Turkey in February: Weather, Rain and an Extra Hour of Daylight

Turkey in February has January’s temperatures and March’s light. Istanbul reaches 10.2 °C (50 °F) by day, only 0.6 °C above January. Antalya’s rain falls from 226 mm to 148 mm, and the sun sets in Istanbul 33 minutes later on the 28th than on the 1st. The figures on this page are the long-term February normals of the Turkish State Meteorological Service for ten cities. After the weather come rain by coast, snow days in Istanbul, hot air balloon odds, the first week against the last, and private family routes with prices. This page is the February chapter of our guide to the best time to visit Turkey, month by month.

By Fatih — Founder & Tour Director, Turkey Family Tours · TURSAB licence 13538 · Last updated: September 2026

Turkey Weather in February: Ten Cities, One Table

Turkey weather in February runs from 15.6 °C (60 °F) on an Antalya afternoon to −5.1 °C (23 °F) on a Kayseri night. That is a spread of almost 21 degrees inside one country, so no single forecast fits a route that crosses it. The table gives the February normals for ten cities on or near our private routes. Every figure is from the Turkish State Meteorological Service record for 1991–2020, except the one Istanbul cell marked *.

* The state record for Istanbul sunshine is incomplete, so the cell uses the 1991–2020 Florya station figure of 103 hours for the month, listed under Climate of Istanbul.

Coast and plateau are two different Februaries

The table splits into two groups. The four coastal and valley cities, from İzmir round to Antalya, sit at 12–16 °C by day and stay above freezing at night. The four plateau cities sit at 5–7 °C by day and drop below zero after dark. Istanbul and Çanakkale are in between, at about 10 °C, with wind off the water. A ten-day family route usually touches all three groups, so one suitcase has to cover that 21-degree spread.

The plateau is cold, but it is the dry half of the country

Cold and wet do not go together in Turkey in February. Konya has 28 mm of rain in the month and Kayseri 36 mm. Antalya, ten degrees warmer, has 148 mm. On the plateau the rain often falls as light snow, which is why a Cappadocia valley can be white under a clear sky. For a family, that means dry cold in Cappadocia and mild rain on the coast, and the two need different clothes.

February records show how far a single day can swing

Istanbul has reached 23.4 °C in February and fallen to −9.0 °C, on the state record. Antalya’s February record high is 26.7 °C, and Nevşehir’s record low is −23.6 °C. These extremes are the reason a February route keeps its open-air days movable. Once the family has landed, the five-day forecast sets the order of the days, not the monthly normal.

Is Turkey Hot in February? The Warmest Coast Is Also the Wettest

Turkey is not hot in February: Adana, the warmest of the fourteen cities compared here, averages 16.2 °C (61 °F) by day. Adana is on the eastern Mediterranean, and only that south coast is warm. Antalya follows at 15.6 °C (60 °F). Both are mild spring-jacket afternoons, too cool for the beach. Antalya also has 148 mm of rain, more than twice Istanbul’s 71 mm. The ranking below puts fourteen cities in order of their average February day high, with the month’s rain next to each.

Which part of Turkey is warmest in February?

The Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana is the warmest part of Turkey in February, at 15.6–16.2 °C by day. The Aegean valleys around Aydın and Kuşadası come next, at about 15 °C. Both are roughly five degrees warmer than Istanbul and ten degrees warmer than Cappadocia. Of the two cities, Antalya is the one that fits a family route. It has direct flights from Istanbul, the Roman sites of Perge and Aspendos, and a walled old town.

Rain total and rainy days are not the same thing

Antalya gets twice Istanbul’s rain on fewer days. Its 148 mm falls over 10.4 wet days, which is about 14 mm on each of them. Istanbul’s 71 mm is spread over 13.9 wet days, about 5 mm each. On the ground, Antalya rain comes as a heavy downpour that clears, and the city still gets 5.7 hours of sun a day. Istanbul rain is lighter and lasts longer, under 3.7 hours of sun. A wet day in Antalya costs a family a morning. A wet day in Istanbul is grey from start to finish, and the indoor sites carry it.

Sea temperature in February, and who still swims

The sea around Turkey is at its coldest of the year in February. The Mediterranean at Antalya averages 17.2 °C (63 °F), inside a usual range of 15.3–19.4 °C. The Marmara at Istanbul is just 8.5 °C (47 °F). The ten-year averages below are from seatemperature.info.

