#1Mild
Dalyan
- Day
- 15.5°C
- Sea
- 19.5°C
- Sun
- 4.8h
- Rain days
- 12
Your December weather guide
Weather in Turkey in December
December is a good month for Turkey if you want mild weather for time outdoors, rather than a beach holiday. Average daytime temperatures of 14°C make walking comfortable with layers, but 12 rainy days mean you should keep plans flexible. The sea averages 18°C, so swimming is more a matter of personal tolerance than an obvious draw. Choose the south-western coast for the mildest conditions; Istanbul is a cooler option.
Long-term climate averages, not a forecast · 1991-2020
- Average daytime high
- 13.9°Cacross 18 destinations
- Average night-time low
- 7.9°Cafter dark
- Sea temperature
- 17.7°Ccold for swimming
- Rainy days
- 12days1 mm or more
Turkey, month by month
Turn up the warmth
Warmest places in Turkey in December
Ranked by average daytime high. The full comparison is in the table below.
Turkey destinations ranked for December
All 18 places we track in Turkey, ordered by daytime high.
Scroll sideways for more weather, down for more places. Click a heading to sort.
| # | Destination | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalyan | 15.5°C | 9.2°C | 19.5°C | 4.8 h | 12 | 4 h 12 min |
| 2 | Fethiye | 15.4°C | 7.3°C | 19.5°C | 4.9 h | 10 | 4 h 18 min |
| 3 | Icmeler | 15.4°C | 11.7°C | 19.4°C | 4.8 h | 12 | 4 h 12 min |
| 4 | Sarigerme | 15.4°C | 9.8°C | 19.5°C | 4.9 h | 12 | 4 h 12 min |
| 5 | Marmaris | 15.3°C | 10.0°C | 19.3°C | 4.8 h | 12 | 4 h 12 min |
| 6 | Belek | 15.3°C | 8.1°C | 19.6°C | 4.9 h | 11 | 4 h 24 min |
| 7 | Dalaman | 15.2°C | 8.4°C | 19.5°C | 4.9 h | 11 | 4 h 12 min |
| 8 | Bodrum | 14.9°C | 11.5°C | 18.3°C | 4.9 h | 12 | 4 h 6 min |
| 9 | Gumbet | 14.9°C | 11.5°C | 18.3°C | 4.9 h | 12 | 4 h 6 min |
| 10 | Alanya | 14.5°C | 7.6°C | 19.7°C | 4.9 h | 11 | 4 h 30 min |
| 11 | Antalya | 14.1°C | 7.1°C | 19.5°C | 4.6 h | 13 | 4 h 24 min |
| 12 | Lara Beach | 14.1°C | 7.1°C | 19.5°C | 4.6 h | 13 | 4 h 24 min |
| 13 | Kusadasi | 13.8°C | 7.2°C | 17.5°C | 4.6 h | 11 | 4 h |
| 14 | Oludeniz | 13.3°C | 5.4°C | 19.5°C | 5.0 h | 11 | 4 h 18 min |
| 15 | Kemer | 11.2°C | 5.3°C | 15.8°C | 3.3 h | 12 | 3 h 48 min |
| 16 | Side | 11.0°C | 4.9°C | 12.1°C | 3.1 h | 14 | 4 h 36 min |
| 17 | Hisaronu | 10.4°C | 4.4°C | 11.3°C | 3.0 h | 13 | 4 h 6 min |
| 18 | Istanbul | 10.2°C | 6.3°C | 11.1°C | 3.0 h | 13 | 3 h 54 min |
18 destinations shownClimate averages, not a forecast.
December climate overview
Daytime highs across Turkey in December run from 10.2°C (Istanbul) to 15.5°C (Dalyan). Days over 25°C are rare anywhere in Turkey in December. Nights average 7.9°C; the coldest 10% of nights in Istanbul fall to 2°C or below.
Rainfall in December
Expect around 12 rainy days (1 mm or more) in December, with Fethiye the driest (10 days) and Side the wettest (14 days). The wettest December at Dalyan between 1991 and 2020 was 2001 with 475 mm; the driest was 2015 with 8 mm.
