What to Pack for Istanbul, Turkey – Packing Light


If you are looking for what to pack for Istanbul in spring ideas, I received an email request a few weeks back. It was for a packing light list for 5 days in Istanbul, Turkey for the month of April. Most people think that Istanbul is located completely separated from Europe, but the truth is that is right on the edge of Turkey, bordering Bulgaria. This is a reason Istanbul is very western in the way that its people dress.

There is a lot of misconceptions with what you should wear when you are packing your Istanbul travel wardrobe and people think that there are a lot of restrictions, but that isn’t the case. Your regular clothes like jeans, dresses, skirts, converse, leather handbags are all acceptable, but when you visit a religious site there are rules that need to be followed.

When entering these sites you need to make sure that you are respectfully covered. This easily attained by always keeping a large scarf or shawl in your purse to cover your arms and hair in these instances.

It is also good to note that Istanbul is built on many hills so walking around in any kind of heels is difficult. Flats or sneakers are the best choice for walking the city and heels are usually saved for at night when you drive or take a taxi to your destination.

Istanbul’s weather in April is a perfect time for travel because the weather is neither too hot nor too cold. The average daily high is 12-16°C (54-61°F) and the low 8°C (46°F). In this packing list I included 4 tops + 1 cardigan + 1 pullover + 1 pair of jeans + 1 black pants + 1 skirt + coat + 3 shoes (heels optional) + accessories (which includes the large scarf I mentioned above.

These packing lists aren’t intended to make you go out and buy a whole new travel wardrobe. They are to give you an outline of suggested ideas of how you can pack your own travel capsule for a trip by using the pieces from your own closet.

I try to give just a simple generic name to the pieces of clothes I include so that you can match it up with something comparable. A camisole, is just a regular cami or loose tank, a t-shirt is a t-shirt, use your favourite pullover.

The key is to make sure that all the pieces that you use match and can be worn together. That is how you are going to get as many outfit options as possible out of a small amount of pieces. The outfit options that you can make from this list will be up in the next post.

What is your favourite month to travel in?

You can find more packing lists and what to wear guides in my:
Packing Light Series 
What to Wear Options

If you enjoyed my What to Pack for Istanbul, Turkey packing light list, please feel free to share it via Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter 🙂 Thank you.

 


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Sara

Sara is the founder and creative behind livelovesara. A George Brown College Fashion Styling Graduate, she provides advice on finding your personal style regardless of age and budget. She is always on the hunt for the perfect wardrobe piece and is a vintage and thrifting enthusiast who can't wait to share her newest finds. She is also trying to learn French.

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