Most families find anything under 20 °C too cold for children, so February is not a sea month anywhere in Turkey. A family that wants pool time should ask about a heated hotel pool when the route is planned, since not every hotel has one. For the months when the sea is warm enough for children, see our month-by-month guide to Turkey.

First Week or Last Week: What Changes Inside the Month

In Turkey, 28 February has 58 to 67 minutes more daylight than 1 February, depending on the city. Istanbul goes from 10 h 05 min to 11 h 12 min, a gain of 67 minutes inside one month. That makes the last week of February the better one for open-air days. Rain is also falling away from its January peak on every coast. Temperature is the one thing that hardly moves. For a family with flexible dates, the week matters as much as the region. The sunrise and sunset times below are from the NOAA solar calculator, on Turkey’s year-round UTC+3 clock. They match the timeanddate.com February table for Istanbul to within a minute.

Gains are worked out from the exact times, so a figure can differ by one minute from the clock times shown.

The extra hour arrives at both ends of the day

About half of the gain comes in the morning and half in the evening. In Istanbul the sun rises 34 minutes earlier on the 28th than on the 1st, and sets 33 minutes later. For a touring day that is one more open-air stop before dusk. For a hot air balloon morning in Göreme it moves the hotel pick-up earlier, because flights launch around sunrise. March gains more still, about 80 minutes in Istanbul, so February is only the start of the change.

Rain is already falling away from January

Every coast is drier in February than in January, and drier again in March. Antalya drops by 34%, İzmir by 25% and Istanbul by 20%. The state service publishes normals by month, not by week. The months on both sides still show the direction. The last week of February sits closer to March, and the first week closer to January.

Temperature is the part that barely moves

Istanbul’s average day high goes from 9.6 °C in January to 10.2 °C in February, a rise of 0.6 °C. The step from February to March is 2.2 °C, almost four times as large. Antalya shows the same shape: 15.0, then 15.6, then 18.0 °C. Cappadocia moves a little more, from 4.0 to 5.5 °C, and then jumps to 10.3 °C in March. A family that picks February for warmth over January will not feel the difference. The gain is in light and in dry hours.

Which half of the month suits which route

The first half of February suits a short Istanbul and Cappadocia route of 5 to 7 days, with an added Cappadocia night on the five-day version. Our 5 day Turkey itinerary shows the base plan before that extra night: three nights in Istanbul and one in a Göreme cave hotel. Most of it is indoors or in a heated cave room, so the darker half of the month costs a family little. The second half suits the longer routes that add Ephesus, Pamukkale or Antalya, because open-air days get more light and less rain. Our all-road route also comes back into play from mid-February. If the dates are flexible, the last ten days of the month are the pick for any route of eight days or more. Our 8 days in Turkey plan fits that window, with two Kuşadası nights for Ephesus at about 14 °C and Pamukkale at 12.4 °C.

Istanbul in February: Snow Days, Short Queues, Long Interiors

Istanbul in February averages 10.2 °C (50 °F) by day and 4.2 °C (40 °F) at night, with 71 mm of rain over about 14 wet days. February is also Istanbul’s snowiest month, with 3.5 days of snowfall, and one of the two quietest at the great monuments.

Istanbul weather in February: 10.2 °C by day, 14 wet days, 3.5 snow days

Istanbul’s Florya weather station counts 3.5 days with snowfall in an average February, against 2.7 in January and 0.6 in March. The deepest snow cover of an average February is 7.5 cm. The station figures are listed under Climate of Istanbul. Sunshine is 3.7 hours a day, up from under three in January. The Bosphorus wind makes 10 °C feel colder on the water than in the old city.

What a snow day does to a touring day

Istanbul is built on steep hills, so on a snow day traffic slows, and ferries and domestic flights can run late. Snow rarely settles for more than a day. A private family tour absorbs it better than a fixed group timetable does. The guide swaps the order of the days, and the vehicle is never far. The reward is the old city under snow, with white domes on the Blue Mosque and an almost empty Hippodrome.