Sea temperature
The sea averages 17.7°C around Turkey in December - warmest at Alanya (19.7°C). That is cold for swimming without a wetsuit.
Sunshine and daylight
Around 4.4 hours of sunshine a day on average, out of 9.5 hours of daylight (sunshine estimated from cloud cover).
December against the rest of the year in Turkey
December is the 10th warmest month of the twelve in Turkey. It is 4.3°C cooler than November and 1.6°C cooler in January. The hottest month here is August (31°C) and the coolest January (12°C).
Which part of Turkey in December?
- Most sunshine: Oludeniz, 5.0 h a day.
- Driest: Fethiye, about 10 rainy days.
- Warmest sea: Alanya, 20°C.
- Hottest: Dalyan, 16°C by day.
- Coolest (better for walking and cities): Istanbul, 10°C.
What to pack for Turkey in December
Based on the averages: proper layers and a jacket - daytime highs average only 14°C; a warm layer for evenings, when it drops to around 8°C; a rain jacket - roughly 12 wet days.
Similar weather elsewhere in December
Within 1.5°C of Turkey's December daytime average: Majorca (15°C, sea 16°C), Zante (15°C, sea 18°C), Kefalonia (15°C, sea 18°C), Menorca (15°C, sea 16°C), Naxos (15°C, sea 17°C). See the full ranking for December.
Where to go for the mildest weather
Dalyan is the warmest choice in the figures, with daytime temperatures of 16°C and nights around 9°C. That suits travellers who prefer walking without summer heat, though it still has 12 rainy days. Fethiye and Dalaman offer a useful alternative: both reach 15°C and have 10 rainy days, so they look slightly better if avoiding rain matters more than an extra degree of warmth. For milder evenings, Icmeler, Bodrum and Gumbet average 12°C at night, although a jacket remains sensible. Istanbul is the coolest option at 10°C by day. Choose it expecting distinctly cool outdoor conditions, not the relative warmth of the coast.
What to pack and how to plan your days
Pack for changing conditions rather than continuous sunshine. With average nights of 8°C, a warm layer is useful once the day cools, while a waterproof jacket and shoes that cope with wet ground make rainy spells less disruptive. Average sunshine of 4.4 hours leaves scope for time outside, but keep indoor alternatives available rather than committing every day to outdoor plans. Midday is a sensible time for a walk if you want warmth: even Dalyan has 0% of days above 25°C in the figures. December therefore suits travellers comfortable with cool evenings and weather-led plans, rather than anyone relying on hot afternoons beside the sea.
A little more detail
Turkey in December FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
Where is the hottest place in Turkey in December?
Dalyan is the warmest of the 18 places we track in Turkey in December with an average high of 15.5°C; Istanbul is the coolest at 10.2°C.
Is the sea warm in Turkey in December?
Not really: the warmest sea we track in Turkey in December is 19.7°C at Alanya, below the 22°C most people find comfortable.
Can you swim in the sea in December?
It depends on your tolerance for cool water. The country average is 18°C, while Dalyan, Fethiye, Sarigerme, Belek, Dalaman and Alanya have sea temperatures of 20°C. Those are better choices for a dip, but mild air temperatures can make getting out feel chilly.
Is Turkey warmer than London in December?
Yes, on average: Turkey reaches 14°C by day compared with London's 8°C. The difference depends on your destination, though. Dalyan averages 16°C, while Istanbul reaches 10°C, making it only modestly warmer than London.
Which destinations have fewer rainy days?
Among the destinations with rainfall figures supplied, Fethiye and Dalaman have fewer rainy days at 10, compared with 11 in Belek and Alanya and 12 in Dalyan or Marmaris. That is a useful advantage, not a promise of dry weather.
About these averages
ERA5-Land climate reanalysis via Open-Meteo (11 km grid), 1991-2020
Averages computed from daily values at 18 destination points.Records are the highest and lowest daily values in that 30-year period, not all-time records. These are climate averages, not a forecast for your trip. How we measure holiday weather
- Hot · 25°C+
- Warm · 20°C to below 25°C
- Mild · 15°C to below 20°C
- Cool · below 15°C