May can be considered as the unofficial start of the summer in Istanbul, and with an average temperature of 20°C and precipitation 34 mm. May is great for city sightseeing and museum hopping, staying outdoors, and a good month for some popular festivals and events.
City Life & Weather
You can enjoy sunny and clear days. We recommend you to bring shorts, dresses, t-shirts for warm afternoons. Also take long pants for some cooler nights, and umbrella just in case.
The days are started to get longer than the winter months, the sun set around 20:15. (Average Max Temp.: 20°C – Average Max Temp.: 12°C)
Public holidays, Festivals & Events
- Labor and Solidarity Day (National holiday – 01 May 2020)
- Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth & Sports Day (National holiday – 19 May 2020)
- Ramadan Feast’s Eve (Religious Holiday – half day – 23 May 2020)
- Ramadan Feast (Religious Holiday – goes for 3 days – 24-26 May 2020)
- International Istanbul Theater Festival (May-June, biennial)
Top Venues
You can follow the calendar of exhibitions and events of our pick of top Istanbul venues from below.
- Istanbul Museum of Modern Art in Beyoglu (art, exhibition, film)
- Pera Museum in Taksim (art, exhibition, film)
- Sakip Sabanci Museum in Emirgan (art, exhibition, film)
- Salon IKSV in Beyoglu (concert)
- Bomontiada in Sisli (concert, theater)
- Akbank Sanat in Taksim (art, exhibition, film, concert)
- Zorlu PSM in Besiktas (concert, musical)
Istanbul’s May Top 10 Attractions
Things to do in Istanbul are endless and it is not possible to mention all the best attractions in Istanbul. We just put together below the most fascinating ones that best suit for May.
We also recommend you check out our Istanbul attractions opening hours & admissions, one day Istanbul itinerary or 3 day Istanbul itinerary to have a better idea before you plan your days in Istanbul.
1. Historic Day Out in Sultanahmet
For the ones who are a true enthusiast of history and want to see the city’s historic sites, we highly recommend you to visit and see Sultanahmet neighborhood. It is the best way to get the most out of the city’s sights, sounds, and scents.
Sultanahmet hosts about all of the most visited historical and tourist sites in Istanbul, such as the Sultanahmet Square (Hippodrome), Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Istanbul Archaeology Museums and Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts are situated here and all can be explored by walking. Continue reading…
We recommend the below ticket options for the great value for money.
- Sultanahmet Square guided tour & Blue Mosque with certified guide
- Hagia Sophia Fast Track Entry Ticket with Audio Guide App in 10 Languages plus guidance with certified guide
- Hagia Sophia Guided Tour with Historian Guide inc. fast track entry ticket
- Topkapi Palace Fast Track Entry Ticket with Audio Guide App in 10 Languages plus guidance with certified guide
- Topkapi Palace & Harem Guided Tour with Historian Guide inc. fast track entry ticket
- Basilica Cistern Fast Track Entry Ticket plus guidance with certified guide
Combo Tickets: Hagia Sophia + Topkapi Palace + Basilica Cistern
This is a great combo ticket. Our favorite. You can visit the above top 3 most visited sights in Sultanahmet with this combo ticket, with skip the lines access. Great value for money. Book your tickets online in advance as they are selling out quickly.
Buy Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace & Basilica Cistern Combo Ticket
Click the red button to buy Combo online tickets and skip the lines.
Our website visitors will get 5% extra discount.
2. Take a Bosphorus Cruise / Boat Tour
This is a popular, unique and fantastic forms of entertainment and sightseeing during your Istanbul stay. It is also one of the best ways to discover and enjoy the most beautiful sights and sounds of the city over the sea. Typical Bosphorus Cruise start from the Eminonu pier in every hour.
You’ll be able to explore the city at your own pace on board of the boat, and enjoy all the famous landmarks on the Boshphorus such as Dolmabahce Palace, Ortakoy Mosque, Rumeli Fortress, Maiden’s Tower and the Bosphorus Bridge.
We recommend the below ticket options for the great value for money.
- Istanbul Bosphorus Boat Tour for 90 minutes with Ticket, Fast Track Entry on Boat, Free Map, Coffee or Tea, Free Internet on Pier, Meet & Greet by Marine Officer
- 2 Hour Golden Horn and Bosphorus Tour with English speaking tour guide
- Dolmabahce Palace and Bosphorus Boat Tour Combo Ticket with skip the line tickets with a certified guide, Hop off at 4 different stops
Wanna learn more about Bosphorus Cruise?
3. Tour city on Double Decker Tourist Bus
The Big Bus Istanbul hop on hop off tour provides service to 19 stops and at least 46 attractions (28 landmarks, 15 attractions and 3 shopping places) on two lines on just one ticket. is a cheap way to discover and explore the popular zones of Istanbul which you just couldn’t walk to and see in one day. It drives through the popular sights along the interesting and different districts and neighborhoods of Istanbul and offers informative pre-recorded commentary that is available in 8 languages.