An indoor sequence for a wet day in Sultanahmet

The big sights of the old city sit within ten minutes of each other by walking, and most are under a roof. A wet-day order that works with children runs like this:

• Hagia Sophia at opening time.
• The Basilica Cistern next door, underground and dry in any weather. It is reached by a flight of steps, so a baby carrier is easier than a pram.
• Topkapı Palace for the treasury and the kitchens. The Harem is a separate ticket and is not included in our tour price.
• The Istanbul Archaeology Museums, where the halls that are open are quiet even in high season.
• The Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar for the last hour, when the light has gone.

February is one of the two quietest months of the year in Turkey, so a family with children rarely waits long at any of these doors.

The Bosphorus from a heated saloon

Public Bosphorus ferries sail all year, and every boat has a closed, heated saloon. A February cruise is a window seat with a glass of tea, and a few minutes on deck when the palaces go by. Our Istanbul Bosphorus cruise guide compares the public boats with a private yacht.

The Private Istanbul Old City Tour covers the wet-day sequence in one day from USD 220 per adult. The five-day private Istanbul package is USD 1,645 per adult with two adults sharing. For the neighbourhoods and the day-by-day order, see our Istanbul travel guide.

Cappadocia in February: How Often Hot Air Balloons Fly, and the Plan When They Don’t

Hot air balloons in Cappadocia fly on about 45–55% of February mornings. That is the lowest band of the year, below 50–60% in January and 60–70% in March. The days themselves are cold and mostly dry. Nevşehir averages 5.5 °C (42 °F) by day and −2.6 °C (27 °F) at night, with 41 mm of rain or snow in the month. Sunrise in Göreme is at 07:33 in mid-February, so a flight morning starts with a hotel pick-up between 06:00 and 06:30.

Why flights are cancelled, and who decides

Wind and poor visibility ground hot air balloon flights in Cappadocia, not cold. Winter fronts crossing the plateau bring both, and February still has plenty of them. The Turkish civil aviation authority, SHGM, gives or refuses permission at first light each day. No operator can fly without it. When a morning is cancelled, the family gets the hot air balloon fee back, refunded in full. The flight is an optional extra on our routes, booked with the operator once the family confirms it.

Two mornings, two nights: the arithmetic

One Cappadocia night gives one launch window, and in February that is close to a coin toss. Two nights give two windows, and a family’s chance of at least one flight rises to roughly 70–80%. The last column below shows the chance that at least one of two mornings flies.

The last column treats each morning as a separate draw. In practice bad weather comes in runs of two or three days, so read it as the upper end. A third night lifts the February figure to about 85%. Our Cappadocia hot air balloon guide lists the fly rate for all twelve months.

A flight morning, hour by hour

1. 06:00–06:30 in mid-February: pick-up from the cave hotel, in the dark and below zero.
2. First light: SHGM gives or refuses permission for the day. A refusal sends the family back to the hotel and its breakfast.
3. Around sunrise, 07:33: launch. The flight lasts 60 to 75 minutes.
4. By about 09:30: back at the hotel for breakfast. The touring day starts after it.

The day when nothing flies

The day plan does not depend on the flight. Göreme Open-Air Museum, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, the underground city at Kaymaklı and the Uçhisar viewpoint are all open in winter. Kaymaklı is underground and out of the wind, which makes it the warmest stop of a February day. Its tunnels are low and narrow in places, so adults stoop and children do not. On a snow day the valleys are at their best, and a short walk in Love Valley or Pigeon Valley is easy in boots. Cave rooms in the Göreme boutique hotels we use are heated, and the rock walls keep that warmth in overnight.

The shortest way in is the Private 2-Day Cappadocia Tour from Istanbul, from USD 1,030 per adult with flights. It has one launch window. So does the five-day Istanbul and Cappadocia route, unless a Cappadocia night is added. Every route of seven days or more has two Cappadocia nights. The second window falls on the morning of the onward flight, so it holds when that flight leaves late enough. Our Cappadocia travel guide covers the valleys, the towns and how the days fit together.

Antalya in February: Weather, Rain and Roman Cities on the Dry Days

Antalya in February averages 15.6 °C (60 °F) by day and 6.4 °C (44 °F) at night, with 5.7 hours of sun a day. Antalya is warmer than Istanbul, İzmir and Cappadocia in February, and wetter than all three. The city gets 148 mm of rain on about ten wet days. The sea at Antalya is 17.2 °C (63 °F). February in Antalya is a month for Roman cities and the old town, with the snow of the Taurus mountains behind the bay.

