Best Time to Visit Bursa

Spring and early summer: the sweet spot

April to June is when Bursa feels easiest. April is mild, with highs around 19°C and some showers. By May you'll find 24°C, long light evenings and a green city. June is warm but not heavy, and it's the sunniest of the three.

This is the time for walking. Climb through the old Hanlar district (the area of historic inns near the Grand Mosque) and sit with tea in the courtyard of the Koza Han, where silk is still sold. The Green Tomb and Green Mosque are pleasant to visit in these months. You can also head up toward Uludağ for a day of hiking. Snow lingers high up into spring, so expect it to be cooler there than in town.

July and August: hot and quiet on the mountain

August is the hottest month, with highs of 33°C, and July is close behind at 32°C. Rain is rare. Afternoons in the centre feel hot, so do your sightseeing in the morning and rest in the shade after lunch. The Muradiye tombs and the gardens around them are a good cool-ish stop.

Turkish school holidays run through summer, so local families travel. Bursa is mostly a short stop on the way to the coast, so it doesn't get the crowds that beach towns do. Hotel prices tend to be gentler than in Istanbul. Want to escape the heat? Take the cable car up Uludağ, where the air is noticeably fresher.

Autumn: a good second chance

September matches June for warmth, with highs of 28°C and fewer rainy days than any other month outside summer. October cools to 22°C, with more rain. Even November is rated Excellent by our score, though at 17°C and with grey days you'll want a jacket.

Autumn suits food lovers. Try İskender kebab, which was born here, and candied chestnuts (kestane şekeri), a local sweet. Chestnuts are a real Bursa thing, so look for them in shops near the Grand Mosque.

Winter: wet, grey and cheap

From December to February the city is damp. January is the wettest month, with 91 mm on 13 days, and you'll get only about three hours of sun a day. Highs sit between 9°C and 11°C.

Winter is the low season for sightseeing, but it's the high season for Uludağ. Skiers fill the resort on weekends, so expect queues at the cable car. In town, it's a good time for a long lunch and a soak in one of the historic thermal baths in Çekirge. Hot water feels very good on a cold, wet day.