The sightseeing bus runs every 30/60 minutes and lets you see the most popular popular sights along the interesting and different districts and neighborhoods of the city. And what is great that you can all do it in a couple of hours.
Book Your Big Bus City Sightseeing Tour
There are many channels to buy Big Bus ticket online, including their own website. Get Your Guide sells the cheapest ticket on the market. Buying their ticket online will guarantee your seat and be cheaper. Just click the red button above to buy your Big Bus ticket online.
Wanna learn more about Big Bus Istanbul City Sightseeing Bus?
4. Mystical night out with Whirling Dervishes Show
Whirling Dervishes Show is one of the most visited Istanbul attractions with the tourists. It is because that this ceremony is a very unusual event for the tourists and when they hear about it, majority of them try to catch this one hour show and witness the miracle of the whirling dervishes.
There are two popular venues that you can watch this show. Book your tickets online in advance as they are selling out quickly.
Buy Whirling Dervishes Show Tickets at Hodjapasha Culture Center
Buy Whirling Dervishes Show Tickets at Orient Express Hall
Wanna learn more about Whirling Dervishes Show?
5. Enjoy the lively atmosphere at Istiklal Street
Istiklal Street is probably the most famous street and entertainment area of the city. It is a long colorful pedestrian street full of all kind of shops, restaurants, cafes and street shows.
You can visit the fantastic Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the amazing St. Anthony of Padua Church and Pera Museum there.
In between strolling the Istiklal Street and enjoying the lively atmosphere, you can have a lunch/dinner/snack in one of the pretty restaurants along the way.
Wanna learn more about Istiklal Street?
6. A fantastic day out at the Princes’ Islands
Once was the pleasure island of Byzantine Princes, and with its stunning pinewood scenery, the Princes’ Islands are one of the best preserved natural areas and sights in Istanbul. It is one of the best attractions and weekend breaks in Istanbul both for locals and tourists.
You can take a 1 hour cruise to the islands, have a great day out by full tour of the island on the horse-drawn carriage, rest in a cafe by the sea, a lunch at a local fish restaurant. Or you can have a romantic overnight stay in one of the pretty hotels on the island.
We recommend the below ticket options for the great value for money.
- Princes’ Islands Ferry Tickets – from Eminonu pier, enjoy a 75 minutes cruise to Princes’ Islands, enjoy island’s attractions, and come back to Eminonu
- A Romantic Overnight at Princes’ Islands – you should take this if you have a long stay in the city
Wanna learn more about Princes’ Islands?
7. Explore the city’s popular sights on bike
Being outdoors and touring the popular tourist spots on bike is definitely a great attraction. Wind through the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sultanahmet. Explore the Golden Horn, the hub of culture and entertainment in the Beyoglu district. Navigate the maze of vendors selling Turkish rugs, spices and lamps in the Grand Bazaar. Marvel at the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia.
Wanna learn more about Istanbul on bike and best bike tours?
8. Visit Grand Bazaar
Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) is a shopping adventure that you won’t want to miss. Covering an area of 47,000 m2, it is a 550+ years old covered market, also one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. A series of covered streets feature over 4,000 merchants all selling their products and wares.
You are able to find about anything here from the finest silky shawls and scarves in traditional patterns to traditional items, from antiques, leather goods, ceramics to the famous carpets, from spices, beautiful handicrafts to gold and jewelry.
Wanna learn more about Grand Bazaar?
9. Fun day out at the Istanbul’s Theme Parks
Istanbul offers great theme parks ranging from huge ones with variety of great thrills and rides to aquariums, dolphinariums, themed museums and more. Amusement and theme parks are not only the places for fun, but also great places for your kids’ learning and imagination development.
We recommend you to visit the Isfanbul (formerly Vialand), Istanbul Aquarium, Aquarium Sea Life Istanbul and Istanbul LEGOLAND Discovery Center.
Wanna learn more about Istanbul’s popular theme parks?
10. Enjoy Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Entertainment
This is one of the most popular night time entertainments in the city. Mostly preferred with the tourists who want to experience a unique attraction specific to Istanbul. Typical dinner cruises start from the Kabatas pier daily at about 20:00 pm and goes for about 3 hours.
While you cruise along Bosphorus and enjoy your meal, you’ll be entertained by traditional belly dancing, oriental show, a henna ceremony, a Romany dance, folk dancing, a live DJ, etc. You’ll be able to see city’s historical sites, including Ottoman palaces, and stunning bridges illuminated by night.
We recommend the below ticket options for the great value for money.
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise and Oriental Show – our favorite with 3 course dinner, unlimited soft drinks, 6 different shows, Belly dance + 5% extra discount
- Best Bosphorus Dinner Cruises – a list of all the best ones on Get Your Guide
Wanna learn more about Bosphorus Dinner Cruise?