Perge, Aspendos and Kaleiçi on the dry days

Two days in three are dry in Antalya in February, and the dry ones are bright. Those days go to the open-air sites. Perge is a Roman city with a long colonnaded street, about 18 km east of the centre. Aspendos has the best-preserved Roman theatre in Turkey, and in February a family often has the upper rows alone. Kaleiçi, the walled old town above the harbour, fills a late afternoon by walking. Summer afternoons at these sites reach 34 °C. At 15 °C, children last far longer on the stones.

Waterfalls and the museum for the wet mornings

The Antalya Archaeological Museum holds the statues found at Perge, so it pairs well with the site itself. The Düden and Kurşunlu waterfalls run at their fullest after the winter rain. The Lower Düden falls drop straight off the cliff into the sea. The view from the park beside them needs only a short break in the rain.

What is shut on the coast, and what is not

Many seasonal beachfront hotels close from November to March or April, at Side, Alanya and Belek among other towns. Beach clubs and most daily boat trips stop with them. The city itself does not close. Hotels in Kaleiçi and the city centre, restaurants, museums and every ancient site stay open. February is also citrus season here, and oranges are sold by the roadside across the Antalya plain. On the 12-day private route, the Fethiye day runs on land, at Saklıkent Gorge, the Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon and the ghost village of Kayaköy. It does not depend on a boat.

The 10-day route through Istanbul, Cappadocia and Antalya is from USD 4,010 per adult. Our Antalya travel guide covers the old town, the Roman sites and how many days the city needs.

Ephesus and Pamukkale in February

Ephesus in February is about 14 °C (57 °F) by day. The site lies between İzmir, at 13.7 °C, and Aydın, at 14.9 °C. Pamukkale is cooler and higher, at 12.4 °C (54 °F) by day and 3.1 °C (38 °F) at night. Frost is rare at Ephesus and possible at Pamukkale before sunrise. Both sites are open all winter and close to empty. İzmir airport is about 70 minutes from Istanbul by air.

Ephesus: marble, rain and the middle of the day

Ephesus is a walk of about two hours downhill on Roman marble, from the upper gate to the Library of Celsus and the great theatre. Wet marble is slippery, so shoes need a proper grip. The street is uneven and stepped, so a baby carrier works and a pram does not. There is no shade on the site, which is a problem in July and a gift in February. We place Ephesus in the middle of the day, when the stone is driest and the light is best on the library front. The Terrace Houses are roofed, so they work in any weather. They are a separate ticket and are not included in our tour price. Our Ephesus travel guide sets out the route through the site and what each stop is.

Pamukkale: bare feet on the travertines, warm water in the pool

Shoes come off on the white travertines of Pamukkale in every season. The terraces are a protected UNESCO site, listed together with the Roman city of Hierapolis above them. In February the water running over the terraces is warm at the top of the slope and cool by the bottom. The air is 12 °C. The walk is fine for children for 20 to 30 minutes, with a towel and dry socks waiting at the end. The Antique Pool beside the ruins is filled by a thermal spring at about 36 °C (97 °F), and it has its own ticket. Steam rises off it on a cold morning. Our Pamukkale travel guide explains the gates, the pool and the theatre.

Late February on the Aegean: the first blossom

Almond trees are the first to flower on the Aegean coast, and in most years they open during February. The Datça peninsula, further south, holds an almond blossom festival in the month. It shows that the Aegean turns towards spring weeks before Istanbul and the plateau.

The seven-day route with Ephesus is from USD 2,815 per adult. The eight-day route adds Pamukkale and is from USD 3,205. From Istanbul, the Private Ephesus Day Trip with flights is from USD 630 per adult, and the Private 2-Day Ephesus & Pamukkale Tour from USD 1,140 per adult.

Where February Is Hard Going

At 10.3 °C (51 °F) with wind, Gallipoli is the first of three hard parts of a February route. The other two are the east, at −2.3 °C by day, and the long road days across the plateau. None is closed, but each changes the plan for a family with children.

