Best Time To Visit Ankara > Weather, Temperature & Season

What is the best time to visit Ankara?

April to June and September to October are the best times to visit Ankara. Mild days, dry air and none of the plateau's winter cold.

Ankara's weather is closer to New York's than to the Mediterranean's. It sits on the Anatolian plateau, so January runs about -2°C to 5°C with snow, and July and August reach about 31°C. Nothing about it resembles Antalya.

It is a dry city, rain on only about 104 days a year, and not much on any of them. May is the wettest month and August the driest, so the summer heat is dry heat.

Most Turkey itineraries give Ankara a day, for Anitkabir and the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, on the road between Istanbul and Cappadocia. Any month works for that; the shoulder months make it pleasant.

Monthly Weather in Ankara

Month	High/Low (°C)	Rain
January	5°/ -4°	4 days
February	8°/ -2°	7 days
March	15°/ 2°	2 days
April	18°/ 3°	6 days
May	24°/ 9°	6 days
June	27°/ 14°	15 days
July	29°/ 13°	3 days
August	30°/ 15°	3 days
September	27°/ 11°	1 days
October	24°/ 9°	0 days
November	17°/ 4°	4 days
December	9°/ -0°	8 days

Ankara Travel Packages

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7 Nights / 8 Days

Enchanting Turkey Tour Package with a Day in Safranbolu

Istanbul(3N) → Ankara(1N) → Cappadocia(2N) → Safranbolu(1N)

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₹84,700/person

10 Nights / 11 Days

Best Turkey Tour Package

Istanbul(3N) → Ankara(1N) → Cappadocia(3N) → Pamukkale(1N) ...

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₹105,000/person

10 Nights / 11 Days

Magnificent Tour of Greece and Turkey

Istanbul(2N) → Ankara(1N) → Cappadocia(2N) → Pamukkale(1N) &ra...

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₹177,000/person

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More about Best Time to Travel to Ankara

Spring in Ankara: April to June

April to June is the best stretch of the year. Days climb from the mid-teens into the mid-twenties and the plateau is green, which it is not for long.

May is the wettest month, though that is modest by Indian standards and comes as short showers. April nights are still cold.

Autumn in Ankara: September and October

September and October are dry and mild, the other good window. Days sit in the low twenties in September and mid-teens by late October.

This is the easiest time to walk Anitkabir, the citadel and the old town at Hamamonu without heat or cold. 29 October is Republic Day, and as the capital Ankara holds the main state ceremonies.

Summer in Ankara: July and August

July and August average about 31°C by day, and it is dry heat. August is the driest month of the year, so the plateau is dusty and bright rather than muggy.

Nights cool off noticeably, which the coast does not do. Sightseeing works if you keep the middle of the day indoors: the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations is the obvious place to spend it.

Winter in Ankara: November to March

January runs about -2°C to 5°C, with snow. This is a proper continental winter at 900 metres, colder than Istanbul and much colder than anywhere on the Turkish coast.

Roads and flights can be disrupted after heavy snow, so leave slack if Ankara is a connection rather than a stop. Prices are at their lowest, and the museums and hamams are the point of a winter visit anyway.

How Ankara Fits Into a Turkey Trip

Ankara is a one-day stop on the way to somewhere else, usually between Istanbul and Cappadocia. The high-speed train from Istanbul takes about four and a half hours.

Because it is a stop rather than a destination, the weather matters less here than anywhere else in Turkey. Pick your dates for Cappadocia and Istanbul, and Ankara will be fine in whatever month that lands.

Best Time to Visit Ankara by Interest

Anitkabir and the citadel: April to June, September to October
Museum of Anatolian Civilisations: any month, and the obvious wet or cold-weather stop
Republic Day ceremonies: 29 October
Driest weather: July and August
Snow on the plateau: December to February
Lowest prices: November to March