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What to Pack for Istanbul Turkey [ Winter Packing Checklist ]

Packing for summer travel is always a breeze, but packing for winter can be trickier with all the bulkier items. If you’re new to our packing guides, then you’ll quickly realize that we’re all about packing light. Our trip to Turkey was only 5 days, so it wasn’t a huge challenge to pack into a carry-on. We especially wanted to pack light on this trip so we could make space for all the Turkish delight we were going to bring back home or whatever you fancy. (Note: We’ve also packed for month long trips in a carry-on too! It’s all about picking the right pieces that are versatile.)

WWhat to Pack for Turkey in Winter (Istanbul and Cappadocia) - even with bulkier items, if you pack versatile pieces, you'll have plenty of room left to bring home turkish delight! // localadventurer.comPin

THE WEATHER

Before we get into what we packed, let’s talk weather! Turkey is a big country and weather will vary from area to area. For our trip, we visited Istanbul and Cappadocia. The winter months there are December, January, and February, but November, March, and April are cold too!

Istanbul:

  • Temperatures – Average in the mid to high 40s during the day, and low 30s at night.
  • Rainfall – You will get on average 12 days of rain each month.
  • Sunshine – You’ll only be getting on average 3-4 hours of sunshine a day.
  • Humidity – During the winter, the humidity is typically between 70-80%

Cappadocia:

  • Temperatures – Average in the 40s during the day, and lows in the 30s at night.
  • Rainfall – You will get on average 7 days of rain each month. Snow will be common during winter but typically won’t stick until late December.
  • Sunshine – On average, you get 6-7 hours of sunlight a day.
  • Humidity – Humidity hovers around 60% all year.
  • Wind – Just wanted to note that winds are very calm in the area, hence why it’s so good for hot air ballooning year round!

What to Pack for Turkey in Winter (Istanbul and Cappadocia) - even with bulkier items, if you pack versatile pieces, you'll have plenty of room left to bring home turkish delight! // localadventurer.comPin

WHAT TO PACK FOR ISTANBUL TURKEY (+ CAPPADOCIA)

LUGGAGE AND BAGS

  • Samsonite Lumo Carry on 18″ x 7.5″ x 13.5″ – Not currently available anywhere. I’ve been looking for a smaller carry on for a couple years, and my friend gifted me one that she found in Switzerland. Typical carry-on sizes are 22″ x 9″ x 14″. I will try to link one once we find something similar.
  • Travel Backpack
  • Duffel Bag for this trip, but Jacob recently replaced his duffel for this spinner.
  • Tumi Toiletry Kit

HER PACKING LIST

Lesson Learned: If you’re going out for sunrise photos or going on a hot air balloon ride during sunrise, it’s extremely cold. My toes felt like they were about to be frostbitten. I would suggest bringing some shoes that are thicker than my flimsy converses.

What to Pack for Istanbul Turkey and Cappadocia in Winter - even with bulkier items, if you pack versatile pieces, you'll have plenty of room left to bring home turkish delight! // localadventurer.comPinWhat to Pack for Turkey in Winter (Istanbul and Cappadocia) - even with bulkier items, if you pack versatile pieces, you'll have plenty of room left to bring home turkish delight! // localadventurer.comPinWhat to Pack for Istanbul Turkey and Cappadocia in Winter - even with bulkier items, if you pack versatile pieces, you'll have plenty of room left to bring home turkish delight! // localadventurer.comPin

HIS PACKING LIST

What to Pack for Istanbul Turkey and Cappadocia in Winter - even with bulkier items, if you pack versatile pieces, you'll have plenty of room left to bring home turkish delight! // localadventurer.comPinWhat to Pack for Turkey in Winter (Istanbul and Cappadocia) - even with bulkier items, if you pack versatile pieces, you'll have plenty of room left to bring home turkish delight! // localadventurer.comPin

PHOTO GEAR + ELECTRONICS

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What to Pack for Turkey in Winter (Istanbul and Cappadocia) - even with bulkier items, if you pack versatile pieces, you'll have plenty of room left to bring home turkish delight! // localadventurer.comPinWhat to Pack for Turkey in Winter (Istanbul and Cappadocia) - even with bulkier items, if you pack versatile pieces, you'll have plenty of room left to bring home turkish delight! // localadventurer.comPin

Have you done much winter travel? What are some of your winter essentials?

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ESTHER + JACOB

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 50 travel blogs in the world. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They move to a new city every year and currently live in Portland, Oregon.

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