Gallipoli and Troy: open, empty and exposed

Çanakkale averages 10.3 °C by day and 3.5 °C at night in February, with 71 mm of rain, but wind sets how cold it feels. The Gallipoli peninsula is a ridge between two seas. Its cemeteries and memorials stand on open ground, and a northerly wind makes 10 °C feel close to freezing. A family with a personal link to Gallipoli will still find the visit worth it, and the sites are almost silent in winter. Pack hats, gloves and a windproof layer for this day. Troy is more sheltered and takes about 90 minutes. Our Gallipoli travel guide describes the battlefield stops. The 10-day route with Gallipoli and Troy is from USD 3,815 per adult. The Private 2-Day Gallipoli & Troy Tour from Istanbul is from USD 945 per adult.

The east is deep winter

Erzurum averages −2.3 °C (28 °F) by day and −12.6 °C (9 °F) at night in February. Mount Nemrut’s summit road is usually closed by snow, and the high passes around Lake Van can shut for days. We quote eastern routes on request, as a private operator does for any part of the country. For the east, that quote will name dates from May onwards.

The all-road route, from mid-February only

Our 11-day private tour by road crosses the plateau with no internal flights: Istanbul to Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya and Pamukkale. Those are drives of three to six hours through the coldest part of the table above. We do not recommend the route from mid-December to mid-February. In the second half of the month the roads are usually clear and the days are longer. The route then works, from USD 4,365 per adult.

Is February a Good Time to Visit Turkey?

February is a good time to visit Turkey for a family that accepts 10.2 °C afternoons in Istanbul in exchange for empty sites. About 2.1 to 2.3 million foreign arrivals cross the border in a typical February, against about 7 million in July. The figures come from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism border statistics. That makes February one of the two quietest months of the year, level with January, at under a third of July’s crowd. The price of that quiet is cold, rain and a hot air balloon that flies on 45–55% of mornings.

Who February suits

February suits a family that wants history, food and winter scenery, and can give the trip 7 to 10 days. It suits children who are happy in a coat and boots, and who would like a snowball fight in a Cappadocia valley. It suits a family that wants Perge and Aspendos at 15 °C and not at 34 °C.

Who should pick another month

A family whose trip depends on swimming should look at June to September. If one hot air balloon morning has to be close to certain, May, September and October are safer, at about 90% of mornings. A family that dislikes grey weather but can move by a few weeks should compare Turkey in March and Turkey in April. Istanbul gains about 2 °C in March and the rain keeps falling away. Our twelve-month comparison ranks every month against the others.

The tour price does not change with the month

Turkey Family Tours quotes one per-adult price for each route, all year. The seven-day route is USD 2,815 per adult in February, as it is in May. In February the days are shorter, the sites are emptier, the coast is mild rather than hot, and the hot air balloon needs two mornings. The Turkey tour cost guide shows what goes into the per-adult price.

Things to Do in Turkey in February, Sorted by Weather

The best things to do in Turkey in February depend on the sky, because Istanbul has about 14 wet days and Antalya 10. A dry day goes to Ephesus, Perge, Aspendos or the Pamukkale travertines. A wet day goes to Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, Topkapı Palace and the covered bazaars of Istanbul. A snow day goes to the Cappadocia viewpoints and the underground city at Kaymaklı. A private route lets the guide move each item to the day that fits the family.

On a dry day

• Walk Ephesus from the upper gate to the Library of Celsus at about 14 °C, with no crowd on the marble street.
• Climb the upper rows of the Roman theatre at Aspendos, then see the colonnaded street at Perge.
• Walk the white travertines at Pamukkale in bare feet, then warm up in the 36 °C Antique Pool.
• Take a valley walk of an hour or two in Cappadocia, in Love Valley or Rose Valley.
• Cross the Galata Bridge and climb to the Süleymaniye Mosque terrace for the view over the Golden Horn.

On a wet day

• Spend a slow morning in Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern and Topkapı Palace, which stand side by side.
• Book a session in a historic Turkish bath. It is the warmest room in Istanbul in February.
• Shop the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, both fully under cover.
• Drink salep, the hot winter drink made with orchid root and cinnamon. Street carts and cafés sell it only in the cold months.
• Ride a public Bosphorus ferry from a window seat in the heated saloon.

