the old city lanes of Fatih will hear it; Karaköy, Galata and Kadıköy less so. Our where to stay in Istanbul page compares the areas.

Alcohol: still served in licensed bars and restaurants in Beyoğlu and Kadıköy. A few places near mosques stop serving for the month.

Ramazan Bayramı: what closes, 9 to 11 March 2027

Bayram is a three-day national holiday, and in 2027 it lands Tuesday to Thursday. Many people will bridge to the weekend, so treat roughly 8 to 14 March as the holiday week.

• Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar: travel guides consistently report that the covered markets close on at least the first day of the bayram, and many stalls stay shut for longer. The Grand Bazaar is also closed every Sunday. If shopping is a priority, do it before 8 March.

• Palaces and museums: in 2026 the national palaces, including Dolmabahçe, were closed on the first day of Ramazan Bayramı and open on the second and third. Ministry museums opened in the afternoon on day one, and Istanbul municipality museums from 13:00. Expect the same pattern for 9 March 2027, and check the official announcement in the week before.

• Mosques: open, but the bayram morning prayer at sunrise fills them and the surrounding streets. Visit later in the day.

• Public transport: in 2026 Istanbul's municipality made its buses, metro, trams, Metrobüs and city ferries free for the three bayram days (not the eve), and national rail lines such as Marmaray were also free. Whether this repeats in 2027 is announced only days before; you still need to tap an İstanbulkart.

• Restaurants and shops: most tourist restaurants open. Neighbourhood shops and family businesses close on day one.

Traditionally people visit relatives and children go door to door for sweets, so expect lokum and chocolate offered in hotels and shops.

Domestic travel and prices around the bayram

The bayram is one of Turkey's two biggest travel peaks of the year. Coaches out of Istanbul's Esenler bus station and flights to Ankara, Kayseri and Izmir sell out and get dearer from about the Friday before. If your route goes on to Cappadocia, travel on or before 5 March, or after 12 March. Our Istanbul to Cappadocia flight vs night bus page covers the options.

Inside Istanbul the effect is the opposite: many residents leave, roads are quieter, and hotel rates in the old city tend to stay at winter levels. The big queues at Hagia Sophia and Topkapı rise on days two and three as Turkish families visit.

Kurban Bayramı (Eid al-Adha), the longer holiday, falls in May 2027. Check Diyanet's calendar for the exact days before booking a May trip.

Weather in February and March

Ramadan 2027 sits in Istanbul's wettest, greyest stretch. Typical daytime highs are about 8 to 10°C (46 to 50°F) in February and 11 to 12°C (52 to 54°F) in March, with frequent rain and occasional snow. Cappadocia is much colder, often below freezing at night; see Istanbul and Cappadocia in winter and the month-by-month view in best time to visit Istanbul.

The upside is price and space: February is the cheapest month for Istanbul hotels, and the main sights have their shortest queues of the year, apart from the bayram days.

A simple plan for a Ramadan visit

• Arrive any time from 8 February; the first two weeks of Ramadan are the quietest.

• Do the Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar and any museum you care about before 8 March.

• Book one iftar meal in the old city and spend an evening at the Sultanahmet Square crowds.

• If you overlap the bayram, use 9 March for a Bosphorus ferry or a walk in Balat and Fener, and leave museums for 10 and 11 March.

• Avoid booking intercity travel on 5 to 8 March and 11 to 14 March.

Our 3 days in Istanbul guide and Istanbul and Cappadocia guide give the day-by-day routes.

Frequently asked questions