Turkey in May

May is one of Turkey's best months (rank 3 of 12): its 26 destinations average 85/100, led by Istanbul at 94 — 22°C and 8 rainy days — while Uludağ is cooler at 10°C and scores 32.

#3 of 12 months for Turkey · 26 destinations · updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

🇹🇷 Turkey, month by month

85/100 in May
  1. 60Jan
  2. 69Feb
  3. 74Mar
  4. 82Apr
  5. 85May
  6. 85Jun
  7. 80Jul
  8. 79Aug
  9. 87Sep
  10. 87Oct
  11. 75Nov
  12. 63Dec

Where in Turkey in May

#PlaceTypeFeels-like highRainComfortAt its best
1IstanbulCity22°C40 mm · 8 days94 tier SYes
2SelçukCity27°C26 mm · 5 days93 tier SYes
3AnkaraCity22°C54 mm · 10 days92 tier SYes
4BursaCity25°C76 mm · 12 days92 tier SYes
5IzmirCity27°C42 mm · 7 days91 tier SYes
6GöremeTrekking hub20°C67 mm · 13 days90 tier SYes
7MardinCity26°C29 mm · 5 days90 tier SYes
8ÜrgüpTrekking hub20°C68 mm · 13 days90 tier SYes
9FethiyeBeach29°C49 mm · 10 days88 tier A—
10KalkanBeach29°C25 mm · 5 days88 tier A—
11KaşBeach29°C26 mm · 5 days88 tier A—
12PamukkaleCity28°C45 mm · 8 days88 tier AYes
13AlanyaBeach27°C38 mm · 7 days87 tier A—
14MarmarisBeach29°C32 mm · 6 days87 tier A—
15ÖlüdenizBeach26°C27 mm · 5 days87 tier A—
16AntalyaBeach28°C45 mm · 5 days86 tier A—
17SafranboluCity21°C89 mm · 15 days86 tier A—
18BodrumBeach26°C21 mm · 5 days85 tier A—
19SideBeach26°C35 mm · 5 days85 tier A—
20DatçaBeach25°C13 mm · 2 days84 tier A—
21ÇeşmeBeach25°C10 mm · 3 days83 tier A—
22RizeCity20°C168 mm · 20 days82 tier AYes
23VanCity17°C63 mm · 14 days81 tier A—
24TrabzonCity19°C189 mm · 19 days78 tier BYes
25KarsCity17°C131 mm · 21 days73 tier B—
26UludağSki resort10°C125 mm · 17 days32 tier F—

Comfort is SeasonMap's 0–100 score; each place is judged through the lens that suits it — beaches on beach weather, ski resorts on snow. "At its best" means May is one of that place's own top three months. Feels-like highs fold in humidity, wind and sun.

What's on in Turkey in May

  • Kurban Bayrami · Istanbul and 9 more places · 27–30 May
  • Istanbul Music Festival · Istanbul · 30 May – 30 Jun (usually)
  • Storks on the aqueduct · Selçuk · 15 Mar – 31 Aug (usually)
  • Kurban Bayrami (Eid al-Adha) · Selçuk and 11 more places · 27–30 May
  • Loggerhead nesting at Patara · Kaş · 1 May – 30 Sep
  • Culture, Art and Tourism Festival · Alanya · 22–24 May
  • Kurban Bayrami coast exodus · Antalya · 27–30 May
  • Youth and Sports Day · Ankara · 19 May

Peak crowds at 3 of Turkey's 11 well-known places this month.

Better months for Turkey

September · 87/100October · 87/100June · 85/100Weakest: January · 60/100
← Turkey in AprilTurkey in June →Best time to visit Turkey, month by monthCompare: Istanbul vs Selçuk in May