On a snow day

• Drive the Cappadocia viewpoints at Uçhisar, Pigeon Valley and Paşabağ, where the rock cones carry white caps.
• Go underground at Kaymaklı, out of the wind.
• Throw a pot on a kick wheel in an Avanos pottery workshop, a favourite with children.
• See Sultanahmet Square under snow first thing, before the day’s footprints.

For how these pieces fit into one route, see our guide on how to plan a trip to Turkey. Our page on the best places to visit in Turkey covers each region in turn.

How Long a February Touring Day Is: 09:00 to 17:30

A February touring day in Turkey runs from about 09:00 to 17:30, which is eight to eight and a half hours on the ground. Two limits set it. The first is sunset, between 18:01 and 19:04 depending on the place and the week. The second is the winter timetable: state museums and ancient sites close earlier than in summer until the end of March. The exact hours are set site by site on the Turkish Museums pages.

Open-air first, indoors last

Ticketed open-air sites go between 10:00 and 15:00, when it is warmest and every gate is open. Indoor stops, bazaars and old-town walks take the last hour or two, because they stay open after the ancient sites close. There is no midday heat to sit out, so lunch is short and the day loses nothing to a siesta. In July the same family would lose two or three hours to the heat.

Weekly closing days still apply

Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays, Dolmabahçe Palace on Mondays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays. On a five-day family trip one wrong weekday can cost a main sight. We set the order of the Istanbul days around these closures before the quote goes out.

Flight days are short days

An internal flight takes about half a touring day in February. The flight from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir is about 75 minutes, but airport time doubles it. We aim for early flights, so the rest of the day still holds three or four short stops. Our guide to door-to-door flight times from Istanbul compares the flight with the road.

February Routes with Prices: 5 to 12 Days

A private Turkey tour in February costs from USD 1,940 per adult for five days in Istanbul and Cappadocia to USD 4,770 for 12 days. Those are the prices with two adults sharing. The per-adult price falls as the party grows, because the guide and the vehicle are shared by more people. The table shows six routes that work in February, with the price per adult for two, four and six adults.

The 14-day private route, from USD 5,395 per adult, also runs in February. For a family already in Istanbul with four spare days, the 4-Day Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus & Pamukkale Tour is from USD 1,575 per adult. All our routes are listed on the private Turkey tour packages page.

First half of the month: the indoor-heavy week

From 1 to about 14 February the five-day and seven-day routes are the natural fit. Two or three Istanbul days are mostly under a roof. Cappadocia often adds snow, a heated cave room and one or two hot air balloon mornings. The seven-day route then ends on the Aegean at about 14 °C. Every route of seven days or more has two Cappadocia nights. The five-day route has one, and a second can be added when the quote is written.

Second half of the month: add a coast

From mid-February the eight, ten and 12-day routes make more sense. Each adds open-air days at Pamukkale, Antalya or along the Lycian coast. Those days gain most from 30 extra minutes of evening light and from rain that is falling away. On the 12-day route the Fethiye day is Saklıkent Gorge, Ölüdeniz and Kayaköy, all reached by road.

A sample seven-day February plan

This is the day order of our seven-day family route, with each day marked for February weather.

1. Day 1, arrival in Istanbul: airport welcome and private transfer. No touring.
2. Day 2, Istanbul Old City: Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. Mostly indoors.
3. Day 3, fly to Cappadocia: Göreme, Paşabağ, Avanos and Uçhisar. Open-air, with the Avanos pottery workshop under a roof.
4. Day 4, southern Cappadocia: first hot air balloon window at dawn, then the Red and Love Valleys and Kaymaklı underground city. The valley walk can swap with a day 3 stop.
5. Day 5, fly to the Aegean coast: second hot air balloon window at dawn when the flight time allows, then a morning flight of about 85 minutes to İzmir and the drive to Kuşadası for the night. A short day.
6. Day 6, Ephesus: the Temple of Artemis, the Library of Celsus and the great theatre, in the middle of the day. Open-air. Evening flight to Istanbul.
7. Day 7, departure from Istanbul: free morning and private airport transfer.

What the per-adult price covers

Every route includes hand-picked 4-5 star boutique hotels with breakfast and the internal flights. It also covers a licensed local guide and a private vehicle with driver in every region, and the entrance fees listed in the programme. Not covered are international flights, lunches, dinners and the optional hot air balloon flight. Three separate tickets are also extra: the Topkapı Harem, the Ephesus Terrace Houses and the Antique Pool at Pamukkale. Children aged 4 to 6 pay 60% of the adult price, and children under 4 pay 30%. From age 7 the adult price applies.

