What Can Be Done in Istanbul in Fall?
The fall season is very beautiful in Istanbul, Turkey’s most populous and most popular city. There are dozens of activities that can be done in Istanbul in autumn. In addition to all these, there are wonderful places close to Istanbul where you can have a weekend getaway. In this article, we have compiled outdoor activities that can be done in Istanbul in fall. Let’s look at all of them.
1. Jazz Festival
The fall season in Istanbul become even more beautiful with festivals. One of the most beautiful festivals is the Jazz Festival, where the most popular names of the jazz world take the stage every year. The festival, which will be held in 2022, hosts many events such as workshops, panels, film screenings, as well as many jazz concerts. You can check the festival program here.
2. Harbiye Open Air Concerts
One of the best activities to do in Istanbul after the sweltering heat of summer ends and before the freezing cold of winter comes is to go to open-air concerts. Participating in Harbiye Open Air Events, organized by concerts of Turkey’s most valuable artists, is one of the most beautiful activities that can be done in autumn. You can check out the 2022 concert program here.
3. Sisli Record Festival
One of the most beautiful places where those who love nostalgia, have a record player or a record collector can have a pleasant time can be the Record Festival held in Istanbul. The Record Festival, which will be held at Ferikoy Organic Market on September 17-18, awaits nostalgia enthusiasts. You can check the Sisli Record Festival program here.
4. Coffee Festival
Istanbul Coffee Festival, which has been held since 2013 and is the indispensable festival of the autumn months, is preparing to host coffee lovers in 2022 between 6-9 October. The most famous coffee and chocolate brands of the world come together at the Istanbul Coffee Festival, one of the biggest coffee festivals in Europe. The only thing left for coffee lovers is to enjoy the unique flavors. You can check the Istanbul Coffee Festival program here.
5. Visiting Historic Sites
Istanbul, which has hosted many civilizations for centuries, has many historical monuments such as Galata Tower, Maiden’s Tower, Basilica Cistern, Rumeli Fortress. It is a pleasure to visit these unique artifacts, which can be visited in all seasons, in autumn. We recommend that you visit historical places such as Rumeli Fortress, which have an open-air walking track, once in autumn and enjoy a unique experience. You can look at the historical places that must be visited in Istanbul here.
6. Hiking in the Forests
Istanbul is home to lush green forests, each more beautiful than the other. Especially in autumn, these forests, where all shades of yellow, red, orange and green are present, offer a magnificent visual feast to their visitors. Add forest visits to your to-do list, where you can enjoy a walk in the cool weather and have a picnic in the greenery, which must be visited in autumn. Belgrad Forest, Polonezkoy Nature Park, Aydos Park, Cilingoz Nature Park are some of the must-see places. You can look at the forests we can visit in Istanbul here.
7. Hiking in Groves/Parks
One of the best places to enjoy the fall season in Istanbul is its lush groves and parks. We recommend you visit the unique groves and parks of Istanbul, one of the largest metropolises in the world, and to take a walk in these groves. You can check the list of parks and gardens in Istanbul here.
8. Islands Tour
Islands, one of the most popular travel routes in Istanbul, are at the top of the list of the best activities to do in spring and autumn. In Istanbul, where there are nine large and small islands, only four of these nine islands have the opportunity to travel. The islands are a travel route that you must add to your to-do list in the cool weather of autumn. You can find more detailed information about the islands here.
9. Bosphorus Tour
The tour on Bosphorus, the pearl of Istanbul, is one of the activities that everyone visiting Istanbul should do at least once. The Bosphorus tour, which gives a different pleasure in every season, regardless of summer, winter, and spring months, is an activity worth doing in the autumn months. You can participate in this activity, which is organized as separate tours both during the day and at night. We recommend you join this magnificent tour both day and night and see Istanbul from the Bosphorus. You can view Bosphorus tour schedules here.
10. Helicopter Tour
How about a bird’s eye view of Istanbul? The helicopter tour, which is a great option to watch this precious city from a bird’s eye view, promises a unique experience. You can enjoy this unique experience by making a reservation at least one day in advance to watch the most touristic places of Istanbul, the historical peninsula from a bird’s eye view. Watching Istanbul from a bird’s eye view in autumn will be a unique experience.
Bonus: Tiny House / Bungalow Weekend Getaways
In many cities close to Istanbul, there are places where you can get away for the weekend by staying in tiny house and bungalow type houses. Especially in fall, you can visit Bolu Abant Lake (3 hours by car), Kırklareli Longoz Forests (3 hours by car), Tekirdag Ucmakdere (3 hours by car), Edirne Gala Lake National Park (4 hours by car), Sakarya Sapanca Lake (2 hours by car), and Balikesir Kaz Mountains (5 hours by car).
