What to pack for Istanbul in October: mosques and ferries

The story

Istanbul in October, and you start the day on a ferry. From Karaköy to Kadıköy takes twenty minutes, from Europe to Asia, with a glass of tea for a few lira and seagulls following the boat. It’s 15 °C on land, but on deck the wind off the Bosphorus goes right through your shirt, and you zip up your jacket.

Back on the European side, you visit the Blue Mosque in the morning, between prayers. At the entrance you take off your shoes and carry them in a bag. Everyone covers shoulders and knees, and women cover their hair; scarves are lent at the door, but the one in your bag is quicker. Your socks, you’re glad to see, have no holes.

At noon it’s 20 °C and sunny. You walk through the Grand Bazaar and down to the spice market, then up the steep, cobbled streets to the Galata Tower. The streets are steeper than they look on the map, and your shoes need grip more than style.

In the afternoon a shower comes in over the water. You wait it out in a café with a Turkish coffee, and the cats of the neighborhood wait with you. The streets dry fast.

In the evening, dinner is at a meyhane, a tavern of small plates, with the windows open. It’s 14 °C when you walk back, and the light sweater comes out again.

Istanbul in October is mild and bright, with cool evenings, wind by the water and a few showers. Pack layers, a light jacket, a scarf for the mosques, and shoes that grip and slip off easily.

What to pack for Istanbul in October

Pack layers for the wind, clothes for the mosques, and shoes for hills.

Clothes

T-shirts and long-sleeved tops to layer: afternoons reach about 20 °C.
A light jacket that stops the wind on the ferries.
A sweater for the evenings.
Trousers or a long skirt: mosques ask for covered knees.
A scarf: for your hair in mosques, and your neck on deck.

Shoes

Walking shoes with grip, easy to slip off: the streets are steep and cobbled, and mosques ask you to take your shoes off.
Socks in good shape, for the same reason.

For the day

A small cross-body bag that closes, for the crowds of the bazaars and the tram.
A foldable bag for your shoes in the mosques.
A compact umbrella.

Documents, money and tech

Passport, valid for long enough (see below), and a visa or an e-Visa if your nationality needs one.
An Istanbulkart, the transport card, bought and topped up at stations.
A plug adapter if you come from outside continental Europe: sockets are types C and F, at 230 V.
A power bank for long days of maps and photos.

Good to know

Weather: October runs from about 13 to 20 °C (55 to 68 °F), with a few rainy days and wind by the water; the Bosphorus is at about 18 °C (64 °F).
Mosques: visitors come in between prayers, and mosques close to them during prayer times, five times a day, and longer on Friday around midday. Shoes off; shoulders and knees covered; women cover their hair.
Getting around: trams, the metro and the ferries all take the Istanbulkart. The ferries between Europe and Asia are cheap and fast.
Plugs: types C and F, 230 V.
Money: Turkish lira (TRY). Cards are widely accepted; carry some cash for small shops, tips and public toilets. Prices change often, so check them on the day.
Entry: visa rules depend on your nationality: some travelers enter without a visa, and others need an e-Visa, which you get only on the official site, evisa.gov.tr. Turkey also asks for months of passport validity beyond your stay: check the rule for your passport before you go.