What to Wear in Turkey in February

What to wear in Turkey in February is set by a gap of about 18 degrees. An Antalya afternoon is 15.6 °C and a Cappadocia night is −2.6 °C. Layers solve it better than one heavy coat each. Istanbul calls for a waterproof coat with a hood, a warm mid-layer and water-resistant shoes. Cappadocia calls for an insulated jacket, a thermal base layer, hat, gloves and boots with a grip. Antalya calls for a light waterproof, long sleeves and sunglasses for the dry days. The table sets the clothes against the February temperatures of each region.

Three things families forget

The first is a swimsuit, for the 36 °C Antique Pool and for hotel pools. The second is a pair of slip-on shoes, since shoes come off at the Blue Mosque, at Süleymaniye and on the Pamukkale travertines. The third is a headscarf for women and older girls, for mosque visits. The Blue Mosque lends them at the door, but a scarf the family brings is quicker. An umbrella is the one thing not to pack. Istanbul street sellers appear with them at the first drop of rain.

Indoors is warm

Hotels, restaurants, museums and vehicles in Turkey are well heated in winter, often more than a family expects. That is one more reason for layers. A child in a single thick jumper is too hot inside the Grand Bazaar within ten minutes.

February Next to January and March: The Numbers Side by Side

Istanbul’s snow days peak in February, at 3.5, and Cappadocia’s hot air balloons fly on the fewest mornings of the year, 45–55%. On every other measure February sits between January and March. Temperature, rain and daylight all move one way, from January, the coldest month, towards spring. The table puts the three months next to each other.

February or January?

January and February are within 0.6 °C of each other in Istanbul by day. February has an hour more daylight and clearly less rain on every coast. January has a slightly better hot air balloon band and the New Year at its start. For a first trip with open-air days in it, February is the better of the two. Our page on Turkey in January has that month city by city.

February or March?

From February to March Istanbul gains 2.2 °C, Cappadocia almost five degrees, and the hot air balloon band rises to 60–70%. Snow is nearly gone from Istanbul, though Cappadocia can still get it. The first week of March still behaves like February, so a family with fixed dates at the turn of the month loses little. A family that can move to mid-March gains a lot. Turkey in March sets out where it is warm and where it still snows. For the month before this run of three, see Turkey in December.

Booking a February Trip: Timing, Deposit, Changes

A February trip with Turkey Family Tours starts with a written plan within 24 hours of the enquiry. The plan is a day-by-day route with a fixed per-person price in USD. It shows which days are indoors, where the hot air balloon mornings sit and which days can swap if the weather turns.

How far ahead to book

Hotel rooms are easy to find in February, so four to eight weeks ahead is enough for most routes. Two things are worth fixing early. Internal flights have better departure times when they are booked well ahead. The Göreme cave hotels we prefer have few rooms that sleep a family of four or five.

Deposit, balance and cancellation

A 25% deposit confirms the booking; 75% is paid on arrival. Cancellations inside seven days of arrival are charged in full, and the deposit is not refundable. If a hot air balloon cannot fly, its fee is refunded in full. If snow delays an internal flight, the guide and the driver at the other end re-plan the day around the new landing time. Travel insurance that covers delay and missed connections is worth having for any winter trip.

Who you are booking with

Turkey Family Tours is a licensed member of TURSAB, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, with licence number 13538. We hold 5.0 out of 5 across 41 reviews on Tripadvisor. Questions about the company and payments are answered on our FAQ page.

Turkey in February: Frequently Asked Questions

Get a February Route in Writing from Turkey Family Tours

A written day-by-day February route comes back within 24 hours of a family’s enquiry, with a fixed per-person price in USD. Send the dates, the number of people and the children’s ages through the plan-my-trip form. The route marks the indoor days, the hot air balloon mornings and the days that can swap with the weather. Turkey Family Tours holds TURSAB licence 13538. Every route uses hand-picked 4-5 star boutique hotels, a licensed local guide and a private vehicle with driver in every region. A 25% deposit confirms the booking; 75% is paid on arrival. To look through the routes first, open the Turkey tour packages page, or reach us through the contact page.